Math Talks
Overview
When students have meaningful conversations about math and use math vocabulary, they develop the thinking, questioning, and explanation skills needed to master mathematical concepts. As a 10- to 15-minute discussion, math talks challenge students to use specific math language to share their strategies, which promotes Mathematical Flexibility and Math Communication, and to express, and in turn develop, their Number Sense.
Example: Use This Strategy in the Classroom
Watch how this sixth grade teacher uses a math talk to promote Mathematical Flexibility. As students explain their strategies for arriving at a particular answer, they build their mathematical reasoning, Number Sense, and practice Arithmetic Fact Retrieval.
Design It into Your Product
Videos are chosen as examples of strategies in action. These choices are not endorsements of the products or evidence of use of research to develop the feature.
Learn how Bedtime Math engages families to talk about math before bed. By establishing this routine activity, learners can discuss math topics with their families, hear new strategies or vocabulary, and make math part of their every day.
Additional Resources
Additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
Factors Supported by this Strategy
More Cooperative Learning Strategies
As students solve problems in a group, they learn new strategies and practice communicating their mathematical thinking.
Flexible grouping is a classroom practice that temporarily places students together in given groups to work together, with the purpose of achieving a given learning goal or activity.
As students walk through stations working in small groups, the social and physical nature of the learning supports deeper understanding.
As students work with and process information by discussing, organizing, and sharing it together, they deepen their understanding.
Having students teach their knowledge, skills, and understanding to their classmates strengthens learning.
Students deepen their understanding and gain confidence in their learning when they explain to and receive feedback from others.
Respectful redirection, or error correction, outlines a clear and concise way that educators can provide feedback on behaviors that need immediate correction, in a positive manner.
Students deepen their math understanding as they use and hear others use specific math language in informal ways.
