Number Talks

     As the school year draws close to an end, students (and teachers) are bursting with excitement simply knowing that summer vacation is on the way! When reflecting on student learning this year one of the things that stands out for me as an Instructional Coach is how much students have grown in terms of their understanding of number concepts in math. For instance, after observing a first grade class earlier this afternoon, I marveled at how one student was able to explain how she could decompose the addition problem for 25 + 20. The teacher gave all the students white boards and dry erase markers to use to solve the problem. Within seconds the student came over to me and showed me her board. When I asked her to show me her thinking for solving that problem, she explained that there are 2 tens and 5 ones in the number 25, so she added those 2 tens with the 2 tens in the number 20; which gave her 40. Then she told me that she added the 5 ones...then she proudly announced "so that's how I got 45 for my answer (20+20+5=45)"!
     When I reflect back to the beginning of the school year, this same student wasn't able to explain her thinking in this much detail. As I shared in my post last week, intentional planning is the core of effective instruction. Creating opportunities to give students a chance to explore their knowledge of numbers in and out of the classroom grows their sense of numbers. This in turn, leads to amazing number talks. As many of you prepare for the close of the 2017-2018 school year, think of some ways that you can give your students a chance to discuss/analyze numbers as well as engage in activities dedicated solely to building number talks. And remember to hang in there these next few weeks, you can do this...now go out there and be GREAT!

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