English Language Learners and Math

Taking a community of practice perspective that highlights the learner as part of acommunity rather than a lone individual responsible for her/his learning thisethnographically-influenced study investigates how Latina/o English LanguageLearners (ELLs) in middle school mathematics classes negotiated their learningof mathematics and mathematical discourse. The classes in which the Latina/ostudents were enrolled used a reform-oriented approach to math learning; themath in these classes was-to varying degrees-taught using a hands-ondiscovery approach to learning where group learning was valued and discussionsin and about math were critical.This book presents the stories of how six immigrant and American-born ELLs worked with their three teachersof varied ethnicity education experience with second language learners and training in reform-orientedmathematics curricula to gain a degree of competence in the mathematical discourse they used in class. Identityparticipation situated learning discourse use by learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) framing inlanguage and student success in mathematics are all critical notions that arehighlighted within this school-based research.