Maths and literacy Phil and Alana May 2011

Hypothesis: It is useful for students in mathematics to know about Text features and purposes of texts Vocabulary and strategies for solving unfamiliar vocabulary Strategies for abstracting mathematics from word problems with unfamiliar contexts Strategies for students to translate complex word-based problems into other forms (e.g. linguistically simple; diagrams; tables)

Challenging aspects of vocabulary in mathematics Lots of complex new technical mathematics vocabulary e.g. ‘inverse’, ‘binomial’, ‘coefficient’ and ‘denominator’. A wide number of synonymous words and phrases e.g. ‘add, ‘plus’, combine’, ‘sum’, ‘more than’ and ‘increase by’ are all synonymous terms related to addition. Terms that are challenging in isolation are commonly part of more complex strings of words or phrases e.g. ‘least common denominator’.

Challenging aspects of vocabulary in mathematics. Terms that are familiar from everyday contexts but which have a very different meaning in a mathematics context. E.g. ‘square’, ‘rational’, ‘volume’ and ‘equality’. Use of symbols and mathematical notation as ‘vocabulary’ e.g. =,, ( ) Similar terms but with different functions e.g. ‘less’ vs ‘less than’, the ‘square’ vs ‘square root’, ‘multiply’ vs ‘multiply by’

Prepositions Prepositions locate nouns, noun groups, and phrases in time, space or circumstance e.g. The temperature fell to 10 degrees The temperature fell by 10 degrees The temperature fell from 10 degrees The temperature fell 10 degrees

Prepositions contd. Four into nine equals... Four divided by nine… Two multiplied by three… Four exceeds three by … Ten over twenty equals… His pay rate increased from…. to…

RAP Read the problem carefully. Ask 3 questions: 1.“ What do we have to find out?” 2.“What do we know?” 3.“ How will we do it?” Paraphrase – put it in your own words and solve the problem Based on research reported by Mastropieri, Scruggs,& Graetz, (2003)