NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ1116777
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Oct
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1072-0839
EISSN: N/A
Riding the RAFT
Gunter, Melissa D.
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, v22 n3 p172-175 Oct 2016
Writing about mathematics holds a wealth of benefits for students. When students are given opportunities to write in math class, it helps develop mathematical thinking and language, encourages self-reflection, and provides a better way to organize ideas. Many teachers incorporate journaling and other types of reflective writing into their instruction already, but what about other forms of writing? The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) states the importance of writing, in that students in the middle grades should be "more explicit about basing their writing on a sense of audience and purpose." How can teachers help students develop this important skill in math class? Looking for guidance in writing with the aim of tying writing into math activities, the author turned to the National Council of Teachers of English, and found an instructional strategy called RAFT. RAFT, an acronym for Role of the Writer, Audience, Format, and Topic, allows students to practice using different voices and topics as they write. This article describes the author's implementation of the RAFT instructional strategy with her math students. RAFT examples that can be used in a math class are provided.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 800-235-7566; Tel: 703-620-9840; Fax: 703-476-2570; e-mail: NCTM@nctm.org; Web site: http://www.nctm.org/publications/mathematics-teaching-in-the-middle-school/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A