As teachers, we
understand the importance of word problems in Math, and we have most
likely noticed how students who are weaker in English have more
difficulty in word problems. However, we forget that the common words
used in other math problems also take an understanding in English,
such as “estimate, evaluate, simplify, explain, prove, total, sum,
difference”.
Since as teachers, we
recognize this problem, the question becomes, how do we help those
students with poor literacy skills, be successful in math?
Here
are some strategies I have used while teaching math to students with
weak literacy skills:
- Focus on key words
- Read question to the student (Most students that have weak enough literacy skills to need this strategy are already on an IEP, and may already have this strategy listed as one of the accommodations)
- Reword questions
- Break question up. If the question has a few steps, I break it up into multiple questions, because shorter questions may be less overwhelming for the student.
Since
ESL students, are a common group of students that can struggle with
literacy in math, an article by Dr. Richard Barwell could be a good
read in understanding ESL struggles in Math. One of the suggestions
to teachers he makes is “learners of ESL find word problems less
perplexing if they are able to relate them to their own experiences”
(p.3). Barwell also gives the suggestions “be aware of the specific
linguistic demands of mathematics” and “students need
opportunities to discuss problems in order to make sense of
them”(p.3). You can read Dr. Richard Barwell's full article here.
Work
Cited:
Barwell,
Richard. The Literacy and Numeracy Secretarat: What Works?
Research into Practice. “ESL
in the Mathematics Classroom” July 2008. Web. Oct 20, 2013. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/ESL_math.pdf
I think some of the English vs. Math dichotomy comes from the older math programs that focused mainly on computation and learning to work with formulas. The programs I grew up in did not focus a whole lot on explanations and communication, but more on the "arithmetic" for lack of a better description. As we have moved into the "newer" math I think it is more obvious that English and Math are not separate entities after all. Unfortunately, this puts some students at a disadvantage, like you talked about in your post. I spend a lot of time in my job rewording questions and breaking them down for students who are struggling. Sometimes the amount of language even bogs down the stronger students. The tide is shifting in the views of English vs. Math students, but we haven't quite managed to bridge the gap yet.
ReplyDeleteThe language of math is huge. The EQAO has an entire sheet that basically explains what each keyword means and what they are asking you to do if it is used.
ReplyDeleteJust like most things in life, there is an interconnection between all subjects and we tend to foster that cross-curricular experience more and more.