Let’s ask ourselves a couple of questions. What do we want our students to be able to do? How do we use writing? Think hard. Be honest. If you teach math, really think about how your class is organized and what you expect of your students.
I believe most of us want our students to succeed and will do anything we can to make that happen. What would you say if I told you that having your students write is one of the best ways to your students’ success? Would you decide you already have too much on your plate and that it’s just one more thing? I’m serious and it may take removing some of the activities you have had the habit of using with your math students. Stay with me, and please read with an open mind.
Having students write in math class will
- help students reflect on learning
- encourage deeper understanding
- help to make connections
- help access formatively and summatively
- help solidify thinking
- help students gain new perspectives
- and help both teachers and students discover holes in logic and missing steps.
All students in all classes need to write, and research supports this. Marilyn Burns says, “I can no longer imagine teaching math without making writing an integral aspect of students’ learning.”
When do they write? Students need to write consistently and daily, if possible, in all classes. This writing must be planned and purposely to achieve the desired results: increased understanding of the math content.
It is not easy to teach students to write, but it can be done. Nothing happens by accident. It helps to connect their speaking to writing. I like to call writing “thinking on paper.” Have them to put their math thoughts on paper.
What are some ways to accomplish this?
- Think-Write-Pair-Share
- Post prompts and key vocabulary you want students to use.
- Use a rubric to guide responses.
- Journals and logs
Prewriting, even in math, is important.
- Webs
- KWL Charts
- Pictures and labels
- Definitions to words
- Writing about real-life math applications using specific concepts and skills
- Think about understanding of a skill on a scale of 1-5 and explain to the students what the scale means.
Some prompts might include
- I agree with…
- I started the problem like…but then…
- I don’t agree with…
Assign specific, reachable writing goals. Use computers as instructional support. Have students analyze concrete data to develop ideas for a writing activity. USE WRITING AS A TOOL FOR LEARNING CONTENT.
What might you look for from your math students when they write?
- Evidence of logical conclusions
- Justification of answers and processes
- Use of facts to explain thinking
- Explanations about how they solved a problem
- Solutions to problems
- Reports describing contributions of mathematicians
Some examples of writing assignments:
- Define parallel (or another term) in your own words.
- Cut out a graph and write a paragraph about it.
- Write one sentence that…
- How do you know one-sixth is smaller than one-half?
- Write everything you know about…
- What are three things you learned today?
- What confuses you about today’s lesson?
Example of a log
Date. Name of topic, chapter, video… Pages read, length of discussion, etc. Main points. Summary of main points. (Students must be taught how to summarize before the can summarize.
Cornell Notes:
Pair Cornell notes with a reading assignment, video, mini-lesson, etc. Students summarize on the left. Respond to the summary on the right which is inferential and critical thinking.
or
Write the problem on the left. Write the way to solve it on the right. Add a third column and have them write a personal reflection that describes what was easy, frustrating, confusing, etc.
To review, writing helps students problem-solve and think critically. Writing supports mathematical reasoning. We must teach the vocabulary before expecting the students to use or understand in their writing.
For more information:
Two of Marilyn Burns’ books, 10 Big Math Ideas and Options for Writing in Math
Math Journals Boost Real Learning
Math Out Loud
Greg Tang’s Poems in Math Class? Yeah. Write!
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Writing Next research by Graham and Perin
WISE Writing Consulting