1 Number Talks

2 What is a Number Talk? A Number Talk is a short, ongoing daily routine that provides students with meaningful ongoing practice with computation. The primary goal of Number Talks is computational fluency.

3 What is Computational Fluency? The National Council for Teachers of Mathematics states that "Computational fluency refers to having efficient and accurate methods for computing. Students exhibit computational fluency when they demonstrate flexibility in the computational methods they choose, understand and can explain these methods, and produce accurate answers efficiently. The computational methods that a student uses should be based on mathematical ideas that the student understands well, including the structure of the base-ten number system, properties of multiplication and division, and number relationships.” Principal and Standards for School Mathematics, NCTM, Reston, VA 2000, p.152

4 Phases for Acquisition of Facts Phase 1 Phase 3 Phase 2 Determining an answer by counting mentally or with objects Deriving an answer by using known facts and relationships Producing answers efficiently Baroody, A. (2006). Why Children Have Difficulties Mastering the Basic Number Combinations and How to Help Them. Teaching Children Mathematics,

5 Reasoning Strategies for Addition Facts Counting all and Counting on One More Than and Two More Than Adding Zero Using 5 as an Anchor Make 10 Near Doubles (Doubles plus/minus one and Doubles plus/minus two) Making Landmark or “friendly” numbers Breaking each number into its place value Compensation Adding up in chunks (Van de Walle, Lovin, Karp, & Bay-Williams, 2014) (Caldwell, Kobett, & Karp, 2014) (Parrish, 2014)

6 Reasoning Strategies for Subtraction Facts Counting back Think addition (or Adding Up) Removal (Van de Walle, Lovin, Karp, & Bay-Williams, 2014) (Caldwell, Kobett, & Karp, 2014) (Parrish, 2014)

7 Number Talks are… A concentrated period of 5 to 15 minutes –3 to 5 times per week; Whole group or small group Purposefully crafted computation problems that students are expected to learn to mentally solve with accuracy, efficiency, and flexibility. Rooted in classroom discussions –Computation errors are used as opportunities to unearth misconceptions Regular opportunities for students to develop number sense, fluency, and reasoning strategies. (Parrish, 2014)

8 Number Talks are not… Number of the Day Unrelated and disjointed problems Pre-Teaching Strategies Calendar Time An entire math lesson FOCUS: NOT SPEED BUT RELATIONSHIP MAKING

9 What is the format for Number Talks? 1.Teacher presents the problem. 2.Students figure out the answer. 3.Students share their answers. 4.Students share their thinking. 5.The class agrees on the “real” answer for the problem. 6.The steps are repeated for additional problems.

10 Focus is not on Computation it is on Reasoning! 70 – 34 Watch video clip of a 3 rd grade class.

11 1st Gr: Dot Images Counting All/Counting On: Set A 11

12 Gr 1: Double Ten Frames: Counting On/All 12

13 Focus is not on Computation it is on Reasoning! String of problems

14 Create and Post Class Strategy Chart

15 Focus is not on Computation it is on Reasoning! Link to Number Talk PowerPoints for grades K /Page/38449