Math Guidelines

Materials highlight, define, illustrate, and show the purpose for mathematical language within the context of the lesson (not in isolation).

Materials guide teachers to encourage students to build their own understanding of mathematics actively, through sustained activities and experiences.

Materials provide strategies to help students make connections between current language, new language, and mathematical concepts.

Units offer repeated opportunities to develop, refine, and extend language for mathematical purposes over time.

Teacher materials state clear and specific language objectives both for math practices as well as for academic purposes that cut across disciplines.

Student materials contain mathematics and language learning objectives.

Teacher materials articulate a pathway or progression of objectives for content, practices, and language throughout units.

Materials present opportunities for students to use language at different stages within a unit, such as speculating or predicting about a new topic, exploring and reflecting during an experience, presenting afterwards, etc.

Activities deepen and extend learning through the various modes of communication: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

Materials include prompts for students to reflect on their own thought processes, language use, methods, and learning of mathematical content.

Materials encourage students to utilize interdisciplinary words and phrases as well as math-specific words and phrases.