NG

Students’ Conceptual
Understandings through
Math Discourse
Think. Write. Pair. Share
Agree or Disagree?
Students need to talk about math in order to
understand it.

Agree or Disagree?
Students have equitable opportunities to
participate in class discussion.

Agree or Disagree?
I am providing all of my students with necessary
skills to communicate in all disciplines.
Where have we been and where are we now??
Table 1: SOL Pass Rates for All Students at MPES Table 2: SOL Pass Rates for EL Students at MPES
 All Students

2020-2021
*Hybrid Year

★ SOL Expedited Retakes ★ Virginia Growth Assessment

& Summer School ★ WIDA Tests

English Language Learners

2020- 2021
*Hybrid Year
 2021-22 WIDA ACCESS SCORES
MPES 5th Grade Students Making Minimal Growth
(112 students in building not making growth total)

Student A

1) What do you know

about the WIDA
test? Student B

2) Which domain do
you think is an area
of strength? Student C

3) Which domain is an
area of
improvement?
Student D

Student E
 Students need opportunities
to…
Why focus on explicit language instruction in A. connect to the content
through embodied
math class? experience.
B. co-construct meaning
with peers and
Building Foundations for Equitable teachers, and
C. have their ideas made
Classroom Engagement
visible to the classroom
community and enrich
the learning of others
(Thompson et al., 2016)

“Students who are left out of

the discussion do not acquire
the same positive disposition
toward mathematics as those
who participate (e.g., Ball,
1993; Boaler, 2000).
Molle & Wilfrid (2021).
What Research Says…
Why focus on explicit language instruction in math class?
Educators must provide a
foundation of equitable
access for student
engagement through the
explicit inclusion of
communication skills in all
disciplines.
Where do we want to be & how?

By January 2024, 100% of

fifth grade general
education teachers will
have planned for an
implemented at least 1
speaking-domain-oriente
d ELLEvation strategy per
week in math classrooms
as evidenced by the
completed lesson plans,
teacher surveys, and
observational data.
Why Ellevation
Strategies?
Solve this 3rd grade
math problem:
У мисс Кларк есть 42 банана. В
каждой связке — 6 бананов.
Какое действие нужно
использовать, чтобы узнать,
сколько связок бананов есть у
мисс Кларк?
A) Сложить 6 и 42.
B) Разделить 42 на 6.
C) Умножить 42 на 6.
D) Вычесть 6 из 42.
 Solve this 3rd grade Reflection Questions:
math problem:
У мисс Кларк есть 42 банана. В 1. How did it feel to solve
каждой связке — 6 бананов.
the math problem?
Какое действие нужно
использовать, чтобы узнать, 2. What strategies did
сколько связок бананов есть у
мисс Кларк?
you use?
A) Сложить 6 и 42. 3. What support did you
B) Разделить 42 на 6. want or need?
C) Умножить 42 на 6.
D) Вычесть 6 из 42.
“Moisés in Math Class”
Reflect and Share
1. What challenges did you
see?
2. If you were coaching this
teacher, what suggestions
would you make?
Why Strategies:
Build Background
Ellevation Strategies

Best-Practice
Instructional Activities

Collections of Activities Professional Learning Modules

for different Learning with Teaching and Reflection
Environments Components
Browse Activities
Activity Page
Let’s Practice a Strategy!

DEMONSTRATIONS
AND EXPERIENCES

Speaking
Hanging
Hashtags
Small Group,
Full Classroom
Exemplar Hanging
Hashtags
Speaking Small Groups,
Full Classroom

Instructions Non-Academic Example

#good
1. View the image. #Tur in pies #7,500
2. Think about the image:
bo n
varieties
qu l
a. What do you see? #Keeps
The
b. What does it make you think of? Doctor
c. How is this connected to what you Away
know about apples?
#juicy
3. Write a hashtag (a key word or phrase that
begins with #) that represents your #sweet
thoughts.
#High In
Fiber #frui
"Galette; Apples" by 427 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Practice Hanging
Hashtags
Speaking Small Groups,
What do these portraits make you think of? Full Classroom

#______ #______ #______

Reflect and Share

How might Hanging Hashtags

be used in a math lesson?
Goal:
Implement at least one ELLevation
Strategy per week in a math lesson.

Increase student confidence in communicating

critical thinking of conceptual understandings.
Increase student language acquisition in a
cross-disciplinary way.