6th to 8th Grade - Multilingual Learner Supports

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Math & YOU partially meet expectations for supporting MLLs’ full and complete participation in extensive work with grade-level problems to meet the full intent of grade-level standards. The materials provide some strategies for MLLs’ participation in grade-level problems, but they do not apply these supports consistently across chapters and lessons. 

The materials provide a consistent instructional design, both at the chapter-level and the lesson-level. Each chapter features several language-rich components that the Implementation Handbook describes as supporting balance across the three aspects of rigor. These components provide MLLs with opportunities to use and develop language. 

• Big Idea of the Chapter: “informal explorations before chapter learning begins”

• Career Performance Tasks: “tasks centered around applying and connecting mathematical concepts with a focus on the chapter career themes”

• STEAM Video Performance Tasks: “the video highlights mathematics put to work in a STEAM context, and the accompanying task gives students an opportunity to apply the reasoning to solve STEAM tasks of their own”

• Big Idea Tasks: “open-ended tasks focused on assessing the aspects of rigor and mathematical practices”

• Connecting Big Ideas Activities: “data-centered activities focused on application across multiple chapters”

Within these chapter-level components of the instructional design, the materials provide embedded prompts that attempt to support connections among the three aspects of rigor and mathematical practices, student reflection, or opportunities for discourse. The Big Idea of the Chapter and Career Performance Tasks contain English Learner Support notes with language supports inconsistently aligned with the language proficiency levels of Entering-Emerging, Developing-Expanding, and Bridging-Reaching. These notes provide language supports for one specific aspect of each task, but do not consistently provide for MLLs’ full and complete participation. For example, in Grade 7, Chapter 7, Probability, the Big Idea of the Chapter is titled “Discovering Probability,” and students engage probability questions related to a graph showing the relationship between the number of polio vaccines and polio cases over time. Students participate in a whole-class discussion around questions such as, “Psychologists student human behavior. How do you think psychologists use probability and data to describe human behavior?" The English Learner Support note invites teachers to build MLLs’ background knowledge around vaccines and placebos using images and to offer MLLs to use their home language via the use of a translation app or by partnering MLLs with the same home language. While these suggestions provide minimal initial access to the task, they do not fully support MLLs with engaging in the teacher prompts in the whole-class discussion. 

At the lesson-level, the consistent instructional design includes a language-rich start to each lesson through an Investigate section where students make observations and activate or build background knowledge. The majority of the lesson is spent with teacher-led prompts and activities that focus on explicit instruction of mathematical strategies, new mathematical terminology, and key concepts. Lessons end with an opportunity for students to engage in practice focused on applying the procedures and strategies from the lesson. The materials provide lesson-embedded strategies and scaffolds in notes called English Learner Supports in two spots within each lesson: within the explicit instruction of the lesson and within the practice portion of the lesson. These notes feature language supports aligned with the lessons’ tagged WIDA English Language Development Standards, with the supports delineated by the language proficiency levels of Entering-Emerging, Developing-Expanding, and Bridging-Reaching (see the report for 3.1.MLL-1 for more details). Generally, the English Learner Support notes align to the WIDA key language uses of explain, inform, or argue, and feature language supports in two categories: support for new mathematical vocabulary or for suggestions for MLLs to leverage home language as a resource. Within the lesson facilitation, these notes often support MLLs’ participation in one specific problem or one small aspect of the task. Within the practice portion of the lesson, these notes often present an additional activity that serves as a summary of the lesson. Because of these points, the English Learner Support notes do not allow for MLLs’ full and complete participation in grade-level problems across lessons. Additional evidence illustrating these limitations appears in the reports for 2a.MLL-2c.MLL, and for each of the mathematical practices in the reports for 2e.MLL-2l.MLL. 

Additionally, approximately once per chapter, a Talk About It note describes one suggested Language Routine with brief instructions about implementing the suggested routine within the lesson. For example, in Grade 7, Chapter 3, Expressions, Lesson 3.3, the Talk About It note directs teachers to facilitate the Stronger and Clearer Each Time routine by distributing index cards to each student for them to explain the use of the Distributive Property in identifying equivalent expressions. Students share their thinking with two classmates and revise their responses based on feedback. Alongside this reference, Nick’s Note: Language Routines states, “Stronger and Clearer Each Time: This routine encourages students to create and refine an explanation or argument through a structured pairing strategy. First, students independently write a response to a question or prompt. Next, students share their initial thoughts with a partner and use the conversation to refine their thinking. Then students share their current thoughts with a new partner to further strengthen, revise, and clarify their thinking.” While Language Routines are generally supportive of MLLs’ participation in grade-level tasks by providing tasks with predictable language usage when repeated over time, this is the only reference to Language Routines in the chapter. This one-time reference is brief in nature, and it does not include specific details about how implementing the routine within other lessons in the chapter.

Across both the chapter-level and lesson-level supports, the materials contain three features to support MLLs’ participation in grade-level problems: a visual glossary, text-to-speech technology, and a Family Letter. The visual glossary is available in English/Spanish in the print Student Experience, along with vocabulary flashcards for the new vocabulary of the chapter. In the digital learning experience, the materials provide a visual glossary in 16 languages. The materials feature text-to-speech technology, and the Implementation Handbook states that the technology “enables students to listen to text using high-quality, natural-sounding voices, available in multiple languages.” The functionality of the text-to-speech technology was inconsistent and not intuitive to navigate. The Family Letter is available in English and Spanish in the digital experience, and it outlines the big picture of the mathematics and vocabulary of the chapter along with a QR code linking to additional resources to support student learning throughout the chapter.

As stated in the Criterion 1 summary, see 1d.MLL for the program’s embedded linguistic supports. This report examines how those supports are reflected in relation to the expectations of this specific Indicator, using examples from the materials to illustrate implementation.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Math & YOU partially meet expectations of providing support for MLLs’ full and complete participation in the conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts. The materials offer opportunities for students to explore and make sense of mathematical ideas while engaging with multiple representations to formalize procedures, supporting conceptual understanding. To do this, the materials provide students with the opportunity to apply prior knowledge to new tasks, inviting students to find relationships within and between concrete representations, visual representations, and abstract written strategies. However, the materials inconsistently offer clear linguistic supports for MLLs to fully and completely participate in the intentional development of students’ conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts. For example:

• MLLs are not fully supported in participating in Grade 6, Chapter 3, Ratios and Rates, Lesson 3.2, where students use tape diagrams to model and solve ratio problems (6.RP.3). The WIDA English Language Development [ELD] Standard is as follows: “Construct mathematical explanations that share a solution with others.” Throughout the lesson, students build conceptual understanding as they apply prior knowledge about multiplicative relationships to represent real-world scenarios with tape diagrams. Exercises 3-6 in the Practice asks students to independently find the total number of marbles in a bag given ratio relationships and one of the parts. The English Learner Support note suggests that to support Exercises 3-6, teachers should “focus on the key details (students) need to state the answers.” The materials do not provide details about which key details teachers need to have MLLs focus on for what purpose, or suggested supports for the language demands of independently reading the problems. The note provides additional suggestions across proficiency levels, including having students copy each ratio relationship in their math vocabulary notebooks, “guiding (students) in determining each answer and writing them next to the descriptions), and encouraging MLLs to compare answers. These suggestions lack the specificity needed to support MLLs with building conceptual understanding of ratio relationships by using a flexible web of connections within and between representations. Additionally, the English Learner Support note does not provide MLLs with the linguistic scaffolds needed to reach the tagged WIDA ELD Standard of constructing mathematical explanations that share a solution with others. 

In contrast, MLLs are fully supported in Grade 8, Chapter 2, Transformations, Lesson 2.1, where students physically model and translate figures in the coordinate plane (8.G.1). The WIDA ELD Standards are as follows: “Interpret mathematical explanations by analyzing possible ways to represent and solve a problem. Construct mathematical explanations that introduce a concept or an entity.” In Investigate, students work in partners to physically translate a triangle to a new location using transparent paper, patty paper, transparencies, or geometry software. They build conceptual understanding as they make connections between physically sliding the triangle, drawing the new triangle’s sides and vertices, and describing the location of each vertex, written in its abstract form. The English Learner Support note suggests that teachers support the new terminology of the chapter slide, transformation, image, and translation. The note makes an attempt at amplifying language forms when it provides this general language support: “Be sure to discuss different forms of translate, including translation (noun) and translating (verb).” The note provides additional scaffolded supports across proficiency levels that focus on adding the new mathematical terminology, with images, to their math vocabulary notebook. These language supports are aligned to the language demands academic task and the tagged WIDA ELD Standard around constructing explanations that introduce a concept.

As stated in the Criterion 1 summary, see 1d.MLL for the program’s embedded linguistic supports. This report examines how those supports are reflected in relation to the expectations of this specific Indicator, using examples from the materials to illustrate implementation.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Math & YOU partially meet expectations of providing support for MLLs’ full and complete participation in developing procedural skills and fluencies. The materials offer opportunities for students to encounter sequenced tasks that emphasize flexible strategies and efficient procedures alongside occasional student-to-student discourse. However, the materials inconsistently offer clear linguistic supports for MLLs to fully and completely participate in opportunities for students to develop procedural skills and fluencies. For example:

• MLLs are not fully supported in participating in Grade 6, Chapter 2, Fractions and Decimals, Lesson 2.7, where students divide whole numbers using the standard algorithm (6.NS.2). The WIDA English Language Development [ELD] Standards are as follows: “Construct mathematical explanations that state reasoning used to generate a solution. Construct mathematical explanations that share a solution with others.” During the In-Class Practice, students have opportunities to engage in procedural skills and fluency as they independently apply the standard algorithm when dividing whole numbers. The English Learner Support note suggests that the teacher directs MLLs to add the new terms divisor, dividend, and quotient to their math vocabulary notebooks. While this suggestion supports MLLs with using and applying precise mathematical terminology, it does not provide language supports for MLLs to work towards accuracy, efficiency, or flexibility when dividing using the standard algorithm. The note also includes suggestions, across proficiency levels, for partners to engage when solving the In-Class Practice. These suggestions range from partners reading their answers aloud to partners asking each other what their first step was to partner explaining their answers and reasoning to each other. Together, the suggestions in the English Learner Support note do not support MLLs’ full and complete participation in building towards accuracy, efficiency, or flexibility when dividing using the standard algorithm or constructing explanations about division procedures. 

• In contrast, MLLs are supported in Grade 7, Chapter 4, Equations and Inequalities, Lesson 4.2, where students write and solve equations using multiplication or division (7.EE.4a). The WIDA ELD Standards are as follows: “Construct mathematical explanations that describe data and/or a problem-solving strategy. Construct mathematical arguments that justify conclusions with evidence and mathematical facts.” During the Key Concept, the lesson provides explicit instruction about how to solve one-step equations using multiplication or division alongside the written steps with a reference to two properties of equality. The English Learner Support note suggests that MLLs add both properties of equality to their math vocabulary notebooks. The note also includes linguistic supports, across proficiency levels, for partners to write and sequence their solution steps when solving the In-Class Practice. When writing and then reading their solution steps to a partner, the note encourages teachers to have MLLs do the following: in the Entering-Emering proficiency levels to use and apply sentence frames when sequencing their solution steps, at the Developing-Expanding proficiency levels to use sequencing words, and in the Bridging-Reaching proficiency levels to use complete sentences. This allows MLLs to engage in procedural practice that is intertwined with sequencing procedural steps within a mathematical explanation, which aligns with the tagged WIDA ELD Standard for this lesson.

As stated in the Criterion 1 summary, see 1d.MLL for the program’s embedded linguistic supports. This report examines how those supports are reflected in relation to the expectations of this specific Indicator, using examples from the materials to illustrate implementation.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Math & YOU partially meet expectations of providing support for MLLs’ full and complete participation in utilizing mathematical concepts and skills in engaging applications. The materials engage students in applying mathematics in routine and non-routine contexts, including single- and multi-step problems. These applications provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their ability to transfer and apply mathematical concepts and skills. However, the materials inconsistently offer language supports necessary for MLLs to fully access the linguistic demands of solving routine and non-routine application problems. For example:

• MLLs are not fully supported in participating in Grade 7, Chapter 5, Ratios and Proportions, Lesson 5.1, where students apply their understanding of ratios to use ratio tables to represent equivalent ratios (7.RP.1). The WIDA English Language Development [ELD] Standards are as follows: “Construct mathematical explanations that introduce a concept or an entity. Construct mathematical explanations that describe data and/or a problem-solving strategy.” During the In-Class Practice, students work independently to solve three application problems where they find the missing values in ratio tables. The English Learner Support note suggests that MLLs first add the vocabulary words ratio, value of the ratio, equivalent ratios, and ratio tables to their math vocabulary notebooks. It also suggests that MLLs work in pairs on the problems, with supports across language proficiency levels that focus on interpreting the value of the ratios in each problem. While the Entering-Emerging proficiency level suggests the use of a sentence frame to support MLLs with interpreting the value of the ratios, two of the three suggested supports simply direct the teacher to have MLLs take turns or use complete sentences to interpret the values of the ratios. This does not allow for full and complete participation of MLLs in solving the application problems in the In-Class Practice, nor does it support MLLs with the language demands outlined in the WIDA ELD Standards of constructing mathematical explanations that describe solution strategies.

• In contrast, MLLs are supported in Grade 8, Chapter 7, Functions, Lesson 7.3, where students use functions to model linear relationships (8.F.4). The WIDA ELD Standards are as follows: “Construct mathematical explanations that introduce a concept of an entity. Construct mathematical explanations that state reasoning used to generate a solution.” As students work on solving application problems within the lesson, the lesson includes Nick’s Notes: Language Routine which suggests the use of Compare and Connect. It states, "Students are asked to compare and connect different strategies used by their peers. Begin by asking students to identify similarities in different strategies and then discuss differences. Then ask students to focus on a particular relationship, operations, or skill. You can ask questions like, ‘Why does this approach involve graphing and this one does not?’ or ‘Did anyone else use a similar strategy?’ ” The teacher prompts in the Language Routine support MLLs’ access to every application problem within the lesson, aligning with the WIDA ELD Standards tagged to this lesson of constructing mathematical explanations that state solution strategies.

As stated in the Criterion 1 summary, see 1d.MLL for the program’s embedded linguistic supports. This report examines how those supports are reflected in relation to the expectations of this specific Indicator, using examples from the materials to illustrate implementation.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Math & YOU partially meet the expectations of providing support for MLLs’ full and complete participation in the intentional development of MP6: Attend to precision. The materials provide teacher guidance for explicit instruction for students to communicate using grade-level appropriate vocabulary with accurate definitions. However, there is limited teacher guidance around supporting MLLs to formulate clear explanations, state the meaning of symbols, calculate accurately and efficiently, or use precise labels. Therefore, language supports are inconsistently applied for MLLs to engage in MP6. For example:

• MLLs are not fully supported in participating in Grade 7, Chapter 5, Ratios and Proportions, Lesson 5.2, where students describe how to use unit rates to solve real-world problems. In the Key Concept, the materials guide the teacher to explicitly instruct students the definitions for the words rate, unit rate, and equivalent rates with a verbal description, a written definition, and annotated visuals to accompany the written formula. In the next segment of the lesson, the materials ask students to work independently to find and describe the unit rate of two real-world situations. The English Learner Support note suggests that the teacher have MLLs write an equation for finding each unit rate, and then “guide (students) as they write to explain a situation” for the two real-world situations. While the Entering-Emering proficiency levels’ suggestion includes a sentence frame that is supportive of MLLs using precise vocabulary in their explanations, the Developing-Expanding and Bridging-Reaching proficiency levels do not provide specific, supportive guidance for MLLs. They suggest that the teacher has partners “discuss a situation for each” and have MLLs “use complete sentences to write a description of each situation.” These suggestions lack the specificity needed for MLLs to formulate clear explanations or to use and apply grade-level vocabulary accurately. 

• In contrast, MLLs are supported in Grade 8, Chapter 10, Volumes and Similar Solids, Lesson 10.2, where students attend to precision when they use a formula to find the volume of cones. In the Key Concept, the materials guide the teacher to explicitly instruct students about how to find the volume of a cone with a verbal description, a written definition, and annotated visuals to accompany the written formula. After the teacher reviews the steps to finding the volume of a cone, both verbally and by referencing the written steps in the Student Edition, a Talk About It invites the teacher to facilitate a Turn and Talk for students to use precise mathematical language to explain the steps used to find the volume of a cone. This provides MLLs with an opportunity to orally rehearse the steps to finding the volume of a cone before being asked to independently explain how to find the volume of a cone. Later in the lesson, an English Learner Support note provides MLLs with the suggestion to add the term cone to their math vocabulary notebooks, along with labeled diagrams and a connection to real-life objects that are cone shaped. This suggestion supports MLLs with using grade-level appropriate vocabulary and accurate definitions. 

As stated in the Criterion 1 summary, see 1d.MLL for the program’s embedded linguistic supports. This report examines how those supports are reflected in relation to the expectations of this specific Indicator, using examples from the materials to illustrate implementation.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Math & YOU partially meet the expectations of providing support for MLLs’ full and complete participation in the intentional development of MP8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. The materials provide opportunities for students to use and develop language when looking for and expressing regularity in repeated reasoning through Key Concept whole-group discussions and In-Class Practice. However, language supports are inconsistently applied for MLLs to engage in MP8. For example:

• MLLs are not fully supported in participating in Grade 6, Chapter 6, Equations, Lesson 6.2, where students look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning as they use algebra tiles and a scale to solve equations and make generalizations. In Investigate, students work in partners to make sense of and solve various 1-step equations. Then, the teacher facilitates a whole-class discussion summarizing the steps to solve each equation and making connections between the scale and tape diagrams. There are no language supports for MLLs to fully participate in the partner work or the whole-class discussion. A Talk About It invites the teacher to engage students in creating generalizations based on this work through the whole-class discussion prompt, “Develop a procedure that you can use to solve any equation in the form x+p=q.” There are no linguistic scaffolds for MLLs to make meaning and create generalizations from the whole-class discussion. 

In contrast, MLLs are supported in Grade 8, Chapter 4, Graphing and Writing Linear Equations, Lesson 4.2, where students look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning as they explain the meaning of slope and describe the formula for finding the slope of a line. In the Key Concept, the teacher provides explicit instruction around the definition of the term slope, including a verbal description paired with the written definition in the Student Edition and a color-coded annotated visual paired with the color-coded formula. An English Learner Support note invites the teacher to provide a more detailed verbal description of the aspects of the formula for slope. The teacher invites students to add the terms slope,steepness, negative, and positive to their math vocabulary notebooks with labeled visuals, supporting MLLs with describing the formula for slope.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Math & YOU partially meet expectations for providing teacher guidance to support MLLs and to utilize the strategies, supports, and/or accommodations found. The materials provide suggestions for language supports at point-of-use within lessons which often support teachers in anticipating potential language demands along a progression of language acquisition. However, the materials do not provide comprehensive guidance to teachers that is inclusive of all levels of understanding in instructing MLLs, including how to consistently observe and respond to potential language demands, challenges, and opportunities in a lesson.

As noted in the 3e.MLL report, each lesson in every chapter includes at least one English Learner Support note that is aligned to the lessons’ tagged WIDA standard(s) and that offer linguistic scaffolds to support MLLs with understanding and applying the mathematical language of the lesson. For example, in Grade 7, Chapter 3, Expressions, Lesson 1, the tagged WIDA standards are, “Construct mathematical explanations that share a solution with others,” and, “Construct mathematical explanations that state reasoning used to generate a solution.” The lesson opens with students engaging with the new vocabulary term like terms. The English Learner Support note offers anticipatory linguistic scaffolds, provided along a progression of language acquisition, to support MLLs with constructing mathematical explanations about how to simplify multi-step algebraic expressions: “Have EL students add the terms like terms, simplest form, and simplify to their math vocabulary notebooks. Encourage students to add examples of each term.

• Entering-Emerging: Have partners complete each set of In-Class Practice exercises and then compare their answers with another pair of students.

• Developing-Expanding: Have partners complete each set of In-Class Practice exercises and then compare their answers and solution steps with another pair of students.

• Bridging-Reaching: Have students complete each set of In-Class Practice exercises and then use complete sentences to their solution steps to a partner.”

However, while the lesson-embedded English Learner Support notes guide teachers to anticipate potential language demands within lessons, they do not provide consistent teacher guidance on how to observe and respond to the potential language demands and opportunities in lessons. Additionally, the English Learner Support notes do not provide comprehensive guidance to teachers that is inclusive of all levels of understanding in instructing MLLs. In the Grade 7 example, the linguistic scaffold provided across the language proficiency levels are very similar and include the guidance of having MLLs compare answers and/or solution steps without details about how to do that. This is a representative example of trends found across chapters and grade levels, and these types of support are not sufficiently educative for teachers at all levels of understanding in instructing MLLs. 

In conclusion, the materials demonstrate a clear and sustained commitment to supporting MLLs through frequent lesson-embedded guidance that addresses language demands alongside mathematical content.However, the materials do not provide comprehensive guidance to teachers that is inclusive of all levels of understanding in instructing MLLs.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades 6-8 of Math & YOU partially meet the expectations of the guiding teachers on how to match students with language supports, progressing along a continuum, and to be responsive to students’ current language development in relation to the content. While the materials provide language support at varying language proficiency levels, they do not guide teachers on how to match students with language supports at those language proficiency levels.

The materials provide general guidance that supports teachers in responding to students’ current language usage in relation to mathematical content. As noted in the 3e.MLL report, within The Implementation Handbook: Grades 6-8, teachers are prompted to monitor and attend to the language students use. For example, the High Expectations for All: Supporting Student Learning section of the Implementation Handbook offers the following vague suggestion, “Consider these (English Learner Support) notes during planning to identify challenges that multilingual learners might encounter during the lesson and plan appropriate supports.” This guidance is general in nature and does not provide specific conditional guidance related to language development of MLLs (e.g. “If MLLs struggle with ____, then provide ___.”). In the Implementation Handbook, the Assessment System: Monitoring Student Learning section provides general conditional guidance as it relates to portions of the lesson design. This guidance is not specific to language development of MLLs. For example, this section of the Implementation Handbook encourages teachers to monitor students’ written work and oral conversations during the Investigate portion of the lesson design, specifically to, “listen to what language students use to describe what they noticed and attend to their strategies to interpret the approaches they discovered while making sense of the tasks.” The materials then encourage teachers to make responsive instructional decisions during the Investigate, such as, “Use mathematical language that can serve as a building block for the Key Concept. Leverage informal strategies used by students that can be formalized into generalizable approaches. Identify additional support needed before formalizing learning and introducing mathematical vocabulary." While these supports are responsive in nature and relate to students’ language usage, they are general and are not uniquely positioned as attending to MLLs’ current language development in relation to mathematical content. As a result, responsiveness is present but not consistently operationalized.

Within lessons, the materials rely on predefined WIDA language proficiency level bands (e.g., Entering–Emerging, Developing–Expanding, Bridging–Reaching) without providing sufficient guidance on how teachers should determine MLLs’ current language proficiency level to match students with language supports during instruction, particularly in contexts where WIDA proficiency data is unavailable, outdated, or insufficiently granular. Additionally, the materials do not include teacher guidance on how to adjust supports over time as students develop language proficiency or address how teachers should respond to variability within the wide ranges of language development within the bands. 

In conclusion, while the materials offer general guidance for monitoring and responding to students’ language use during mathematics instruction, this guidance is broad, lacking specificity to MLL language development. Additionally, while lessons rely on WIDA language proficiency bands, the materials do not provide sufficient direction for matching MLLs with language supports.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6-8 of Math & YOU partially meet expectations for providing guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning. The materials offer translated resources, but they lack specific teacher-facing guidance on how to integrate MLLs’ home languages into daily classroom instruction. The materials partially provide guidance to teachers on how to draw upon MLLs’ home language as a resource for learning, but this guidance is inconsistent and lacks specificity connected to MLLs learning grade-level mathematics content.

The materials feature a suite of multilingual access tools—including multilingual glossaries, text-to-speech, Spanish-language Teacher and Student Editions, and translated family letters—that collectively position multilingualism as an instructional asset. These tools provide meaningful opportunities for students to access content in their home language, especially through the Spanish-language editions and the 16-language digital translation options when using the Digital Experience. Practically, the digital translation tools inconsistently translate text, especially when there are mathematical symbols present. While these tools are robust in structure, they appear unevenly embedded and referenced across the instructional cycle.

For example, in Grade 6, Chapter 8, Integers and Rational Numbers, Lesson 8.1, the Learning Target is, “Understand the concept of negative numbers and that they are used along with positive numbers to describe quantities.” A portion of the English Learner Support note for the lesson states, “Entering-Emerging: Allow students to form their answer in their home language and then translate them into English. Support students with any grammatical errors.” However, while the Implementation Handbook asserts that the English Learner Support notes appear “in every lesson,” this is one of 17 references to home language usage in Grade 6. Additionally, the majority of the 17 references appear in the Support for All Learners section of the lesson or in the Big Ideas of the Chapter section, hence not embedded at point-of-use within lesson facilitation. This demonstrates an inconsistent application of the materials providing guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning. 

Given these patterns, the materials encourage teachers to draw upon MLLs’ home language to facilitate learning grade-level mathematics content, but not consistently. Additionally, the materials do not include guidance on how to garner information that will aid in learning, including the family’s preferred language of communication, schooling experiences in other languages, literacy abilities in other languages, and previous exposure to academic or everyday English.