Common vocabulary words that elementary students may find challenging include:
Algorithm: A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing a task, such as long division or multiplication.
Inverse operation: A mathematical operation that "undoes" another operation, such as addition and subtraction, or multiplication and division.
Fraction: A part of a whole, represented as one number (numerator) divided by another (denominator).
Denominator/Numerator: The bottom and top numbers in a fraction, respectively.
Prime number: A whole number greater than 1 that has exactly two distinct positive divisors: 1 and itself.
Variable: A symbol that represents a quantity that can vary or change in a mathematical expression or equation.
Coefficient: The numerical factor of a term in a mathematical expression.
Exponent: A small number written above and to the right of another number, indicating how many times the base number should be multiplied by itself.
Place value: The value of a digit based on its position within a number.
Coordinate: A pair of numbers used to determine the position of a point on a graph or map.
Ratio: A comparison of two quantities by division.
Perimeter/Area: The distance around the outside of a shape (perimeter) or the amount of space inside a shape (area).
Frequency: The number of times a particular value occurs in a set of data.
Function: A rule that assigns to each input exactly one output.
Coordinate grid: A grid formed by perpendicular lines (axes) intersecting at the origin, used for locating points in a plane.
Parallel lines: Lines in a plane that do not intersect, no matter how far they are extended.
Congruent: Having the same size and shape.
Equivalent: Having the same value or meaning.
Quadrilateral: A polygon with four sides and four angles.
Composite number: A whole number greater than 1 that has more than two distinct positive divisors.
Prime factorization: Expressing a composite number as the product of its prime factors.
Least common multiple (LCM): The smallest multiple that two or more numbers have in common.
Greatest common divisor (GCD): The largest number that divides evenly into two or more numbers.
Proportion: An equation stating that two ratios are equal.
Decimal fraction: A fraction whose denominator is a power of 10.
Mixed number: A whole number combined with a fraction.
Improper fraction: A fraction where the numerator is greater than or equal to the denominator.
Order of operations: The rules that specify the sequence in which operations in an expression should be evaluated.
Inverse proportion: A relationship between two quantities in which an increase in one results in a decrease in the other, and vice versa.
Distributive property: A property that states that multiplying a sum by a number is the same as multiplying each addend by the number and then adding the products.
Fractional part: A part of a whole expressed as a fraction.
Radical: A symbol indicating the root of a number.
Equilateral triangle: A triangle with all three sides of equal length.
Isosceles triangle: A triangle with at least two sides of equal length.
Scalene triangle: A triangle with no sides of equal length.
Acute angle: An angle measuring less than 90 degrees.
Obtuse angle: An angle measuring more than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees.
Right angle: An angle measuring exactly 90 degrees.
Adjacent angles: Angles that share a common side and a common vertex, but do not overlap.
Introducing these words gradually and providing opportunities for students to see them used in context through examples, activities, and real-world applications can help solidify their understanding.
