ABSTRACT
Culturally and linguistically diverse learners in mathematics classrooms have not been educated effectively, nor have the mathematics experiences been channeled in relation to skills, abilities, and academic performance of these students. Historically, English language learners who are Latino/a have not been appropriately identified as gifted nor have they been a part of appropriate mathematics classroom placement and instruction. In some regions, gender continues to be a variable for segregation in mathematics classrooms in coed schools. A significant body of research suggests that a key obstacle to literacy across curriculum initiatives in the mathematics classroom is the mathematics language register. Mathematics classrooms offer a unique opportunity for parents, teachers, and students to work together to differentiate individual student's math needs and to accommodate standards-based programs in an array of learning experiences that will incorporate the student's abilities, languages, individual history, and cultural experiences. Teaching mathematics to ELLs differs from teaching mathematics to regular mainstream students.
