The Effects of 'Number Talks' on Number Sense in a Second Grade Math Class

Author

Mallory Mellott, Otterbein UniversityFollow

Date of Award

4-27-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Curriculum and Instruction (MAE)

First Committee Member

Dr. Jeffrey Smith

Advisor

Dr. Kristin Bourdage

Second Committee Member

Dr. Bethany Vosburg-Bluem

Keywords

Number Talks, Number Sense, Second Grade, Mathematical Discourse

Subject Categories

Curriculum and Instruction | Educational Methods | Higher Education | Science and Mathematics Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using ‘Number Talks’ intervention on students’ ability to use number sense to problem-solve and persevere in solving problems within a second-grade math class. The 22 participants were volunteers in my second-grade class. A quasi-experimental design method was used to compare results between a control group and intervention group using a pre-post test design. The intervention group received 15 minutes of ‘Number Talks’ a day for a total of 12 days while the control group participated in traditional daily math activities. Perseverance was measured using a tally chart to record number of strategies students used to solve problems. Written reflections were completed once a week for three weeks to build students’ ability to explain reasoning in writing. Comparison of the mean prepost test scores of the intervention group and control groups indicated no significant differences in the scores. Comparison of the mean post test scores between the intervention and control groups indicated no significant differences in the scores. However, the dis-aggregated data showed some positive results in individual cases and improvements with written responses.

Recommended Citation

Mellott, Mallory, "The Effects of 'Number Talks' on Number Sense in a Second Grade Math Class" (2019). Masters Theses/Capstone Projects. 32.
https://digitalcommons.otterbein.edu/stu_master/32