 Have a “word wall” in your home or

classroom to expose kids to math

specific words and start discussions.
 Encourage students to explain their
thinking when they solve a problem
using math words. If they explain in a
way that doesn’t incorporate the correct
vocabulary, rephrase it for them using
appropriate terms
 Use “word sorts” to allow students to
make connections between various
words and mathematical operations (for
example, sort words like “add,
altogether, in total, plus, etc.” under the
addition symbol.
 Incorporate writing into your lessons to
allow students to write about
mathematical experiences, or explain a
solution in their own words using math
 Use graphic organizers such as a Venn
diagram to compare words, find
examples, etc.
 Read Math stories
 By starting with something familiar,
students can then make a connection
from the new concept to what they
already know, helping to make sense of
the new ideas, as well as helping with
retention.
 It is helpful for students if you start with
the familiar and work towards building a
bridge to new content.
 A popular method in reading instruction
is to use KWL chart (What do I KNOW,
what do I WANT to know, and then what
did I LEARN). This could easily be used
when learning a new math concept as
well, helping kids make those important
connections!
 Helping kids use their prior knowledge gives
them something to connect a new concept to.
 But students can make connections in other
ways as well, and this is a very useful strategy to
help them learn, apply and remember new
math concepts.
 All of math is interconnected, and it’s
important to help kids see the connections
between one math concept and another. We
also then, have to find ways to make
connections between the math they’re
learning and their life, and help them see math
in the world around them.
 Having an idea about how to solve a
problem and then seeing that that is either
a valid method or not is what we do as
mathematicians. It’s the crux of the
problem solving process. Play around with
ideas and numbers and see what happens.
 The problem is, this is not normally how
math is taught. Often, students are told,
“Here is the process. Do each problem
exactly like this.” Students then memorize a
procedure without understanding the
concept or making any connections to
prior knowledge or their world.
 Instead, encourage exploration.
Encourage mistakes, and then have
students analyze why a method did or
did not work. Then have them try again.
 Making a mistake shows that you tried
 It’s a workout for the brain
 It gives ownership of learning
 It shows what doesn’t work
 You might notice a concept or pattern that you
wouldn’t have seen otherwise
 You understand and can talk about the
problem a little bit better
 Understanding WHY a method didn’t work can
lead you to the correct solution
 Mistakes make the moment you finally solve it
that much sweeter:
 Just like reading a story creates a visual image in
our minds, math problems should as well.
 Circle words that paint a picture and
provide important information, and then use those
words to draw a picture.
 Visualizing and drawing a picture is a helpful
strategy because it provides kids with a mental
image which will help them remember what
they’ve learned.
 It can also help them break down a problem into
easier to understand parts to make sense of it. If a
problem seems overwhelming at first glance,
spending time circling visual words and then
drawing a picture of the problem can help make it