Can I just say that I can’t get enough of visual math routines? Or do you call it a number talk image?
Some call it a visual number talk. It’s a picture that’s shown with a known quantity. Students may start by making observations and ask questions that are lingering in their heads (AKA Notice/Wonder–thanks Annie Fetter!) Once their questions are answered, they may try guessing a number that’s too low. Next they’ll try to guess a number that’s too high. The last number they’ll write down is an actual estimation.
Why should we do this?
- Develops students’ understanding of quantity
- Give numbers meaning
- Help students see the relationships of numbers to one another
- Support an understanding of how numbers operate
The conceptualization of quantity is foundational to number sense. As students’ abilities to visualize amounts improve, their number sense improves. Their strategies and mental math become efficient and quick.
Once I was introduced to this routine, I was ADDICTED! It became a mission of mine to find my own pictures. My goal was to develop a collection of everyday items (thanks Target!) that any other ordinary human would pass up. Well, this April Fool has you covered. Every now and then, I stumble across something and take pics like a crazy person. And yes, I will sit there and count.
So here is something I came across during the after-Christmas sales. How many storage boxes are there?
Just in time for Valentine’s. How many hearts are on the front side of this bag?
If you are interested in more of these, I suggestion Andrew Stadel’s Estimation 180. And if you are interested in more images ,Pierre Tranche’s Number Talk Images is really cool.
Oh…and not to leave you hanging. There are 60 storage boxes and 388 hearts.
Kristen