Fifth-grade mathematics teachers should assess an ELL student's capacity for hearing and understanding English instructions and vocabulary through a variety of methods. Give instructions aloud and ask a student to complete the assigned task. Provide a math definition and ask a student what word the definition describes. Beginning students will be able to follow directions with three or fewer steps and comprehend a few content area words, while advanced students successfully execute six or more steps and comprehend content area words with 90 percent or better accuracy.
Teachers will determine a student's English-speaking proficiency through a series of strategic assignments in fifth-grade mathematics. Assign ELL students a partner who will stand at a board to solve an unknown problem. Provide students with a grade-appropriate mathematical expression written on a card and instruct them to direct their partner in solving the equation by issuing oral instructions rather than simply reading the math sentence aloud. Observe the instructions provided and the number of attempts made at solving the problem as a team. Give ELL students a word problem. Ask them to read it aloud and provide suggestions on ways to solve the problem without writing out the calculations. Beginning proficient students will give single-step instructions with little reliance on gestures to convey meaning and use simple sentences and phrases to communicate ideas. Advanced proficient students issue verbal information effectively in the correct order, using accurate vocabulary. Telling jokes is also an indication of advanced proficiency. Teachers should remember it is not uncommon for a student to be more advanced in listening proficiency than speaking ability, because language reception is achieved sooner than oral expression of ideas.
It is often difficult for fifth-grade teachers who do not instruct language arts to accurately assess the reading proficiency of ELL students. However, providing opportunities for students to read aloud from their math textbooks and giving tests that require correct identification of math vocabulary words and meanings will give math teachers a good indication of the English proficiency level attained. While beginning students will decode and correctly pronounce most grade-level words and use picture cues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar terms, advanced students apply root word knowledge to derive meanings of unfamiliar words and consult reference sources including the table of contents and glossary to learn more. Beginners typically know 50 to 75 grade-level math vocabulary terms, while advanced English language learners read and understand all grade-level vocabulary words and corresponding definitions with at least 90 percent accuracy.
Fifth-grade math teachers may accurately assess an ELL student's writing proficiency level by assigning the class to write a "how-to" format essay instructing a fourth-grade student how to complete a fifth-grade level math process, such as comparing fractions. Advise students to complete a four-paragraph paper and include critical vocabulary words with explanations. Beginning proficient learners will develop a main idea with a prewriting plan, record objective information and issue simple steps without elaboration or examples. Advanced proficient students will use prewriting plans to develop and organize main ideas in a logical order. Their writing will involve complex sentences containing formal and colloquial language that is audience-appropriate with few spelling or grammatical errors. Advanced proficient essays will include interpretations, reinforcement of main ideas and examples.