This chapter introduces mathematical standards and discusses why these standards are important. The chapter then introduces 21 strategies for teaching math to students that are learning English. It concludes by providing examples of mathematics activities that use the strategies presented in the chapter.
If you are completing this activity at home, please watch the first 5 and a half minutes.
How did this activity make you feel? It is easy to see why students, even those who are good at math, get frustrated. If you followed the math, would you be able to explain your reasoning to the teacher in French? We often think of math as being universal, but to learn math requires language. Chapter 24 of Fundamentals of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages in K-12 Mainstream Classrooms, our textbook, explores strategies for helping students learn math. While the textbook's focus is teaching students who speak a language other than English, the strategies that are presented in this chapter would benefit all students in the classroom.