Month: November 2017

In math we have been spending time focusing on place value.
The students learned vocabulary words like digit, word form, standard form and expanded form. They practiced ordering from least to greatest, as well as identifying ones, tens, hundreds and thousands place values in numbers.

Beginning with identifying digits and place values supports students as they move into larger numbers and numbers with decimals.  Being able to identify numbers written as numerals, words, and expanded form helps students to see that five hundred is different than fifty or five, and the value of the digit is dependent on the place it holds in a number.  Using these skills, students have a deeper foundation when it comes to adding multi-digit equations. 

In addition to place value we have also been exploring and naming different addition strategies. Some of the strategies students have examined include: Turn Around Facts, Doubles, Tens Partners. The complete list can be found in the attached photo. 

Students are becoming much more fluent and flexible with their addition facts, which frees up thinking space for more complex mathematical work. We appreciate all of the time and effort required to support this growth at home.

If you are looking for ways to practice addition and subtraction facts with your second graders, here are a few fun ideas:

1. Roll two dice and add them together. (You can increase the difficulty by adding more than two dice or by using dice with more than 6 sides!)
2. Play Yahtzee
3. Play the card game War and add the two cards together
4. Hold two cards, show only one card to your student, but also tell them the sum of the two numbers. Have them figure out the other card.
5. Show a flash card (for example: 4+7) and then do that many of a certain type of exercise. So in this case, 11 pushups/jumping jacks, high knees, etc. Repeat for different facts and exercises. Wear them out AND learn facts! Double win!
6. Point out when you see a fact in use in your daily life and ask your second grader to help you solve it. For example, if you order something from Amazon on Dec. 5 and it says it will be delivered in 7-9 days. What day could it arrive?

What works best for your family to practice addition facts? We would love to hear your ideas!

The second grade students have launched head first into a new unit of study in reading: nonfiction!

The first part of the unit students focused on different text features found in nonfiction texts.

To name a few: titles, bold words, diagrams, photos, and captions. Students read many different kinds of nonfiction texts and noticed how they often looked differently than the fiction texts they read. They pointed out the different features, named them, and discussed the authors purpose for including them.

Next the students made their own short informational book to teach others about nonfiction text features!

Looking at other published texts as a guide, students chose different features from our list to highlight and made a different page for each feature, combining them all into a short book.

Students will continue their reading study of nonfiction texts by making connections to what they read and thinking more deeply about how it helps them understand more completely.

They will also notice when they learn new information from their reading and how it connects to what they already know about the topic.

In addition to further developing their nonfiction reading strategies, students have begun to think about topics they are specialists on and could teach someone else about. This will guide their informational writing.