HOW MATH AND WRITING CONNECT “Why is it so?” is one of the first questions Bill McCulloch, a geometry and algebra teacher in Fairfax County, Va., asks his students when they offer an answer in class—especially a right answer. Some kids are taken by surprise, but they quickly get used to McCulloch’s insistence that they verbalize their understanding of the math concept at hand. “It not only helps them clarify the ideas,” says McCulloch, “It often helps other kids in the class who might not have grasped the lesson when I explained it the first time.” In early years a math problem may begin: Sam had three apples and gave away two … Eventually, stumpers like this one pop up: A bucket filled with sand has a hole one inch in diameter that empties at the rate of … Whatever the degree of difficulty, word problems require a student to distill a math problem from a story. Mastery of a particular math skill is one aspect. But before that, the student must identify which skill is needed and that requires decoding the verbal part of the problem. Making a diagram or picture and then labeling it is one way to tackle a word problem. Diagrams are very useful for gaining an understanding not only of the problem as a whole, but also of the relationships between variables. Students are more likely to "see" a solution than to "read" one. For example, the standard “a train from Chicago is traveling at a rate of 85 mph” word problem is much easier to tackle when accompanied with a picture. Writing out each step in order also can be helpful, especially for children who tend to rush through problems. Even when the answer comes out wrong, this practice can give a teacher valuable insight into the student’s thought process, thereby pinpointing missteps more easily. McCulloch actually allows children to earn back credit by writing an explanation of why their answer was wrong. For example, “This problem asked for 62 [six squared], and I multiplied by two.” Students should keep in mind that word problems generally review concepts that already have been presented in a more straightforward way. Knowing in advance that the sand-and-bucket problem involves rate, for instance, allows you to turn more easily to the math book for help. Language skills sneak into math in other ways as well. Whether it’s taking notes as a teacher explains a new idea on the board or doing a research report, a student will be called upon to read and write while learning arithmetic. The advantages of strong verbal skills in the math classroom can add up to success. By Emmet Rosenfeld