Word Problems: Language and Math; Words and Symbols - One of the difficult aspects of math word problems is often the English! This session will examine and demonstrate specific strategies for carefully constructed verbalizations to provide closer connectedness between what we read with words and what we write with symbols. Learn the importance of definitions; how to teach the reading of directions; the very first thing to do with word problems (and the two reasons for doing so); the proper (and improper) meaning of important math symbols; how to teach which operation to use; and more.