Series Engaging Newcomers in Language & Content: Write About Math

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Write About Math

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Write About Math

Lesson Objective: Engage students in writing during math lessons

Grades 9-12 / Math / ELL

2 MIN

Discussion
Supporting Materials

Thought starters

What supports does Ms. Colon have available to students to help them write?
Why is it important to give students opportunities to speak before writing?
How could you use this strategy in your own classroom?

9 Comments

ANNETTE GALINDO Jul 13, 2020 2:44pm

Ms. Colon provides students with tools such as word banks, sentence frames, oral interactions to facilitate communication, and checking for understanding.

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Aundrea Gamble Apr 23, 2020 4:07pm

1. What supports does Ms. Colon have available to students to help them write?

Ms. Colon has sentence frames available for students to help them write. By having sentence frames available it gives the students somewhere to start instead of being stuck.

2. Why is it important to give students opportunities to speak before writing?

It is important to give students the opportunity to orally communicate because it is a way that the teacher can check for understanding while they interact.

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Cade Patterson Aug 26, 2019 9:09pm

Writing in math is a great way for students whose first language is not math. They are learning mathematics and working on their writing and speaking skills at the same time. This is a great way for ELL students to excel.

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Lisa Smith Apr 22, 2019 10:26am

It is very useful to write about Math. This helps not only with studying the language but also with a better understanding of mathematical things. At this moment, both hemispheres of the brain are activated. From my experience in Wowgrade, I will tell you that students who practiced this technique have fewer problems with solving homework in Mathematics. And those who didn't do this were constantly faced with the difficulty of doing math hw.

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Sierra Hackney-... Dec 3, 2018 2:35pm

I like this idea because it get the students use to the language. It also promotes the understanding of the defintions.

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Materials

Transcript: Write About Math

Transcripts

Write About Math Transcript
Keila Colon: This is what we're going to do, a think and write. My advice for

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Write About Math Transcript
Keila Colon: This is what we're going to do, a think and write. My advice for teachers who would like for their students to write in math class is allow students to have multiple opportunities to practice. Thumbs up when you have yesterday's material. I have supports in my classroom such as lots of sentence frames. Using the sentence frame, turn and talk to your partner. They have a word bank on the whiteboard on the wall, so there's a lot of vocabulary that they can access. What is another word for pattern? How about an academic word? Marcia.
Marcia: The [inaudible 00:00:51] is constant ratio.
Keila Colon: Constant ratio. When I say, "Go," you're going to turn and talk to your partner. Another support is for lots of oral interaction.
Marcia: I [inaudible 00:01:03] the number of people, only now four peso.
Keila Colon: This is a very important piece of my teaching because this is a way for me to check for understanding when I see them interact. Tell me in a paragraph using sequencing words and mathematical vocabulary, what did you do? Through this students are able to have a starting point whenever they speak or whenever they write. It's something to celebrate. I really like how you expanded this. This is very good.

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