Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Introduction
The recent Primary National Strategy pack, Speaking, listening and Learning:
working with children in Key Stage 1 and 2, highlighted the importance of speaking
and listening in teaching and learning in the primary classroom.
The pack stressed that speaking and listening objectives should be taught not just
through literacy, but also across the curriculum.
However, the examples for links with mathematics are rather limited, and where they
do exist are fairly obvious examples play guess my shape type games, or ask
children to explain their answers.
This supplement is designed to highlight opportunities in mathematics where less
obvious objectives or activities could be used to extend childrens speaking and
listening skills.
How can speaking and listening improve the learning within a mathematics
lesson?
The introduction to the PNS Speaking, Listening and Learning handbook states the
following:
Language is an integral part of most learning and oral language in particular has a
key role in classroom teaching and learningin their daily lives, children use
speaking and listening to solve problems, speculate, make decisions and reflect
on what is important.
The outcomes listed above are all characteristics of a good mathematician along
with thinking flexibly, linking ideas and making connections, predicting, drawing
conclusions and having the confidence to take risks. Being able to fill a book with
pages of sums is not a characteristic of a well-rounded mathematician; it is a byproduct of their skills.
Developing speaking and listening skills in mathematics could:

Enable children to become fluent in their use and understanding of

mathematical vocabulary
Help them to embed their short term learning into long term
Allow children to explore different concepts and make links between them
Allow less able children, or children who are restricted by written elements of
mathematics, to participate more fully in the lesson and increase their level of
learning
Allow children to rehearse their answers or ideas before presenting them in
an open forum thus building confidence and self-esteem (currently
undermined by the predominant hands-up systems still practised in many
mathematics lessons)
Enable children to learn from each other and explore each others ideas
Create strong foundations for children to develop their problem solving skills,
particularly those problems that involve high levels of language and
vocabulary

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Culture and ethos
The ethos of the speaking and listening mathematical classroom is of vital
importance. We constantly need to challenge the traditional views of how
mathematics is most effectively taught, for example:

Why is independent work usually individual and of a written nature?

Why is completing a textbook page more useful and memorable than the
children discussing the key facts and ideas about what they are learning,
using drawings, diagrams or equations to illustrate their ideas?
What ways can the 3-part lesson be modified to allow for more discussion
opportunities?
What is the role of the teacher today? The role of the learner?
How are we developing children to see learning as something that is risky
and is not always about the right answer?

The table presented on page 22 of the Handbook highlights the possible dos and
donts of teacher talk. Unfortunately much of the dont column can still be related to
teacher talk in mathematics lessons some of the ideas and activities in this
supplement are to help teachers to develop more of the dos.

Many thanks to the contributors of this supplement:

Christine Lone Balfour Infant School
Julie Smith Balfour Infant School
Caroline Hemsley Balfour Junior School
Julie Wheeler Bligh Infant School
Tim Muggridge Cliffe Woods Primary School
Lynda Robbins Cuxton Infant School
Sue Tombs Cuxton Junior School
Lesley Shepherd Delce Junior School
Rebecca Parry Delce Junior School
Joanna Barber Elaine Primary School
Vanessa Chambers Featherby Infant School
Sara McKenna Greenvale Infant School
Julia Gaughan High Halstow Primary School
Darran Callaghan Maundene Primary
Lynn McLaughlin Maundene Primary
Karen Connolly Rivermead
Ruth Wells Spinnens Acre Junior
Zoe Huggett St Augustines RCP
Jackie Blackman St James CEVA Primary School
Deb Gamson St Margarets Infants
Jane Elworthy St Marys Primary
Donna McGartland St William of Perth
Bev Butler Twydall Infants
Miriam Noble Wayfield Primary School

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Leaflet: Speaking making it work in the classroom
Speaking and listening
technique
Talk Partners

Use in mathematics lesson

Debates

Use when asking a question that

requires thinking time, or requires
children to recall past
learning/vocabulary
Use in the plenary where the pair could
identify the key learning points from the
session, or prepare a question for the
next lesson etc
Discuss different strategies in the M+O
starter
Peer assessment throughout the
lesson, including marking
Joint presentation of findings/work
Use as a when you are stuck strategy
Rehearse vocabulary putting key
words into a sentence or question, or
creating a definition
Paired activities encourage talk and
enhances vocabulary e.g. positional
language, measures
Plenary placemat giving starter prompts
to discuss ready to share
Play True or False. Give pupils
statements and ask them to show T or
F on their whiteboard (or thumbs up,
thumbs down). Combine with talk
partners, which will result in the children
having to justify their ideas to their
partner.
Extend this game to exploring general
statements, as per objectives in the
problem-solving strand:
1. Set up a class courtroom, where
the different lawyers have to
give their arguments to the jury
and the jury has to decide
whose presentation/definition/
answer etc is correct, or most
logical.
2. Play Call my bluff. Ask the
children to write definitions or
statements some right and
some wrong and present
these to the class, who then
have to debate, which is the
correct answer. Could be used
both as an effective whole
lesson, or a teacher prepared
plenary.
Use the Why isnt? question at any
point in the lesson to explore childrens
points of view or misconceptions. This
will lead to richer answers (especially
again if discussed first with talk partner).
Consider the different responses to
holding up a cube and asking:
1. What shape is this? Or

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Health warning?
Advice? Comments?
Think carefully about
the pairing social
group, mixed ability,
same ability etc. The
Handbook
recommends keeping
the partnership the
same for half a term
to build confidence
and trust
Seat accordingly
before the lesson
be aware of absence
Beware of special
needs/children who
find it hard to get
along vary partners
where necessary

Links with
conscience alley
Difficult to produce
statements which
lead to effective
discussions
Physical opinion poll
line/placement
Constant reminders
of expectations
Beware of children
who copy sit these
at the front
Praise
Give instructions
before moving into
place remind
Give all children a
role or a task,
purpose for watching
to avoid behaviour
problems, lack of
interest
Where children really
want to have a turn
save children with

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

2.

Predicaments and
problems

Glove puppets and shadow

theatre

Photos and paintings

Why isnt this shape a

cylinder?
Collate a number of different strategies
for solving a particular problem or
calculation and ask groups to persuade
their peers which strategy is the best
and why. The same activity could also
be used to debate the most appropriate
resource e.g. trundle wheel v metre
stick, 100 square v number line
Give a question or statement and a
number of answers, children to debate
which answers are right/possible and
which are not
Scenarios / problem solving to act out
different ways of solving or finding an
answer.
Problem of the week, children to explain
how they have solved it or difficulties
that they have encountered.
Give a problem and children to identify
ways of tackling the problem
Historical context e.g. Francis Drake is
sailing round the world. He needs your
help with directions to get home. His
compass is broken! One child takes on
role of Drake; others talk about
directions to move Drake from one end
of the room to the other avoiding
obstacles.
Place problem in an historical context ~
e.g. how many blocks will be needed to
build the Pyramid (angles etc), how
many miles of road will the Romans
build
Give children sets of mathematical
equipment with a few red herrings.
Ask children to discuss which pieces of
equipment would be used solve a
particular problem, which ones would
not work
Present a scenario where a piece of
equipment does not work as expected
e.g. only 3 number keys on a calculator
work, and ask if it can still be used or
whether it can still give a particular
answer/result
Use a puppet that makes mistakes that
the children can correct (good plenary
activity)
Ask the children to explain their method,
ideas etc to the puppet
The puppet does not understand a
concept/idea/word or fact. Children
have to explain it and provide a
question to check the puppet has
understood.
Present a calculation as a piece of
shadow theatre. Children to say what it
is.
Use Matisse discuss the way in which
he uses shape in his paintings.

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

behaviour problems
to later in order to
keep them motivated.
They may loose
interest after they
have had their turn.

This may become

very loud

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Radio Broadcast

Just a minute

Use Kandinsky/Mondrian paintings to

discuss shape identification and
tessellation or measurement of line.

Using paintings for positional language

e.g. identify position of objects within
paintings.

Using photos, digital images e.g.

buildings, gates, windows etc. Work in
pairs to identify shapes, number
combinations, patterns.

Give children a camera to take

photographs of examples of shapes
meeting certain criteria children then
feedback to class explaining reasons for
choosing the picture and reinforcing key
vocabulary.

Give children a picture of a speed limit

sign. Children have 2 minutes to
discuss what they know about that
number

Picture of someone who does a

particular job, what maths do they need
to do their job and what would happen if
they couldnt do it?

Give headlines e.g.

Shape has been stolen what shape is it?
Problem solving (number) 3 people left on
train, it arrived 3 hours late what time did it
arrive? Then they can make their own.

Report findings from explode a

number to others

Children work in groups to create a

radio jingle to explain a rule for
describing calculations/patterns/shapes
etc. etc e.g. multiplying or dividing by
10/100 To make it lighty, move it to
the righty!, to make it hefty, shift it to the
lefty!; describing the properties of a
square; rules for describing a number
sequence

The world has lost the ability to do

maths. What would the headlines be?
What are the advantages and
disadvantages? (links to debates)

A new law bans a particular

number/word or operation. What are the
consequences? What will we need to
do instead?

Put together a broadcast for a given

audience to explain or persuade them
that e.g. all shapes have something in
common.

Put together a broadcast to give the

findings of a data handling activity.

Useful assessment activity ask pupils

to talk for one minute (can be altered for
differentiation) about:
1. The topic you have just covered, or a
topic recently covered
2. A times table they have been learning
3. A historical mathematical figure they
have been researching

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Consider how many

other children the
speaker is talking to
is it their talk
partner, or a group of
pupils (what size?)
Could a tape

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

A shape
A graph e.g. tell the story described by
a line graph
A mathematical resource (bead string,
cubes, protractor)
A mathematical word
Teacher models speaking for 1 min
pupils spot deliberate mistakes.

recorder or
Dictaphone be used?
Could a follow up
activity be to then
ask the group to
record all their
thoughts onto a large
sheet of paper
class display?
1 minute may be a
little long for KS1

Role Play

Role play scenarios:

Shop ~ money and weight

Kitchen / Cooking ~ weight, time

Railway ticket / booking office ~ money,

timetables, map reading

Caf ~ money, measures etc (children

could enter as book characters and talk
in role if it was extended into Literacy)

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Use prompt card /

give examples first.
Resourcing
Timetabling ~ within
maths lessons or at
other times
How will the maths
learning be
monitored /
assessed?

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Leaflet: Drama
Speaking and Listening
Technique
Conscience/Calculation
Alley

Use in Mathematics Lesson

Conscience /Calculation
Alley

Children decide on an individual operation

create a line. A child is given an initial number
and is asked to walk the length of the line
carrying out the childrens operation (e.g. +2 or
+10) on his/her number. Child explains how they
arrived at their answer.
Groups decide on function(s) as a group child
walking along line gives random number and
person in line gives the answer after the
function(s) has been carried out. Guesser has to
try to work out function(s) (e.g. +10 or +9).
Final person in each line ask what is the
function? How do you know?
Child explains how they arrived at their answer.
Function fin/hat/label to be worn on head of child
walking along line. Child holds up start number
and the children in line call out the answer after
function has been carried out. Final person in
each line ask what is the function? How do you
know?
Child has to identify the function on each side of
fin. Child explains how they arrived at their
answer. (e.g. +9 or +11)
A pair of children chooses to go down
Calculation Alley. Teacher tells rest of class to
think of a specific number e.g. think of a multiple
of 10 or an even number. As the pair walk down
Calculation Alley the rest of the children call out
their number. When pair reach the end they are
given time to try and work out the operation or
rule. Feed back to the class.
Child or adult on hot-seat. Rest of class ask
mathematical questions to try to find out number;
shape; scale; function e.g. wear a hat with
number, shape, etc, other children to give clues
for wearer to guess

Issues with level of S+L

hence discussion at the
end
Conscience /Calculation
Alley

Conscience /Calculation
Alley

Conscience /Calculation
Alley

Hot Seating

Meetings

In groups children decide on a number or a

shape. Groups stand in a line and offer clues as
to their secret number or shape to another child
tries to guess the number based on clues given.
Extend by adding one piece of incorrect
information, informing the guesser that there is
a red herring in the clues. Can they identify the
hidden number/shape as well as the red
herring?

A meeting would be set up concerning, for

instance a tuck shop. The teacher being in the
role of a shopkeeper.
A prepared graph, containing items which are
sold will be shown to the children. As a staff
children discuss trends and offer opinions of

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Health warning?
Advice? Comments?
Some will need to
brainstorm in a group
the different clues
they have may be
useful to use mixed
ability groups / pairs.
The person guessing
could be from a
different group, who
are also doing the
same activity, rather
than being left
outside, waiting for.
Human function
machine

Encourage speaking
and listening skills by
adding red herrings
and asking children
to explain how they
know which answers
are the red herrings.
Encourage speaking
and listening skills by
adding red herrings
and asking children
to explain how they
know which answers
are the red herrings.

Need to be given
examples modelled
to begin with. Will
also need to see
pictures as examples
Could be carried out
in small groups and
with limited number
of questions.
This can be recorded
through
observation/tape
recordings.
Use this technique
for setting

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Meetings

Paired improvisation
See practical activities pack

what to reorder and which items to no longer

purchase. Discuss stock levels, calculate profit,
profit margins, raise and lower prices by
percentages etc.
This could also be adopted when going on a
school trip.
A meeting is called to discuss the classs
timetable. Maybe beginning with a day at a time.
Discussions about time etc will occur.
Children phone the Shape Shop (or number)
The caller asks the shopkeeper for a shape by
describing its properties. The shopkeeper works
out the shape.
Shopkeeper may say that they dont have the
shape, yet they have and describe a different
shape.

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

up/developing role
play area, or at a
more basic level for
younger children
This can be recorded
through
observation/tape
recordings.
Focus on using
specific mathematical
vocabulary to be
maths detectives.
This can be recorded
through
observation/tape
recordings.

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Leaflet: Group discussion and interaction
Speaking and listening
technique
Think-pair-share

Snowballing

Statement Game

Envoys

Use in mathematics lessons

General problem solving set problem that
children discuss in pairs and feedback to
class/group. E.g.

Which operations are required?

What parts of the problem are important

or not. I give problems with important
info missing e.g. numbers / size or give
answer what was the question.
e.g. 1 person got on the bus when they
arrived at the bus station there were 11
people what happened in between.

Give number story with lots of irrelevant

info e.g. 3 people on the bus, names
were Fred / Bill and Dave, they were
wearing pupils to highlight useful
important?

Investigating a general statement. E.g.

A multiple of 6 always divisible by 3.

All shapes with straight sides will

tessellate.
Children are discussing their theories in a
smaller group, than justifying to a larger group.
Building up to a whole class consensus.
True or false game based on a set of statements
about

Comparison of units of measure

Properties of a 2 or 3 D shape

Properties of a number

Information from a given table, chart or

graph.

Calculations E.g. all the answers are

a given number.
Power Triangle discussion before playing a
What am I? game.

Statements to be produced, by either

teacher or pupils.

Pupils order the statements from the

most general to the most specific.

After playing the game discuss

reasons for choice of order and for
alterations to choices.
Children work on an investigation or calculation
and discuss their method of calculation. Then an
envoy moves around the groups gathering
information on chosen methods of calculation.

Use of informal methods of calculation

to solve a problem. E.g. 6+7 possible
responses could be count on, near
double, apparatus, number bonds,
bridging through 10.

Old SATs questions that require

showing your working box.

As above using mental strategies.

Present the same data on different

types of graphs/charts share with

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Health warning?
Advice? Comments?
KS1 + 2
Seems similar to talk
partners
Time limit all pairs
some pairs inform
children to avoid
disappointment

KS2
Classroom
organisation needs to
be fluid.

Pupils could make

their own statements
including false.
Size of groups could
be changed
according to the
children.
A true and false card
could be used
thumbs up/down
saves calling out

Organisation!?
Consider space in
hall etc.
More KS2 orientated

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

class and debate best choice (see
conscience alleys and debates)

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Leaflet: Listening
Listening techniques

Use in Mathematics lesson

Babble gabble

Preparation for MA tests

Barrier games

Word Tennis

Written version too

Teacher presents a problem orally

Children work in pairs partner A retells the
problem while partner B listens and records
key elements, check together that all the
relevant information is included
Together discuss how they are going to
approach solving the problem
Use of 2 cards for lower ability pupils; 1 card
is beginning of problem, 1 card is end of
problem. On cards are pictures, they have
to orally retell problem & then they both
decide on middle.
Orientation game (paper and acetate
problem)
Encourage listener to ask questions
Draw pictures e.g. shapes / position /
number (write number 8 next to the number
4 what number have you written?). See if
both have same pictures.
In pairs take turns to describe a property of
a given shape 2D or 3D
The aim of the game is to be the last to
name a relevant property without
repetition.
Could be adapted for describing a particular
number: prime, odd, greater than, multiples,
factors, square numbers

Health warning?
Advice? Comments?
Modelling of how to
approach problems
by teacher may be
needed prior to
lesson

Children may want to

peep a physical
barrier such as a
screen or blind fold
may be appropriate!

Recap and display

relevant vocabulary.
Difficult with KS1
(would need to focus
on number)

Certain rules would

need to be made i.e.
greater than 50 and
then greater than
51is not acceptable
Draw a story

Visualisation is a skill that

needs teaching too

Draw a story

Draw a story

Telephone conversation

Teacher to read a problem while the children

listen.
At strategic points the teacher stops and
children are asked to pick out the relevant
information needed from that section and
record it.
At the end of the problem encourage the
children to work in pairs to retell and solve
the problem using their previous jottings
Teacher to describe a geometrical drawing
while children visualise this in their heads
Children then encouraged to draw what they
see
Children to work in pairs. Partner A to draw
a geometrical drawing from Partner Bs
instructions
Both children sit back to back and have the
same data in front of them (possibly
represented in different ways graph, table)
Pass on interpreted information from the
data

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Choose appropriate
problems which lend
themselves to
pictorial
representations

Verbal instructions
only, no hand signals
allowed!
Think carefully about
the data given and
how it is represented
and the differing
ways it can be
interpreted.

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Visualisation activities

Children must listen carefully to make sure

they are being given the correct information
Children could also ask their partner
questions to be answered from the data
Give some children a selection of
mathematical vocabulary to plan a phone
conversation where the vocabulary is used
in a non-mathematical context e.g. The
mean lady in the flat next door to the takeaway is going into hospital for an operation
on the side of her face as an odd area has
appeared. She needs to find some products
to co-ordinate so that she can rotate her
outfits, but her son does not see the value in
this or what function it will serve!! Other
children have to listen to the conversation
and identify the mathematical vocabulary
that was included.
Imagine a capital letter T. If it turns 90
what does it look like?
Letter/shape detective using feely bags
Kims game visualise the missing thing,
describe the properties
Visualise and act out stories behind the
problems/calculations
Behind the wall, slowly reveal the
number/letter who can name it first
Net unfolding what shapes make the
faces? How many faces are **?
Internalising number lines/squares or
counting sticks by using them with blanks to
fill
Visual number strings
Describe movements on a hidden bead
string. Children describe what the string
looks like

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement

Appendices:
Speaking and listening observation sheet
Sentence Starters
Sentence Starters (Y6 more able training)
Question Starters
Group problem solving
Visualisation from 5 day course
Visualisation from Shape & space

Speaking, Listening and Learning mathematics supplement