Support for Multilingual Learners
Desmos Classroom believes that there is a strong connection between learning content and learning language, both for students who are more familiar with formal English and for students who are less familiar. Therefore, language support is embedded into the lessons in many different ways. In addition, the curriculum is built to highlight the strengths of each student and to surface the many assets students bring to the classroom. This presumption of competence is the foundation of all of our work, and particularly of our support for multilingual students.
Program Design That Supports Language Development
Every lesson incorporates opportunities for students to develop and use language as they grapple with new math ideas. Our approach builds on the work of Illustrative Mathematics and Stanford’s Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity.
Opportunities for Students to Read, Write, Speak, and Listen
The curriculum provides lots of opportunities for students to engage in all four language domains: speaking, listening, reading, and writing (e.g., text inputs, partner conversations, whole-class discussions). For example, in the Math 7 lesson Can You Build It?, students explore side lengths that do not create a triangle, describe their thinking in words, and then compare their ideas with others.
Intentional Space for Informal Language
When students are learning a new idea, we invite them to use their own informal language to start, then make connections to more formal vocabulary or definitions. For example, in the Math 7 lesson Scaling Machines, students create their own definition of a scaled copy based on their own experiences before coming to a more formal definition at the end of the lesson.
Math and Language in Context
The curriculum uses the digital medium to make mathematical concepts dynamic and delightful, helping students at all language proficiency levels make sense of problems and the mathematics. For example, the Math 7 lesson that introduces circumference invites students to roll and unroll a circle to estimate its circumference. In addition, many lessons in the curriculum invites students to bring their personal knowledge to make sense of new math ideas, like this Math 6 lesson on ratios and proportions with large quantities.
Embedded Mathematical Language Routines
The curriculum is designed to be paired with Mathematical Language Routines¹, which support “students simultaneously learning mathematical practices, content, and language.” For example, the routine Stronger and Clearer Each Time supports students in explaining a key concept, such as the one in this Math 6 lesson. The math language routines are part of a suite of instructional routines, which you can read more about here.
Additional Support for Multilingual Students
Each lesson includes suggestions for instructional moves to support multilingual students. These are intended to provide teachers with strategies to increase access and eliminate barriers without reducing the mathematical demand of the task. These supports for multilingual students can be found in the purple Teacher Moves tab and in the Teacher Guide.
These supports include:
Explicit vocabulary instruction with visuals.
Processing time prior to whole-class discussion.
Sentence frames to support speaking opportunities.
Instructions broken down step by step .
Background knowledge or context explicitly addressed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Math Language Routines appropriate only for multilingual students?
No! We believe these routines can support all students in developing powerful mathematical language and ideas.
Will the curriculum be available in Spanish?
Desmos Math 6-A1 is currently available in Spanish! Folks are currently translating parts of Amplify Desmos Math into Spanish.
References
¹ Zwiers, J., Dieckmann, J., Rutherford-Quach, S., Daro, V., Skarin, R., Weiss, S., & Malamut, J. (2017). Principles for the Design of Mathematics Curricula: Promoting Language and Content Development. Understanding Language/ Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity.
