Getting students talking numbers from numbers in nature is an important part of developing fluency and number sense in younger mathematical students. It s a natural avenue for building a pool of thought, encouraging young students to explore others thinking, and, as they talk in front of a group, encourage them to develop confidence in what they are saying. While this is not easy, it can be done. In fact, it is one reason that I love teaching mathematics — I get to talk about math with my students!
One of the best ways to encourage students to ask questions is to “speak” the numbers out loud for them. While I am not sure how I should go about doing this, I have always been of the opinion that if a student can hear what you are saying, then they can understand you. Try this. (If you are talking to a large class, just raise your voice above the normal conversational tone and talk as though you are explaining math to them.)
Tell the class: “This number is F-minutes two!” (Remember to raise your voice to a higher level so you will be understood.) In my time as a math teacher, I have used this method a lot to teach students the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of larger numbers. Students tend to forget how to multiply by two when they are only told to do it this way!
After this, it is easy. Say the number out loud: “squared times F is ten times the square root of x.” If the students are having a hard time remembering it, just use the calculator. (Don’t forget to use the calculator the second time your teacher says it!) Go back and repeat the process until they have the answer correct. Then give them the answer – xstt.
Using this method is great for students that find it hard to memorize anything. When a teacher repeats a number to a group of students, they are giving them the multiplication table for that topic so they can figure out what the answer will be. (I actually use this a lot in my classes today, even though I teach for only a few minutes at a time.)
These are just a couple of ways you can use talking to teach math to students that struggle in class. When you are doing your math homework, have a friend help with some of the more basic sums. Ask the students to say them out loud, and then you can check their answers to see if they are correct. Sometimes it helps to give the students a short summary of the topic before going back to the math worksheets. Talking about the subject will make it easier for them to remember what you teach them.