Build a bridge from reading to math

I find that the a huge problem is finding ways to make a connection from reading to math, and vice versa. Today's article comes from http://www.mathsolutions.com/documents/2006_Building_Bridge.pdf

This article discusses the importance of fluency in reading and math. Expanding the vocabulary of the student should result in greater understanding in math and reading.

Using Language Strategies for Math

I just found an article that uses language strategies. A key idea this article gives is using "math talk" in the classroom. This is how math was taught in ancient times. This "math talk" encourages ideas and sparks new connections. Sometimes, we, unknowingly, remove peer education from the classrooms. Peer discussion is very important in a math classroom. Most of the topics are pseudo-foreign. What I mean by that is, the student has been using this knowledge in their everyday life, and now we assign a formal name to it. Ask a kid, "What number plus 3 is five?" and they'll respond "2." Now write "x+3=5" and the problem instantly becomes more difficult in the eyes of the student. Here is the link to the article http://suse-step.stanford.edu/resources/LanguageSite/Math_Strategies.html

Let me know what you think.

Math Journal for Test Prep

This paper deals with the benefits of using math journals as a way to help students better understand secondary math concepts. I used this a few years ago in a ninth grade Algebra class. It worked pretty well. Students that were better with words than they were with numbers seemed to develop a personal method of understanding. Students were able to write down feelings, and pitfalls when confronted with a new topic. They were able to use past experiences to guide their present endeavours. The link is http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/2b/5e/76.pdf I got this from ERIC.ed.gov . The paper number is ED497396.

Reading is Fundamental

The link is http://www.rif.org/educators/advicetips/askexperts/albright.mspx . This site details how to educate students on using textbooks, and how math texts follow a set pattern of: statements, examples, and summaries.