For most, thoughts of early math lessons conjure images of number lines, multiplication tables and memorization. But a few teachers at West Elementary School are trying a new approach: talking it out.
“It’s a five- to 15-minute group conversation around a purposely crafted problem,” first-grade teacher Susan Schantzen told the Hutchinson School Board Monday evening.
She and Heather Vaillancourt spent time this past school year experimenting with a method called “math talk,” or “number talk.” In this practice, groups of students are given a math problem, and given time to think about it, and solve it mentally. That means no paper to write out the calculation, and no number line to count out the addition or subtraction.
“When you start talking about a number talk in your classroom, the first thing you need to do is build the class up,” Schantzen said. Her students learned it is OK to make mistakes, because it gives everyone a chance to talk about how to do the math.
That’s important because in the next step of a number talk, students not only share their answer with the group, but how they arrived there. That’s important, Vaillancourt said, because it helps students learn to tackle math in their minds, and discover various methods to do so.
For example, students may be shown a picture of seven hexagons all placed together to form a pattern or shape. Students are asked how many hexagons there are. Some will say seven, because they see two on the top row, two on the bottom row, and three on the middle row. Others will say they see two groups of three around the outside edge, and one alone in the middle. Both methods are correct, and both lead students into a simple math equation in their head.
“I think this is powerful because of the reasoning and logic (it teaches),” said Superintendent Daron VanderHeiden.
In the example of five plus nine, some students borrow one from the five and give it to nine. This turns the equation into 10 plus four, which is easier to visualize. Others know 10 plus five is 15, and know to just subtract one from the total for 14.
“The kids are super competitive about thinking about it differently,” Vaillancourt said. “We’re building critical thinking skills.”
The teachers said the practice is especially effective because kindergarten and first-grade students love to share. Many students make sure to come up with multiple methods. That way, if another student shares their first method, they have another ready to share. When students hear it is time for a math talk, Schantzen said, “I get cheering.”
