The post Six Strategies to Help English Language Learners in Math appeared first on Discovery Education.
]]>The majority of the 5.5 million English Language Learners (ELLs) in the U.S. public school system speak Spanish as their first language, which makes the capability of teaching math in Spanish, using bilingual teachers or teaching assistants, a high priority. Many of these students may have difficulty learning effectively in English and require specialized or modified instruction, either from their teacher or a Spanish online math program. Here are six strategies to help ELLs succeed in math:
1. Utilize Bilingual Faculty and Support Staff
There is evidence that Spanish-speaking teachers, or ancillary staff who speak Spanish, can help ELLs to build math skills as they build vocabulary in both English and mathematics. “The Inclusive Classroom, Teaching Mathematics and Science to English-Language Learners” supports the idea that when students use their native language in the classroom to work with their peers or individually, their academic performance as well as English-language development improves. Additionally, skills in content areas like mathematics and social studies, once understood in the first language, are retained when instruction shifts to the second language.
2. Set High Expectations and Utilize Rigorous Curriculum
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) recommends teaching a rigorous, standards-based curriculum and never lowering expectations for ELLs even though additional time and instruction will likely be required. They also suggest that students are best equipped to meet and exceed math expectations when they are provided with abundant and diverse opportunities for speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Also, teachers should encourage their ELL students to take intellectual risks, construct meaning of math concepts, and seek reinterpretations of knowledge within compatible social contexts to make better sense of mathematical ideas.
3. Use Visual Contexts and Manipulatives
Visual math manipulatives provide students with limited English proficiency with ways to construct physical models of abstract mathematical ideas. Multiple modalities are effective in promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Virtual manipulatives have the added advantage of enabling new types of engagement and promoting self-directed learning in a highly interactive, digital environment.
4. Implement Personalized, Individualized, and Blended Models
Combining face-to-face instruction with online learning has yielded strong results as an education strategy. When education technology uses pedagogically sound approaches and curriculum materials, it can increase the individualization of each student’s learning experience. Technology support also allows teachers to expand and more strategically use the limited time they have as facilitators of math learning for ELLs. This powerful approach can be leveraged to create the additional time required to meet ELL needs.
For schools that are trying to meet the needs of all ELLs with limited time and resources, an investment in technology, particularly adaptive technology, can enable a more personalized blended learning model that meets the needs of all students.
5. Use Balanced and Dynamic Assessment
NCTM suggests that a best practice for ELLs in math is empowering them to demonstrate and explain their understanding in multiple ways. Latino ELLs often have an incomplete grasp of academic math language, so traditional tests aren’t able to provide a complete view of each student’s understanding of math concepts. ELLs commonly know more math than they can demonstrate on traditional assessment instruments.
For example, Research has shown that math test items can be linguistically modified to reduce language load without altering the construct being assessed. In a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, linguistic modifications produced an improvement on math tests among ELLs, while English-proficient (EP) scores remained the same.
6. Increase Engagement and Motivation
Making curriculum engaging and accessible to all students is key. One way to improve engagement is to drive greater oral participation for ELLs in math classes. Improved verbal communication in mathematics is not only a way to demonstrate conceptual understanding, it also has the additional benefit of promoting language-learning overall.
Using game-like activities, in class as well as online, is another great way to engage ELLs and English Proficient Students alike, and can aid in developing problem-solving skills and persistence. The most effective math games reward students for both achievement and effort. This is particularly true when trying to level the playing field for ELLs struggling with language.
As English Language Learners work to strengthen their academic skills, they are also working to strengthen their English Language skills! Finding strategies to support students as they embark on their personal language and academic journeys can help inspire new confidence and offer encouragement for these students.
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]]>How Do You Explain the Mitochondria to Someone Who Doesn’t Speak English?
I often joke that one of the first vocabulary terms I teach my students anymore is the word, “no.” As a biology teacher, there are a myriad of words and phrases my students need to know to understand the course content. My true goal as a biology teacher is to get students to connect the structure of the organelle to its function and understand how the two are related; but how does one do this for a student who needs to use translation tools to understand basic classroom discussion, let alone scientific terms?
Here are two strategies I have been implementing with my English Language Learner (ELL) students to help them acquire new vocabulary, specifically with the organelles of the cell. These strategies can also apply to many other contexts.
Strategy #1: Use Images to Make Connections
Strategy one sounds super simple because it is—use pictures! When introducing the cell, I give students a copy of the coloring sheet we will complete later in the unit and ask them to describe the structures they see in their own language, which I then translate into English. This exercise allows me to explain the organelles to students using their own words. For example, if the student says the mitochondria looks like a “zapata,” then I know that they think it looks like a shoe. I can then say that the laces of a shoe would be similar to structure of the cristae of the mitochondria.
Hearing the students’ own connections to the images gives me a new way of explaining the scientific terms in English. This kind of give-and-take in conversation is expanded further with my second strategy, and allows me to find common understanding with all students to help them draw their own connections.
Strategy #2: Make Learning Reciprocal
My second strategy helps everyone in the classroom learn something new—including the teacher! I call these activities “reverse vocab quizzes.” They ask students to give the teacher a word to learn when they are asked to learn new vocabulary terms in class. For example, I give my students 10 terms regarding the plant cell, and in return my ELL student(s) can give me one word from their language that I have to learn and write down when I grade their vocabulary quiz. This activity demonstrates respect for the student and their native language, and often significantly increases the culture of learning for everyone in the classroom.
When teaching new vocabulary, it is imperative that you teach the word in context rather than as an unattached, free-floating thought—in other words, students must be taught about the whole forest, not the individual trees, to wholistically understand a concept. I recently had a mid-year class change where I took over for another teacher, and when I announced that I was no longer giving weekly vocabulary quizzes, I heard cheers in each class. Vocabulary can seem daunting and confusing if it’s not offered with context or presented in ways for students to draw their own connections between new terms and their background knowledge.
For instance, if students cannot understand what the cristae are, then how can they understand what their purpose is? It’s no different for the ELL students. Giving them context can help them understand the concepts so they can make sense of the material. This is where the first strategy comes back into play—if you can explain something new in terms the student understands, they have a much better chance of understanding the concept, not just repeating words they don’t really understand.
My biggest suggestion for helping ELL students is to do your best to meet them halfway! If you show a willingness and desire to learn their language, they’re more likely to work with you to learn English words and science words alike!
Sean O'Brien
Sean O’Brien is a Pennsylvania high school science teacher and National Honor Society Advisor. He is a DEN STAR and Kahoot Content Creator, and he is passionate about bringing engaging science lessons to his students!
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