Number Talks Book Study
What is Number Talk?
Number talks are short discussions among a teacher and students about how to solve a particular mental math problem. The focus is not on the correct answer, but on all the possible methods of finding the answer. Each student has a chance to explain their method, and everyone else will learn from other people's methods.
To start a number talk, the teacher gives the students a short math problem to solve, but the students are not allowed to use a calculator or paper and pencil. The idea is to solve it in one's head! For example, you could ask 4th-12th grade students to solve 5 × 18 using mental math.
Making Number Talks Matter is about the myriad decisions facing teachers as they make this fifteen-minute daily routine a vibrant and vital part of their mathematics instruction. Cathy Humphreys and Ruth Parker offer practical ideas for using number talks to help students learn to reason numerically and build a solid foundation for the study of mathematics.
Using insight gained from many years of doing number talks with students of all ages, Ruth and Cathy provide questions to pose during number talks, teacher moves that turn thinking over to students, the mathematics behind the strategies, and ways to overcome bumps in the road.
Book Study Resources for Making Number Talks Matter
Study Guide
The following protocols can be used with any number talk video
Routines
This protocol helps teachers identify the presence or absence of the number talk routines outlined in Chapter 2 of Making Number Talks Matter by Cathy Humphreys and Ruth Parker
Reflecting on the Lesson
Connecting to the number talk planner in Appendix A of Making Number Talks Matter by Cathy Humphreys and Ruth Parker, this protocol encourage teachers to consider the questions and recording strategies modeled in the video
Guiding Principles for Number Talks
A chart listing the guiding principles of number talks as defined in Chapter 3 of Making Number Talks Matter by Cathy Humphreys and Ruth Parker to allow viewers to record teacher moves aligned with each principle
Resources for Classroom Implementation of Number Talks
Dot Card Images
A set of dot cards ready to use for number talks
Article: Number Talks for K-2 Teachers
A series of tips which includes suggested number talks to do with each grade level
Smart Board Resources K-5
A set of Smart Board Resources for number talks that is ready-to-use for grades K-5
Document: Number Talks — Kindergarten
Based on the book Number Talks by Sherry Parrish, this document shares an overview of number talks before launching into lists of strings for a variety of computational strategies and models appropriate for kindergarten
Document: Number Talks — First Grade
Based on the book Number Talks by Sherry Parrish, this document shares an overview of number talks before launching into lists of strings for a variety of computational strategies and models appropriate for first grade
Document: Number Talks — Second Grade
Based on the book Number Talks by Sherry Parrish, this document shares an overview of number talks before launching into lists of strings for a variety of computational strategies and models appropriate for second grade
Presentation: Intermediate Level Number Talks
Henry County Schools in Georgia make available a series presentation for intermediate teachers to use with number talks, along with a suggested order for presenting
Document: Number Talks — Grades 3-5
Based on the book Number Talks by Sherry Parrish, this document shares an overview of number talks before launching into lists of strings for a variety of computational strategies and models appropriate for grades 3-5
Middle School Number Talks
This site, hosted by middle school teacher Fawn Nguyen, shares number talks used with middle school students, along with examples of student responses and a page with suggestions for giving number talks in the middle school classroom
Research Supporting Number Talks
Research Paper: Impact of Number Talks on Mental Math Computation Abilities
If seeking research to support the use of number talks in elementary classrooms, this masters research paper describes the effects of number talks on fourth grade students’ mental math computation abilities
Research Paper: Impact of Number Talks on Number Sense
Conducted as a masters project in Eastern Washington, this paper outlines the impact of number talks on first grade students’ number sense
Related Resources
Article: Building Facility with Numbers: Grade-Level-Appropriate Expectations for Mental Computation (G3-5)
An article emphasizing the importance of having a variety of strategies to be fluent with mental computation
Number Talks Webinar
A 42-minute webinar from Georgia K-5 Mathematics Support gives an introduction to number talks geared toward K-HS teachers