Literacy for Mathematics
This three-hour workshop has been designed to help teachers in Key Stage 3 meet the literacy demands of mathematics.
Literacy has historically been seen as a less significant contributing factor to achievement in mathematics in comparison to other subjects. However, with changes to GCSE exam specifications, and the styles of assessment in 2010 and more recently in 2016, literacy in the context of learning mathematics has become a more significant indicator of success.
About the course
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Understand the specific literacy skills required for pupils to achieve in mathematics
Decode and understand problems which involve large amounts of text.
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Demonstrate the effectiveness of carefully constructed classroom activities
Develop students' understanding of mathematical concepts through talk.
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Develop a toolkit of strategies and resources to develop literacy for mathematics in the classroom
Support students to construct clear responses to multi-stage problems and questions which require reasoning and explanation.
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Understand the role of vocabulary acquisition in responding to mathematical problems
Enable students to engage with key vocabulary and associated words in a meaningful way.
Course structure
Introduction: objectives and outcomes of the training
- What do we mean by literacy in mathematics?
Reading
- Learn how to effectively decode questions.
- "Warming up the text" - find the right information to help solve the mathematical problem
Mathematical talk
- What are the ground rules for mathematical talking?
- Understand the importance of collaborative learning
Writing
- "ABCD explain" - turning talk into writing
- Learn about the importance of drafting and redrafting
Vocabulary
- Explore the use of word games as an aid to students trying out different words
- Understand the importance of context
- Word families: explore common word roots as a means to helping students make connections