What are the benefits of quality talk in maths?
- Talk supports learning and enhances understanding. By articulating processes, explaining ideas, asking questions and making connections, children will cement and deepen their understanding.
- Listening to others is equally important. By listening to maths talk, children will need consider whether they agree and perhaps be introduced to concepts in a different way.
- Seeing things from another perspective and realising the same conclusion can be reached in different ways is an important concept for children to understand. It reaches far beyond mathematics.
- Disagreements that occur will provide opportunities to extend learning and crucially, any misconceptions are likely to be exposed and addressed.
- All talk encourages the development of communication skills, but maths talk encourages the use of precise and technical vocabulary. This will improve the ability of the children to communicate complex ideas clearly.
- Mathematical talk leads to collaboration. Research shows there is great benefit to working with others to solve problems, sharing ideas and building on the suggestions of others. This increases engagement and motivation.
- Talk boosts confidence. Sharing ideas helps children feel more confident in their abilities and can reduce the fear of making mistakes; Trying out answers on each other and working together, reduces anxiety and encourages a growth mindset.
- Maths talk encourages children to pose and solve problems. This process applies to many aspects of life. Making sense of problems is a life skill.
- It promotes critical thinking. When children are required to justify their reasoning and make sense of the ideas of others, they learn to evaluate different approaches and viewpoints. This is essential to developing critical thinking skills.
