Many maths errors begin as reading errors. Students may know how to calculate but miss the meaning of a word such as difference, estimate, product or likely. Daily review is a useful place to make this language visible.
Teach words inside questions
Vocabulary sticks when students meet it in context. A quick review question can ask for the answer and then ask which word gave a clue about the operation, comparison or representation.
- Pair a word with a diagram.
- Ask students to choose between two possible meanings.
- Revisit one important term across several days.
- Invite students to write a matching question using the word.
Low-prep habit
Circle one word in the review prompt and ask, "What does this word tell us to do?"