Role of Writing in Math

The best way to improve your ability to think is to spend time thinking.

One way to force yourself to slow down and think is to write. Good writing requires good thinking.

Clear writing gives poor thinking nowhere to hide, making a lack of understanding visible.

Writing comes at the end of the sequence of Listening, Thinking, Speaking, Loud Reading, Reading to oneself and then Writing to communicate our thoughts & then writing to clarify our thinking

Role of writing in learning math changes as children move up the grades.

1. Learning penmanship - Preschool & Lower primary

2. Expressing math ideas, operations & procedures in writing using appropriate vocabulary- Upper Primary & middle school

3. Using writing & revising as a way to sharpen our thinking - middle & high school

Too much writing in stage 1 will interfere with learning.