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- Mathematical discourse is an important skill in its own right and a critical part of developing mathematical thinking. When students go through the process of explaining their answers, they are cementing their knowledge, exposing and filling knowledge gaps, and deepening their understanding of the “how” and “why” of mathematical problem solving.
www.thinkingmaps.com/resources/blog/mastering-mathematical-thinking/
1. Number Talks. Number talks are a great way to improve number sense, to get your students thinking about math in different ways, and, of course, to help them explain their answers. If you are not familiar with number talks, they follow this format: Teacher posts a problem or series of problems on chart paper.
- You have to understand what the question is asking if you want to get it right. While many people may think I am simply referring to “word problems,” I’m not.
- Often, everyday words have a different meaning in a mathematical context. This may cause more problems for younger students than those in middle or high school, but such words as “difference,” “true,” or “product” can have different definitions or connotations in our everyday life.
- More and more classrooms have a large or even a majority of ESL students. When I taught in an 8th grade math class, most students did not speak English as their first language.
- To allow for meaningful math discussions. One goal in teaching math should be to get students talking. It is important that students are able to bounce ideas off of each other and discuss how they solved a problem or what they’re thinking as they try to work it out.
If students can TELL you what they did to solve the problem, they can WRITE about it. It seems like a daunting task to get students writing, but step by step you can do it. This blog post is lengthy, but worth the read if you are serious about helping students explain their thinking with confidence.
By encouraging critical thinking in math, students learn to approach problems more thoughtfully, they learn to analyze and evaluate math concepts, identify patterns and relationships, and explore different strategies for finding the solution.
With practice, students can become very able to explain their mathematical thinking. In addition to talking about numbers and calculations, math talks are an excellent way to deepen students’ abstract reasoning, or their ability to find relationships and patterns, make inferences, and solve complex problems.
Jan 11, 2021 · Can your students explain their reasoning when they solve a mth problem? Help kids learn to talk about math with precision & justify math thinking.
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With the traditional method of math instruction -- the way many of us were taught -- the goal was to get the right answer. Our instructional model, however, requires students to explain and show their thinking.
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