Journal Summary 2: Word Sorts

    I read the article “Word Sorts to Encourage Mathematics Discussions” written by Miranda L Sigmon, Kavin Ming, and Daniel Herring. This article brings to light the importance of speaking and listening in mathematics because these skills are often focused more on in ELA curriculum but are also important in mathematics. Disciplinary literacy is the idea that each content area should be teaching literacy skills specific to that area of study. This ties into academic vocabulary which is also incredibly important, but often overlooked, in math education. Using word sorts is one way to teach vocabulary and work it into mathematics education. The first step in developing a word sort activity is to identify keywords that are important for students to learn and understand. Next, the teacher will present the students with a few categories that the words fall into. The teacher will then write the vocabulary words on cards and assign students to work individually or in small groups. Students will then sort their words into categories and finally, they will review as a class. An example of the words the teacher could present would be: kilometer, meter, centimeter, hour, pound, second, minute, kilogram, gram, and ounce and the students would sort these words into the following categories: distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes and masses of objects. After having students sort the words, the teacher could engage the students in a discussion about when and how to use each type of measurement. I would use word sorts in my classroom before presenting a new mathematical concept so students would be able to learn the vocabulary before learning the concept. The students would sort the words the way they think they would be categorized and then we would dicsuss as a class and review the definitions of each word. Since some words could sometimes go in two different categories, I would have students explain their reasoning. I could also see a scenario where I could use a word sort to assess students’ vocabulary because they would have o understand the meaning of the words to sort them.