Mathematical Literacy? Disciplinary Literacy? We Need and Want Both.
Mathematical Literacy? Disciplinary Literacy? We Need and Want Both. By Kathy Berry, Monroe County ISD; Cherron Ramsey, Wayne RESA; Marcus Deja, Kent ISD; Brad Thornburg, Gratiot-Isabella RESD; and Karen Reister, Traverse Bay Area ISD Think for a moment about literacy in the mathematics classroom. What comes to mind? Do you immediately see word walls of mathematics vocabulary? Writing in math journals? Vocabulary strategies? Or do you think of students connecting ideas from geometry and algebra together to solve and model problems? Maybe you envision students individually and collaboratively analyzing a problem situation and determining multiple possible solution paths. For each of us, our own past learning and experiences influence our reactions to “literacy.” It may be helpful to pause and seek clarity around the ideas of students becoming mathematically literate while using the tools of disciplinary literacy . We want all students to be both critical thinkers and problem