Measures and References: Math Communication

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Measures

Numerous measures exist to gain a full picture of a student's learning strengths and challenges. Following are examples of measures used to assess this Learner Factor. These measures should be administered and interpreted by experienced professionals.

Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities (Schrank et al., 2014): Includes sub-tests which measure many aspects of reading and written language.

Math Discussion Skills (e.g., Webb et al., 2014): Students' ability to explain their problem solving can be examined by coding their explanations for the amount of detail given and the validity of their problem-solving approach. Students' engagement in math classroom discussion can be coded for the amount students respond to, and build upon, their peers' explanations and suggestions.

References

Abedi, J., & Lord, C. (2001). The language factor in mathematics tests. Applied Measurement in Education, 14(3), 219-234.

Arrington, C. N., Kulesz, P. A., Francis, D. J., Fletcher, J. M., & Barnes, M. A. (2014). The contribution of attentional control and working memory to reading comprehension and decoding. Scientific Studies of Reading, 18(5), 325-346.

Artz, A. F., & Armour-Thomas, E. (1992). Development of a cognitive-metacognitive framework for protocol analysis of mathematical problem solving in small groups. Cognition and Instruction, 9(2), 137-175.

Boaler, J. O., & Staples, M. (2008). Creating mathematical futures through an equitable teaching approach: The case of Railside School. Teachers College Record, 110(3), 608-645.

Fuchs, L. S., Fuchs, D., Hamlett, C. L., Phillips, N. B., Karns, K., & Dutka, S. (1997). Enhancing students' helping behavior during peer-mediated instruction with conceptual mathematical explanations. Elementary School Journal, 97(3), 223-250.

Hyde, M., Zevenbergen, R., & Power, D. (2003). Deaf and hard of hearing students' performance on arithmetic word problems. American Annals of the Deaf, 148(1), 56-64.

Jansen, A. (2006). Seventh graders' motivations for participating in two discussion-oriented mathematics classrooms. The Elementary School Journal, 106(5), 409-428.

Jansen, A. (2012). Developing productive dispositions during small-group work in two sixth-grade mathematics classrooms: Teachers' facilitation efforts and students' self-reported benefits. Middle Grades Research Journal, 7(1), 37-56.

Kazemi, E., & Stipek, D. (2009). Promoting conceptual thinking in four upper-elementary mathematics classrooms. Journal of Education, 189(1-2), 123-137.

Keller, J. (2002). Blatant stereotype threat and women's math performance: Self-handicapping as a strategic means to cope with obtrusive negative performance expectations. Sex Roles, 47(3-4), 193-198.

Kyttala, M., & Bjorn, P. M. (2014). The role of literacy skills in adolescents' mathematics word problem performance: Controlling for visuo-spatial ability and mathematics anxiety. Learning and Individual Differences, 29, 59-66.

Lubienski, S. T. (2000). A clash of social class cultures? Students' experiences in a discussion-intensive seventh-grade mathematics classroom. The Elementary School Journal, 100(4), 377-403.

MacGregor, M., & Price, E. (1999). An exploration of aspects of language proficiency and algebra learning. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 30, 449-467.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common core standards mathematics. Washington, DC: Authors.

Norbury, C. F., Bishop, D. V. M., & Briscoe, J. (2002). Does impaired grammatical comprehension provide evidence for an innate grammar module? Applied Psycholinguistics, 23(2), 247-268.

Rapp, B., Purcell, J., Hillis, A. E., Capasso, R., & Miceli, G. (2015). Neural bases of orthographic long-term memory and working memory in dysgraphia. Brain, 139(2), 588-604.

Santos, L., & Semana, S. (2015). Developing mathematics written communication through expository writing supported by assessment strategies. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 88(1), 65-87.

Schrank, F. A., McGrew, K. S., Mather, N., Wendling, B. J., & LaForte, E. M. (2014). Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Cognitive Abilities. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Sharkey, P. (2010). The acute effect of local homicides on children's cognitive performance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(26), 11733-11738.

Simmons, F. R., & Singleton, C. (2008). Do weak phonological representations impact on

arithmetic development? A review of research into arithmetic and dyslexia. Dyslexia, 14, 77-94.

Snow, C. E. (2010). Academic language and the challenge of reading for learning about science. Science, 328(5977), 450-452

Swanson, H. L., Howard, C. B., & Saez, L. (2006). Do different components of working memory

underlie different subgroups of reading disabilities? Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(3),

252-269.

Traff, U., Skagerlund, K., Olsson, L., & Östergren, R. (2017). Pathways to arithmetic fact retrieval and percentage calculation in adolescents. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 87(4), 647-663.

Webb, N. M., & Farivar, S. (1994). Promoting helping behavior in cooperative small groups in middle school mathematics. American Educational Research Journal, 31(2), 369-395.

Webb, N. M., Franke, M. L., Ing, M., Wong, J., Fernandez, C. H., Shin, N., & Turrou, A. C. (2014). Engaging with others' mathematical ideas: Interrelationships among student participation, teachers' instructional practices, and learning. International Journal of Educational Research, 63, 79-93.