Number Talk programmes help our students to build Mathematical fluency.

Across the Mathematics programmes at Oaklands School we are using a strategy called Number Talks.  This is a short ongoing daily routine that provides students with meaningful ongoing practice with computation.  Number Talks is a powerful tool for helping students develop computational fluency because the expectation is that they will use number relationships and the structures of numbers to add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Number talks lesson format

1.  Teacher presents the problem. 

eg. 223+129 or 6 + 2

2. Students figure out the answer. 

Students are given time to work out their answers.  When they have a solution they use hand signals against their chest to show the teacher.  This helps to decrease Maths anxiety, as it allows all students to have the thinking time they need without worrying about another student already having the answer. See the 'Hand Signals' attachment we use below.

3. Students share their answers.

Four or five students volunteer to share their answers and the teacher records them on the board.

 4. Students share their thinking. 

Three or four students volunteer to share how they got their answers. The teacher records the student's thinking.

 5. The class agrees on the real answer for the problem.

Ask your child to take you through a Number talks session.