Math talks in the primary classroom can help students develop their conceptual understanding around math. Are you using them with your students? Math talks in kindergarten, first grade, and beyond help students see themselves as capable mathematicians who can make sense of problems.
If your students are anything like mine, then they probably like to Talk. All. The. Time. I’m okay with my classroom not being silent. Don’t get me wrong, there is a difference between socializing and productive talk. However, I encourage my students to talk more…especially when it is about their learning! One of the most important things we can do is to promote class discussions with our students. It’s easy to talk about the characters in a story or talk about the phonics patterns your kids are studying that week. However, I think it is just as, if not more important to make sure your students are talking during math. Here are three tips for promoting math talks in the primary classroom.
Tip 1: Help Students Explain Their Thinking During a Math Talk
How many times have you asked a student to explain their strategy and they replied. “I just knew the answer?” Give me an Amen if you can relate! Recently, I gave my class the problem 12+38. A student shot their hand up immediately and said, “It’s 50!” “Great,” I replied, “How did you get 50?” I got the “I just knew it in my brain.” The thing is, my student didn’t have 12+38 memorized. In fact, they had applied a strategy in their head but didn’t know how to explain it.
Luckily, I was ready to be the guide on the side because I knew that this was a wonderful learning opportunity for my student as well as the rest of the class. I asked my student to tell me what they did first. Then, I clarified their thinking by restating their ideas as a question. “You used the 120 chart and began with 38 and counted on? You counted on 10 then added 2 more?”
One of the hardest things for students to do is explaining their math thinking. However, as the teacher, we can help them develop this skill. Clarifying their thinking as questions can help students understand how to explain their strategies. We can also model how to use precise language and how to ask questions. Lastly, when I use this technique, I am able to model to students how they can record their thinking.
Tip 2: During Math Talks, Have Students Explain Their Reasoning
Many times in math, students are answered focused. However, we also want our students to value the reasoning process. My students always know that after they give me the answer, I am going to ask, “How do you know?” or “How did you get that answer?” even when their answer is correct.
Math Talks are a great way to have students explain their reasoning. For example, I might ask students to work in pairs to explain how they know 2+3=3+2. I also love incorporating graphs into my classroom to promote discussions around statistical reasoning.
When students explain their reasoning, they develop a deeper conceptual understanding. Discussing their ideas with peers also helps promote learning. Oftentimes, a student can explain a concept to a classmate that makes more sense to them than how I could explain it. It’s an added bonus when everyone owns the learning!
Tip 3: Encourage Student to Student Dialogue
I am not the keeper of all knowledge. I want my students to see themselves as mathematicians. One of the best ways to encourage this is to have students talk to one another…alot. I encourage my class to share their solutions and ask one another questions. Sometimes they have a turn and talk partner and other times, they have small group discussions. These discussions can be explaining one’s strategy or it could be a teach back. This is where students teach the concept to their partner. I also like to have my students explain their partner’s strategy. This really improves their understanding and helps them to develop their listening skills!
All of these tips; clarifying, reasoning, and dialogue all work in and out of the classroom. Whether you are teaching in person or remotely, you can incorporate these math talk strategies to get your students to discuss their math thinking. If you aren’t sure how to conduct a math talk, take a look at this post for details on how to get started. Give it a try! I’d love to hear if you have any other tips about how you promote math discussions in your classroom.
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