Creating a Middle School Mathematics Curriculum for English-Language Learners

Abstract

Hispanic English-language learners and other students learning English are failing in K-12 mathematics. The field has not responded with mathematics curricula designed for this population, especially at the middle grades. In response to this academic crisis, the Help with English Language Proficiency (HELP) Math program for middle school students was created. HELP Math is a Web-based supplemental curriculum composed of a series of rich interactive lessons that essentialize mathematical vocabulary and academic concepts so that students can better understand the content. As a vehicle for informing the field about designing mathematics curricula specifically for this population of students, the authors track the journey from conceptualization through research and implementation of this supplemental curriculum, with a particular focus on the key challenges and lessons learned.

Infusing Culturally Responsive Instruction to Improve Mathematics Performance of Latino Students with Specific Learning Disabilities

“…In each lesson, students were also introduced key vocabularies with scaffolded instruction throughout the lesson to support students' language needs. Learning takes on meaning when teachers connect future learning to prior knowledge and experiences (Garza, 2009;Keck-Staley, 2010;Santamaria, 2009) and support students with scaffolding (Freeman & Crawford, 2008;Gersten et al, 2007). The explicit communication of academic expectations and priming background knowledge of the Latino students may have contributed to the positive academic gains.…”

“…Longitudinal research has shown that Latino students' early literacy proficiency at kindergarten predicted their elementary (Reardon & Galindo, 2007) and middle school mathematics achievement (Lopez, Gallimore, Garnier, & Reese, 2007). As a result, mathematics learning can be especially challenging for many Latino students due to the added linguistic barriers in the existing difficulties of understanding mathematics language (e.g., terms such as coefficient and exponent) (Freeman & Crawford, 2008). Integration of language development activities in mathematics instruction becomes an imperative component for Latino students (Padron, Waxman, & Rivera, 2002).…”

“…Freeman and Crawford (2008) developed the Help with English Language Proficiency (HELP) Math program, a Webbased supplemental curriculum that is based on the SIOP model, to support middle school ELLs in mathematics learning. The authors reported increased mathematics knowledge and English proficiency in 154 Colorado middle school ELLs.…”

Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners With Learning Disabilities in the General Curriculuam

“…Adaptations mediate cognitive and linguistic difficulties, as well as cultural or linguistic discontinuities, through the use of a variety of instructional scaffolds to reduce frustration, not only for ELLs with LD but for other groups of struggling learners, as well (August et al, 2005;Echevarria & Graves, 2007;Fang, 2006;Freeman & Crawford, 2008;Hart, 2009;Santamaria, Fletcher, & Bos, 2002;Szpara & Ahmad, 2007).…”

Identifying the English language learning needs of prospective mathematics teachers in elementary education

“…Most of the studies related to English language and mathematics focus on teaching mathematics to students who are also learning English, rather than addressing the academic and job related needs of students who are going to be professionals in the area of mathematics teaching (Freeman & Crawford, 2008;Hodgen & Marshall, 2005). In a similar vein, Hendrik and Mji's (2010) study focuses on an 'aid' that would assist learners in relating mathematics terms and concepts in English with terms in their own languages.…”