Ohio

Journal
of
School
Mathematics

OC
OC
Spring 2010 TM
TM Number 61

A Publication of the Ohio Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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Writing to Communicate Mathematically

in the Elementary School Classroom
Linda Shelley Thompson, Towson University

In this article, Linda Thompson shares a variety of practical, classroom-ready ideas for incorporating writing
meaningfully into mathematics instruction - both as a learning tool for students and as an assessment tool
for teachers.

Introduction and mastery of facts. Today’s students need

Most teachers would agree that when it more frequent classroom communication,
comes to teaching mathematical concepts including discussing and writing about
in elementary school, effective communi- problems and ideas, that will have a more
cation skills are essential. But, in order for positive impact on their learning. The most
students to learn and understand mathe- recent NCTM standards (NCTM, 2000)
matics more deeply, communication needs call for instructional programs that should
to be a “two-way street” in which students, enable students in grades K-12 to:
as well as teachers, communicate ideas, • organize and consolidate their math-
concepts, and strategies to each other. ematical thinking through communi-
One of the most effective and valuable cation;
tools to help students develop a deeper and • communicate their mathematical
richer understanding of mathematics, both thinking coherently and clearly to
in and outside the classroom, is writing. peers, teachers, and others;
Writing can help students to organize and • analyze and evaluate the mathematical
clarify their mathematical thoughts as they thinking and strategies of others;
reflect on their learning, while providing • use the language of mathematics to ex-
teachers with an important means of as- press mathematical ideas precisely.
sessment (NCTM, 2000). Marilyn Burns, It is through the act of communicating
a well known proponent of mathematics mathematical ideas that students’ thinking
education reform, wrote: “Their writing becomes clearer, and students become more
is a window into what they [the students] engaged in learning (NCTM, p. 214).
understand, how they approach ideas, Clearly, “…the NCTM values writing in
what misconceptions they harbor, and how mathematics...” (Frank, 1977, p. 4).
they feel about what they’re discovering”
(Burns,1995, p. 40). Benefits of Writing
In the past, writing was a skill that stu- When students write to communicate
dents learned in English class, and very mathematically, it “encourages active learn-
little was used in mathematics instruction ing” while also strengthening students’
(Borasi & Rose, 1989). However, over the writing skills. Additionally, students who
last few decades, the National Council of write in elementary school typically per-
Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) began form better on tests and develop important
to provide fresh new guidance for educa- critical thinking skills (Gammill, 2008).
tors who for too long had been relying on “Writing helps students stop and think
rote instruction focusing primarily on recall about the process that they are using to

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solve a problem. When students write to 1997 project expressed that writing “helped
learn, it encourages them to organize, sum- them remember what they had learned,”
marize, communicate, and extend their and this led to “increased understanding of
thinking. It also provides a visible record mathematical concepts” (DiPillo, 1997, p.
that can be reflected on and discussed with 311).
others. Writing is a “powerful” tool for
students “because it uses both hemispheres Writing and Problem Solving
of the brain” (Freitag, 1997). Also, many Many researchers feel that writing plays
people find that the act of writing can in- an important part in problem-solving, and
crease their retention of concepts (NCTM, may “help students increase their problem-
2000). solving ability in mathematics” (Pugalee,
Another benefit of communicating 2001). In order for students to write math-
through writing is its positive impact on ematically, they must “stop and think about
English Language Learners (ELLs). These the process that they are using to solve a
students need to be given extra support as problem” (Frank, 1977).
they learn not only the English language, The Swiss mathematician, George Polya,
but the language of mathematics. ELLs developed a four phase model for solving a
English can create “personal math dictionaries,” word problem. In order, they are: 1) un-
Language in which they can write new terms with derstanding the problem; 2) deciding what
Learners . . pictures, definitions and examples. These to look for; 3) carrying out a plan; and 4)
need to be can be especially helpful to students when reflecting or looking back (Steele, 2007).
given extra learning mathematical terms that have Stated more simply, one could say: “See,
support as more than one meaning such as: foot, Plan, Do and Check” (M. Krach, Personal
they learn sum, difference, division (Van de Walle, Communication, 2009).
not only the 2007, p. 102). Interestingly, the very thought processes
English lan- Teachers can also help their English used for writing involve the same thought
Language Learners by having them write processes as solving a word problem (Bell
guage, but the
answers with supporting explanations for and Bell, 1985). Suggestions for ways that
language of problems and compose their own word students can combine writing with Polya’s
mathematics, problems. As these students learn to bet- problem-solving phases are found later in
as well. ter communicate mathematically, they also this paper.
develop valuable language arts skills (Wi-
est, 2008). Students who are given the op- Writing as an Assessment
portunity to write may also show increased Tool
confidence and participation (Country- Writing assignments can be a powerful
man, 1992). And those students who do tool for assessment of student understand-
not willingly participate in class discus- ing, whether used formally or informally,
sions may reveal more of what they know and can supplement test and quiz scores
through their writing. which should not be the sole means of as-
In one recent study involving 293 school sessment (NCTM, 2000). Even before
students, results showed that students’ at- starting a unit, teachers can ask their stu-
titudes toward writing in mathematics class dents to write what they know about a
were basically “positive,” and even strug- topic as a means of pre-assessment (Burke,
gling learners “indicated that they were 1994).
much more in favor of mathematics classes Students’ written communications pro-
that use writing” (Reilly, 2007). And mid- vide a much more accurate picture of their
dle schoolers who were interviewed in a conceptual knowledge than the mere num-

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ber of correct answers on a test. Their writ- teachers today.

ten explanations reveal the depth of their Journals
understanding, and how well they are con- The use of mathematics journals has
necting ideas (Van de Walle, 2007). When grown significantly in popularity in recent
students write out their thought processes, years, and is seen to be one of the most ef-
it enables teachers to “recognize and di- fective ways that students can reflect on
agnose the nature of students’ conceptual and communicate about what they are
problems” (Drake & Amspaugh, 1994). learning. Journals help students keep track
“Writing often reveals gaps in learning and of their reasoning (Burns & Silbey, 2001).
misconceptions, which can be of great help The author of Writing to Learn Mathemat-
to teachers in their instructional planning ics comments “journal writing is a way to
and intervention strategies” (Janzen, 2000- have continuing dialogues with students.”
2005, p. 1). Evaluating student writing also Journals “increase confidence, participa-
can reveal a student’s strengths, as well as tion, encourage independence, monitor
their ability to express themselves (Burns & progress, record growth, and enhance com-
Silbey, 2001; Russek, 1998). munication between teacher and student” Because
As teachers give students opportunities (Countryman, 1992, pp. 42-43). journals
to write mathematically in a variety of ways As an assessment tool, journal entries reveal so
throughout the school year, they should provide rich insights into student learn- much about
save student work in a portfolio that will ing because they reveal which students learning
allow students and their parents to see their have a true understanding of mathemati- outcomes,
growth over a period of time as they read cal concepts, and which students do not. they are
their writing samples. “It showed me the children who could take extremely
information and process it, and those chil- helpful to
Writing Strategies dren who just got information and spit it teachers in
While there are many fun and challeng- back out, and when they spit it back out,
assessing
ing writing activities to engage students they really didn’t know what they were say-
the need to
more deeply in mathematics, there are sev- ing” (DiPillo, 1997).
eral strategies to consider before students Because journals reveal so much about change their
begin to write. learning outcomes, they are extremely instructional
First, it is helpful to share with students helpful to teachers in assessing the need approach for
that there is a purpose for their writing to change their instructional approach for future
in mathematics. Students need to know future lessons. One teacher found that lessons.
that their writing will enhance and sup- “journals helped direct her reteaching of
port their learning, and will also help their particular concepts” because they ensure
teacher get a better idea of what they are “that everyone is on the same wavelength”
thinking about with respect to mathemat- (DiPillo, 1997).
ics. Teachers should also display and pub-
lish student writing samples, as well as ask
students to read their papers aloud. Listen-
ing to what fellow students write can be
inspirational, and help other students see
that there is more than one way to solve
a problem (Burns, 1995). The following
are some effective writing strategies and
prompts that are being used successfully by

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As teachers respond to their students’ The following link gives an extensive

journal entries, they will begin to see how list of mathography prompts for teach-
“… journals can create a new form of dia- ers: http://www2.ups.edu/com-
logue between the teacher and each stu- munity/tofu/lev2/journaling/
dent, thus allowing for more individualized writemath.htm.
instruction and a supportive classroom at-
mosphere” (Borasi & Rose, 1989, p. 347). Writing about Learning
Every writing task doesn’t have to fo-
Writing in Problem Solving cus exclusively on explaining a problem
Teachers can help students better under- or a math concept (Burns, 1995). Teach-
stand a word problem by first having them ers may sometimes ask students simply to
re-write the problem in their own words. write about a favorite mathematics unit,
This way, students will know what they concept, or skill, and what made it so ap-
need to look for and what is being asked. pealing.
They can also write the methods and strate-
Having gies they use to solve a problem, along with
students their thoughts. As students reflect back on
a problem, they may also write about an
complete a
alternative approach or solution for solving
brief,
a problem (M. Krach, Personal Communi-
open-ended cation, 2009). Lastly, another valuable step
question is to encourage students to write their own
about what related word problems (Wilburn, 2006).
they learned in
a lesson for Mathography
that day can In a brief paragraph, students can de-
be extremely scribe their feelings about and experiences
helpful to in mathematics, both in and out of school. Exit Passes
teachers in This is a wonderful way for a teacher to Having students complete a brief, open-
ended question about what they learned
assessing become familiar with students’ attitudes
about mathematics. “What I like most in a lesson for that day can be extremely
student
(or least) about math is ...” (Using Writing helpful to teachers in assessing student
learning learning, as well as assessing the teacher’s
in Mathematics, p. 2). Or, students can
describe what they remember from math- instruction. “When students think about
ematics instruction when they were young- how they learn, they practice metacogni-
er. When students write about their own tion – thinking about thinking…. One of
experiences with learning mathematics, the easiest ways to give students the oppor-
it offers students an opportunity to com- tunity for metacognition is by using exit
municate strengths, fears, weaknesses, and slips” (Thompson, 2007, p. 270). How-
beliefs to the teacher. “It is a good idea to ever, not only do exit passes reveal student
have students write their own autobiogra- understanding, and the teacher’s instruc-
phies at the beginning of the school year, to tion, they can also reveal student attitudes
help open up dialogue and understanding towards mathematics, as well (M. Krach,
between teacher and student” (Country- Personal Communication, 2009).
man, 1992, pp.21-26).

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Think-Write-Pair-Share butions to the field of mathematics would

Kawas mentions that “some students are include: Sir Isaac Newton, Galileo, Albert
reluctant to write at first, and benefit from Einstein, Steven Hawkins, Sofia Kovalevs-
practice sharing thoughts with a partner, kaya, Emmy Noether, and Grace Hopper,
and hearing that partner put thoughts into to name a few.
words” (Kawas, 2006). Once students are
comfortable with the “Think-Pair-Share” K-W-L Chart
concept, they are more apt to feel comfort- While these are usually done in the
able moving on to the “Think-Write-Pair- framework of a teacher-led discussion,
Share” strategy which adds the element of teachers may elect to have their students
writing. This technique can also be used fill in or create their own K-W-L chart in-
in conjunction with other writing prompts dependently, for what they already know,
(M. Krach, Personal Communication, what they want to know, and what they
2009). have learned about a mathematical con-
cept or skill (Kawas, 2006). The K-W-L
Math Vocabulary Walls chart gives students the opportunity to see
Students may
Teachers can post lists for the various if what they originally thought they knew
even enjoy
topics their students are studying in math- about a topic is correct. The K-W-L Plus
ematics throughout the year. Students can Chart takes this a step further by allowing writing
place new vocabulary words along with students to “continue their exploration of a lyrics for a
their definitions in the correct column subject, and provides an opportunity to do rap song to
that correlates with their word, i.e. frac- research (Gammill, 2006, p. 755). help them
tions, decimals, congruence, etc.. This is both
similar to the “word wall” that is used by Creative/Expressive Writing Activities understand
many teachers to help students build and There are many creative and expressive and remember
strengthen their vocabulary (Burns, 1995). writing activities that teachers can integrate a potentially
However, teachers should allow students to into mathematics. Using vocabulary terms confusing
rewrite definitions in their own words (M. from a current unit, students can write a concept like
Krach, Personal Communication, 2009). paragraph, or a missing number story to be
place value.
Doing this allows them to make connec- shared later in class with fellow students.
tions with what they already know. “The Students may also generate their own word
more connections a student can make, puzzles and poetry substituting terms that
the better he remembers the word” (Stahl, the teacher wants them to learn. Pen-pal
Nagy, 2006, p.64). letters are yet another way that students can
At least one study has shown “how com- use mathematical vocabulary terms in a fun
posing a definition after experiences with a and creative way to write letters to other
mathematical concept can assist students to students. Students may even enjoy writing
build understanding. The definition is an lyrics for a rap song to help them both un-
important language form in the register of derstand and remember a potentially con-
mathematics” (Shield, 2004, p. 25-28). fusing concept like place value.

Biographies Brief Constructed Responses (BCRs)

Students can research and write a re- Brief constructed responses (BCRs) are a
port on the life of a famous mathemati- common method of writing in elementary
cian from the past or present. Names of school mathematics, which is especially
people who have made significant contri- helpful for younger students who are not

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yet proficient writers. This form of writ- cepts presented that day, and how my in-
ing reveals students’ understanding as they struction could be improved or adjusted
describe data, make a prediction, or write for certain students. When added to a few
explanations to describe their thought pro- brief problems on ordering and compar-
cesses in solving a problem. One student’s ing decimals, their written explanations
BCR might look like this: “When adding revealed more than any computational an-
fractions you do not add the denominators swers.
because you don’t change the parts of the Some teachers who want to incorporate
whole” (Frank, 1977). writing into their mathematics lessons may
struggle with how often to use it. Marilyn
Conclusion Burns comments that this could depend on
Writing helps students become aware of “the math they’re studying, the purpose of
what they know and don’t know in terms their writing, and their comfort with writ-
of mathematical concepts (Burns, 1995). ing.” As an experienced teacher, she some-
It is an excellent way for students to or- times has her students write on a daily ba-
ganize their thoughts, and communicate sis, but at other times, she may just have
their mathematical ideas with others, while her students use writing in the context of
The exit helping educators to better plan for tomor- problem solving “once or twice a week…”
passes clearly row’s lessons. (Burns, 1995).
revealed to me I am absolutely convinced that integrat-
those ing writing into my own mathematics in- Whether students write to communicate
students who struction will benefit my future students, as their attitudes about mathematics, their
lacked well as me personally. The fourth graders strategies for problem solving, or to help
sufficient whom I have worked with at a local public them better understand and retain a con-
understanding elementary school have already shown me cept, writing helps students understand on
of the the level of their understanding through a deeper level the mathematical concepts
concepts the written explanations on their exit pass- they have been taught, which is the focus
es after a lesson on comparing and ordering of mathematics instruction in the 21st cen-
presented
decimals. tury. As an assessment tool, writing is ben-
that day
eficial for letting teachers know how deeply
When you order decimals you look their students understand. When writing
at the whole number. If the whole is effectively interwoven into mathematics
number is the same look at the instruction, learning is certain to be en-
tenths place to compare. Use ze- hanced in the elementary school classroom,
ros for a place holder (Female Stu- enabling students to become more “math-
dent). ematically powerful.” X

When you compare decimals if References

there is a whole number start by Bell, Elizabeth S. & Bell, Ronald N.
the whole number. Tens go first, (1985) “Writing and Mathematical Prob-
then ones, then tenths, then hun- lem Solving: Arguments in Favor of Syn-
dredths (Male Student). thesis.” School Science and Mathematics 85,
210-221.
At the same time, however, the exit passes Borasi, R. & Rose, B. (1989) “Journal
clearly revealed to me those students who Writing and Mathematics Instruction.”
lacked sufficient understanding of the con- Educational Studies in Mathematics 20.

Ohio Journal of School Mathematics | Vol. 61 • Spring, 2010 Page 41

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Burke, Kathleen B., How to Assess Au- Math Part C. Defining Communication.”
thentic Learning, Corwin Press, (2005) Developing Mathematical Ideas Through
Burns, Marilyn, “Write in Math Class? Communication. Retrieved from: http://
Absolutely!” (April, 1995) Instructor Mag- www.learner.org/courses/teachingmath/
azine 104(7), Retrieved from: http://www. grades3_5/session_02/section_03_06html
mathsolutions.com/documents/1995_ —— (2000b). Principles and Standards
Writing_in_Elem_Grades.pdf; for School Mathematics. Reston, VA: Au-
Burns, M. & Silbey, R. (2001). “Math thor.
Journals Boost Real Learning.” Retrieved Ontario Ministry of Education (2005).
from: http://content.scholastic.com/ “Tips for English Language Learners in
browse/article.jsp?id=3583 Mathematics.” Retrieved from: http://
Countryman, J. (1992). Writing to Learn www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/studentsuccess/
Mathematics. Heinemann, Portsmouth, lms/files/ELLMath4All.pdf
NH. Pugalee, D. (2001), “Writing, math-
DiPillo, M., Sovchik, R., and Moss, ematics, and cognition: Looking for con-
B. (1997). “Exploring Middle Graders’ nections through student’s work in math-
Mathematical Thinking Through Jour- ematical problem solving.” School Science
nals.” Mathematics Teaching in the Middle and Mathematics 101(5), 236-245. Writing helps
School. Reilly, E. (2007). “Writing to Learn
students
Drake , B.M., & Amsbaugh, L.B. (1994) Mathematics: A Mixed Method Study.”
understand on a
“What writing reveals in mathematics.” Fo- [Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation]. Indiana
cus on Learning Problems in Mathematics University of Pennsylvania. deeper level the
16(3), 43-50. Russek, B. (1998). “Writing to Learn mathemati-
Frank, Marcia (1997). “Writing in Math Mathematics.” Retrieved from: http://wac. cal concepts
– Should it Have a Home in Today’s Cur- colostate.edu/journal/vol9/russek.pdf they have been
riculum?” Retrieved from: http://www. Shield, M. (2004). “Formal Definitions taught, which is
math.umd.edu/~dac/650/frankpaper.html in Mathematics.” Australian Mathematics the focus of
Freitag, M. (1997). “Reading and Writ- Teacher, 60, p. 25-28. mathematics
ing in the Mathematics Classroom.” The Stahl, S. & Nagy, W. (2006). TeachingWord instruction in
Mathematics Educator 8(1). Meanings. Retrieved from: http://books. the 21st century.
Gammill, D. (2006). “Learning the google.com/books?id=TNjsudLLWoC&pg
Write Way.” The Reading Teacher. Retrieved Steele, D. (2007). “Understanding Stu-
from: http://www.reading.org/Publish. dents’ Problem-Solving Knowledge through
aspx?page=/publications/journals/rt. Their Writing.” Mathematics Teaching in the
Janzen, H. (2000) “Integrating Writing Middle School 13(2).
into the Mathematics Classroom.” Teach- Thompson, J. (2007). The First Year
ing Today, Retrieved from: http://www. Teacher’s Survival Guide (2nd Ed.). John
glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/subject/ Wiley & Sons, Inc.
int_writing_math phtml Van deWalle, J. A. (2007). Elementary
Kawas, T. (2006). “Writing in Mathe- and Middle School Mathematics, Teaching
matics.” Retrieved from: http://www.math- Developmentally. Pearson Education, Inc.
wire.com/writing/writing1.html pp. 86-87
Krach, R., Towson University, Personal Wiest, Lynda R. (2008). “Problem-Solv-
Communications, April-May, 2009. ing Support for English Language Learn-
National Council of Teachers of Math- ers,” Teaching Children Mathematics.
ematics (NCTM) (2000a). “Teaching Wilburne, J. (2006). “Preparing Preser-

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vice Elementary School Teachers to Teach

Problem Solving,” Teaching Children Math- Linda Shelley Thomp-
ematics. son is a senior at Tow-
Woodward, J. & Baxter, J. (2009). “Us- son State University
ing Writing in Mathematics.” Tools for Un- in Towson, Maryland,
derstanding. Retrieved from: http://www2. and currently student
ups.edu/community/tofu/lev2/journaling/ teaches second grade
writemath.htm at Halethorpe Elementary School. Af-
McGraw-Hill Education (2009). ter graduating in May, she hopes to
“Write-to-Learn Math; Creative Writing teach early elementary grades in the
Activities.” Teaching Today. Retrieved from: Baltimore area. A former legal secre-
http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/how- tary and home schooling parent, Linda
toarticles/write-to-learn-math-creative- currently resides in Ellicott City, Mary-
writing-activities. land with her husband of 25 years, and
two grown children.

Think About It!

THE POWER OF PATTERN GENERALIZING
“To become fluent in a language, children must
have analyzed the speech around them, not just
memorized it. … The triumph of language acquisi-
tion is even more impressive when we consider that
a talking child has solved a knotty instance of the
problem of induction: observing a finite sample of
events and framing a generalization that embraces
the infinite set from which the events are drawn.”

Pinker, S. (2007). The stuff of thought, 28. Penguin Group, NY.

“In 1969, the Canadian psychologist Allen Paivio

demonstrated that subjects remembered concrete
words such as “piano” much more easily than ab-
stract words such as “justice,” which are much
harder to visualize.”

Tammet, D. (2009). Embracing the wide sky: A tour across the horizons of the mind,
72. Free Press. NY.

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Mathematics Exit Pass - Writing to Communicate Mathematically

Name ___________________________ Date _________________________

Directions: Please submit your responses to these questions before exiting the class. If needed, use
the back of the note card.

1) Name one mathematical concept or skill that you learned in today’s class. Be specific.

2) List one positive thing that happened in this class today. Explain why you felt that it was
positive. Please be specific. If nothing positive happened, let me know.

3) List one negative thing that happened in class today. Explain why it was negative. Please be
specific. If nothing negative happened, let me know.

Page 44 Ohio Journal of School Mathematics | Vol. 61 • Spring, 2010