In the prior sections, you observed and explored the Communication Standard while first observing students and then solving problems involving geometric shapes and area. You also reflected on ways to help young children develop their communication skills. Now that you are familiar with the Standard and some of its aspects, we'd like you to apply it. We will see how Flo Pearson, a teacher of a first/second-grade class, helps her students investigate the concepts of addition and subtraction by writing and sharing story problems that result in a sum or difference of 20. As they work on this task, students use a variety of forms of communication, which helps them connect their everyday language and experiences to the mathematical language and symbolism of the operations.

How does communication fit into this picture? Before we view the students' work, consider a problem similar to the task that Flo Pearson sets for her students.

  Consider a problem