Number Talks, Take 5!

"Do not give up when things don't go perfectly well; make adjustments and keep moving forward" (p. 31)

And that is just what we plan on doing. We did, however take another break and dropped our Number Talks very readily this past month when our new strategies didn't produce the results we had expected. With report cards due, we all felt pretty justified in focusing our attention elsewhere. But now that they are all done, I finally had the energy to read Chapter 2 of Number Talks to find some fresh ideas. This last tip was at the very end; and yet it is the most important one. Staying positive and persistent when faced with challenges, are necessary qualities if we want to accomplish our goals. And it just so happens that promoting a positive mindset and/or GRIT is a board-wide endeavor this year. Keeping a positive mind set is the only way the students will succeed as well as us teachers.

So last week we restarted our Number Talks with some adjustments. Firstly, we decided it was best to continue to do Number Talks in small groups. This time, we did them first thing in the morning during Tabletop Activity Time when students are most alert. To avoid distractions of other activities at the tables, I brought them into a quiet corner of the room on the carpet and I sat facing outward so I had a view of the rest of the room, while they sat facing me. As Sherry Parrish suggests: "I have found it that it is easier to build a cohesive community and a focused discussion when students shift away from their regular routines and are removed from typical desk distractions" (p. 17). This shift in location, made a huge difference in terms of their attention and engagement. And within one week, students began to await their turn to join in a Number Talk. This past Monday morning I saw one student walk in and wander, so I asked if she wanted to join me for a special activity in the corner. She replied: "I've seen you doing the Number Talks in the corner." I asked if she was excited that it was her turn and she just smiled from ear to ear. Parrish notes: "One way to elevate the status of number talk time and signal its importance is to have a specific location in the classroom where the students gather for this purpose" (p.17). 

Click Here for a blog post on Small Group Number Talks in the Junior Grades

First, I reminded each group of the routine for our Number Talks. First, I would show a card of dots very briefly and then ask them "How many dots do you see?" and "How do you see them?". Then they would place a thumbs up on their chests if they were ready with an answer. I reminded them that it is not important to figure out an answer quickly, but rather that we give everyone a chance to take their time to think and come up with an answer. Since I began teaching, the importance of " wait time" has always been stressed; however this strategy of including a gesture is neat because it makes the wait time obvious to the students themselves. By making "wait time" known to students, they may better understand that speed is not the most important part of success in math. As Sherry Parrish explains: "Many students have the misconception that they are not good at math because they are not fast. We can easily reinforce this misconception if we begin gathering answers as soon as the first students are ready. " (p. 18). Using the procedure of giving a thumbs up is important to "send the message that all students are expected to think and contribute during this time" (Parrish p. 18). 

Set students up for success by grouping them
 by ability and providing tasks at their level.

Next, I explained I would invite those interested in sharing their answer to raise their hands. Keeping the groups small, to a maximum of three students, meant that students were not only more engaged but more comfortable sharing their thoughts. I also made sure to group the students based on similar abilities. Because I kept the groups small (max. 3 children) and carefully selected students with similar needs, all students were eager to share and even the shy ones participated, though they still spoke softly. Parrish also notes that by grouping the students based on their needs, it allows for those that are ready to be challenged (p. 25). I am not yet sure what kind of challenge I will present to those that are stronger but for now I will record their answers and then take the time to analyze them and plan for our second set of small group Number Talks. 

One of Parrish's 5 steps towards teaching for understanding (p. 28) suggests limiting number talk time to a maximum of 5-15 minutes in order to maximize engagement. Back in January, we had decided to review all the cards for number 4, so the Number Talk definitely went on for longer than 5 minutes. Even though it was in a small group,I found even I, myself, was quite bored since it was always the same answer. Although I was recording the answers and analyzing them throughout the Number Talk, this documentation took up way too much time and thus, the students were distracted. So finally I told them, this time our talk would be short so no one would get bored and they could go back to a table activity of their choice after only 5 minutes. Before we began, I set a timer so that we would not get carried away. We were able to get through just 3 cards (one set) with everyone sharing each time. The timer has been ringing just as we are discussing the final card. Limiting the talk to 5 minutes in Kindergarten is a rule I would definitely recommend. 

A few other tips I liked from Chapter 2 (p. 30):

• Offer a strategy from a previous student 
• If no one offers a strategy, give an example and ask if it will always work (checking for reliability).
• It is all right to put a student's strategy on the back burner.
• If you don't understand a student's strategy and they've already restated it, you can have students turn and talk about what they understand and brainstorm questions to pose for clarification.
• During this time, listen to students and get a sense if everyone is confused or you can build upon this idea.
• If not, tell the student you need time to think about it before continuing.
• This helps keep the conversation pace versus slowing it down and losing students' focus.

I especially like this last phrase because it reassures the student his/her ideas are still valuable and as Parrish says, you can meet later with the student to work through their strategy.

And finally, Parrish's last tip (p.31): 

Possible Next Steps:

• Use one half PLC day to meet with my colleague from my second class to explain Number Talks and plan to implement them.
• Read Ch. 3 of Number Talks for more specific strategies in the K-2 classroom to be shared with colleagues.
• Use my final half PLC day to meet with my first Kindergarten team and discuss possible next steps below.
• Devise new plans for recording students' thinking so that it can be easily shared with classmates. (Right now we are simply making our own handwritten anecdotal notes to share among the teaching team.)
• Discuss possible activities/questions Parrish suggested to add to develop more accountability in our Number Talks. (p. 25)
• Ask students to use finger signals to indicate the most efficient strategy.
• Require students to solve an exit problem using the discussed strategies.