Three mathematics education researchers discuss their findings on the use of diagrams in math instruction for English language learners. The authors show how diagrams can help students who are English learners better develop mathematical thinking and communicate their mathematical understanding.

This article provides information to educational leaders about how to address the challenge of supporting students who are emergent multilingual--i.e., those identified as English Learners (ELs) by their schools--in middle grades mathematics classes. The ideas in this article draw on research and collaborations with hundreds of teachers across the…

We propose that there exists mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) specific to visual representations (VRs), abbreviated MKT-VR. We define a VR as a graphic creation, such as a diagram or drawing, which illustrates quantities and shows quantitative relationships or which illustrates geometric properties of figures and shows geometric…

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) publishes practice guides in education to bring the best available evidence and expertise to bear on current challenges in education. Authors of practice guides combine their expertise with the findings of rigorous research, when available, to develop specific recommendations for addressing these…

Instructional tips help educators carry out recommendations contained in IES Educator's Practice Guides. The tips translate these recommendations into actionable approaches that educators can try in their classrooms. These tips are based on a practice guide authored by Sybilla Beckmann, Mark Driscoll, Megan Franke, Patricia Herzig, Asha Jitendra,…

Instructional tips help educators carry out recommendations contained in IES Educator's Practice Guides. This summary describes the research evidence that supports the use of the instructional tips in classrooms and is based on a practice guide authored by Sybilla Beckmann, Mark Driscoll, Megan Franke, Patricia Herzig, Asha Jitendra, Kenneth R.…

Increased attention has been given to issues of assessment in recent years. Teachers of mathematics have been working to change both the way they elicit evidence of their students' mathematical thinking and the way they use that evidence to monitor students' progress and guide instructional decision making. This publication is based on work done…