This idea comes from my colleague Jennifer Kempton who knows the value of teaching Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary in her middle school math classroom. Math has so many process words that can be confusing for all students including language learners so why not give students explicit opportunities to practice with those words?
Kempton’s students do this a variety of ways, including manipulating math symbols and their related vocabulary words in their interactive notebooks as pictured above. When our district recently adopted G Suite for Education, Kempton approached me about other ways student would be able to practice vocabulary in a blended setting and this drag and drop activity was born!
Drag and drop activities are great for both independent and group work and can easily be shared via link or Google Classroom! If you give this drag and drop math vocabulary exercise a try, I’d love to here about your experience!