Math Talk Prompts

Would you rather?

  • You are given two scenarios in which you need to use math to justify your decision

Convince me that...

    • if given the answer, children have to focus on the how, the why and the process
    • 36 ÷ 7 ≠ 5
    • 3/4 = 6/8
    • a square is a parallelogram, a rectangle and a rhombus

Which one doesn't belong?

  • This is a math talk routine that can be used for any kind of math.
  • Find a reason why each one does not belong.
  • It gets kids using their mathematical reasoning skills and communication skills to justify why each one doesn't belong.

What do you notice? What do you wonder?

  • Use this prompt when first looking at a word problem. When faced with a word problem, children sometimes either think "I don’t understand, I’ll never get this," or "I know exactly what to do, let me work as quickly as I can." This helps your child understand the problem better.
  • Noticings and wonderings are great tools for checking your work at the end of the problem. Students don’t have to ask, “Am I correct?” They can look at their noticing, wondering, and estimates to make sure they were accountable to all the information in the problem.

Always true, sometimes true or never true?

  • A square is a rectangle.
  • A rectangle is a square.
  • A rectangle has two long sides and two short sides.
  • All four sides of a square have the same length.
  • All three sides of a triangle have the same length.
  • Two triangles put together make a square.
  • Triangles have to have the point on top.
  • Parallelograms are slanted rectangles.
  • Stop signs are hexagons.
  • Shapes can only have straight sides.
  • A circle is curved, so it’s not a shape.