Tom Stull
Ludlow High School, Ludlow Independent School District
9th Grade Algebra I

Tom Stull has been teaching high school mathematics for 18 years. The students featured in the video are freshman taking Algebra I, and they are familiar with the reading strategies showcased in the video segments — they use them regularly.

The school district has been aggressively working to improve students' reading abilities, and Tom has conducted numerous professional development workshops on reading in mathematics and science. Some of the resources he uses include Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me, then Who? by Rachel Billmeyer and Teaching Reading in Mathematics (2nd Edition) by Mary Lee Barton and Clare Heidema.

Teacher Talk
Tom Stull explains how he analyzes the written material his math students will be reading and plans for the instruction his students will need before, during, and after they read. He cites the importance of establishing prior knowledge of vocabulary and mentions some of the specialized reading needs for math.
Watch the video (1 minute, 10 seconds)

• Activate Prior Knowledge
  Tom Stull uses an anticipation guide to assess what prior knowledge of vocabulary and concepts his students bring to a math lesson. Tom's students mark statements they read as true or false. As they share their responses with a partner, they both draw on prior knowledge to review concepts and anticipate or predict meaning for new concepts.
  Watch the video (2 minutes, 10 seconds)
  Anticipation Guide (pdf file)
   
  
• Understand Vocabulary
  Tom Stull uses graphic organizers to isolate one topic or phrase for students. Using the Frayer Model, his students paraphrase a topic's definition, list facts and characteristics, and provide examples and non-examples. The Frayer Model is a valuable teacher resource because it can be saved as a computer file, adapted for any lesson, and used to assess understanding. It is valuable for students because it can serve as reading notes. After Tom explains how he gradually leads students toward independent use of the graphic organizer, he introduces the topic for the Frayer Model to his class and reviews the students' work.
  Watch the video (7 minutes, 59 seconds)
  Frayer Model (pdf file)
   
  
• Monitor Comprehension
  Tom Stull talks about various ways that reading in math can differ from reading material organized in paragraphs. He describes how his students react to word problems and discusses his use of a K-N-W-S worksheet that helps the students extract information they need, determine what they do not need, and organize information so they can plan strategies for solving the problems. Tom's students read a word problem, and he models charting the information in the proper columns.
  Watch the video (3 minutes, 59 seconds)
  K-N-W-S Worksheet (pdf file)
   
  Tom Stull explains that he constructs questions to guide students as they read the math textbook. The questions address vocabulary issues and require students to paraphrase key ideas. After a student reads the math text orally, Tom directs students' attention to a specific term and asks them to compare its definition to an earlier prediction they made about it.
  Watch the video (3 minutes, 10 seconds)
  During Reading Questions (pdf file)
  Information Sheet (pdf file)
   
  
• Reflect on Reading
  Tom Stull discusses how reflecting upon what was accomplished in class allows both students and teacher to better understand what they were doing and what they learned from the experience. At the end of his class, the students paraphrase important concepts addressed that day, create a question based on the material for a classmate to answer, and write a statement about when they would use a specific concept in order to connect it to their lives.
  Watch the video (3 minutes, 26 seconds)