Why Is It Important to Integrate Writing into Math.

  I've discussed ways to integrate writing into the math classroom but I'm not sure I've taken time to explain why its important to have both reading and writing integrated into the math classroom.

The fact is that reading, writing, and math are all related but too many students see them as separate.  My students all tell me that reading and writing belong in English and not Math. 

I keep telling them they are wrong because if they can explain something using words, it means they truly understand the material.  So what does research say about this whole topic. The two basic components of a lesson are the hands-on component whose job is to stimulate curiosity, engage interest, and build prior knowledge before asking a student to read or write on the topic.

It is well known that the amount of prior knowledge is the best indicator of a students ability to make inferences from the text.  In addition, the more they gain in prior knowledge, the more they can comprehend and the more they learn from the text.  The prior knowledge is what they access when reading or writing on a topic.

The second part is the reading or writing which helps the student interpret, analyze, and share their mathematically based ideas in addition to being able to evaluate sources to determine how valid the information is.  It has been noted that quite a few skills needed to do this are the same as needed in reading.  These skills include, predicting, inferring, sharing, identifying cause and effect, or comparing and contrasting facets of a topic.

Since there is an interconnection between reading and math, it is easy to design lessons that integrate the two topics in such a way as to capitalize on the skills needed in both.  Furthermore, by including writing in math lessons, it helps students clarify their understanding while improving their communication skills.

One goal is to engage students in their learning so they are more likely to ask questions, learn new vocabulary, and express their thoughts in writing.  One way to do this is to use a variety of books such as trade books, texts, even fiction to hook student interest.  There are tons of picture books out there with a mathematical theme such as Sir Circumference books  but there are more adult books out there with mathematical themes or have sections dealing with math.  There is a science fiction book whose name I do not recall but the basic premise is if you are an athlete competing in this competition, you have to compete in both sports and math.

Perhaps one day, we'll get everyone past the separation of Math and English and begin to see the topics as intertwined.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.