Supporting+ELLs+in+Mathematics+Instruction

=**SUPPORTING ELLS IN MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION** =

ELLs are very different from each other as well as from native speakers. We need to know our students so that we can build on the resources that they bring to the classroom. Our ELLs have varying linguistic skills as well as varying mathematical skills and it is very clear in the Ontario Mathematics curriculum that we are not just teaching math, but we are teaching English as well. As educators, we need to ensure that both the language and the mathematical content of our lessons is accessible for our ELLs. The first step in doing this is to get to know your students.

What Does Our Math Document Tell Us About What We Value In Math?
The curriculum that we are meant to deliver values the process of how we arrive at a solution rather than the solution itself. It's about the journey, not about the destination and there are many process expectations that we need to address in our classrooms that we need to explicitly teach in order for our students to arrive at a solution. These process expectations include:


 * problem solving
 * reasoning & proving
 * reflecting
 * selecting tools & computational strategies
 * connecting
 * representing
 * communicating

Not all of our ELLs come into our math classroms with these skills, so we need to help them see what each of them looks like.

ELLs can deepen their understanding of math by using language to communicate and reflect on their ideas and cement their understanding. Classroom talk allows for misconceptions to surface, and be addressed in a timely manner. ELLs benefit from hearing what their peers are thinking and the language that they are using to convey these thoughts. Putting their thoughts into words themselves pushes ELLs to clarify their thinking and allows them to use their math registers (see below). Effective mathematics instruction involves allowing students to think critically, reason and problem solve and each of these skills requires talk. Lucy West discusses how to create a culture of collaboration in your classroom. She touches on the importance of: Anyone who has ever tried to teach mathematics to ELLs will know that mathematics involves sophistication in both mathematics understanding as well as sophistication of language, and as educators we need to ensure that our ELLs come to class with the tools necessary to access the content.
 * creating norms (what does listening to others look like/ sound like/ feel like)
 * using effective questions and prompts to allow students to construct their own knowledge through our guidance
 * revoicing to provide students with another way of hearing their thoughts in another person's words
 * having students repeat what has been said in their own words to practice using their math registers, and to express a concept or thought in other ways
 * providing your students with multiple opportunites to engage in collaborative discussions that can move their thinking forward

Check out the following youtube clips around establishing discourse in your mathematics class: [|Establishing Discourse In The Math Classroom] [|Lucy West, Culture of Classroom Discourse]

Math Registers
A register refers to a specialized bank of vocabulary that relates to a topic, so math registers involve all of that mathematical language that our students need to be able to recognize, understand and use in order to be successful in math. Vocabulary that is common in mathematics classrooms includes: HIGH FREQUENCY VOCABULARY (Mostly social language; used regularly in everyday situations)--small, orange, clock GENERAL VOCABULARY (Mostly academic language; used in school but not directly associated with math)-- combine, describe, consequently SPECIALIZED VOCABULARY (Academic language; broadly associated with math)-- number, angle, average TECHNICAL VOCABULARY (Academic language; associated with a specific math topic)-- perfect numbers, supplementary angles, mean

Sometimes our students get caught up in the language around math that they can't access the math itself. We need to frontload, and pre-teach the vocabulary in our mathematics lessons in order for our students to be able to contribute to their own learning.

Using Manipulatives To Help Develop Math Registers & Facilitate Discussion
Manipulatives help make math comprehensible to our ELLs, as well as help them to solve mathematical problems, and explain their thinking. We need to make sure that our students know the benefits of the manipulatives and how to use them. [|Math Gains]has some great handouts you can access that will help give you a better understanding of how to use the manipulatives in your school most effectively.

Some more links to help you in your mathematics instruction:

[|TIPS for ELLs in Math: grades 7, 8, 9 applied, 10 applied] [|ELL Gains] Math Gains [|The ELL Outlook] [|ELLs and Math] [|The ELL Advantage]