In this qualitative case study, we investigated the role of an advanced math curriculum with language scaffolding on the development of geometric and visual-spatial reasoning skills in young mathematically promising English learners (MPELs). Specifically, we examined the effects of providing MPELs with challenging and supportive math curriculum to…

Scholars use "position" to refer to the social expectations and range of available things a person can say and do in any given interaction (Harré and van Langenhove 1999; van Langenhove 2011). In the classroom, there are different social expectations for teachers and students. Teachers are often expected to give directions, present…

Project BRIDGE was launched as a response to the underrepresentation of English learners in gifted education. Through Project BRIDGE, high-ability English learners were able to access the same rigorous academic content as their native English-speaking peers. The present study compared intervention and comparison teachers' instructional behaviors…

In this study we document how a mathematical idea, shared by a student, changes the development of the class discussion. Our work characterizes the flexible and open dynamics in mathematics instruction that a teacher adopts to give her students control of their own mathematical ideas. Our work argues that this flexibility is necessary for teachers…

In this article, we examine the construction of word meaning by students during collaborative activities in a multicultural classroom at a Dutch primary school. The analysis is based on recordings of student talk in small groups of four or five students during mathematics lessons. Difficulties with specific terms and expressions frequently arose…

This essay is a reflection on several aspects related to my encounters with the concept of reform in mathematics education. I start with an exploration of the question of what is reform, grounded on my work with teachers in a project aimed at promoting reform. I focus on two aspects that seem to be present in most approaches to reform--group…

Learning mathematics is the central goal of mathematics education, yet it is the least frequently addressed of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM's) Principles and Standards. With an increasing population of English language learners and the inclusion of students with learning disabilities into the regular mathematics…