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

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

About the Author
Kathryn B. Chval, Ph.D., is the Dean of the College of Education at the University of Missouri. She is a Professor of Mathematics Education and holds the Joanne H. Hook Dean’s Chair in Educational Renewal. Chval began her career teaching in elementary schools. Her commitment to educational solutions in mathematics education is rooted in her early experiences in under-resourced schools in the U.S. Her research focuses on effective preparation models and support structures for mathematics and science teachers, effective elementary mathematics teaching for English language learners, and curriculum standards and policies. She is an expert on teacher education, curriculum development, and the study of effective learning environments. Chval has authored or co-authored more than 70 publications and made numerous presentations. Her leadership, research, and service have been recognized with several awards and honors, including the 2018 TODOS Iris M. Carl Leadership and Equity Award.

Erin Smith, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the School of Education at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS. She is a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, TODOS: Mathematics for ALL, and the American Educational Research Association. Her research focuses on increasing access to high quality mathematics education for emergent multilinguals, specifically in elementary grades. She has contributed to chapters in Access and Equity: Promoting High-Quality Mathematics in Grades 3-5 and Toward Equity and Social Justice in Mathematics Education. In addition, she has multiple articles under review at peer-reviewed research and practitioner journals.

Lina Trigos-Carrillo, Ph.D., is the Chair of the Department of Psychology of Education and Development of Universidad de la Sabana in Colombia. She obtained a Ph.D. in Learning, Teaching and Curriculum with an emphasis on Literacy Education from the University of Missouri. Her research focuses on critical sociocultural perspectives to writing and community/family literacy of minorities and emergent bilinguals across the Americas. In her prior post-doctoral position in the SEE-TEL project, she facilitated parent engagement initiatives, professional development, and program evaluation.



Rachel J. Pinnow, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the College of Education at the University of Missouri in Columbia. She is a member of the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL). Her research focuses on second language acquisition, classroom interaction, multimodal communication and analysis, and social semiotics. She has contributed to peer-reviewed research journals such as Linguistics and Education, Anthropology & Education Quarterly, Mathematics Education Research Journal, Journal of Teaching for Excellence and Equity in Mathematics, and practitioner journals such as the Teaching Children Mathematics. In addition, she has contributed to chapters in Access and Equity: Promoting High-Quality Mathematics in Grades 3-5 and Common Core State Standards in Mathematics for English Language Learners: Grades K-8.

Preface Acknowledgements Our Hope for Multilingual Learners
Teachers Who Inspire

Studying Teacher Practice

Interacting With Multilingual Learners and Their Families

Position Multilingual Learners as Classroom Leaders

What Research says About Positioning

Reflecting of Xiao Li's Experience

Reflecting on Nabil Abadi's Experience

Reflecting on José López’s Experience

Positioning Students as Experts
One Year Later

Reflecting on Why Positioning Matters


Recognize How Teachers Position Students

Positioning Multilingual Learners as Leaders
Explicitly Positioning Multilingual Learners as Leaders

Implicitly Positioning Multilingual Learners as Leaders

Strategies for Positioning Multilingual learners as Leaders
Thinking About Positioning in Your Practice
Facilitate Multilingual Learners' Participation in Mathematics Classroom
Reflecting on Your Experience with Participating

What Research Says About Student Participation

Factors That Influence the Participation of Multilingual Learners
Reflecting on Your Experiences with Fear

Overcoming Fear

Encountering Unknown Contexts


Examining Teaching Strategies That Influence Participation

Strategies for Facilitating Multilingual Learners’ Participation in Mathematics

Thinking About Participation in Your Practice
Facilitate Partnerships Between Multilingual Learners and Their Peers
Solving a Mathematics Problem with A Partner

Solving a Mathematics Problem with A Partner

Qualities of Partnerships

Strategies for Facilitating Partnerships

Establish Participation Norms With Students

Practice Compliments

Provide Concrete Resources

Pay Attention To Pairing

Monitor How Partners Work
Revisit Partnership Norms With Student
Thinking About Partnerships in Your Practice
Engage Multilingual Learners Through Culturally-Relevant Contexts
Reflecting on the Challenge of Contexts and Culture

What the Research Says About Contexts in Mathematics

Strategies for Engaging Multilingual Learners Through Culturally-Meaningful Contexts

Thinking about Contexts in your Practice
Reach Multilingual Learners with Visuals, Illustrations, and Gestures
What Research Says About Visuals and Gestures

Using Visuals Strategically
Examining Ms. Bristow’s Use of Visuals: Dividing Cookies

Examining Ms. Bristow’s Use of Visuals: Emphasizing the Meaning of ‘Loose’

Emphasizing Mathematical Connections


Reflecting on Your Use of Gestures
Using Gestures Strategically
Examining Ms. Bristow’s Use of Gestures: Obstacle Course

Examining Ms. Bristow’s Strategic Use of Visuals and Gestures: Columns and Rows

Thinking About Visuals and Gestures in Your Practice

Strategies for Using Visuals and Gestures
Analyze Mathematical Work of Multilingual Learners
Reflecting on Your Experiences

What Research Says About Analyzing Multilingual Learners’ Mathematical Work
What Research Says About Analyzing Multilingual Learners’ Mathematical Work


Analyzing Additional Student Work

Strategies for Discerning Between Mathematical and Language Issues
Examining Abigail’s Work

Examining Janessa’s Work


The Importance of Interviewing Multilingual Learners

Thinking About Analyzing Multilingual Learner’s Mathematical Work in Your Practice
Investigate Meanings to Enhance Multilingual Learners’ Language Development The Importance of Academic Language for Multilingual Learners
What the Research Says About Academic Language

Distinguishing Between Multiple Meanings of Language

Introducing Specialized Mathematics Language

Amplified Use of Academic Language

Strategies for Enhance Multilingual Learners’ Language Development

Thinking About Academic Language in Your Practice
Use Your Discourse Strategically to Enhance Multilingual Learners’ Opportunity to Learn
Reflecting on Varieties of English that Influence Discourse

What Research Says About Discourse

Teacher Discourse
Connecting Academic Language to Mathematical Representations

Posing Questions to Engage Multilingual Learners

Posing Questions to Engage Multilingual Learners


Strategies for Promoting Classroom Discourse

Thinking About Your Discourse in Your Practice
Foster a Culture of Writing in the Mathematics Classroom
Reflecting on Your Experiences

What Research Says About Writing in Mathematics

Establishing a Need to Write in Mathematics

Establishing a Culture of Writing

Providing Feedback on Students’ Writing

Analyzing Students’ Writing

Strategies for Fostering a Culture of Writing in Your Mathematics Classroom

Reflecting on Mathematical Writing in Your Practice
Develop Writing in Mathematics for Multilingual Learners
Reflecting on Your Practice

Mathematical Genres of Writing

What the Research Says about Mathematical Genres

Identifying Mathematical Writing Genres

Strategies for Developing Writing in Mathematics for Multilingual Learners
Teaching Practices

Activities


Reflecting on Your Use of Mathematical Genres in Your Practice
Enhance Curriculum Materials for Multilingual Learners
Reflecting on Mathematics Curriculum

What Research Says About Curriculum Enhancement for Multilingual Learners

Strategies for Crafting Language to Better Support Multilingual Learners

Analyzing Curriculum Materials for Multilingual Learners

Research Recommendations for Enacting Mathematics Curriculum

Recognizing Different Mathematical Conventions and Representations

Thinking about Mathematical Conventions and Representations in your Practice

Thinking about Curriculum Enhancement in your Practice
Engage with Parents and Families of Multilingual Learners
Reflecting on Your Experiences

What the Research Says about Multilingual Parent and Family Engagement

Multicultural Parenting Styles
Cultural Values

Emphasizing the Value of Family in Your Classroom

Examining Teachers’ and Multilingual Parents’ Expectations


Reframing Multilingual Parental Engagement

Strategies for Facilitating Multilingual Family and Parent Engagement in Your Classroom

Reflecting on Family Engagement in Your Practice
Appendix A. Additional Resources Appendix B. Selected Solutions References

Review
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. (Nora G. Ramirez Executive Director, TODOS: Mathematics for ALL)

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. (Lena Licón Khisty Emerita, University of Illinois Chicago)

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. (Julia Aguirre University of Washington, Tacoma)

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. (Alexander L. Tai Columbia Public Schools)

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. (Zandra de Araujo College of Education, University of Missouri)

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. (Renee Rowan Skokie, Illinois)

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 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. (Marta Civil The University of Arizona)

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. (Mary J. Schleppegrell University of Michigan, Ann Arbor)

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)

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

With case studies and activities that provide a solid foundation for teachers’ growth and exploration, this groundbreaking book will help teachers and teacher educators engage in meaningful, humanized mathematics instruction.

English