Scaffold mathematical discussion with paraphrasing, restating, formulaic expressions, elaborating questions, and key vocabulary in context¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

In the math warm-up vignette, the teacher supports English learners to express mathematical thinking with a listed set of strategies: "paraphrasing and extending student speech, often with more precise vocabulary, restating and writing student ideas on the whiteboard for the whole class to reference, providing formulaic expressions that support students to stretch their language (e.g., One pattern could be…), questioning to get students to elaborate their explanations, and using key vocabulary within the context of the discussion." The lesson moves from an accessible entry point (bead patterns) to complex ideas about even numbers.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Planned scaffolding and a physical/reference environment (whiteboard records) so all students can participate regardless of mathematical or language proficiency.

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• 1st and 2nd grade students, many of whom are English learners

Target Learning Goals¶

• Mathematical language and conceptual understanding (e.g., even versus equal numbers, partitioning)

Related Strategies¶

• Offer generative formulaic expressions instead of rigid sentence starters
• Pay Attention, Pause, Paraphrase
• Translate Academic to Social Language
• Talk Moves
• Sentence Frames

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Barbara Jones, Molly Faulkner-Bond, and Jennifer Blitz. (2024). Accelerate English Learner Success: Students Participate in Collaborative Discussions. Region 15 Comprehensive Center, WestEd. https://csaa.wested.org/resource/introduction-to-the-extended-thinking-through-discourse-continuum/