Literacy in Math
by Darin Stockdill, PhD Design Coordinator, CEDER In this post, we’re taking up the following important question: “Why is literacy important in a math classroom?” One approach I take when considering this kind of question is to immediately flip it on its head and ask, “ Why would literacy NOT be important in a math classroom? ” Of course, answering either version of the question ultimately depends upon the definition of literacy being used. In other words, whether or not one thinks literacy is important in a math classroom depends largely upon how literacy is defined. When many people hear the word literacy , they often first think of reading, and when we think of reading, particularly with respect to learning to read, we often think of reading narratives, especially fictional stories. Perhaps this is because many people learn to read in school and at home with alphabet and picture books, and then move on to short chapter books. So our notion of learning to read has become tie