TY - JOUR
T1 - Supporting Clear and Concise Mathematics Language
T2 - Instead of That, Say This
AU - Hughes, Elizabeth M.
AU - Powell, Sarah R.
AU - Stevens, Elizabeth A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Teaching Exceptional Children. All rights reserved.
PY - 2016/9/1
Y1 - 2016/9/1
N2 - Juan, a child with a mathematics disability, is learning about addition and subtraction of fractions. Juan’s special education teacher, Mrs. Miller, has tried to simplify language about fractions to make fractions easier for Juan. During instruction, she refers to the “top number” and “bottom number.” At the end of chapter test, Juan reads the problem: “What’s the least common denominator of ½ and 2/5?” Juan answers, “1.” Upon returning his test, Mrs. Miller asks Juan how he arrived at his answer, and learns that because he didn’t know what denominator meant, he used the word least to choose the number that was “least.” Mrs. Miller explains that denominator is the formal term for the “bottom number.” Juan exclaims, “I know how to find the least common bottom number!” Mrs. Miller did not intend to make mathematics confusing for Juan; she tried to make mathematics easier. But, in simplifying her language without connecting this informal language to formal mathematics language, she did Juan a disservice.
AB - Juan, a child with a mathematics disability, is learning about addition and subtraction of fractions. Juan’s special education teacher, Mrs. Miller, has tried to simplify language about fractions to make fractions easier for Juan. During instruction, she refers to the “top number” and “bottom number.” At the end of chapter test, Juan reads the problem: “What’s the least common denominator of ½ and 2/5?” Juan answers, “1.” Upon returning his test, Mrs. Miller asks Juan how he arrived at his answer, and learns that because he didn’t know what denominator meant, he used the word least to choose the number that was “least.” Mrs. Miller explains that denominator is the formal term for the “bottom number.” Juan exclaims, “I know how to find the least common bottom number!” Mrs. Miller did not intend to make mathematics confusing for Juan; she tried to make mathematics easier. But, in simplifying her language without connecting this informal language to formal mathematics language, she did Juan a disservice.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85020027232&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/0040059916654901
DO - 10.1177/0040059916654901
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85020027232
SN - 0040-0599
VL - 49
SP - 7
EP - 17
JO - Teaching Exceptional Children
JF - Teaching Exceptional Children
IS - 1
ER -