Number Talks for Number Sense

Abstract

Number talks are a 10 to 15 minute activity that focuses on solving a math problem using mental math strategies. The goal is not to get the right answer but to practice flexible thinking and numerical reasoning. Students have an oppurtunity to explain and defend how they arrived at their answers. The goal is to promote flexible thinking so students can use number relationships to better solve a math problem quickly and efficiently (Parish, 2011). Number talks also allow social learning to occur, students are given an oppurtunity to listen to their peers and potentially learn a new strategy to solve the problem.