Improve Literacy! ‐ Or Else Fail To Improve Mathematics Scores
Double penalty? Are students being penalized for one subject because of a weakness in another? With the performance standards written as they are, all students must be literate in language to be proficient in mathematics. As data continues to reveal, readers scoring below the basic achievement level have been shown to perform at a basic level on the mathematics section of the state assessment. However, struggling readers fail to demonstrate proficiency or advanced proficiency due to this weakness. In 2019, NAEP reports reveal that only 34% of fourth-grade public school students were proficient in reading, while 41% of the same population were proficient in math. For more than 18 years, the difference between basic level reading and math scores has been on average 14 percentage points. When dissecting the reading test scores for individual students, it becomes evident that more than 95% of the readers at proficient levels are also proficient in mathematics. Standardized tests require elementary students to think strategically using logic and reasoning to address real‐world problems as an assessment for proficiency. Studies show that most elementary‐aged learners have not yet developed the cognitive skills to comprehend certain abstract concepts embedded in the real‐world context of a problem. Generally, students begin to cultivate true abstract thinking abilities between ages 11 and 14. Yet again, the underlined literacy skills are required for proficiency on the state assessments at ages 9 through 11. Many of us remember when learning math included a series of problems that we repeatedly practiced, with the word problems as extra credit towards the end of the assignment. You were truly assessed on mathematical abilities; you followed a series of memorized steps. As a result, you either got the correct or incorrect answer. In today’s world, this is now classified as a basic level of achievement. According to item specifications, students must now convert a word problem into a mathematical Educational Bootcamp | © 2021
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equation, solve, analyze, and provide proof to support their logic. To meet the educational goals of such specifications, frustrated and overwhelmed teachers must master‐mind methods to accelerate cognitive development in the learners of their classrooms. Educational Bootcamp has formulated a solution to this problem that involves gameplay and journaling strategies. The solution is Math Bootcamp, which provides products to help students interpret the language of mathematics. Math Bootcamp combines the foundational development of mathematics (basic concepts, skills, and keywords) with Math Bootcamp Journaling Strategies and practice activities to ensure that our struggling readers are afforded the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of mathematics and score at proficient levels. We crafted the four Math Bootcamp Journaling Strategies to help learners use pictorial, numerical, and symbolic representations to express numerical operations.
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