Teaching Math to Multilingual Students, Grades K-8: Positioning English Learners for Success

by Kathryn Chval, Erin Marie Smith, Lina Trigos-Carrillo, Rachel JaDean Pinnow

Overview

Using strengths-based approaches to support development in mathematics

It’s time to re-imagine what’s possible and celebrate the brilliance multilingual learners bring to today’s classrooms. Innovative teaching strategies can position these learners as leaders in mathematics. Yet, as the number of multilingual learners in North American schools grows, many teachers have not had opportunities to gain the competencies required to teach these learners effectively, especially in disciplines such as mathematics. Multilingual learners—historically called English Language Learners—are expected to interpret the meaning of problems, analyze, make conjectures, evaluate their progress, and discuss and understand their own approaches and the approaches of their peers in mathematics classrooms. Thus, language plays a vital role in mathematics learning, and demonstrating these competencies in a second (or third) language is a challenging endeavor.

Based on best practices and the authors’ years of research, this guide offers practical approaches that equip grades K-8 teachers to draw on the strengths of multilingual learners, partner with their families, and position these learners for success. Readers will find:

• A focus on multilingual students as leaders
• A strength-based approach that draws on students’ life experiences and cultural backgrounds
• An emphasis on maintaining high expectations for learners’ capacity for mastering rigorous content
• Strategies for representing concepts in different formats
• Stop and Think questions throughout and reflection questions at the end of each chapter
• Try It! Implementation activities, student work examples, and classroom transcripts

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781071810842
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/04/2021
Series:	Corwin Mathematics Series
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	158,727
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.80(d)

Table of Contents

Preface xv

Acknowledgments xix

About the Authors xxi

1 Our Hope for Multilingual Learners

Teachers Who inspire 2

Studying Teacher Practice 4

Interacting With Multilingual Learners and Their Families 7

2 Position Multilingual Learners as Classroom Leaders

Vignette: Xiao Li 10

Vignette: Nabil Abadi 10

Vignette: José López 11

What the Research Says About Positioning 11

Reflecting on Xiao Li's Experience 13

Reflecting on Nabil Abadi's Experience 14

Reflecting on José López's Experience 15

Positioning Students as Experts 16

Reflecting on Why Positioning Matters 20

Recognizing How Teachers Position Students 21

Positioning Multilingual Learners as Leaders 22

Strategies for Positioning Multilingual Learners as Leaders 26

Thinking About Positioning in Your Practice 26

3 Facilitate Multilingual Learners' Participation in Mathematics

Reflecting on Your Experiences With Participation 30

What the Research Says About Student Participation 31

Factors That influence the Participation of Muitilingual Learners 32

Examining Teaching Strategies That Influence Participation 36

Strategies for Facilitating Multilingual Learners' Participation in Mathematics 39

Thinking About Participation in Your Practice 42

4 Facilitate Partnerships Between Multilingual Learners and Their Peers

Solving a Mathematics Problem With a Partner 45

What the Research Says About Peer-to-Peer interactions With Multilingual Learners 46

Qualities of Partnerships 46

Strategies for Facilitating Partnerships 48

Thinking About Partnerships in Your Practice 57

5 Engage Multilingual Learners Through Culturally Relevant Contexts

Reflecting on the Challenge of Contexts and Culture 60

What the Research Says About Contexts in Mathematics 63

Strategies for Engaging Multilingual Learners Through Culturally Relevant Contexts 63

Thinking About Contexts in Your Practice 69

6 Reach Multilingual Learners With Visuals and Gestures

What the Research Says About Visuals and Gestures 72

Using Visuals Strategically 73

Reflecting on Your Use of Gestures 78

Using Gestures Strategically 78

Thinking About Visuals and Gestures in Your Practice 82

Strategies for Using Visuals and Gestures 83

7 Analyze Mathematical Work of Multilingual Learners

Reflecting on Your Experiences 86

What the Research Says About Analyzing Multilingual Learners' Mathematical Work 86

Examining Joaquin's Mathematical Work 87

Analyzing Additional Student Work 90

Strategies for Discerning Between Mathematical and Language Issues 93

Examining Abigail's Work 94

Examining Janessa's work 97

The Importance of Interviewing Multilingual Learners 99

Thinking About Analyzing Multilingual Learners' Mathematical Work in Your Practice 100

8 Investigate Meanings to Enhance Multilingual Learners' Language Development

The Importance of Academic Language for Multilingual Learners 103

What the Research Says About Academic Language 103

Distinguishing Between Multiple Meanings of Language 104

Introducing Specialized Mathematics Language 107

Amplified Use of Academic Language 115

Strategies for Enhancing Multilingual Learners' Language Development 118

Thinking About Academic Language in Your Practice 119

9 Use Your Discourse Strategically to Enhance Multilingual Learners' Opportunities to Learn

Reflecting on Varieties of English That influence Discourse 123

What the Research Says About Discourse 124

Teacher Discourse 125

Strategies for Promoting Classroom Discourse 135

Thinking About Your Discourse in Your Practice 136

10 Foster a Culture of Writing in the Mathematics Classroom

Reflecting on Your Experiences 138

What the Research Says About Writing in Mathematics 139

Establishing a Need to Write in Mathematics 139

Establishing a Culture of Writing 142

Analyzing Students' Mathematical Writing 147

Strategies for Fostering a Culture of Writing in Your Mathematics Classroom 152

Reflecting on Mathematical Writing in Your Practice 153

11 Develop Writing in Mathematics for Multilingual Learners

Reflecting on Your Practice 155

Mathematical Genres of Writing 155

What the Research Says About Mathematical Genres 156

Analyzing Students' Mathematical Writing 157

Identifying Mathematical Writing Genres 162

Strategies for Developing Writing in Mathematics for Multilingual Learners 164

Reflecting on Your Use of Mathematical Genres in Your Practice 166

12 Enhance Curriculum Materials for Multilingua Learners

Reflecting on Mathematics Curriculum 169

What the Research Says About Curriculum Enhancement for Multilingual Learners 170

Analyzing Curriculum Materials for Multilingual Learners 172

Research Recommendations for Enacting Mathematics Curriculum 173

Recognizing Different Mathematical Conventions and Representations 174

Thinking About Mathematical conventions and Representations in Your Practice 176

Thinking About Curriculum Enhancement in Your Practice 177

13 Engage With Parents and Families of Multilingual Learners

Reflecting on Your Experiences 180

What the Research Says About Multilingual Parent and Family Engagement 180

Multicultural Parenting Styles 181

Reframing Multilingual Parental Engagement 192

Strategies for Facilitating Multilingual Family and Parent Engagement in Your Classroom 192

Reflecting on Family Engagement in Your Practice 195

Appendix A Recommended Resources 196

Appendix B Selected Solutions 199

References 201

Index 218

Editorial Reviews

This book celebrates the brilliance of multilingual learners while also providing evidence-based strategies for teachers. The included cases and activities provide a solid foundation for teachers’ growth and exploration into teaching mathematics with multilingual students. This book will help teachers and teacher educators engage in meaningful and humane mathematics instruction with students.

College of Education, University of Missouri - Zandra de Araujo

This inspiring volume provides resources for mathematics teachers to support mathematics learning for English learners. Using four central principles—assets, empathy, practice, and research—to base the strategies and an impressive array of materials, including student work, the volume illustrates multiple approaches to providing English learners with opportunities to learn important mathematics with understanding.

Judit Moschkovich

Teaching Math to Multilingual Students, Grades K–8: Positioning English Learners for Success takes an asset-based approach toward developing multilingual learners in the classroom. This book clearly demonstrates the nuances of analyzing the mathematical work of multilingual learners while providing examples and strategies for giving useful feedback that is applicable to all learners. Fostering a culture of writing in the mathematics classroom is explicitly taught through a variety of strategies, activities, and teacher practices. Topics such as culturally relevant contexts, crafting language, and family involvement serve to round out this text and provide teachers with a solid resource to support multilingual learners in a layered, thoughtful way.

Skokie, Illinois - Renee Rowan

This book is an excellent resource for opening doors of access to mathematics for multilingual students, particularly those multilingual students who are, in the authors’ words, ‘silent spectators’ of classroom lessons. Teaching Math to Multilingual Students, Grades K–8 offers strategies and resources that are both research-based and tried, personalized, and polished in real classrooms. The images from those classrooms are compelling, underscoring the importance of an asset-based mentality in teaching multilingual students.

Mark Driscoll

This book is a must-have for anyone working with multilingual learners in mathematics. The authors push the reader to reflect through questions and prompts and to take action by trying out the strategies suggested. The authors’ deep respect for and asset-based view of multilingual students and their mathematical ideas are evident throughout the whole book. Of particular note is the attention paid to the role of families in the mathematics education of multilingual learners.

The University of Arizona - Marta Civil

This groundbreaking book offers practical, research-informed strategies and activities that support all learners. Chval and her colleagues’ innovative approach positions multilingual learners as potential classroom leaders in challenging mathematics learning. Even newcomers to English are invited to draw on all their meaning-making resources to participate in the mathematics classroom.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor - Mary J. Schleppegrell

This book goes beyond the typical support of the academic language of mathematics for English learners. It provides an in-depth perspective on being more culturally inclusive of English learners and allows educators to reflect on their instructional methodologies in mathematics.

Columbia Public Schools - Alexander L. Tai

A must-read! This book is an excellent resource to closely examine mathematics instruction that affirms multilingual learners’ identities, competencies, and growth as learners of mathematics. Far too often multilingual children and their families are positioned in deficit ways that lead to limited learning. This book does the opposite. It seamlessly blends practice and research for a comprehensive look at exemplary mathematics teaching that leverages children’s multiple linguistic, cultural, and mathematical strengths. The book offers practical tools and guidance to enhance mathematics instruction, nurture student relationships, and create strong partnerships with families to support and advance multilingual learners in mathematics.

University of Washington, Tacoma - Julia Aguirre

This book provides a powerful tool for teachers as they engage multilanguage learners in language and mathematics. Each chapter is a wonderful compilation of research and practice that unpacks the strategies that will empower teachers to build upon the unique strengths and knowledge that multilingual students bring to the classroom.

Amy Stephens

Wondering how to support multilingual learners beyond broad, generic suggestions? This book is it! Through true vignettes, transcripts, pictures, and videos, these authors literally show how to support multilingual learners, while engaging you in developing your own capacities to do so. The chapter on positioning learners as leaders is a must-read for every educator! I can’t wait to use this book in my work with students and teachers.

Jennifer Bay-Williams

This is the book I’ve been waiting for! It is powerful. It brings together often-separate critical ideas for teaching multilingual students and weaves them with in-depth explorations of classrooms. We meet remarkable teachers, whose success we can learn from, which will help us reimagine what’s possible.

Emerita, University of Illinois Chicago - Lena Licón Khisty

Kathryn Chval and her colleagues exquisitely give the readers opportunities to see inside a classroom with multilingual students, develop empathy, and deeply understand effective practice. The book’s engaging format provides questions for reflection and strategies to try out, connects research to practice, and compels readers to position students for success.

Executive Director, TODOS: Mathematics for ALL - Nora G. Ramirez

This is the book I’ve been waiting for! It is powerful. It brings together often-separate critical ideas for teaching multilingual students and weaves them with in-depth explorations of classrooms. We meet remarkable teachers, whose success we can learn from, which will help us reimagine what’s possible.

Emerita, University of Illinois Chicago - Lena Licón Khisty