Math can be a challenging subject for many students – and even adults! With help from the Foundation, the primary school and math intervention teachers will be learning a new strategy - Number Talks - to increase their students’ competence, flexibility, and confidence as mathematical thinkers.
“Number Talks will help teachers provide every student with a daily routine that promotes number sense and computational fluency,” says Gina Kirchner, Primary Schools Principal. Number Talks are short, daily exercises where students explore math problems in different ways, share their thinking, and reflect on other classmates’ strategies.
With Number Talks, emphasis is placed on the rationale behind the solution, rather than speed and correct answer. When students discuss the many ways a problem can be solved, they are actively engaged in the learning process. They begin to think in strategic and flexible ways which will help build their conceptual understanding. Implementing Number Talks will help students truly understand math instead of memorizing it which will empower students to tackle and solve any problem.