Mathematics educators recognize noticing as a relevant component of mathematics teaching professional practice. To recognize the development of noticing in initial teacher education program I consider in this article: which ‘constituent parts of teaching practice’ are the focus for prospective mathematics teachers’ learning; how these parts are represented in professional education; and what opportunities teacher education programs provide to engage prospective teachers in practices near to the practice of mathematics teaching. I approach these issues from a sociocultural perspective taking into account the relationship between the improvement of discourse and the development of noticing.