And although many algebraic techniques use a lot of symbols, their meanings are explained using spoken language (ACARA, 2014a). This can be problematic for EAL/D students and low-literacy students, especially those who have missed many lessons, as they may have missed these explanations. For example, the symbol "2x-4", should be read as "x is greater than two x minus four". This would be very difficult for EAL/D students unless they are scaffolded with written and spoken language (ACARA,