Resource Blog #3

Figure 2.4. Guided Reading Example

TEXT	POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
Solving Systems Using Substitution	1. What does the title tell you?
Problem
From a car wash, a service club made $109 that was divided between the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts. There were twice as many girls as boys, so the decision was made to give the girls twice as much money. How much did each group receive?	2. Before you read further, how would you translate this story problem into equations?
Solution
Translate each condition into an equation. Suppose the Boy Scouts receive B dollars and the Girl Scouts receive G dollars. We number the equations in the system for reference.	3. What do they mean here by “condition”?
The sum of the amounts is $109. (1) B + G = 109 Girls get twice as much as boys. (2) G = 2B	4. Did you come up with two equations in answer to question 2 above? Are the equations here the same as yours? If not, how are they different? Can you see a way to substitute?
Since G = 2B in equation (2), you can substitute 2B for G in equation (1).
B + 2B = 109 3B = 109 B = 36 1/3	5. How did they arrive at this equation? 6. Do you see how it follows? 7. Does it make sense? How did they get this?
To find G, substitute 36 1/3 for B in either equation. We use equation (2).	8. Do this, then we'll read the next part.
G = 2B = 2 × 36 1/3 = 72 2/3
So the solution is (B, G) = (36 1/3, 72 2/3). The Boy Scouts will receive $36.33, and the Girl Scouts will get $72.67.	9. Did you get the same result?
Check
Are both conditions satisfied?	10. What conditions do they mean here?
Will the groups receive a total of $109? Yes, $36.33 + $72.67 = $109. Will the boys get twice as much as the girls? Yes, it is as close as possible.	11. How would you show this? Where did they get this equation?
Note: Text in the left column above is adapted from University of Chicago School Mathematics Project: Algebra (p. 536), by J. McConnell et al., 1990, Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman.

Guided reading is best done in small groups, with the teacher encouraging students to think of their own questions as they read. A predetermined set of questions isn't necessary. The purpose of guided reading is to help students realize that they can engage with and make sense of the text, whether it be in language arts or mathematics.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/105137/chapters/Reading-in-the-Mathematics-Classroom.aspx 

This Guided Reading example is from Chapter two of the book, Literacy Strategies for Improving Mathematics Instruction, written by Joan M. Kenney, Euthecia Hancewicz, Loretta Heuer, Diana Metsisto and Cynthia L. Tuttle. The example walks students through a math problem involving systems of equations. It breaks the problem down into steps and asks guiding questions along the way to help the students through the process. I believe that this guided reading helps with literacy in math because it breaks the problem down into steps, so that the students can better understand what to do first and then in what order to do the other steps. Also, the questions on the side of the table help the students think critically about the problem and better understand the problem, which are also aspects of literacy in a math classroom. 

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Maegan