How I do Number Talks in Kindergarten

Get a Number Talks Routine started in your kindergarten classroom. Learn how I have used them successfully with my students to build their math strategies.

There are so many benefits to doing number talks with your kindergarten students- not only do they build number sense, but they also develop critical thinking skills, math vocabulary, problem-solving strategies and so much more.

Number talk cards to start a number talk routine with your kindergarten students. These 10 ten frame cards will make starting them easy.

As an educator, when you do a number talk with your students, you are able to quickly uncover misconceptions that they may have and find a math skill to focus on next.

They also show your students that it is okay to try and make mistakes. There is no judgement if your answer is right or wrong. They hear another person’s point of view as well when they are participating in a math talk. That means that they get to hear different strategies and ways of thinking.

I made this video showing exactly how I do a number talk with my kindergarten students. It walks you through all the different gestures that I teach them:

I also have this podcast episode that goes through my routine and how I run Number Talks in my classroom.

Numer Talks Routine

Embedding a number talk routine into your classroom schedule gives your students the opportunity to regularly practice using math strategies. I took the time at least once a week to do one, but I think I could increase the frequency.

Having a set way to do a number talk like I explain in the video, and having them set in the routine will also give students the confidence to participate. They will know what to expect and be ready to share their math thinking.

Digital Number Talks

I made 2 sets of digital number talk slides to make it easier to do them both virtually and in-person. They can be displayed by sharing your screen in your distance learning classroom, or put it on the projector screen in the classroom.

Either way, these will make your number talk routine so much easier since you will be able to just pick the slide you need, and get started. I also included some instructional pages and planning pages to help you get started.

Number Talks Cards

Number talk cards to start a number talk routine with your kindergarten students. These dot pattern cards will make starting them easy.

In the video, I used these cards. I prepped all 3 sets so that I can easily just pull them out to get started. I also like that there are multiple number sense skills that I can work on with it.

If you are interested in starting your number talk routine, you can find these cards here: