MATH TALKS

DISCUSSION:Reading Skills for Mathematics

Decoding

• Mathematical Reasoning and Reading are not as different as you may think!

• math-uh-mat-iks• Origin:

1350–1400; ME mathematic < L mathēmatica ( ars ) < Gk mathēmatikḕ ( téchnē ) scientific (craft), equiv. to mathēmat- (s. of máthēma ) science, knowledge + -ikē, fem. of -ikos -ic; see -ics

Literacy

• How common is literacy?• Depends…• What do we mean by literate?• Mathematically literate? How would you

define that? Arithmetic? Algebra? Calculus?

Is the student “literate”?

• Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write basic communicationtotal population: 82% male: 87% female: 77%

• Definition: the ability to read and write at a specified age.

Practice?

• How much time does the average American spend reading per day?

• 5 minutes!• This includes street signs…• T-shirts…• And the TV Guide…• Oh, and texting.

Reading, not “The Cat in the Hat”!• What do reading teachers do?• Linguistics• · Phonetics and phonology are concerned with the study of speech sounds.

Within psycholinguistics, research focuses on how the brain processes and understands these sounds.

• · Morphology is the study of word structures, especially the relationships between related words (such as dog and dogs) and the formation of words based on rules (such as plural formation).

• · Syntax is the study of the patterns which dictate how words are combined together to form sentences.

• · Semantics deals with the meaning of words and sentences. Where syntax is concerned with the formal structure of sentences, semantics deals with the actual meaning of sentences.

• · Pragmatics is concerned with the role of context in the interpretation of meaning.

Psycho- Linguistics

• Cognitive Theory• Learning and the Brain• Eye – Brain Connection• How is language acquired and stored?

Socio-Linguistics• Society, culture, peer groups, and you!• The existence of differences in language between social classes can be illustrated by

the following table:• Bristolian Dialect (lower class)• ...• Standard English (higher class)• I ain't done nothing• ...• I haven't done anything• I done it yesterday• ...• I did it yesterday• It weren't me that done it• ...• I didn't do it

Which one is “right”?

• The differences in grammar between the two examples of speech is referred to as differences between social class dialects or sociolects.

• For example… is Ebonics a language?

Barriers to reading?

• Physical• Mental• Social• Parental• Cultural• Motivational• More?

Reading Level

• Grade level and experience?• 52, 54, 56, 158• Literate in another language?• Vocabulary and Comprehension

Learning Disabilities

• ADHD/concentration/distraction• Vision and Eye Issues/physiology• Dyslexia• Listening Skills/hearing problems?• Memory Issues• More…

Personal Issues?

• New to the College Culture• Male/female identity issues• Problems at Home• Esteem/confidence Issues• Anxiety

Socio-Cultural

• Peer Group• Heritage and Importance of Reading• Language transfer errors• Vocabulary and translation• Cultural Barriers/Spelling/double

meanings/implied meaning• Punctuation!?

Background Knowledge?

• Schema and Contextual Miscues based on prior experience

• The environment?• too cold• too noisy• too...

Critical thinking habits

• The multiple choice society

What can a math teacher do?

• Vocabulary• Repetition of the same word in multiple

problemsplus, add, more thanminus, subtract, difference

Context

• Don’t let the facts get in the way• Background is vital• Provide a foundation or keep it simple!

Culture

• Consider the student’s cultural expectations

Language

• Does that word mean what you think it means? Consider language transfer errors.

Let’s look at some word problems!

More than math…

• What are you assuming that they know?• What words?• What concepts?• What history?• Assume????• Make an Ass out of u and me