“I Wanted to Make a Difference…”: Building Mathematics Academic Literacy in Bilingual Kindergarten Classrooms

• In Event: Knowing English Is Not Enough! Cultivating Academic Literacies Among Bilingual Learners

Abstract

Perspective and Purpose
The purpose of this two-year case study is twofold: 1) to understand how two bilingual kindergarten teachers draw from linguistic and cultural resources to build mathematics academic literacy with Latina/o students and 2) to demonstrate how these teaching practices impact students becoming problem posers by the end of the year.

The Application of Common Core State Standards for English Language Learners (2010) views active and regular participation of ELLs as being critical to their success in mathematics. Not only should ELLs be required to listen and read but also discuss, explain, write, represent, and present solutions to challenging mathematical problems. In this paper the focus is on teachers and students creating a Mathematics Discourse Community (MDC). The authors also draw on Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) (Carpenter et al., 1999) to understand students’ mathematical thinking while problem solving. They argue that ELLs must learn mathematics with understanding and use the first language as a pedagogical resource (Cummins, 2001; Khisty & Chval, 2002; Moschkovich, 2007).

Methods and Data
The study took place in the Southwest in a bilingual elementary school serving over 86% Latino students, mostly from Mexican immigrant families. The data sources included videotaped lessons, teacher interviews, and student work from mathematics journals. The data were coded according to the principles of grounded theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). For example, videotaped lessons were coded with particular attention to specific teacher practices and student actions related to solving and discussing mathematical problems. To establish reliability (Miles and Huberman, 1994; Patton, 2002), transcripts were coded by at least two members of the research team.

Educational Significance
The findings indicate that the teachers built mathematics academic literacy in several interconnected ways. The teachers contextualized challenging problems appropriate for kindergarten students by using storytelling as a way to engage students in a rich Mathematics Discourse Community. They also positioned students as competent problem solvers. Finally, they fostered an ethos of caring where students listen to and respect one another while explaining their mathematical thinking. These teaching practices in turn afforded young Latino students with opportunities to solve challenging mathematics problems and to become problem posers. These findings offer counter evidence to the deficit views often voiced about what young children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds can do. Additionally, the findings indicate that young Latino students can engage in challenging word problems before they master basic mathematics skills.

Authors

• Sylvia Celedon-Pattichis, University of New Mexico

• Sandra I. Musanti, The University of Texas - Brownsville