Objective: Students will develop their awareness of and confidence in math thinking and application when math vocabulary is directly taught and reinforced within math discussions.

Model and Practice: a) Consistently use math vocabulary in both instruction and discussion. Even students who understand concepts well might forget the math vocabulary or have difficulty providing a definition in words. Consider quizzing students on definitions just as they have vocabulary quizzes in ELA to improve recall of math terms and meanings. b) Be specific with quantities when relevant. When students use ambiguous words (e.g. a lot, big, many) ask them for clarification. While there are times when a specific number is important, using comparison phrases might be just as meaningful (e.g. more than, at least 10 times as big). Explain how that helps you visualize what they are describing, "Now I see that the stadium is larger than this building, not just larger than the classroom. Wow." c) Be specific with directions. When students use imprecise directional language (e.g. over there, far away) ask them for clarification with both words and numbers (e.g. 10 feet to the left, 20 miles north). Older students should be encouraged to use terminology such as parallel, perpendicular, symmetrical, etc. in everyday language.

Ongoing Reinforcement: Ask a follow-up question when students use imprecise language, "I am not sure I can visualize what you are describing. Can you clarify?" and praise students when they use mathematical language without prompting. Reinforcing mathematical language across subjects and at home will help students realize how mathematics is applicable to everyday life and not just for math class.

OER Resource: Math Talks (Digital Promise Learner Variability Project)