At that time, you also received a poster entitled, “Let’s Talk Math.” This was just the start of learning about how to invite your students to deepen their understanding of mathematics. While this poster had 20 Power Sentence Starters & Questions, there is much more to Math Discourse than we could disclose in a 30 minute meeting. “The discourse of a classroom—the ways of representing, thinking, talking, agreeing, and disagreeing—is central to what and how students learn mathematics” (NCTM, 2007, p. 46). Mathematical discussion is viewed as “a primary mechanism for developing conceptual understanding and meaningful learning of mathematics” (NCTM, 2014, p. 30). In addition to the poster, below is a link that will provide 100 questions that promote Mathematical Discourse that has been created by Curriculum Associates.
https://www.curriculumassociates.com/products/ready-100-q-promoting-math-discourse.aspx
Ask yourself, can your students answer your math questions with a simple “yes” or “no?” Studies find that when students are engaged in meaningful mathematical discussion, they are better equipped to share their ideas with one another. In a collaborative setting, this further allows them to reflect on their own understanding and evaluate the ideas of their classmates. Below is another link that shares 7 strategies to assist instructors into creating environments in classrooms that support Mathematical Discourse.
http://www.casamples.com/downloads/7-effective-strategies-graphic.pdf
For successful Math Discourse, students must be engaged in math dialogue and have to understand that their participation is expected and their contributions are important.
There are valuable learning tools that students use when involved in Math Discourse. They learn to use words, diagrams, models, and technology when posing and supporting their ideas. As a teacher, you have the opportunity to better monitor and evaluate your student’s understanding of the topic.
“A visitor to a classroom rich with mathematical sense making should be able to identify the following traits:
• Students and teachers acknowledge and discuss errors and the reasons behind them so that students build greater understanding.
• Students question each other using mathematics arguments to establish the correctness of solutions.
• Students reach and justify conclusions based on their own mathematics knowledge without relying on the authority of teachers.
• Students engage in “productive struggle” with appropriate scaffolds for support.
Students must be encouraged to use a variety of approaches to convey their knowledge and solution strategies, including oral presentations; written explanations; and physical, graphical, pictorial, or symbolic representations.” (G. Kersaint, 2012, White Paper)
For more information, and to learn more about Math Discourse, read “Orchestrating Mathematical Discourse to Enhance Student Learning Whitepaper” by Dr. Gladis Kersaint, available online through Ready – Curriculum Associates. The link has been provided below.
http://www.casamples.com/downloads/ready-math-whitepaper-orchestrating-math-discourse-2017.pdf
