Heinemann Blog

The Importance Of Rich Mathematical Tasks

Written by Digital Editor | Jun 2, 2016 4:59:30 AM

Language is deeply involved in learning mathematics as students both communicate and think about their mathematical ideas. For all students—and English learners in particular—access means finding effective, authentic ways to make language clear and thinking visible so they can reason more, speak more, and write more in mathematics.

In today’s clip, Jill Neumayer DePiper and Johannah Nikula, two of the authors of Mathematical Thinking and Communication, talk about benefits that rich mathematical tasks provide for students and teachers, including:

  • various entry points that allow students to bring what they know into the task
  • a greater emphasis on student engagement and collaboration, providing a clearer window into student thinking
  • opportunities to use different routines and strategies that support sense-making

 

Interested in learning more about strategies that support English learners in math? Stay tuned to the Heinemann blog for more from Mark, Johannah, and Jill over the next few weeks. You can also click here for a preview of their book.

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Mark Driscoll, Johannah Nikula, and Jill Neumayer DePiper work in the Learning and Teaching Division at Education Development Center (EDC) in Massachusetts, a non-profit organization that designs, implements, and evaluates programs to improve education, health, and economic opportunity worldwide. They have decades of experience creating and studying professional development resources and training for mathematics teachers, with a particular focus on strategies to support the academic success of English learners.