NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre Enhancing Mathematics lessons, incorporating language Chris Francis, Leader, Numeracy, Bronwen Camp, Project Officer TEN & Elaine Watkins, SEO Numeracy

What does the research tell us? • “Mathematics truly is a foreign language for most students: it is learned almost entirely at school and is not spoken at home.” (Joan Kenney -Literacy strategies for improving Mathematics Instruction.) • The National Numeracy Review Report (2008) acknowledged the significance of language in mathematics learning and recommended that the language of mathematics be explicitly taught. • When we attempt to engage students by using real-world examples, we often find the colloquial or “street” language does not always map correctly onto the mathematical syntax. • Vocabulary can be confusing because the words mean different things in mathematics and non-mathematics contexts.

Symbols and “small” words • Symbols may be confusing because they look alike (eg the division and square root symbols), or because different representations may be used to describe the same process. • A double decoding goes on during the process in learning the language of mathematics. • A study by Kathryn Sullivan (1982) showed that even a brief 3 week program that centred on helping students distinguish the mathematical usage of “small” words significantly improved students’ mathematics computation results.

Mathematics texts • Mathematics texts contain more concepts per sentence and paragraph than any other type of text. • The text often contains a lot of information words as well as numeric and non-numeric symbols to decode. • The basic structure of Maths problems differs from other writing. Often the “key ideas” come at the end of a paragraph in the form of a question. • Students must learn to read through the problem to work out the main idea and then again to work out which numbers relate to the question. • To become proficient in mathematics, students need to participate in mathematical discussion and conversations in the classroom.

Language can be confusing!(The syllabus tells us so!) Draft NSW Mathematics K-10 syllabus: • The term ‘scales’ may be confusing for some students who confuse it with other uses of the word ‘scales’. • Difficulties could arise for some students with phrasing in relation to subtraction problems. • Some students may hear ‘whole’ in the phrase ‘part of a whole’ and confuse it with the term ‘hole’. • The word ‘arm’ has different meanings in different contexts. (Feel free to replace ‘arm’ with ‘volume’, ‘round’, ‘mass’, ‘product’, or ...) …So what do we do?

Focus on language within planning and teachingSpoken & Written WM Outcomes: Communicating

How do we develop students’ ability to talk, to write mathematically?

Focus on language within planning and teaching Begin with assessment • Know where your students are: • Concepts • Strategies • Verbal language • Recordings

Focus on language within planning and teaching Focus content knowledge • Identify the concept you want to develop and the language you want the students to understand and use.

A subtraction example *1-digit from 2-digit in the range 1-30 or 1-digit from 1-digit

Plan instruction that: • addresses the concept • models language • includes explicit teaching about language • promotes student discussion, questioning, explanation and reasoning • asks the right questions to elicit understanding & address misconceptions • links the verbal to the written • caters for differing student needs

Starting points for discussion Begin with assessment • What is the purpose of assessing mathematical language development? • What do we want to assess? • How can we do this? Focus content knowledge • Is mathematical language necessary to develop concept understanding? • When should we expect students to use mathematical language? • How can you support students to develop from using everyday language to using mathematical language? Plan instruction • How can student recordings support language development? • How can you cater for the diversity of students’ mathematical language development?

Mathematics K-6 Syllabus p 12 “Studies have shown that the causes of student errors on word problems may relate to the literacy components rather than the application of mathematical computations. Mathematics at times uses words from everyday language that have different meanings within a mathematical context. This can create confusion for some students. Clear explanations of these differences will assist students in the acquisition and use of mathematical terminology.”

The Language of Mathematics The literacy demands in numeracy lessons. • All students need support to develop their mathematical language. • If you have students from ESL / NESB backgrounds they will need additional support. • Teachers need to explicitly model and provide opportunities for students to develop their mathematical language to enable them to be able to understand and apply it. • Teachers must provide modelled,guided and independent opportunities for students to develop their mathematical language.

An example of a chance lesson using modelled, guided and independent mathematical language In this lesson students were provided with the language that I wanted them to use which was explicitly modelled for them at the beginning of the lesson.

Programming Incorporating the Language of Mathematics • Teachers should identify relevant mathematical language that they are focussing on and include this in their program. It’s not about cramming as many words into one lesson as you can. Teachers need to choose new or problematic terminology that is relevant to the needs of their class and teach it explicitly. • If teachers are not used to doing this or find this difficult, you can run a session with them where they bring along an existing lesson that they have programmed and you can look at embedding the language of mathematics into that lesson together.

Effective Lesson Implementation Learning intention and success criteria - Be clear about what the purpose of your lesson is and what mathematical language you are focusing on. Tell students what the learning intention is and what your success criteria is. Tell them what language you want them to use. Lesson reflection - It is important to provide opportunities for students to share what strategies they have been using. This helps them to develop a deeper understanding of strategies learnt, provides them with opportunities to speak using mathematical language and it also provides students with a range of different strategies that they can use. (Some students think that there is only one correct way of answering questions.) Making explicit links – Teachers need to make explicit links for students so that they understand the connections between what they are learning to their prior learning, real world links and the mathematical language that they have already learnt. Some students may think that a mathematical word used in an activity is only related to that activity.

Effective Lesson Implementation Open ended questions Using open ended questions allows students to use a variety of mathematical skills, strategies and language. Hands on learning – Having opportunities to interact with resources and other students assists students to develop their understanding of concepts ,as well as their mathematical language, in a motivating and engaging environment that facilitates investigating and reasoning. Visual literacy – Visual literacy is very important for students but you can’t assume that because you have it up in the classroom students know how to use it. Students need to be taught how read and interpret words, graphs, tables, charts, pictures…. Timing of lessons – Too much teacher talk can be confusing for students. It is important to be explicit and balance your lesson timing carefully.

Effective Lesson Implementation Teaching and learning cycle – As with mathematical content, teachers must be aware of what language the students already know and what language they need to learn or further consolidate. Differentiationand scaffolding student learning – Teachers need to differentiate and scaffold the students use of the language of mathematics as well as tasks they are asking them to complete. ICT – There are some fantastic computer programs and interactive whiteboard activities that allow students to engage in mathematics activities whilst also enabling them to further develop their mathematical language.

Student Recording in Mathematics It is important for students to record what they have been learning in mathematics lessons. This must be modelled to children. Student can record in a wide variety of ways including; Teachers should display student work in mathematics around the classroom.

Student Recording in Mathematics

Language of Mathematics Words We have all of the language of maths words from the What When How to teach maths folder on flashcards for teachers to use in lessons and displays.

Blank Language of Mathematics Chart Teachers and students use this chart during maths lessons so that it is interactive rather than ‘wall art’. It is good to model to students that a given word can change in meaning depending on the context it in.

Problematic Words in Mathematics • Face – a person’s face, face of a shape • Scale – a fish scale, kitchen scales, drawing a picture to scale • Volume – how loud something is, how much something holds • Degree– temperature, angle • Product – something you buy at the shops, multiply

Maths Readers and Maths Big Books Maths readers Each class K-6 has a set of mathematics related readers covering all strands of mathematics. Maths big books We have a large range of mathematics big books in our library.

Maths Charts • All classes have a large set of commercial mathematics charts related to specific mathematics strategies. These are displayed when the strategies are being introduced. • All K-2 classes have a commercial set of language of maths posters which provide good visual and language support for students across most strands of maths. • A lot of teachers have also been accessing internet based sites to print a range of visual material to support student understanding of the language of mathematics.

Maths Dictionaries All Yr 2 – 6 classes have a set of maths dictionaries that students can refer to at any time to help them to understand mathematical terminology.

Passwords To provide students with regular opportunities to reinforce concepts and language taught in class some teachers at our school use a ‘password’ on their door. Each time the students walk in or out of the room they need to say the password. The password can be differentiated to accommodate student learning needs. Password 10

Newman’s Error Analysis • It is important to identify the point of difficulty in a child being able to answer a question rather than just saying they got it wrong. • Classes K-6 are expected to use Newman’s Error Analysis in their daily classroom practice. Teachers include this in their program.

Maths in a Box This series provides a good range of real life links to mathematics across the strands. As there is a lot of visual literacy they provide good opportunities for using the language of mathematics.

Living Maths Series This series provides a great range of topics linking mathematics to the real world. There are great opportunities for enhancing student’s mathematical language on each page.

Supporting Parents to Develop their Language of Mathematics Maths newsletters These are sent out each term for each grade to inform parents of what we are teaching in maths each term with some visual literacy and language to support their understanding. Parent training sessions We run hands on parent training sessions that cater to parental requests for support in specific areas of mathematics. We have our four Community Language teachers assisting to translate.

NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre