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Learn how writing can help students reflect, deepen understanding, and make real-life connections in math class. Discover strategies to incorporate writing activities into daily lessons and units.
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Writing and Literature in Math ClassSubmitted by: Jerri Henry S
Writing in Math • Writing in Math Class • Teachers incorporate writing in math class to help students reflect on their learning, deepen their understanding of important concepts by explaining and providing examples of those concepts, and make important connections to real-life applications of the math they are learning. Teachers use the writing assignments to assess student understanding of important concepts, student proficiency in explaining and using those concepts and each student's attitude toward learning mathematics. Writing in mathematics is a win-win for both teacher and student. Although it may be difficult to introduce this practice, it is well worth the effort. Look for simple ways to incorporate short writings throughout daily lessons and longer writings over the course of weeks or math units.
Getting Started with Math Writing • Often students who have difficulty writing in math class have less difficulty telling the teacher what they think. Capitalize on this oral strength by incorporating the think-pair-share strategy more often into math lessons as a prelude to writing.
Think-Pair-Share • Think-Pair-Share: Some students are reluctant to write at first and benefit from practice sharing thoughts with a partner and hearing that partner put thoughts into words. Reluctant students get to "practice" in a small setting with a partner before speaking to the whole class. These students can also choose to share their thoughts, their partner's thoughts, or a combination of the two.
The basic steps of Think-Pair-Share are: • Question: Ask an open-ended question and tell students that they will think-pair-share the answer. • Think: Give students 1-2 minutes to think quietly about their response to the question. Walk around the room to reinforce this quiet, on-task response.
Pair: Ask students to share thoughts with their partners and ask questions if they don't understand what their partner is saying. Circulate around the room, listening to student conversations. • Share: Ask for student volunteers to share as you begin this process. Later, you should call on non-volunteers to increase student accountability in this cooperative learning strategy. Reinforce the expectation of active listening by requiring students to acknowledge the thoughts of classmates by saying: • I agree with [name's] answer..., • I don't agree with [name's] answer..., • I started the problem like [name] but then I... • NOTE: It is not necessary and, in fact, it is usually not time-effective to have each group share. As you circulate around the room during the Pair share, identify students who have used different strategies or great models for thinking about an important concept. Call on these students or their partners to share with the class
Think-Write-Pair-Share: • Once students are comfortable with the Think-Pair-Share strategy, introduce the Think-Write-Pair-Share strategy. This strategy incorporates writing into the thinking process. As students think about the question, they also write their response to the question using a variety of techniques: webbing, words, pictures, numbers, examples. Teachers might start with a prompt poster that students can use for reference when they don't know where to start.
Effective prompts use successful pre-writing strategies such as: • Make a web. • Draw a picture and label. • Write a definition in your own words. • Create examples of the skill/concept and explain. • Write about a real-life use of this math concept or skill. • Connect the concept/skill to concepts/skills you already learned and use. • Reflect on your understanding of this concept/skill on a scale of 1-5 and explain. • Create a K-W-L chart of what you already know, what you want to know and what you have learned about the concept/skill.
Students then share their written responses with partners during which time students might elect to edit their own written response, choosing to replace certain words with better mathematical vocabulary, or add ideas and statements from their partner's writing. Finally the teacher selects some students to share written responses with the class. This process encourages students to get something down on paper and allows them some editing functions through the partner pairing. Additionally, students benefit from regular listening to classmates sharing their own writing.
Making the Connection between Speaking and Writing • Students who work through these strategies start to make the connection that "what I think" is "what I should write" and this realization, along with posted prompts, helps reluctant writers get started on written expression of important mathematical concepts or explanations of their thoughts and problem solutions. Partner sharing and listening to classmates read their writings encourages editing and fosters the notion that math writing isn't perfect on the first draft. Sometimes it's just important to get some thoughts down on paper, but sometimes, as in responses to open-ended assessments, students must carefully check responses against rubric requirements. Saving writing samples in student portfolios will allow students to see their own growth over the course of the year and this practice helps students develop confidence in their ability to meet the demands of the varied writing assignments
Literature in the Math Class • Recent trends in education have focused on an integrated curriculum. Children learn best when subject matter is meaningful and useful, and literature brings meaning to math. David Whitin says, "Using math related children's literature can help children realize the variety of situations in which people use mathematics for real purposes" (1994). Thus, children can recognize how math will be helpful to them in the "real world."
How Can Literature Enhance Math Lessons? • According to research, using children’s literature in math lessons can enhance learning in many ways. It can help build an intangible perception of math skills through illustrations, as well as help students build problem solving skills. In addition to that, children’s literature can: • Provide meaningful context for mathematical content. • Review a mathematics concept or specific skill. • Promote the development of number sense. • Model an interesting problem. • Explain a mathematics concept. • Promote critical thinking. • Increase the level of interest.
Math becomes more interesting when a child can make a math connection in a story. When children are reading or listening to a book, they learn to recognize that math is used all around them. They begin to use their prior knowledge to connect math concepts to the outside world.
Math-Related Children’s Books • There are many children’s books that have math-related content and themes. When choosing literature, you may want to select books that either have math concepts that drive the story, or that are embedded in the story. Here are a few examples sorted by concept or skill.
Resources • Counting, Adding • “Quack and Count,” by Keith Baker. – This book teaches young children about the ways numbers can be added together. Students can look at the illustrations of the ducklings and count them, as well as learn different ways to add to get the same result. Related book: “12 Ways to Get to 11,” by Eve Merriam. • “Mission Addition,” Leedy, L. – Appropriate for grades K-3, this story teaches different strategies to solve math problems, math symbols, terminology, and writing equations. • “From One to One Hundred” by Teri Sloat. • “Every Buddy Counts” by Stuart J. Murphy. • “On Beyond a Million” by David M. Schwartz. • “The Twelve Days of Kindergarten” by Deborah Lee Rose. • “Two Ways to Count to Ten” by Ruby Dee.
Counting Backwards, Subtraction • “Monster Math” by Grace Maccarone -- A silly story about disappearing monsters. The descending monsters are a great way to teach students about subtraction and number sense. • “Ten Timid Ghosts” by Jennifer O’connell– This story uses rhyme and repetition to teach students how to count backwards. This book can be used to teach students how to write number sentences and subtraction. Related book” “Turtle Splash! Countdown at the Pond” by Cathryn Falwell. • “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed” by Eileen Christelow • “The Action of Subtraction” by Brian P. Cleary • “Monster Musical Chairs” by Stuart Murphy • “If You Were a Minus Sign” by Speed Shaskan • “Subtraction Action” by Loreen Leedy
Measurement • “Mr. Cookie Baker” by Monica Wellington - Students follow the process of measuring, mixing and baking cookies in this delightful story. Great book to teach students about measurement. • “Who Sank the Boat?” by Pamela Allen – Appropriate for students Kindergarten and up, this story introduces weight and balance concepts. • “Tracks in the Sand” by Loreen Leedy • “Just a Little Bit” by Ann Tompert • “Now I’m Big” by Margaret Miller • “Millions to Measure” by David M. Schwartz • “Measuring Penny” by Loreen Leedy
Money • “The Penny Pot” by Stuart Murphy – Students will follow along as Jessie counts coins in this fantastic coin counting story appropriate for children grades 1-3. • “Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday” by Judith Viorst – Last Sunday Alexander’s grandparents gave him a dollar and he thought he was rich! But somehow the money slowly disappeared. Students will learn the value of money in this beloved picture book appropriate for grades 1-3. • “Bennies Pennies” by Pat Brisson • “A Dollar for Penny” by Julie Class • “A Quarter for the Tooth Fairy” by Caren Holtzman • “Trouble with Money” by Stan Berenstain, Jan Berenstain • “Curious George Saves Pennies” by Margret Rey
RELATED WEB RESOURCES • Math Solutions A division of Marilyn Burns Education Associates, Math Solutions offers in-services, workshops, and publications designed to improve mathematics instruction. • Math and Children's Literature This site contains articles and sample ideas from resources to help teachers integrate math and literature lessons. • Math in Daily Life From the Annenberg/CPB Project, this resource explains the mathematics involved in daily activities such as cooking and home decorating.
