Action Research for Field Experience

Chris Giordano
 Giordano 2

L – Look at the problem

Often times what students struggle with the most in mathematics is understanding how

to apply what they are taught to word problems. Students can frequently get used to teachers

teeing up problems for them, only leaving them to do the calculations on their own. During my

time spent in numerous classrooms, I have noticed that students have the most trouble with

identifying key words and structures within these word problems. At first, I thought that the

students just weren’t paying attention, but when I sat down and worked with some of these

students, I noticed that they knew what was important, but didn’t know where to place it when

setting up their equations.

For this exact reason, it has become increasingly important for teachers across all

subject areas to provide students with the literary skills to interpret and understand the

problems that are being presented to them. Generally, math teachers may not feel it is

necessary to teach students literacy skills, as they may feel that that is something that should

be taught to the students in other subject areas, but the fact is that reading in mathematics

varies drastically from that in other subject areas. Because of this, it is important for educators

in mathematics to develop the literacy skills necessary for student success.

E — Examine what you know

It is crucial for students to develop an understanding of key words and concepts in math

as math classes tend to build on what you have previously learned in order to move forward.

Many key words and phrases can also give an insight into what method can and will be used in

solving the problem. Often times students can complete problems when the equations are
 Giordano 3

given or the numbers are clearly identifiable, but when it is presented in a word problem

format, it can make things confusing. Students may get used to the teacher setting the

procedures up for the students for them to perform the appropriate calculations, but it is

important now for students to understand the mathematical language so they can interpret

word problems for themselves.

A — Acquire new knowledge

It is key to have an understanding of the English language to properly interpret a

mathematical word problem. According to Metsisto, studies have shown that even a brief,

three-week program focused on helping students distinguish the use of simple words in a

mathematical context can significantly improve student scores. Metsisto says, for example,

“the words of and off cause a lot of confusion in solving percentage problems, as the

percent of something is quite distinct from the percent off something” and “the word a can

mean ‘any’ in mathematics. When asking students to ‘show that a number divisible by 6 is

even,’ we aren't asking for a specific example, but for the students to show that all numbers

divisible by 6 have to be even.” One of the key components, which usually flies way under the

radar, is how well the student understands the English language. Math teachers may find it

unnecessary, or a waste of valuable time, to go over such “simple” words, but the fact is, these

words are key components to student understanding that rarely ever get taught in a classroom.

Another method that I found which could be used to improve student literacy is before

reading, during reading, and after reading strategies in mathematics. Draper outlines three

strategies for each of the three steps, such as previewing “the text by looking at the title, the
 Giordano 4

pictures, and the print in order to evoke relevant thoughts and memories.” This is extremely

important for students to do while reading word problems. One of the problems that I have

seen occur most often is students rushing into the problem, and not reading carefully enough.

Students often try to find the easiest or quickest way to work through a problem, and that’s

when they run into trouble with not properly understanding the question being asked.

She outlines three very important strategies for during reading, and one that I will touch

on later on in my research. Draper states, “during reading, the strategic reader: checks

understanding of the text by paraphrasing the author’s words, monitors comprehension by

using context clues to figure out unknown words,” and “integrates new concepts with existing

knowledge.” First, you might think since it’s a math problem, there won’t be much substance in

paraphrasing an author’s words, however, by paraphrasing in a mathematical sense, you can

pull out all key numbers and figures and either highlight, underline, or write each of them on

the side of the problem. Having these numbers readily available will be vital while progressing

through each word problem. Second, context clues are essential for student success in word

problems, and they are something that I will be covering later on in my research. Lastly, like I

stated earlier in my research, as you progress through a math class, you tend to build more on

what you have previously learned. For students to be able to integrate these new concepts

with what they already know about the subject, it will be easier for students to identify what is

being asked of them.

Lastly, Draper states that after reading, the strategic reader “evaluates the ideas

contained in the text,” and “makes applications of the ideas in the text to unique situations.”

After carefully reading the word problem, it is important for students to reevaluate what it is
 Giordano 5

they are being asked to do. This is where students will apply what they learned to the unique

situation being presented to them in the word problem.

Finally, the understanding of context clues is crucial for understanding word problems in

mathematics. According to McLaughlin, “readers use context clues to figure out the meaning of

unknown words they encounter in text.” I find that the two context clues that she describes

that have been most useful to me in my years as a student in a math class have been Definition

Clues and Example/Illustration Clues. A Definition Clue “connects the unknown word to a

known word or words.” This, quite literally, is a definition of an unknown term. Students can

often be thrown off by a word problem simply because they encounter a key word that they are

unsure of the meaning of. With this context clue strategy, students can create a list of

vocabulary words in their notebooks, and have clear definitions of each key word. Students

who are more adept to learning by using diagrams or pictures, on the other hand, can use the

Example/Illustration clues. This strategy “provides a model or picture that shows the meaning

of the word.” This can be helpful for students who may have trouble visualizing a definition.

For example, a student may not understand that a hypotenuse is the side of the triangle

opposite the right angle, but if they have a diagram of a triangle with the side labeled

hypotenuse, they are more likely to retain that knowledge.

D — Develop a plan

The plan that I will implement that will help my students gain further understanding will

incorporate Metsisto’s vocabulary strategy, Draper’s before, during, and after reading

strategies, and McLaughlin’s context clues strategies. First I will go over and identify key words
 Giordano 6

with the students. After students have identified these key words and phrases, we can create a

word bank in their notes for them to refer back to if they encounter these words in any word

problem. I will then teach my students about Draper’s before, during, and after reading

strategies, and how to implement them when reading a word problem. I will teach them to

first scan the problem and look for any of the key words or phrases, as well as any important

numbers. This will allow for the students to then thoroughly read the word problem, already

having a basic idea of what the problem might be about. While the student is reading, I will tell

them to look for any part of the problem that they might be able to integrate new concepts to

by identifying and analyzing the key words and figures. They will also use McLaughlin’s context

clues here. If, for example, the problem is asking them to find a height of a building while

standing a certain distance away and looking up at a certain angle, students will be able to use

these context clues to draw an accurate diagram, and identify on their drawing what is already

known, and what needs to be found.

E — Execute the plan

I executed this plan with my 9th grade Algebra I class at Sacred Heart High school. As I

expected, it took the students a while to adjust, as they weren’t used to getting a “vocabulary”

lesson in a math class. We were working on exponential functions at the time, and the class

came up with a list of words that were important for the topic. Some of which were growth,

decay, rate of change, asymptote, domain, range, and several more. After each word was

identified, we defined the words using McLaughlin’s Definition Context Clue, and they, if

possible, each key word was described using the Example/Illustration clue. For example, for

asymptote, we drew a sample exponential function, and drew a dotted line along the x-axis to
 Giordano 7

represent the asymptote. For range, we identified on the graph all of the possible y-values

from the bottom to the top of the graph, and so on.

After these strategies were taught and discussed in class, I decided to put them to the

test by giving my students a word problem. I looked to see if students were underlining,

highlighting, or writing key words and phrases on the side. I then asked them to describe what

the problem was saying, and what it was asking them to do.

After it was completed, I wanted to see whether or not students found these strategies

helpful, so I took a poll of the class. The results, from 25 students, were as follows:

Yes No
Did you find the vocabulary 21 4
review helpful?
Do you think you are more 22 3
likely to remember these
words in future?
Did you find the Context Clues
(Definition) and 17 8
(Example/Illustration) to be
helpful?
Did you find the before,
during, and after reading 23 2
strategies to be helpful?

These results show the effectiveness of each strategy, according to this class. One

reason context clues might have been seen as less helpful as the other two could be through an

error in my teaching methods, or simply that the students were more used to direct instruction

when it comes to learning definitions and identifying key words. These results will help me to
 Giordano 8

adapt my implementation of these strategies within my classes, and be able to find an effective

way for students to be able to proficiently understand and complete word problems in the

future.
 Giordano 9

Works Cited

Draper, R. J. (2002). School Mathematics Reform, Constructivism, and Literacy: A Case for
Literacy Instruction in the Reform-Oriented Math Classroom. Journal of Adolescent &
Adult Literacy,45(6), 520-529. Retrieved April 19, 2018, from
http://www.jstor.org.www.library.manhattan.edu/stable/pdf/40014740.pdf

McLaughlin, M. (2010). Content area reading: Teaching and learning in an age of multiple
literacies. Boston: Pearson.

Metsisto, A. D. (n.d.). Chapter 2. Reading in the Mathematics Classroom. Retrieved April 18,
2018, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/105137/chapters/Reading-in-the-
Mathematics-Classroom.aspx