STUDY OF STUDIES

Paula BreenMAED 5040-084

PURPOSE FOR STUDY

I chose to research reading in the math classroom because:•Importance of interdisciplinary instruction•My certification in language arts•Hope to gain insight on why good readers perform highly on EOG tests

MATH LITERACY5 characteristics of mathematical literacy:

1. valuing mathematics2. confidence in one’s ability to

do math3. problem solvers4. communicating and reasoning

mathematically

“The development of mathematical literacy is critical in providing our students with the unrestricted access to the school curriculum and to a full range of opportunities in their vocational and personal lives” (Pugalee & Chambles, p.2, 2000).

IMPLICATIONS•Focuses attention on characteristics for students to be “mathematically literate”•Further reflect on how to get students to value mathematics•Encourages effective use of calculators

MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN’S PROBLEM-SOLVING BEHAVIOR: A

COGNITIVE ANALYSIS FROM A READING COMPREHENSION

PERSPECTIVE

•Researchers studied student behaviors from reading perspective while students solved word problems•Strategic reading behaviors• -rereading, summarizing, questioning, transform sentence structure•Students who “recorded the given information, exhibited greater use of context and provided explanations and justifications for their mathematical steps” were able to solve more problems and made less mistakes (Pape,p.208, 2004).

IMPLICATIONS•Students might be solving word problems incorrectly due to “inadequate” reading strategies, might have little do with math understanding•Have students record important information or summarize word problems to check that students are comprehending while reading•Encourage students to slow down and monitor progress•Further collaborate with Literacy Coach on how to model and teach specific reading strategies in math

THE INTERACTION OF READING AND

COMPUTATIONAL ABILITIES IN SOLVING WORD PROBLEMS

•Researchers classified students based on reading and computational abilities and examined responses to problem-solving to observe how these abilities interacted•Found students high in reading ability and low in computational abilities could compensate when problems were heavy on reading but required minimal computations•These students could not compensate when problems required multiple steps to solve the problem•Researchers also believed that these two abilities were not the only skills required for solving word problems

IMPLICATIONS•Clear that reading and computational abilities interact when it comes to students approaching word problems•Need to develop both abilities as well as expose students to problems with multiple layers and steps

IS THERE ROOM IN MATH REFORM FOR PRE-

SERVICE TEACHERS TO USE READING?

•Researchers call for (although do not perform) research on educating pre-service teachers on the benefit of using reading strategies in math• Would this training increase use of strategies in the classroom experience and have an impact on attitude regarding the importance of content area reading•Reading in math is complex: charts, graphs, tables, reading not just from left to right…

IMPLICATIONS•This also applies to current teachers, need to reflect on beliefs about reading the content areas•Math teachers must understand complexities of types of reading and comprehension involved in math: not just reading words nor reading from left to right as students are taught from a young age•Research says strategies increase comprehension in math

READING TO LEARN MATHEMATICS: NEW CONNECTIONS, NEW

QUESTIONS, NEW CHALLENGES•Article urges for reading reform across the curriculum, introduction of variety of texts into math classrooms•Study performed by introducing reading strategies into graduate course for teachers to “experience as learners the potential of using reading to support the learning of mathematics” (Borasi & Siegel, p.10, 1990).

•Concluded that strategies in “reading to learn mathematics” could be valuable addition into classroom, making students active readers and in turn, hope to make them active problem solvers

IMPLICATIONS•Suggestions for types of texts to use beyond word problems: “essays addressing history and philosophy of mathematics,…biographies and anecdotes about great mathematicians…” (Siegel & Borasi, p.10, 1990).

•Reiterates connections between “active readers” and “active problem solvers”

STORY GRAMMAR TO ENHANCE MATHEMATICS PROBLEM

SOLVING•Researchers believed in transferring strategies used in reading literature to solving math problems• identifying structure, remembering details, distinguishing between relevant and irrelevant details•Study involved small group of students receiving intervention on these strategies•Strategies helped students focus on important information, used the strategies, and improved on assessment

IMPLICATIONS•Outlines what good problem solvers do---understand structure, recalls important details, distinguishes relevant information•Shares specific questions helping with structure:• -Which sentence tells about the whole or combined quantity?• -Which sentence tells about one of the small parts that makes up the whole?•Strategies were successful among small group of students

THE LANGUAGE FACTOR IN MATHEMATICS TEST

•Compared math test items to converted test items with more simplistic language•2 parts to study:• (1) Interviewed students• (2) Tested students on combination of original and modified test items (also compared ELL students to proficient English speakers)•Part 1, students generally preferred modified items•Not significant differences on performance

IMPLICATIONS•Students from low SES benefit most from modified language•What can we do to better assist our ELL students?

WHY CONTENT-AREA LITERACY MESSAGES DO NOT SPEAK TO MATHEMATICS TEACHERS

•Message of importance of content-area reading is not speaking to math teachers•Researchers examined literature on content-area reading and found 3 main problems• (1) Definition of text---written work stressed, other types of reading in math• (2) too general across all contents• (3) misconceptions and misrepresentations about math literacy

IMPLICATIONS•Understanding of what to communicate to literacy coach•Collaborate with literacy coach to develop strategies specific to my classroom

LEARNING TO TEACH READING IN SECONDARY MATH AND SCIENCE

•Researchers followed two pre-service teachers through course designed for reading in the content areas•Researchers observed course, analyzed course materials, students journals, interview professor and students, observed student teaching sessions•Found pre-service teachers beliefs changed and valued reading in content areas however did not carry over to practical use

IMPLICATIONS•Pre-service and current teachers need to be taught to implement strategies, beyond valuing their importance

CLOSING THOUGHTS…•Hope to find specific strategies in practitioner pieces•Hope to collaborate further with our literacy coach•This study built a foundation for where to start in implementing reading in my math classroom