According to Jo Boaler, a Stanford University professor and mathematician, many students come to Algebra Two with a fragile understanding of quantities, operations, and numerical relationships.  She believes that an archaic educational system in this country has failed students with step‒by‒step rules and algorithms taking precedent over student reasoning.

Therefore, Number Talks matter for two reasons:

• Number Talks help students develop numerical fluency and flexibility in a way that makes sense to them.

• Number Talks encourage students to engage actively with each other’s ideas, a skill deemed necessary in the 21st century.