The role of gestures in supporting mathematical communication for students with language delays

International audienceDespite the fact that discourse is an important facet of mathematical learning, most research on students with language delays learning mathematics has focused on their procedural fluency, with limited focus on their communication of mathematical reasoning. This study focused on two first grade students with language delays as they engaged in choral counting, an instructional activity designed to encourage mathematical discourse. Qualitative analysis of the techniques they used to express their mathematical ideas found that the students' use of gestures in relation to an artefact supported their mathematical communication