Helping
ELL/ESL Students with Math
Tobey
Bassoff
Anyone who
has paid attention to the direction that math has taken over
the last several years will notice that it is highly verbal.
I just proctored another one of our state math exams for an
ESL student. Most problems are now embedded in words, which
means that the days of the “naked problems” are
all but gone. What does this mean for ESL students? It means
that ESL teachers have to be focused more than ever on linking
reading and writing to our math instruction. Following are some
insights that I gleaned from the National Conference for Teacher’s
of Mathematics in Denver, CO.
In November
I had the opportunity to attend several workshops focused on
delivering quality math instruction to students and one workshop
that spoke about ESL students in particular. The important points
that I took away were students need exposure, time and collaboration,
and review to be successful in math.
Exposure
ESL students need to be exposed to concepts using a variety
of modes of instruction. Teachers must put students in the center
of the learning as much as possible. Whether it is using manipulatives,
singing, moving, or creating, brain research shows that students
learn more when they are active participants in the learning.
Some examples: set basic doubles facts to a rap with hand motions,
have students develop the processes used to solve problems without
numbers, set math rules to music or dance steps, etc.
Time
and Collaboration
Time to collaborate and talk about what they are learning is
essential to the success of all students, but ESL students in
particular. When you think about it, ESL students must not only
learn new concepts while building on concepts already learned,
but they also have to acquire a new language in the process.
One of the best ways to do this is to take advantage of what
we call a student’s fund of knowledge.
Many of
the bilingual students I instruct are highly conversational.
It is part of their culture. I embrace their communication skills
by encouraging them to talk about math. My rule is that they
can talk as much as they like as long as it is about math, or
whatever subject we happen to be exploring. One of my fifth
grade students, Juan, was so shocked when I said this that he
blurted out, “Miz, are you for real?” Upon further
exploration I discovered that Juan had never been allowed to
talk during class for any reason because he was quite the talker.
We role-played examples of what I meant. Students wanted to
talk about everything from their X-Box video games to their
recent abuelo’s visit, so I said, “OK, how do we
turn what you want to say into a conversation about math?”
It was amazing what they came up with in the course of the class
period. Students were helping each other formulate math problems,
solve them using strategies, and explain them using English.
Review
Practice is the way we learn to be proficient at a new task.
Math is a skill where practice is exceedingly important. In
order to be numerically proficient, students must know their
basic facts and build upon them using strategies. Having students
explain their thinking and practice what they have learned about
doubling or tripling a number, for example, will only increase
their ability to recall the facts when the concepts get more
difficult. There are many resources available to help students
do this, from dot cards to flashcards, from dice to board games.
Our ESL
students must have time to review. If you consider how stressful
it must be resettling in a new country, many of our ESL families
do not have as much time as they would like to offer their children
the opportunity to practice and review these concepts. Providing
them review time is essential and it is often problematic for
their teachers because of the breadth of material they need
to cover.
If you have
any additional suggestions that have helped your student become
successful in math, please email me at tbassoff@yahoo.com |