Focused Strategies for Middle-Grades Mathematics Vocabulary Development

Principles and Standards for School Mathematics reminds us that communication is central to a broad range of goals in mathematics education (NCTM 2000). These goals include students' being able to (1) organize and consolidate mathematical thinking; (2) communicate coherently with teachers, peers, and others; (3) analyze and evaluate others' strategies; and (4) use language to express mathematics precisely. One part of communication is acquiring mathematical language and using it fluently. This article addresses learning vocabulary as one dimension of mathematics communication.