Language is deeply involved in learning mathematics as students both communicate and think about their mathematical ideas. For all students—and English learners in particular—access means finding effective, authentic ways to make language clear and thinking visible so they can reason more, speak more, and write more in mathematics.
In today’s clip, Johannah Nikula, one of the authors of Mathematical Thinking and Communication, discusses the role of visual representations in supporting English learners, including how visual representations provide a support for developing language and the potential visual representations have to unearth student thinking for teachers to see.
Want to learn more about supporting English learners in math? Click here for a preview of Mathematical Thinking and Communication.
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Mark Driscoll, Johannah Nikula, and Jill Neumayer DePiper work in the Learning and Teaching Division at Education Development Center (EDC) in Massachusetts, a non-profit organization that designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. They have decades of experience creating and studying professional development resources and training for mathematics teachers, with a particular focus on strategies to support the academic success of English learners.
