Celebrating Maths Week: The Power of Number Talk

As we celebrate Maths Week, it’s the perfect time to shine a spotlight on the importance of ‘number talk’ in early years education.

Evidence suggests that young children’s early experiences with number lay the foundations for later mathematical understanding, and that language plays a crucial role in this process.

Research consistently highlights the powerful link between talk and learning.

High-quality mathematical talk supports children’s ability to reason, make connections, and develop a deep understanding of key concepts. Klibanoff et al. (2006) found that the amount of mathematics-related talk used by teachers is significantly related to the growth of young children’s mathematical knowledge. In other words, when teachers actively use and model mathematical language, they help children build both confidence and competence in early mathematics. It is therefore vital that practitioners intentionally create opportunities to promote children’s understanding and use of mathematical vocabulary.

That’s why Dr Pamela Moffett (Stranmillis University College, Belfast), Dr Ann Marie Casserly, and Dr Bairbre Tiernan (St Angela’s College, Sligo) created Number Talk, a resource that was developed from a collaborative research project designed to support teachers in precisely this area. The book provides a practical framework for planning early number experiences with a particular focus on developing mathematical language.

The Number Talk resource offers a wealth of engaging, interactive activities that encourage children to explore number in meaningful contexts, through play, songs and rhymes, real-life situations, and structured experiences.

Many of the activities are multisensory in nature, inviting children to touch, see, hear, and move as they engage with mathematical ideas. Activities are suitable for both whole-class and small-group teaching and are easily adapted to different settings. The resource also emphasises the importance of a number-rich environment – one that surrounds children with opportunities to encounter, discuss, and apply number concepts in playful and purposeful ways. It provides practical suggestions for promoting number within both indoor and outdoor spaces, helping teachers make mathematics visible and accessible throughout the learning environment.

In addition, the resource includes ideas for engaging parents in supporting and enhancing children’s mathematical language development. By drawing on the mathematics inherent in daily life, children begin to see mathematics not as an isolated subject but as something that surrounds them every day.

Speaking about the resource, Dr Pamela Moffett comments “At the heart of Number Talk is the belief that mathematics is, above all, a talking subject. Encouraging children to verbalise their thinking, explain their reasoning, and use precise mathematical language deepens understanding and supports the development of early numeracy skills”.

The Number Talk resource can be purchased from the Stranmillis eshop here.

You can listen to Mrs Carole Anderson from Ballysally PS Coleraine relate her experience of using the resource here.

• Klibanoff RS, Levine SC, Huttenlocher J, Vasilyeva M, Hedges LV. Preschool children’s mathematical knowledge: The effect of teacher “math talk.”. Dev Psychol. 2006 Jan;42(1):59-69. doi: 10.1037/0012-1649.42.1.59. PMID: 16420118.