Multilingual Math: Placing Emphasis on Multiliteracy within the Mathematics Classroom

Melissa Duncan, Monett Middle School, Monett

Intro

I saw the need to obtain additional resources for my English Learners (ELs) to be successful in the mathematics classroom. My master’s program taught me to include multiple resources that will scaffold instruction for my ELs. I discovered the need for anchor charts, vocabulary notebooks, and math manipulatives. Familiarizing myself with my students’ proficiency levels and meeting their literacy needs was important. I adjusted my classroom instruction to ensure that I could connect with my ELs through background knowledge and make connections to math lessons that will meet my students’ needs. Some of the strategies that were effective in math included an increased focus on vocabulary instruction, visuals, anchor charts, scaffolding, and hands-on activities.

Connections are necessary between ELs and educators; we must utilize the tools that we can in our instruction to help students make those connections. This project promoted the use of home languages, by assuring scaffolding practices were provided daily. Students benefit from target vocabulary, cognates, manipulatives, anchor charts and other resources that are provided in English as well as home languages. Implement appropriate scaffolds and then gradually reduce them as students no longer need that support.

As an educator, you must know your students and families. The school asked about preferred language at the beginning of the year, so teachers are aware of families preferred contact method and language preference. To get to know my learners, I sent out a survey to my students and their families and sent messages according to their documented preferences.

Step-by-Step Plan

• Send survey to learn about students’ cultures and backgrounds

• Reflect on upcoming math lessons and the content objectives that were taught in our math units

• Obtain WIDA proficiency reports and literacy scores to determine appropriate scaffolds

• Utilize the WIDA Can-Do Descriptor Chart to see what students were able to do in the four language domains

• Choose anchor charts with visual aids for classroom

• Introduce students to vocabulary notebooks to record words and strategies with pictures/examples

• Create unit vocabulary cards sets

• Incorporate hand-on manipulatives in math lessons        

Timeline

• Summer: Analyze the curriculum and determine which manipulatives, resources, and visuals could benefit students during the lessons.

• Early fall: Collaborate with building administrator, instructional coach, ELD teacher, and the other 7^th grade math teacher to determine appropriate strategies for each unit.

• Start of each unit: Use vocabulary lists to create vocabulary cards, task cards, anchor charts, and English and Spanish glossaries.

Budget

Learning Resources View Thru Geometric Solids

Learning Resources Folding Geometric Shapes

Post It Chart Paper for Anchor Charts

Index Cards (1200 Pre-Punched 3x5 w/ rings)

Bilingual Shapes Classroom Posters & Reference Page (TPT)

Math Word Wall Bundle (TPT)

Build & Learn Geometry Kit

Binder Pencil Pouches for safe storing (36 pack) 

Colored Card Stock

10 colored markers

Composition Books

Pull String 3D Geometry Pull String Learning Book

Sustainability

I plan to share the successes taking place in my math classroom and provide professional development opportunities for colleagues so that similar strategies can take place within my school. After completion of this project, more teachers will have a better know how to integrate multiliteracy scaffolding practices to make connections between content and language.

We saw great successes with implementation in the first semester, so I know we will continue to utilize the resources in the classroom. We saw happier students, higher success rates, and better assessment scores at the end of the unit with the changes that took place during instruction and classroom practice. I have already begun sharing the manipulatives that were purchased so they can be utilized in other classrooms.

We had a Glow Day before Christmas Break using all of the task cards for reviewing concepts from the first semester. The kids had such a blast!

Reflections 

The district’s focus this year has been on analyzing data to determine whether growth is made in math and ELA. We have spent the past several years collaborating as departments in both math and ELA and focused on vetting curriculum and assessment to make sure that we are achieving success on the state standards that DESE has for content and grade level. We have been very pleased to discover that the 7^th grade math team has made significant strides. We have seen growth on many standards, often above state levels. Administration has been pleased with the gains that are being seen through all of the hard work that the teams have made over the past several years. The collaboration that is taking place at the middle school is showing great benefits. It is very pleasing as a middle school math teacher to analyze data, make adjustments, and differentiate instruction to meet all students’ needs and see that the efforts made are successful.

Many of the lessons have task cards that are shared in the middle school curriculum, and I began being intentional with using these. I printed them on bright colorful card stock paper, so that they can be used multiple times. When I printed them on copy paper, they were a one-time use. With our unit focus being on 3D shapes and teaching area and volume of prisms and pyramids, I felt the need to create lesson activities that would put the shapes into the students’ hands. This led to in-depth discovery of the characteristics of 3D shapes, how many vertices, edges, and faces that shapes had. Utilizing manipulative 3D shapes, the students were able to physically analyze shapes to make accurate determination of the attributes. We then utilized Magna-tiles, so students could build the shapes and flatten them out into the nets, so they could see all of the faces and what shapes the 3D shapes were composed of. This also helped when we got to surface area. Then they were able to determine the area of all of the faces and combine them together to determine the surface area.

It was very exciting when we met as a team and looked at the data when students had taken their assessments at the end of the unit and we were able to see such an improvement in standards. We analyze data at the end of each of our units and review previous year’s scores, current scores, and compare to state scores. We showed higher scores than state averages. This is very pleasing, not only to the seventh grade teachers, but administration, as well. This shows that the changes made to the curriculum and resources that were used in the classroom during lessons were beneficial.