Transcript The Language of Maths Language Ability

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A student’s ability to understand what you
say can have a major impact on their ability
to learn
There are three main ways in which children’s
failure to understand mathematical
vocabulary may become evident and show
itself:
◦ students do not respond to questions in lessons
◦ they cannot do a task they are set or
◦ they do not achieve well in testing.
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We need to teach mathematical language terms
specifically in context.
We also need to refer to common difficulties with
specific mathematical language usage, eg teen
numbers
We often use informal everyday language in
mathematics lessons before or alongside precise
mathematical vocabulary.
While this is done to assist students in grasping
the meaning of different words and phrases, a
structured approach to teaching and learning of
mathematical vocabulary is essential to build on
their understanding of mathematical concepts.
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Their lack of response may be because:
◦ They do not understand the spoken or written instructions-such as ‘draw a line
between’..’ring’....or ‘find two different ways to’
◦ They are not familiar with mathematical vocabulary-that is, words such as difference,
equation.......
◦ They may be confused about mathematical terms-such as ‘odd’ or ‘table’ which have
a different meaning in everyday language.
◦ They may be confused about other words-like ‘area’ or ‘divide’ which are used
everyday and have similar though more precise contextual meanings in mathematics
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Mathematical language is crucial to children’s
development of thinking. If students don’t have
vocabulary to talk about mathematical concepts,
processes and strategies they cannot make
progress in understanding mathematical
knowledge and its application
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We need to plan the introduction of new words in a
suitable context with real relevant objects,
mathematical equipment, pictures and diagrams.
Students cannot learn the meaning of words in
isolation.
Words need to be explained carefully and reinforced
several times because referring to new words only once
will do little to promote deep learning.
We need to encourage their use in context in oral
session, particularly through questioning.
Questioning assist in sorting out ambiguities or
misconceptions students may have through a range of
open and closed questions.
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Conversational Vocab- oral vocab we use
every day
Academic Vocab – written Vocab that is often
abstract
◦ Brick words – key concepts- fractions, ratio,
addition etc
◦ Mortor words – words you need to know in order to
understand brick words- on top of, next to,
underneath, analyse,
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Tier 1Words- Basic words- on, under, below,
next to, block, one, ten
Tier 2 Words– Academic words- common
across a number of academic areas- see
‘working Mathematically words
Tier 3 Words- Subject specific wordstriangle, denominator, addition,
multiplication
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For a student to have a good knowledge of a
word they need to have the ability to discuss,
elaborate, and demonstrate the meaning of
the word in multiple contexts.
In order to learn and retain new words,
students need to be involved in active
learning activities that enable them to
associate between the word meaning and
their own life experiences
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When teaching Vocabulary it needs to be fun,
enjoyable and engaging
Select words to explicitly teach then give
multiple encounters with the words
When introducing a word:◦
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Give a simple definition of the word
Refer to the word origin (if you can)
Create a basic picture to associate with the word
Show or tell an actual example of the word
Give a non- example to clarify the meaning of the
word
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Step 1: Explain—Provide a student-friendly description,
explanation, or example of the new term.
Step 2: Restate—Ask students to restate the description,
explanation, or example in their own words.
Step 3: Show—Ask students to construct a picture, symbol,
or graphic representation of the term.
Step 4: Discuss—Engage students periodically in structured
vocabulary discussions that help them add to their
knowledge of the terms in their vocabulary notebooks.
Step 5: Refine and reflect—Periodically ask students to return
to their notebooks to discuss and refine entries.
Step 6: Apply in Learning Games—Involve students periodically
in games that allow them to play with terms.
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Year 2-7 teachers
Looking at either the year 3,5 or 7 2013 NAPLAN
Numeracy test identify the words that the Tier 2
and 3 words that the students will need to know
and understand to access the test
Prep & Year 1 teachers
Apart from the actual numbers, what Tier 2 and
Tier 3 words do the students in your class need
to know and understand to be able to complete
the AC descriptors in the area of Number
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What did you learn from this exercise?
How much Maths Vocab do you currently
explicitly teach in your classroom?
How will you now incorporate Maths Vocab
into your maths lessons