5 high impact strategies to teach math vocabulary:
- Start with what they know and use student-friendly definitions. Let students use their own informal language to describe math concepts and ideas when you first introduce them. ...
- Explicitly teach new math words and give students multiple exposures to math words. ...
- Set up a classroom math word wall and individual math word banks. ...
- Use graphic organizers. Use a graphic organizer for students to record and reinforce their understanding of math words. ...
- Use math journals
- Start with what they know and use student-friendly definitions. ...
- Explicitly teach new math words and give students multiple exposures to math words. ...
- Set up a classroom math word wall and individual math word banks. ...
- Use graphic organizers.
What are the best strategies for teaching vocabulary?
Three Strategies for Teaching Academic Vocabulary
- Using Visuals to Enhance Understanding Visuals can help students understand new concepts. ...
- Playing Games We need to experience new words and concepts multiple times in a variety of ways. ...
- Multiple Meaning Words
Is there a perfect method of teaching vocabulary?
Is there a perfect method of teaching vocabulary? By definition, there is no perfect way to teach vocabulary because people learn in different ways. A simplified explanation is VARK leaning styles, visual, audio, reading/writing and kinaesthetic. Nevertheless I have witnessed students employing flawed methods and successful techniques.
Why teaching mathematical vocabulary is important?
These include:
- Having students keep a math vocabulary notebook
- Displaying a math word wall with visuals
- Having students use a graphic organizer so they can come up with multiple representations which helps solidify their understanding
- Continuing to review math vocabulary during whole-group and small-group lessons
How do I teach 6th grade math vocabulary?
Teaching Math Vocabulary to Sixth Graders
- Vocabulary in Every Lesson. Because math vocabulary is essential for good math communication, it is important to include it in every math lesson.
- Teach Vocabulary First. ...
- Tie New Concepts to Familiar Ones. ...
- Use Repetition. ...
- Compare and Contrast Terms. ...
- Use Terms in Other Contexts. ...
- Use the Proper Labels. ...
- Include Vocabulary in Tests. ...
How do you teach math vocabulary to kindergarten students?
General StrategiesHaving students keep a math vocabulary notebook.Displaying a math word wall with visuals.Having students use a graphic organizer so they can come up with multiple representations which helps solidify their understanding.Continuing to review math vocabulary during whole-group and small-group lessons.More items...•
What are the steps to teach vocabulary?
Step 1: Explain—Provide a student-friendly description, explanation, or example of the new term. Step 2: Restate—Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words. Step 3: Show—Ask students to construct a picture, symbol, or graphic representation of the term.
What are math vocabulary terms?
The Basic OperationsSymbolWords Used+Addition, Add, Sum, Plus, Increase, Total−Subtraction, Subtract, Minus, Less, Difference, Decrease, Take Away, Deduct×Multiplication, Multiply, Product, By, Times, Lots Of÷Division, Divide, Quotient, Goes Into, How Many Times
How do you teach vocabulary in the classroom?
Effective vocabulary teaching has five key principles.Focus on rich meanings, not just dictionary definitions. ... Emphasize the connections among words. ... Promote usage of the words. ... Review is important. ... Involve students in identifying some of the words to be studied.
What are the 5 vocabulary strategies?
Here are five vocabulary instruction strategies to use with elementary students.Word Detective. The most valuable thing that you can do to increase your students' vocabulary is to encourage them to read. ... Semantic Maps. ... Word Wizard. ... Concept Cube. ... Word Connect.
What are the five stages of teaching vocabulary?
5 Steps to More Powerful Vocabulary InstructionStep 1: Teach lots of "Tier 2" words. ... Step 2: Teach Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes. ... Step 3: Use more than printed materials. ... Step 4: Make sure your students encounter vocabulary words many times. ... Step 5: Post-test and refine.
Why is vocabulary important in math?
When students do not know vocabulary definitions, they struggle to apply the terms to actual mathematical problems. There was also a correlation between being able to give an example of the mathematical term and being able to apply it to problems.
What are some strong vocabulary words?
Full list of words from this list:serendipity. good luck in making unexpected and fortunate discoveries. ... keen. intense or sharp. ... dubious. fraught with uncertainty or doubt. ... susurration. an indistinct sound, as of whispering or rustling. ... onomatopoeia. ... corpus callosum. ... toothsome. ... bibliophile.More items...•
What are some vocabulary words for multiplication?
Full list of words from this list:factor. anything that contributes causally to a result. ... multiplier. the number by which a multiplicand is multiplied.multiplicand. the number that is multiplied by the multiplier.product. an artifact that has been created by someone or some process.
What are the seven basic principles for teaching vocabulary?
Browse:INTRODUCTION. ... Principle 1 – Identify vocabulary that learners need. ... Principle 2: Words are not created equal. ... Principle 3: Words are not used alone. ... Principle 4: Multiple meaningful encounters with target words. ... Principle 5: Use a variety of text types to explore vocabulary in different genres.More items...•
What are like terms in math?
In Algebra, the like terms are defined as the terms that contain the same variable which is raised to the same power. In algebraic like terms, only the numerical coefficients can vary. We can combine the like terms to simplify the algebraic expressions so that the result of the expression can be obtained very easily.
What are some hard math words?
Ten unusual maths wordsVinculum. Vinculum comes from Latin meaning to “bond or link”. ... Oblate Spheroid. An Oblate Spheroid is a flattened sphere. ... Monomial. A monomial is an algebraic expression which only has one term. ... Lemma. ... 'Leg' of an Isosceles Triangle. ... Googolplex. ... Apothem. ... Ordinal numbers.More items...•
What are the math signs called?
Basic math symbolsSymbolSymbol NameMeaning / definition[ ]bracketscalculate expression inside first+plus signaddition−minus signsubtraction±plus - minusboth plus and minus operations28 more rows
How many terms are in an expression?
An algebraic expression may be composed of one or more terms. A term of an expression may be a constant, a variable, a product of more than two variables (xy), or a product of a variable and a constant.
What is a math vocabulary?
Math vocabulary is an integral piece to understanding math concepts and developing math skills. Often times if a student does not understand a vocabulary term, they are unable to process and make sense of what they are doing, and this will hinder their success.
Why is it important to teach math vocabulary throughout the year?
General strategies for teaching math vocabulary throughout the year are also a great idea so that students can utilize them if they forget a term or just need a quick reminder. It also provides a record of all the vocabulary they learned throughout the year.
What happens if a student does not fully develop a math concept?
If a student does not fully develop a math concept then that can, and often does, lead to a misconception or lack of understanding of the next skills since math is very much a building-block process. Students must have those foundational building blocks to advance to higher levels.
How to teach place value?
A strategy for teaching this is to use place value blocks or place value discs and have students manipulate them on a place value chart so that they see and can compare two values. The teacher can then discuss using the greater than and less than symbols to represent the model when writing the numbers. It is important to note that teachers should specifically discuss and help students understand which symbol to use and why.
Why is it important to teach students to draw the array the correct way?
It is important to note that students should also be taught to draw the array the correct way so that it matches how the groups are being counted.
Why is vocabulary important in math?
Explicit vocabulary instruction leads to improved math comprehension, increased test scores, and student confidence. These teaching strategies for vocabulary will improve your instruction and your students’ confidence! Have you ever seen the Game Night Episode ...
What are some examples of using the vocabulary?
An Example of Using the Vocabulary During Instruction. A great example shows up when we start working on long division. The majority of students do not know the difference between a divisor, a dividend, and a quotient. To them, they are the “outside number”, inside number, and answer .
What is a good vocabulary teaching strategy?
One great vocabulary teaching strategy is having students write the terms in their interactive notebooks.
Why do we use songs in vocabulary?
To help you reach all the different types of learners , using songs in your vocabulary instruction can help many students remember the relevant vocabulary. To be honest, I am not one to often sing in the classroom. The students don’t need that kind of trauma. However, there are many fun songs to be found on Youtube or Flocabulary to help teach specific skills and vocabulary terms.
When you introduce a new vocabulary term or notice that your students are struggling with a particular term, what to do?
When you introduce a new vocabulary term or notice that your students are struggling with a particular term, consider giving them a choice for how they can lock that vocabulary into their memories. We all know that every student learns differently. Put that understanding to work by offering students the opportunity to choose HOW they express this new understanding and practice the vocabulary term’s definition.
Is there a wide range of terms that are used only in math?
When it comes down to it, there is a wide range of terms that are used only in math. If we haven’t taught our students to speak this math language, we are setting them and ourselves up for a great deal of frustration down the line. It can be tricky, however, to determine which terms are important to teach students. It’s also difficult to know which teaching strategies for vocabulary we should use.
How to teach math vocabulary?
Your students are more likely to appreciate learning new math vocabulary if you use activities that are both educational and fun at the same time. Make a game out of it. For example, you could create a game like Guess Who where you, as the teacher, give your students a vocabulary term and they have to give the definition. Or you give the definition and the students provide the term. Add a little competition in by saying whoever gets the most correct vocabulary terms gets a prize.
Why is vocabulary important in math?
When students have a better understanding of math vocabulary, they are able to be more successful in the classroom.
What is vocabulary strategy in math?
Strategies are methods that you and your students use to support their learning processes. Teachers should look for opportunities to build vocabulary into their mathematics lesson plans.
How to reinforce vocabulary in math?
You can add a challenge by setting a time limit. Whichever group gets the most correct can win a prize. To reinforce vocabulary, you may want to use this activity as a Friday fun day that students can look forward to and get excited about. By using a fun activity with your math vocabulary lesson, students are more likely to remain engaged and motivated to learn.
Why do you assign partners in math?
You can partner them with a student who is stronger in math so that everyone has a fair chance to win. Once you assign partners, you can begin the scavenger hunt. First, place definitions for vocabulary in random places around the classroom.
What is the best starting point for teaching math?
Teaching math-related language (i.e., vocabulary) is probably the best starting point when teaching concepts and processes students will come across during instruction, activities and assessments.
Why do we use word walls?
While word walls have been commonly used in reading or language arts classrooms, teachers of other subject areas are also using them to support their students' ability to make connections with new words or phrases, or allow the students to reference words that you have previously covered during instruction.
Where do we find math terminology?
The two most common places we find math terminology are in the directions and in word problems (problem-solving challenges). Take time to highlight and label these terms. Brainstorm lists with students –what keywords might let us know we should add two (or more) numbers together? What types of problems might use division (sharing cookies, making equal parts, etc.)?
What can a highlighter do in math?
A newspaper and a highlighter can provide numerous math investigations. Challenge your student to find 5 decimal numbers. Why did the author use a decimal number? Can they find a graph in the newspaper? Young students can be challenged to find the first ten counting numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.).
Can you learn math without speaking?
The same is true for math instruction. When students are young they can often get by without speaking the language of math. However, as they grow older, speaking and understanding the language of math becomes a central part of learning.
Expression, Equation, Number Sentence
I'll admit that I previously used these terms interchangeably, just hoping my students would recognize them when it came time for testing season. I know there are still anchor charts on my blog that use the terms incorrectly, and I cringe every time I see one (note to self: fix that!).
Decimal Points
If you were to ask my former students what I'm MOST picky about when it comes to math talk, this would probably be it.
Reading Whole Numbers
Along the same lines as the decimals points, I am hyper picky about students not adding “and” when they are reading whole numbers. 105 is not one hundred and five, just one hundred five. “And” is reserved only for decimals, even with my young students who don't know how to read decimals yet.
Reading Fractions
If I student reads 1/4 as one over four, I usually ask them to rephrase it to either one fourth or a quarter.
Regroup and Decompose
I know this one is controversial, but they aren't borrowing any numbers, they are regrouping the numbers. This definitely causes a bit of a generational divide, as I grew up with the term borrowing and carrying, as did most of our students' parents.
Improper Fraction and Fraction Greater than One
I'm going to admit that I'm still not completely fluent with this change, but did you know that the more up-to-date and accurate term for an improper fraction is a “fraction greater than one?” It's literal, and it's a great teaching moment.
Reduced and Simplified Fractions
This one is very similar to the one above. I still use both terms interchangeably and make sure that my students understand that we really aren't reducing the fraction or making it smaller, but putting it into its simplest form.
Why is vocabulary important in math?
As teachers, we need to look at developing vocabulary in mathematics. Learning new content vocabulary is critical to deepening mathematical understanding. Without an appreciation of the content vocabulary involved, students are often denied access to mathematics. Understanding math language gives students the proficiency they need to mull around in the math a bit, integrate old knowledge with newly learned vocabulary, and apply that learned knowledge in new situations.
How to make vocabulary more engaging?
Below you will find 10 ideas for making vocabulary instruction engaging, meaningful, and lasting: 1. An Interactive Word Wall. As students learn new vocabulary words, add them to a Word Wall. You can simply add the words or have students create a poster of each word including a visual, student definition, examples & non-examples.
What is the power of numeracy?
The power of numeracy lies in the empowerment of students; that is, students are given opportunities to use academic vocabulary in a natural setting and to recognize and appreciate how that term relates to the world both inside and outside the math class. As teachers, we need to look at developing vocabulary in mathematics.
What are some examples of multiple meanings in math?
It is helpful to present these words prior to the lesson and ask students to brainstorm various meanings. If need be, simply let students know what the math meaning is. This revelation can be a relief to students with limited background knowledge. Some examples of multiple-meaning words in mathematics are substitute, regular, similar, angle, chord, expression, etc.
Why do we use words in school?
Words are the tools students use to access background knowledge, to make necessary connections, to learn about new concepts, and to express those ideas in everyday life. In fact, the more terms you know about a specific subject, the easier it is to understand and learn new information related to that subject.
Is it good to write definitions out of a math dictionary?
Writing definitions out of a math dictionary is just not enough. When vocabulary instruction is effective, students learn the words, use the words, remember the words, and can ultimately apply the words fluently in different contexts. Research indicates that when vocabulary instruction is direct and purposeful, it is effective.
Can you play a mystery word game?
You can also play a mystery word game giving hints while students guess the appropriate word. The student who guesses can then take a turn identifying a new mystery vocab. Another great idea is to choose one word and have students create questions that can be answered using the word.
Addition and Subtraction
Greater Than and Less Than
- As students progress in math, a concept that they struggle with is greater than and less than and the symbols that go with them. I often used to hear teachers use the words ‘alligator mouth’ when teaching this concept, but we have learned that is not best practice. Students need to comprehend what greater than and less than really mean, not that the alligator is eating the bigg…
Multiplication
- When students graduate to multiplication, they often have a difficult time with the word ‘times’ (i.e. 4 x 6). It is essential that teachers explain what this means to students. The best strategy for teaching this vocabulary term is to use an arrayand discuss with students that the reason we say four times six is that you are counting four six times. Then demonstrate this for them and have t…
General Strategies
- General strategies for teaching math vocabulary throughout the year are also a great idea so that students can utilize them if they forget a term or just need a quick reminder. It also provides a record of all the vocabulary they learned throughout the year. These include: 1. Having students keep a math vocabulary notebook 2. Displaying a math word...