Talk for Maths – Rationale
Following the success of the Talk for Writing programme, put together by Pie Corbett, the possibilities of applying these methods across a broader curriculum have been a matter for regular discussion.
In January 2013, a group of interested teachers from schools across Reading met to begin the process of developing Talk for Maths.
The initial session was intended to understand how maths was being taught in schools, identify barriers encountered in learning and to develop a plan of action to be tested in each school that incorporated elements of the Talk for Writing process.
The general consensus reached within the group was that maths was, in the main, taught as a discrete subject that bore little or no relevance to the broader curriculum. The result of this was that children struggled to understand how maths related to their lives. The emphasis on achieving the correct answer was to the detriment of understanding the process, often with children relying on the rote application of strategies.
The following quote, taken from Book Talk by Pie Corbett, could just as easily apply to maths
“Positive reading involves becoming engaged in the story, as well as deepening understanding and appreciation through drama, art, music, dance, research and, of course, discussion, in which children talk their way towards deeper comprehension.”
And so, with the aim of making maths more relevant to children and to deepen their understanding at the same time, it seemed logical to look at the way in which writing is taught through the Talk for Writing approach.
Why Talk?
A comment from Bobbi DiPorter's 'Quantum Learning' is that we learn:
· 10% of what we read
· 20% of what we hear
· 30% of what we see
· 50% of what we see and hear
· 70% of what we say
· 90% of what we say and do
Further research on the subject of retention of learning, including work by Joyce and Showers (1981), supports the view that learning is most effective if the learner has a chance to obtain, practise, apply, evaluate and improve skills and that, through a process heavily based on discussion, these are more effectively embedded within the learner.
Why Maths?
In 2002, Ofsted warned the government of the danger of a ‘serious narrowing of the curriculum’. It is no coincidence that the initial stages of the ‘Talk for Writing’ strategy began at this time, aimed at making writing, and reading, more enjoyable for the child.
With the continued presence of SATs as a benchmark in England, and the increasing pressure to reach unscientific targets, maths as a subject has become of paramount importance for schools. The need to show a statistical improvement year on year has inevitably led to a focus on achievement in test rather than an understanding of the subject. Maths is in need of resuscitation so that the teaching of it is once again relevant and purposeful in everyday life.
Therefore, what better way to reinvigorate the teaching of maths than through a Talk for Maths initiative? From using fun games to kick start lessons to developing investigations that are relevant to the learner and allow for the application of core skills in a real life context, Talk for Maths certainly has the basis for improving the status and quality of maths in schools. Furthermore, the use of structured, longer sequences strengthens the ‘review-teach-practise-apply-review’ cycle that is widely considered to be among the most effective teaching strategies.