The Power of Words - in Math

This post continues the series on building a math community.  I remember one of my first experiences with geometry as a child.  For weeks I felt like the teacher was talking in a foreign language.  Then finally I made a connection and thought, "Oh!  That's what a plane is."  Math vocabulary is an instrumental part of strengthening our math learning.

Our math students hear "math words" for maybe an hour each day, that isolated time of math instruction.  It's no secret that we need to hear a new word many times before we start to make it part of our own vocabulary.  So how can we help learners make meaning of these words and better yet, make these words become part of our learners' math discussions?  It's this natural use of math vocabulary that strengthens students' ability to communicate their thinking and speak with precision.

Ideas to build mathematicians' vocabulary:

• Model vocabulary and highlight it in your math anchor charts.  The anchor chart serves as a visual scaffold for learners.
  
• Math discussions -
• Model using math words that connect to the lesson.
• Pose questions using math vocabulary.
• When a learner shares an idea, ask, "Who can restate this idea using a math word?"
• Use multiple representations:  Frayer Models, word banks, or have students build models in their math notebooks.
• When students write about math, encourage them to revise adding math words.

Granite School District has created math vocabulary cards that offer a comprehensive way to foster the growth of math vocabulary. The cards are available Kindergarten through Grade 6 with an additional secondary section of word cards. Plus, there are sets in Spanish, French, and Chinese. They are perfect for a Math Word Wall.  Each card consists of three sections:

• Section 1 is only the word.
• Section 2 is the word with a visual representation.
• Section 3 is the word, the visual representation, and the definition.

Some other resources to support the development of math vocabulary include the following:

• Have a math dictionary available for learners.  Math Dictionary: Homework Help for Families is very user friendly for students with clear examples to connect to.
  

• An interactive math dictionary:   http://www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com/dictionary.html  This site not only models the math term, but also gives the user the opportunity to test out its meaning.

What are some strategies you use to promote the growth of your mathematicans' math vocabulary? Share your ideas.  We all learn from each other.