Mathematics as a Language Culturally and

Mathematics usually known as the Universal Lingustically Diverse

Language yet it is not the case. The students.
procedures and symbols used in math are not
universal but rather culturally determine. Our country is composed of people all around
the world. In the USA the percentage of
How would you as a teacher
Culturally and Diverse students keeps
approach a student using a different
increasing. From 2012-2013 9.2 % or about
method to solve a mathematic
4.4 million students were in ELL programs in
problem?
public school and about almost 18 million are
Latinos. As teachers we have to be responsive
Will you require the students to show their
to students’ backgrounds, experiences,
steps (disregarding the way they learned it)?
cultural perspectives, traditions and
Will you ask students to elaborate on how they knowledge.
did it?

Will you have students show other students

their way of thinking?

Aspect of Culturally Responsive Instruction

 Communicate high expectations.

 Make content relevant.
 Attend to students’ mathematical
identities.
 Ensure shared power.

Make Content Relevent

 Think about the Mathematics: is it

presented meaningfully and conected
to the other content?

 Select Contexts: mathematics

presented connects to
Teaching Culturally
relevant/authentic situations in
students’ lives?
and Linguistically
Diverse Students
Melissa Gallegos
 Mathematical Identity
`
The students’ state of mind towards math
and sense of competence as a learner and
the contribution the student will have in
the mathematics classrooms.
Build Background
Ensure Shared Power Knowledge
The teacher plays a major role in
establishing and distributing power,
whether intentional or not. The way the
groups are assign, seat students, and call
on students sends clear messages about
who has power in the classroom.
Strategies Academic Vocabulary
Reflective Questions for Teaching It make take ELL students as many as seven
years to learn academic language. Teachers
1. Introduce the task (the Before phase). should value a student’s native language it is
one of the ways you value his or her cultural
2. Work on the task (the During phase). heritage

Content and Language Objectives

3. Debrief and discuss the task and the
mathematics (the After phase).  Students will analyze properties and
attributes of three-dimensional
Formative Assessmen solids.(mathematics)
Throughout lesson and unit
 Students will describe in writing and
speaking a similarity and a difference
Provide Accommodation between two different solids. (language
and mathematics)

Select Tasks with Multiple Entry and

Exit Points Limit Linguistic Load