MIDDLE LEVEL

Mental Math Strategies

Number Talks
Purpose:

To develop computational fluency (accuracy, efficiency, flexibility) in order to focus students

attention so they will move from:

figuring out the answers any way they can to . . .

becoming more efficient at figuring out answers to . . .
using efficient strategies

Description:
The teacher gives the class an equation to solve mentally. Students may use pencil and paper
to keep track of the steps as they do the mental calculations. Students strategies are shared
and discussed to help all students think more flexibly as they work with numbers and
operations.

Materials:
Prepared problems to be explored
Chalkboard, white board, or overhead transparency
Individual white boards or pencil and paper
Optional: Interlocking cubes; base ten materials; decimal squares

Time: 8-10 minutes

Directions:

Example: 9.8 + 8.7

1. Write an expression horizontally on the board (e.g., 9.8 + 8.7).

2. Ask students to think first and estimate their answer before attempting to solve the problem.
Post estimates on the board. This will allow you to see how the students are developing
their number sense and operational sense.

3. Ask students to mentally find the solution using a strategy that makes sense to them.
Encourage students to think first and then check with models, if needed. Have tools
available to help students visualize the problem if they need them (e.g., base ten blocks;
100 grids; decimal squares).
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4. Ask students to explain to a partner how they solved the problem.
5. While students are discussing their strategies, walk among the groups listening to the
explanations. Find those strategies you want to call attention to for the whole class.
Choose strategies for discussion that you might want other students to think about and
possibly experiment with. For example, in the problem 9.8 + 8.7 you might see the following
strategy and want other students to think about and possibly experiment with it:
9.8 + 8.7 =
8.7 .2 = 8.5
9.8 + .2 = 10
10 + 8.5 = 18.5
6. Call on a student to fully explain the steps he/she followed to solve the problem.
7. Record the steps precisely as the student explains them to you. Ask clarifying questions as
needed to ensure that you understand the flow of the childs thinking. Be explicit about the
mathematics.
Why did you subtract .2 from 8.7?
Does this strategy always work? How do you know?
What did you know about the number 8.7 that allowed you to do that?
8. As time allows, ask other students to share different methods they used for solving the
equation. Follow up on each strategy shared by asking similar questions to those included
in step 7. Publicly record these methods as well.
9. It is very important to facilitate a discussion about how the different
representations/strategies relate to each other and result in the same answer.
See the following examples:

Example - Guiding the Share-Out:

Scenario 1: 6.3 2.7 Students Explanation

Public Recording I added the same amount to both
numbers to keep the difference the
2.7 + .3 = 3.0 same. I chose 0.3 because it
6.3 + .3 = 6.6 makes the 2.7 into a friendly
6.6 3.0 = 3.6 number to subtract.

Possible teacher response:

You said you added 0.3 to both numbers. How does adding 0.3 to both numbers keep the
difference the same? Use a model to convince me.

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Scenario 2: 6.3 2.7

Public Recording Students Explanation

2.7 + 0.3 = 3.0 I added 0.3 to 2.7 which makes 3.0.

3.0 + 3.0 = 6.0 Then, I added 3 more to make 6. Then
6.0 + 0.3 = 6.3 I added 0.3 more to make 6.3. I added
0.3 + 3.0 + 0.3 = 3.6 together all the numbers I used. The
answer is 3.6.

Possible teacher response:

So, you used an adding up strategy. How does adding numbers help to find the difference?
Why did you choose to add the numbers that you did? How did you keep track of the numbers
you added? Each strategy is different, yet each arrives at the same answer for 6.3 2.7. Why
do you think this is so?

Scaffold:

When beginning Number Talks, make sure that the problems and quantities are accessible
and within each childs zone of proximal development. The numbers must be accessible so
that the students are solving the equations mentally.

If you have students in your classroom who are performing at diverse instructional levels,
select 3 different problems for students to solve at 3 different levels. Allow students to
choose the problem which they will solve. Select problems with varying levels of difficulty so
that all students have access to a problem and all students are working at a level that
pushes them to their optimal level. For example:

4.63 0.27 6.3 2.7 6.3 0.7

As the students flexibility, accuracy and efficiency improve, increase the rigor of the
problems by adjusting the numbers or operations.

Allow the students to document on paper their intermediate steps as they are solving the
problem.

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Test Prep:

Some children who understand many mathematical ideas do not fare well on a standardized
test given in a multiple choice format. Often, children guess a letter rather than reasoning
through the problem. To improve childrens test taking strategies while building number and
operational sense, the following strategies are suggested:

Pose a problem just as a problem would be posed with a Number Talk. For example:

It takes a machine 12 minutes to fill 200 bottles of soda. At this rate, how many minutes will it
take the machine to fill 500 bottles of soda?

Ask students to think about the problem in a way that makes sense to them. For example:

It takes 12 minutes for 200 bottles. If I double the number of bottles, Ill have to double the
number of minutes. 400 bottles must be 24 minutes. 500 bottles is 100 more bottles. 100 is
half of 200, so it must take 6 minutes for 100 bottles. So, 24 minutes and 6 more minutes is 30
minutes.

or

It takes 12 minutes for 200 bottles. 100 is half of 200, so it must take 6 minutes for 100 bottles.
500 bottles is five times more than 100 (5 x 100), so the time must be 5 times more (6 x 5 ), so
it must take 30 minutes for 500 bottles.

Only after the children have thought about the problem, show them the A., B., C., and D.
responses. Ask them to choose the answer that is closest to their thinking. For example:

A. 25 minutes
B. 28 minutes
C. 30 minutes
D. 40 minutes

Ask students to publicly share the methods they used for solving the problem. When it fits
the problem, facilitate conversations about the reasonableness of each choice (e.g., Why
would A. not have been a reasonable choice? Why would D. not have been a reasonable
choice?).

The important piece is that students take the time to think and reason about the problem
before they choose an answer (or guess). This must be a habit for whenever they are
confronted with a problem to solve. Using this format once a week beginning very early in
the school year, could help students break the habit of guessing and assist in higher
scores on standardized tests.

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Notes about Number Talks:

A. Keep them short.

B. Encourage sharing and clarify students thinking.
C. Teach intentionally.
Start where your children are.
Choose related sequences of problems.
Chart the students thinking so that it can be saved and referred to later.
D. Create a safe and supportive environment.
Accept answers without praise or criticism.
Allow students to ask questions of each other.
Encourage students to listen to each other.
Encourage students to self-correct.
E. Vary the Number Talks to meet the range of needs.
Vary the sharing strategies used.
Pair share
Share whole group
Explain someone elses strategy
Vary the level of difficulty within a Number Talk.
Use written problems
Use word problems
Record the students thinking using correct notation on the board, on the
overhead, or on chart paper.
F. Give students lots of practice with the same kinds of problems.
G. When planning or implementing a Number Talk, consider the following:
How do students get their answers?
Can students use what they know for related problems?
How well can students verbalize their thinking?
Are errors way off or are they reasonable?
H. The role of the teacher during a Number Talk is to facilitate and guide the conversation.
The teacher purposefully chooses children to share strategies that will move the
class toward computational fluency.
The teacher asks questions that draw attention to the relationships among

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 strategies.
It is important to focus on the mathematics, not just the variety of strategies.
Mathematically, why does the strategy work?

Examples:
Division:
245 7 829 9 1 1/2 1/4

0.45 0.3 6/8 1/4 2/3 1.6

48 1.2 2.4 1/5 16,000 2,000

Addition and subtraction of fractions:

1 3/5 1/4 + 1/2 4/6 1/3
3/4 + 1/2 1 3/4 + 1/2 1/4 + 2/4
4/6 1/3 3/12 + 1/4 5/8 1/2

Inequalities:
Greater than, less than, or equal to? 89 + 15 85 + 19
Greater than, less than, or equal to? 89 x 15 85 x 19
Greater than, less than, or equal to? 16 x 38 18 x 36
Greater than, less than, or equal to? 32 x 18 38 x 12

Integers:

-98 + (-97) - 27 - (-63) 100 + (- 49)

Expressions for students who need support:

156 - 38 62 - 33 100 - 49

750 + 250 372 + 98 59 + 36

864 - 500 370 + 99 855-56

104 39 87 + 49 58 39

91 53 37 + 86 499 + 76

17 x 8 25 x 6 450 45

20 x 4 x 2 15 x 30 16 x 5
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