Since the mid 2000s there has been a nationwide push to get the United States students better prepared for the future. Moschkovich (2012; as cited in Martin 2017) stated that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) require students to focus on the practice of solving rather than the step-by-step, rote memorization process of learning. This shift requires students to ask questions, communicate ideas, and problem solve. These tasks all should be done at an in-depth level with students being able to convey their ideas through speaking and writing. Community members have had many suggestions on how to get our students back on top academically compared to students across the globe. One specific suggestion made is the Common Core State Standards. While not every state has adopted the CCSS, most states have updated their standards to closely match the rigor in the CCSS. The update in standards is in an attempt to make our students more competitive when they exit schooling. The CCSS has specific standards that focus on college and career readiness. These are aptly named the College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS).

College and Career Readiness Standards require students to be able to manage their time and effort, be self-aware, work well with others, communicate effectively, and problem solve (National Association of Secondary Principals). Students who master these skills by the time they graduate, will be able to handle any challenge they face. They will become leaders who have a positive impact on our community. It is important that teachers incorporate these skills into their classroom. These skills can be incorporated across all subjects and at every grade level.

There has been a considerable amount of research regarding the positive effects of students explaining their thinking, more specifically in math. In today’s math classroom, students are not exclusively learning the standard algorithm and finding solutions. Students today are asked to explain how they solved a problem and support their answer. Students can explain their answers through two methods. These two approaches include writing to explain or speaking to explain.

For students to meet CCRS by the time that they graduate, students need to explain all thinking on a deeper level. Students need to have a flexible grasp on number sense to be effective communicators in math. To do so, educators need to foster a learning environment where students are challenged to write about their thinking and develop strong mathematical vocabulary to reason about problems. This literature review will cover the importance of mathematical reasoning and number sense, the importance of written and oral explanations, types of writing to utilize in math, and strategies to foster discussions in math class.