When we talk about Math Literacy, we think of a story, so does that mean we are making up a story about math? Why are we making up a story shouldn’t we be calculating? Math does seem like a foreign language, but EVERYTHING is connected with the right presentation.

There’s a good majority of people who takes the time to understand math only to be able to count Money. Understandably, most feel that money is what makes the world goes around and what buys happiness (the answer to those questions is love, but that’s a completely different philosophical lecture). Although money is an important source of life, it is not what sustains living, and it is not the key in Mathematics. Unfortunately, Math Literacy has taken a back seat and has become an unknown source of resentment towards mathematics. The Common Core, also becoming popular from negative connotation, emphasizes literacy in all subjects.

The above flow chart shows the understanding of learning mathematics as a toddler playing with blocks to identify and match shapes; to learning how to count numbers (applying operations and fractions); and then quantitative literacy which is using algebraic relationships, such as number properties and solving for variables. The uncertainty category is the theoretical approaches in mathematics.

When using the constructivist approach, student-centered, it is ideal for students to discover the new Concept that will build upon prior knowledge by the teacher skillfully planning to target the students’ zone of proximal development. Then the students can summarize by demonstrating a procedural method of solving a problem. Communicating by knowing how to give a thorough explanation of ‘how they know that their answer is correct.’ Then lastly applying the new concept by “thinking outside of the box.” Creating new understanding by being able to broaden this concept and creating new relationships to other ideas or knowledge, also known as multiple representations.