math talks discussion: reading skills for mathematics
TRANSCRIPT
MATH TALKS
DISCUSSION:Reading Skills for Mathematics
Decoding
• Mathematical Reasoning and Reading are not as different as you may think!
• math-uh-mat-iks• Origin:
1350–1400; ME mathematic < L mathēmatica ( ars ) < Gk mathēmatikḕ ( téchnē ) scientific (craft), equiv. to mathēmat- (s. of máthēma ) science, knowledge + -ikē, fem. of -ikos -ic; see -ics
Literacy
• How common is literacy?• Depends…• What do we mean by literate?• Mathematically literate? How would you
define that? Arithmetic? Algebra? Calculus?
Is the student “literate”?
• Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write basic communicationtotal population: 82% male: 87% female: 77%
• Definition: the ability to read and write at a specified age.
Practice?
• How much time does the average American spend reading per day?
• 5 minutes!• This includes street signs…• T-shirts…• And the TV Guide…• Oh, and texting.
Reading, not “The Cat in the Hat”!• What do reading teachers do?• Linguistics• · Phonetics and phonology are concerned with the study of speech sounds.
Within psycholinguistics, research focuses on how the brain processes and understands these sounds.
• · Morphology is the study of word structures, especially the relationships between related words (such as dog and dogs) and the formation of words based on rules (such as plural formation).
• · Syntax is the study of the patterns which dictate how words are combined together to form sentences.
• · Semantics deals with the meaning of words and sentences. Where syntax is concerned with the formal structure of sentences, semantics deals with the actual meaning of sentences.
• · Pragmatics is concerned with the role of context in the interpretation of meaning.
Psycho- Linguistics
• Cognitive Theory• Learning and the Brain• Eye – Brain Connection• How is language acquired and stored?
Socio-Linguistics• Society, culture, peer groups, and you!• The existence of differences in language between social classes can be illustrated by
the following table:• Bristolian Dialect (lower class)• ...• Standard English (higher class)• I ain't done nothing• ...• I haven't done anything• I done it yesterday• ...• I did it yesterday• It weren't me that done it• ...• I didn't do it
Which one is “right”?
• The differences in grammar between the two examples of speech is referred to as differences between social class dialects or sociolects.
• For example… is Ebonics a language?
Barriers to reading?
• Physical• Mental• Social• Parental• Cultural• Motivational• More?
Reading Level
• Grade level and experience?• 52, 54, 56, 158• Literate in another language?• Vocabulary and Comprehension
Learning Disabilities
• ADHD/concentration/distraction• Vision and Eye Issues/physiology• Dyslexia• Listening Skills/hearing problems?• Memory Issues• More…
Personal Issues?
• New to the College Culture• Male/female identity issues• Problems at Home• Esteem/confidence Issues• Anxiety
Socio-Cultural
• Peer Group• Heritage and Importance of Reading• Language transfer errors• Vocabulary and translation• Cultural Barriers/Spelling/double
meanings/implied meaning• Punctuation!?
Background Knowledge?
• Schema and Contextual Miscues based on prior experience
• The environment?• too cold• too noisy• too...
Critical thinking habits
• The multiple choice society
What can a math teacher do?
• Vocabulary• Repetition of the same word in multiple
problemsplus, add, more thanminus, subtract, difference
Context
• Don’t let the facts get in the way• Background is vital• Provide a foundation or keep it simple!
Culture
• Consider the student’s cultural expectations
Language
• Does that word mean what you think it means? Consider language transfer errors.
Let’s look at some word problems!
More than math…
• What are you assuming that they know?• What words?• What concepts?• What history?• Assume????• Make an Ass out of u and me