Math Talks

 

What Are Math Talks?

A Math Talk is typically a 10-minute activity designed to prompt multiple strategies and give students opportunities to reason about relationships among numbers and make connections in math. According to hand2mind, during a Math Talk the teacher poses a problem and invites students to share different approaches without immediately judging correctness. 

Math Talks shift the classroom focus away from just finding the correct answer, toward exploring how students think and why strategies work. When students explain their reasoning, they build deeper conceptual understanding, practice mathematical vocabulary, and see that there’s more than one way to solve a problem.

How Teachers Can Use Math Talks:

Begin with an open-ended or low-floor problem that allows multiple entry points. Give students think time, then invite them to share strategies and explanations. Use guiding questions such as “Why did you do it that way?” or “Can someone show another method?” During the talk, avoid simply restating a student’s answer; instead, ask them to articulate the steps or logic behind it. Integrating math talk into other parts of the day helps reinforce it. For example, during a walk or snack time, teachers can pose quick questions: “How many more apples do we need?” or “If we group these crackers in fives, how many groups will we have?” NAEYC suggests that parents and teachers use age-appropriate math talk to keep conversations natural and engaging.

“Support Math Readiness Through Math Talk.” National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), 2024. https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/support-math-readiness-through-math-talk

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