Math Expressions: Building Powerful Student Understanding and Fluency with Daily Reading and Vocabulary

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1 Math Expressions: Building Powerful Understanding and Fluency with Daily Reading and Vocabulary Research and Results Driven. Building a New Standard of Success. Math vocabulary and language development are key strengths of the Math Expressions program. Methods of building vocabulary in Math Expressions were carefully and thoughtfully researched as part of the Children s Math Worlds project, where Dr. Karen Fuson determined that students need a gradual introduction of practice using words they can understand before they learn more accurate mathematical terms. Vocabulary is used daily and enhanced through regular Math Talk so that students not only learn terms, but start to use them in everyday activities in small groups or whole classroom discussion and understand the full meaning of the terms they are using. Understanding and solving word problems is a key skill taught in this program, starting early in Kindergarten and continuing through other grades. Throughout the course, students are required to present their solutions through math drawings and writing that reinforces mastery of mathematical language and fluency. Math Talk Bolsters Daily Development and Usage of Mathematical Vocabulary in Context s are engaged in daily Math Talk where they learn to use math vocabulary in context and as a means to explain their thinking. The Math Talk classroom structure used in every Math Expressions lesson provides a highly effective way to develop understanding of math vocabulary through direct experiences. s learn to use vocabulary words correctly when explaining how they arrived at a solution to a problem. s also use math vocabulary in writing through daily leveled math writing prompts found on the Differentiated Instruction section of the lesson plan. Each Teacher Edition includes an Introduction to Math Talk with suggested participant structures and benefits outlined for better implementation. Suggested questioning strategies to facilitate Math Talk are available in the Unit Overview in the online and print Teacher Editions.

2 Math Expressions Uses Meaningful Words to Support Conceptual Understanding Through decades of research in the Children s Math World project, Dr. Fuson found that introducing concepts using more meaningful words or visual supports that children can relate to is more effective in some cases. For example: In Kindergarten, when decomposing a number into two addends, we call those addends partners initially. Soon these are also called addends. The teacher uses both terms, and children use whichever they prefer, and by Grade 2 they are only using addend. Another example is the use of Math Mountains, which is a visual support for Addends/Sum. Math Expressions uses partners/total rather than Addends/sum because partners is initially more illustrative, and the word sum can be confusing to students and to EL students. Total, in fact is closer to the Spanish word. By Grade 3, all students are learning using the word sum. Numerous Vocabulary Tools are Integrated in Teacher and Resources Teacher and student resources in the Math Expressions program offer numerous ways to incorporate new mathematical words into every day lessons. s start with terms they can understand that describe the mathematical model they are working, and progress to a more precise terminology. Every Teacher edition addresses Vocabulary in the Unit Overview, at the beginning of each Lesson in the Day at a Glance, and in Teaching Tips throughout the lesson. Every Teacher Edition includes a Glossary in the Teacher Resources. Hundreds of terms are defined and illustrated here. editions have callouts for vocabulary at the beginning of each lesson, and terms are highlighted throughout. Vocabulary Activities are also detailed in the Resources in both the print and online Activity Books. An Online e-glossary complete with illustrations and definitions can also be accessed through the online student activity book Tips for English Learners are called out in green boxes in every lesson, focusing on vocabulary strategies. The Personal Math Trainer offers audio narration of the online Activity Book so that English Learners can hear and review pronounciation alongside the vocabulary word and usage within the lesson and unit. Concrete manipulatives give students a way to visually connect mathematical practices with the vocabulary associated with that concept. Math Boards, central to each lesson also facilitate Math Talk and regular use of mathematical vocabulary. The Differentiated Instruction section of the lesson plan offers daily leveled math writing prompts to all tiers of student ability. Literature Libraries that accompany each grade provide another way for students to read about math and work on comprehension skills.

3 Good examples of how Vocabulary is integrated in Math Expressions Teacher and Resources Math Expressions integrates vocabulary support in both print and online resources. Here is a quick guide to review examples of where vocabulary is used and supported throughout the program for each grade. Teacher Edition Vocabulary Support Gr K Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6 Unit Overview list pg 1DD pg 1Y pg 1DD pg 1DD pg 1BB pg 1Z pg 1X Lesson Level: pg 7, 497 pg 15, 91 pg 1 p 45 pg 355 pg 1 pg 1 Day at a Glance Vocabulary T10 T16 T15 appendix T7 appendix T9 T9 T7 Activities Glossary T13 T18 T17 T13 T16 T15 T13 Online e-glossary Tips for English pg 503, 525 pg 17 pg 621 pg 22-23, 25 pg 137 pg 475 pg 4 Learners Differentiated pg 32 pg 23 pg 621 pg 384 Pg 137 pg 487 pg 9 Instruction/writing prompt Math Talk pg 508 pg 100 pg 621 pg 680 pg 156 pg 485 pg 32 Teaching Notes pg 24 pg 18 pg 621 pg 36, 42 pg 145 pg 483 pg 3,23 Edition Vocabulary Support Gr K Gr 1 Gr 2 Gr 3 Gr 4 Gr 5 Gr 6 Lesson Level pg 174 pg 217 pg 1 p 45 pg 355 pg 1 pg Vocabulary Activities Glossary

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