Educators know that profound learning occurs when students are able to make meaningful connections and engage in academic discourse with their teachers and peers (Kazemi & Hintz, 2014; Moschkovich, 1999; Zwiers, 2008). We know that success in mathematics depends upon a strong foundation of number sense (Boaler, 2015). An interest in synthesising the most promising practices for language acquisition and the most promising practices for mathematics instruction led to the research question: How can Number Talks affect academic achievement and language development of fourth grade multilingual learners? The purpose of this project was to incorporate Number Talks into the fourth grade math curriculum in order to develop number sense and promote student interaction and engagement in the language of mathematics. More specifically, the objective was to teach the language of mathematics and provide students with a daily routine and structure to produce and interact in this mathematical register. As a teacher of English Learners (ELs), the routine of Number Talks proved to be a promising instructional strategy that could be implemented in support of ELs, as well as their native English speaking peers in the mainstream classroom. Research resulted in the instructional materials needed for teaching the first 21 days of the Number Talks routine, in the format of Google slides
