July 3, 2026 Categories: Parenting Our Children
Reading Comprehension And Math Skills: What’s The Connection?
I’m sure that I will always be,
a lonely number like root three.
The three is all that’s good and right,
why must my three keep out of sight?
Beneath the vicious square root sign,
I wish instead I were a nine
For nine could thwart this evil trick,
with just some quick arithmetic.
I know I’ll never see the sun,
as 1.7321.
Such is my reality,
a sad irrationality.
When hark! What is this I see,
another square root of a three!
As quietly co-waltzing by,
together now we multiply
to form a number we prefer,
rejoicing as an integer.
We break free from our mortal bonds
with the wave of magic wands.
Our square root signs become unglued
Your love for me has been renewed.
The above poem by Dave Feinberg, an American author, is all about math – square roots, irrational numbers and integers. You might think that these types of poems are the only times that reading comprehension and math are linked. In reality, there’s a lot more that connects reading comprehension and math. And, if we make those connections explicit, not only will our students begin reading more fluently, math will come more easily and fluently.
The Department of Early Childhood and Education of British Columbia recently published a study that outlined the different skills necessary for both reading comprehension and math.
Self-monitor. When doing math problems or reading new texts, students need to constantly evaluate whether they understand what they are reading. They also need to ask questions when they do not understand a concept. Fluent readers and mathematicians periodically measure their understanding in order to eliminate gaps and misconceptions. Continually asking yourself, “Does this make sense?” is at the heart of good reading and good math skills.
Navigate different genres. Readers (especially when reading works of non-fiction) and those engaged in math need to move from one type of text to another. In textbooks, students encounter prose, charts, highlighted words separate from the text, and glossaries. In math, students might encounter a diagram with numbers and letters, equations, graphs, a pie chart, and a word problem. Knowing how to freely move between these different types of texts is an important skill for both math and reading.
Communicate concisely. Fluent readers can quickly and concisely share the context and analysis of the piece they have read. The same goes for math. Students who understand the math problem should be able to concisely answer a math question verbally or in writing.
Gain key vocabulary. When reading any piece of literature, there are new words that students must master. For instance, for even the simple Shel Silverstein’s Giving Tree, students will learn essential words such as “trunk,” “stump,” and “gather.” Likewise, when students learn about fractions, they will encounter words such as “numerator,” “denominator” and “least common denominator.” These new vocabulary words are important for understanding the overall meaning of the unit, and without them, students will be lost.
Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension and Math Skills
If students need to improve many of the same skills for both reading comprehension and math, teachers can borrow strategies from literacy instruction and apply them to the math classroom. Below, I have included some suggestions for how to improve those problem-solving skills: Word Walls. Many English Language Arts classrooms will have word walls to expose students to new vocabulary. Research shows that simply seeing the words on a regular basis helps students feel more comfortable with them and ultimately learn the meaning of the words. Creating a word wall for math can provide students with a rich vocabulary of mathematical text and representations, and a fluency in the language of mathematics.
