by J. Merritt,
Teacher of Maths
Too often a maths teacher cover a topic for days or weeks...and then a student is stumped as soon as they are given a word problem.
One of the main reasons a student may struggle in this situation is the difficulty with understanding the language and vocabulary used.
Vocabulary and notation understanding are major contributors to overall comprehension in many content areas, including mathematics. There are many approaches for ensuring that students are using the correct terminology and notation. The following approaches are helpful to ensure this:
Teacher of Maths
Too often a maths teacher cover a topic for days or weeks...and then a student is stumped as soon as they are given a word problem.
One of the main reasons a student may struggle in this situation is the difficulty with understanding the language and vocabulary used.
Vocabulary and notation understanding are major contributors to overall comprehension in many content areas, including mathematics. There are many approaches for ensuring that students are using the correct terminology and notation. The following approaches are helpful to ensure this:
- introduce new key terminology at the start of each topic
- take time to define words and model using them appropriately
- when asking how or why, ensure students are using the correct vocabulary during discussions
- encourage students to discuss topics in pairs using new vocabulary
- vocabulary cards - words matched together with pictures
- assess students' knowledge of vocabulary in assessments
- displaying posters in rooms that define terminology and notation
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