It can be difficult learning two languages at once. In the case of an English language learner, the two new "languages" are often English and math. Children in schools where most of the language spoken is not their dominant language have a number of additional challenges when it comes to math language. Educators who are cognizant of this fact are more likely to find successes.
June 15, 2015
In this one-on-one conversation, an English Language Learner in kindergarten explains his thinking while working through a number story about people getting on and off of the bus.
This video from our Focus on the Lesson series demonstrates an activity for teaching capacity in kindergarten and preschool. Students look at two containers and try to determine which one would hold more liquid.
A kindergarten student organizes a collection of rocks into unique sets. Simple questions can result in explorations in core math concepts such as grouping. In this case, some very unusual groups are created.
Children sort and re-sort each other, based on various attributes. This activity involves an open sort in which the categories can include a wide range of attributes that must be identified and described by the…
A child compares two small sets of wooden cubes.
A student determines how many blocks there are.
In this video, students brainstorm ways to sort their shoes. Later, they graphically organize the data from the sets they created.
This pre-k English Language Learner uses gesture to articulate math ideas while putting together a shape puzzle.
Math, with its own set of unique vocabulary, can sometimes be a difficult subject for non-native speakers of English.
In this video, students explore spatial relationships by describing and traversing an obstacle course, then making a map of it.