Introduction
Our school is different from the usual public-school setting because our population of students is 98% Native American and predominantly English Language Learners. At the beginning of each year I have students complete an activity like a scavenger hunt, which gives me a chance to ask questions about their household. One of the questions asks the student what languages people speak in their home. I use this activity to obtain background information of my students. This year the information I obtained regarding the students’ background indicates some students have parents or grandparents that are fluent Navajo speakers. About a fourth of the students understand the Navajo language because they are exposed to both Navajo and English language, but they cannot speak the Navajo language fluently. Only four students are capable of orally communicating fluently in Navajo and English. This is important information because now I know our students have communication issues due to their dual language exposure, so I need to incorporate English Language Learner (ELL) strategies into my lessons.
Another important factor is their home environment. It seems that each year, there is an increase in dysfunctional family issues. The most challenging issue our students deal with is poverty, which is shared across the reservation. Understanding poverty, especially as one works to dismantle its negative effects, is too complex to reduce to just economics and must include a discussion of cultural relevance beyond just material wealth. Poverty continues to generate other problems that have been escalating in our communities, such as alcoholism, which is a constant issue, but recently there is an increase also in drug abuse on the reservation. Due to these issues with parents and guardians, our students are not being taught their traditional cultural values, which are important components in the development of self-identity. Students need self-identity to support their motivational drive for success. These are a few factors that hinder our students' motivation toward their educational endeavors.
This year's math score is like those of previous years: the NWEA beginning of the year (BOY) math assessment results indicate 72% (49 students) of my students in sixth grade were below average in all five areas of the math goal indicators (Number System, Expression and Equation, Geometry and Probability/Statistics); 25% (17 students) are nearing proficiency; and 3% (2 students) are proficient. Overall, our school’s math scores are still below the average range at the beginning of the school year, but the data does show that our math scores have been improving. Although, we are improving in our assessment scores, it’s a slow growth and so we are still considered a school “In Need of Improvement”. As I reflect on this information it is obvious our students need to build a solid understanding of number sense to support their academic growth in math concepts. Furthermore, with all the information I gathered regarding my students’ background, home environment and assessment data, I knew I had to create the best educational setting and instruction to support the growth of their math comprehension. By reflecting on this data, I have come to believe that my students need the fundamental understanding of numbers which begins with knowing place value, and to broaden their understanding of small numbers and large numbers.
(This part of my curriculum can be adapted to other languages as well or it can be disregarded.)
Navajo language extinction has been a concern for many educators on the Navajo Reservation for the past decade and more so in the past few years. We have just recently realized
how important language is to every culture. It’s a blessing that we have not fully lost our Dine language as in some cases of other Native American Tribal Languages. We still have hope in continuing our native dialect for future generations. In this regard, it is imperative that we, the Dine People, come together with plans in preserving our language and culture. Therefore, using background information and my understanding of our Navajo students, I incorporate Navajo language into my math lessons on decimals using speaking and writing.
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