Literacy Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction

Joan M. Kenney, Euthecia Hancewicz, Loretta Heuer, Diana Metsisto, and Cynthia L. Tuttle

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About This Book

What makes mathematics so confusing to students? To succeed in the study of arithmetic, geometry, or algebra, students must learn what is effectively a second language of mathematical terms and symbols. In Literacy Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction, Joan M. Kenney and her coauthors describe common ways in which students misinterpret the language of mathematics, and show teachers what they can do to ensure that their students become fluent in that language.

The authors synthesize the research on what it takes to decode mathematical text, explain how teachers can use guided discourse and graphic representations to help students develop mathematical literacy skills, offer guidance on using action research to enhance mathematics instruction, and discuss the importance of student-centered learning and concept-building skills in the classroom. Real-life vignettes of student struggles illuminate the profound effect of literacy problems on student achievement in mathematics.

This book will help teachers better understand their students’ difficulties with mathematics and take the steps necessary to alleviate them. Abundantly researched and filled with helpful strategies and resources, it is an invaluable resource for mathematics teachers at all levels.

See the book's table of contents and read excerpts.

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About the Authors

JOAN M. KENNEY's professional career has encompassed a wide variety of experiences in the field of mathematics. She has worked as a research scientist, specializing in operations analysis and risk management; taught mathematics at the secondary and college levels; and performed task modeling and pedagogical intervention in elementary and middle school classrooms.

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EUTHECIA HANCEWICZ is a mathematics teacher coach, trainer, and consultant currently working with middle and elementary schools. She has taught mathematics from grades 2 through 10, focusing mainly on middle school students.

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LORETTA HEUER is a Senior Research Associate at Education Development Center's (EDC) K–12 Mathematics Curriculum Center in Newton, Massachusetts. A former elementary school teacher, Loretta has worked as a middle school mathematics coach and as an implementation advisor in urban and suburban districts through the Massachusetts Mathematics Coaching Project. She has trained elementary school principals in mathematics using EDC's Lenses on Learning program, and is currently coaching a team in EDC's Lesson Study Communities project.

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DIANA METSISTO started her career as a programmer and systems analyst working on scientific, real-time systems. After 11 years she switched to education, where she worked as a 7th grade mathematics teacher for 23 years in Norwell, Massachusetts. She then served as a mathematics coach for three years under the auspices of the Massachusetts Middle School Mathematics Project.

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CYNTHIA L. TUTTLE taught mathematics for 21 years at both the elementary and middle school levels and worked as a certified reading teacher. She served as an Assistant Professor at both Castleton State College and American International College, where she was the first Coordinator of Supportive Services for Undergraduates with Learning Disabilities.

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