It's easy to think, why is literacy important in math. But, if we think about, literacy is the foundation of our schooling practices in all content areas. However, you can immediately jump to the idea that literacy in math is the math textbook with definitions, explanations, and problems. But, there is more to math literacy than just the textbook.
Many students fear math because of the challenges it might present, especially when it comes to word problems and letter variables. Often times, students struggle with other subjects because their reading comprehension is so low. As a result, all subject areas are impacted. But, this teacher found an approach to assist her students in approaching math problems. She encourages her students to approach a problem, as we have modeled through a think aloud. First, the students listen to the problem without any numerical values. Then, the students break down the problem into smaller pieces to figure out what the problem is asking them to achieve. The students annotate the word problem identifying the information that is important. Finally, the students arrive to an answer and are able to fully comprehend the mathematical solution and literacy associated with the word problem.
Math classes can benefit from this practice to allow students to process and better explain mathematical terms and concepts. Additionally, I think this approach can be used throughout all content areas, as we encourage students to take a whole problem or text and break it down through annotation to better understand the information being presented. This resource allows students to show what they know through words, sharing with others, and writing.
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Hi! First, I want to say I really enjoyed reading your post. I love how you mentioned in the beginning how many people have the mistaken thought that literacy is not involved in math, and I love how you refuted this argument by explaining how think alouds can be used in math. I agree that in order to understand how to start a math word problem, the student must understand the question first, and it proves how literacy is important even in math.
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Hey Sarah Ellen,
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the youtube video you decided to include in this week's blog. While this approach is given to students at the elementary level, I think it is an amazing way to teach students of all grade levels. Breaking down a word problem, step-by-step, and annotating can not only allow for a correct answer, but also allow for greater literacy among all students.
Great post!
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