Brianna Lee's Mini Course: Literacy Instruction in Mathematics
Navigation Links:
Introduction
A student can know exactly how to solve an equation but still struggle to answer a word problem involving that same equation. In many cases, the issue is not necessarily their mathematical ability, but their ability to understand what the question is asking. Reading, writing, and interpreting information are all essential parts of mathematics, yet literacy instruction is often treated as something that belongs in an English classroom.
This mini-course is designed for secondary mathematics teachers who want to incorporate literacy strategies into their existing instruction. The goal is not to turn math teachers into reading teachers, but to recognize the literacy skills students need to be successful in mathematics and identify practical ways to support those skills.
Throughout the course, participants will examine common literacy challenges in mathematics, explore strategies for addressing them, and consider how these strategies could fit into their own classrooms. Participants will work through examples, reflect on their current practices, and develop an activity that incorporates literacy instruction into a mathematics lesson.
Needs Assessment
The needs assessment identified a gap between the literacy skills students are expected to use in mathematics and the strategies teachers use to support those skills. While students are expected to interpret word problems, understand mathematical vocabulary, and explain their reasoning, these skills are not always explicitly taught. Mathematics teachers may recognize these challenges but lack practical strategies for addressing them within their existing lessons. This mini-course aims to build teachers' understanding of literacy in mathematics, develop their ability to incorporate literacy strategies, and encourage them to view literacy instruction as a shared responsibility across content areas.
Performance Objectives
By the end of this mini-course, participants will be able to:
- Identify common literacy challenges in secondary mathematics, including mathematical vocabulary, word problem comprehension, and written explanations of mathematical reasoning.
- Analyze mathematics tasks to identify the literacy demands that may create barriers for students.
- Select appropriate literacy strategies to address specific challenges while maintaining the mathematical learning objective.
- Develop a mathematics learning activity that intentionally incorporates at least one literacy strategy.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of their selected strategy by explaining how it supports both mathematical understanding and literacy development.
Course Units
Create a new unit/lesson page by typing your page title below. Use unique page title (e.g., Unit 1 full title) so it will not be overwritten by others.
This mini-course includes the following units. Click the title of a unit to go to its page.
Unit 1: Understanding Literacy in Mathematics
This unit introduces the role of literacy in mathematics instruction and explores how vocabulary, reading comprehension, and mathematical communication contribute to students' understanding of mathematical concepts.
Unit 1 - Lesson 1: What does Literacy Look Like in Mathematics?
Unit 1 - Lesson 2: The Role of Vocabulary, Reading, and Mathematics Communication
Unit 2: Identifying Literacy Barriers
This unit focuses on recognizing literacy barriers within mathematical tasks and classroom materials. Participants will explore how to distinguish difficulties with language from difficulties with mathematical understanding.
Unit 2 - Lesson 1: Recognizing Literacy Barriers in Math Tasks
Unit 2 - Lesson 2: Separating Literacy Difficulties from Mathematical Difficulties.
Unit 3: Strategies for Literacy in Math
This unit introduces practical strategies for supporting students' literacy skills during mathematics instruction. Participants will explore ways to support comprehension and communication without reducing the mathematical expectations of a task.
Unit 3 - Lesson 1: Supporting Vocabulary and Reading Comprehension
Unit 3 - Lesson 2: Supporting Written Directions and Mathematical Reasoning
Unit 4: Strategies to Math Instruction
This unit provides participants with an opportunity to apply what they have learned by adapting an existing mathematics lesson. Participants will select appropriate literacy supports, maintain the original mathematical learning objectives, and reflect on their instructional decisions.
Unit 4 - Lesson 1: Adapting a Mathematics Lesson
Unit 4 - Lesson 2: Reflecting on Instruciton and Next Steps
Use media in your lessons:
- Add image: In the Edit tab, click Insert, select Images and Media, search or upload an image, set options as needed under the Advanced tab.
- Embed a Youtube video in your page: 1) Click the "Edit Source" tab on the top of your page, 2)use/copy these tags: <youtube height="360" width="640">put youtube url here</youtube>
- Embed a pdf file uploaded to KNILT: <pdf width="800" height="600" page="1">filename.pdf</pdf>.
- Embed a PDF found online with a UR: Click Edit Source on the top of your page, use this code: <pdf width="800" height="600">put the url of the pdf here</pdf>.
Extended Resources
...