The results are in. I admit the participation was bit disappointing. I sent a message to the full staffs of Challenger Middle School, Mountain View Elementary and Pine Creek High School. I figure there must have been at least  300 people on those combined lists. I got 33 responses (11%).

Figure 1 shows a plot of the data, which consist of responses to the question “knowledge of how many mathematics terms is required by the end of grade 8?”

Interesting eh? Nice graph too! Made with Kaleidagraph 4.1 and exported to a png file.

Based on a few follow up emails I received, at least a few (four) of the respondents are interested in the “correct” answer. Well, according to Marzano the number of terms is about 420. This includes everything from an understanding of “even” and “odd” up to things like “histogram” and “exponential variation.”

So, four people were in the correct bin in the survey analysis and eight others were close. Most were not. Most guessed too low. This indicates to me that most teachers will probably underestimate the need for constant and formal teaching of the terms needed to understand mathematics through middle school. Memorize them! All of them! All 400+ of them! Starting in Kindergarten!

In inspecting the vocabulary list, I really don’t find anything to quibble with. Terminology is important, and I think more teachers will agree with me on that than perhaps would have a few years ago. I have in the past heard teachers say, “I don’t really focus much on the vocabulary.” That would be a mistake.

It is maddening to watch a student struggle with a concept because they don’t have a solid understanding of the words used to describe and explain the concept. It’s unnecessarily difficult to find the product of 56 and 3 when you don’t exactly remember what a product is.

You know what’s sad (and really frustrating)? I really do stress vocabulary in class, but at the end of the year, no matter how many times they have heard it, no matter how many times they have been asked to review notes before a quiz, no matter how many times they have heard other students answer the simple question. “What is a product?” there will be some that still don’t know.