Integrating the Language Arts and Mathematics in Teacher Education

Abstract Calls for reform in the teaching of mathematics emphasize the central role discourse plays in helping all students develop mathematical power. Similiar ideas about reform in English language arts include using reading, writing, speaking, and listening in a variety of contexts and as functional tools in contextualized and authentic learning tasks. Teacher educators need to support prospective teachers in learning how to help students use language to explore mathematical ideas. This article describes an introductory segment of a course on teaching and learning in mathematics and language arts. It illustrates how a project that draws on multimedia materials was used as a vehicle to explore the integration of language arts and mathematics. Specific examples of teacher candidates' insights about discourse in mathematics are discussed. The authors explore the larger implications of using classroom discourse as a site for investigating ways that language arts and mathematics intersect.

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