Second Story Window

2nd Grade Cumulative Around the Room Math Review

At the end of my first year of teaching (a ridiculously long time ago!), I was confronted with the ugly fate that all poor teachers face: THE TEST.  Realizing that my kids weren't completely prepared, I grabbed a stack of colored paper from the work room and wrote out some questions for them to work on.  One afternoon I posted them around the room and let the kids get to work.

Two things happened.

1. They LOVED it!
2. I knew where I to focus my review efforts.

I put those hand-written papers in a file and used them for many more April reviews.  Last year I updated things for the common core.  I uploaded the pages to our TPT store, but I forgot to blog about it.  I guess that's a good thing, because now I get to show you the original black and white version (for the color-printer impaired such as myself) and the pretty rainbow version.

Regardless of which one you print, the idea is the same: you put up the questions and the kids walk around and answer them.  You could use this as a regular "Scoot" game (especially if you print multiple pages per sheet), but I like to have them around the room for a few reasons.

First, walking around for math always feels like a treat.  Second, some of the questions take longer to answer than others.  If there's a traffic jam, I can redirect the kids to less crowded areas.  Also, this way I don't have to coordinate lots of seat switching.  I do have to remind them to check the question number before writing their answers, but most of them can do it pretty easily.

So every kid has an answer sheet.  It takes about 40 minutes for them to visit each question.  It helps to have a fast-finisher activity for those little dears that race through it in 20 minutes.  After most of them are finished, I gather up the questions and we go through them one at a time and discuss their answers.  This gives me a way to see where I need to target our remaining math review activities (although, with the spiral review in the Morning Work Book I have to say that there usually isn't much that needs revisiting). 

The 30 questions cover most of the 2nd grade math core.  I didn't include the standard about knowing all math facts to 20, because this isn't the right way to assess that.  There are one or two others that I didn't do as well, but the biggest pieces are all here.  Of course there are lots of different questions relating to understanding and using place value.

Geometry, even and odd, arrays, and fractions also get their turn.  And there are several questions tied to Measurement and Data.

You can get your own math review pages in our store.   The set includes 30 common core aligned math questions in black and white or color.  Each question is labeled with the core standard it addresses.  There is a student answer sheet.

I also created a cumulative review skill sheet for students to complete independently.  It's also included in this set!

In our TPT store you can download a 4-page sample.

(If you already bought this review set at TPT, make sure to download the new version!  There was a font issue with the previous files.  Also I added 5 more questions so you get 30 instead of 25 and labeled them with the core documentation.  And you don't want to miss out on the skill sheet!)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Freebie: Easy as Pie Game

We retired Easy as Pie from our etsy shop and we are now offering it as a free download for you! It's the perfect way to add a little math practice to some Thanksgiving fun next week.

Concept: addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts

Game Type: board game for 2-4 players

Includes: game board, rules, instructions, and a bonus skill sheet

With Easy as Pie!, students roll a dice three times and take the corresponding pie pieces. Then the student adds the numbers on the pie pieces together. It's as Easy as Pie! The winner is the player with the most points after 5 rolls. The great part about this game is it works for several different levels. This game can be played using addition, subtraction or multiplication. As an extra bonus, with Easy as Pie! you also receive a special skill sheet to give your student additional practice with math facts.

2nd Grade Common Core Morning Work

(See 1st Grade Morning Work here.)

In my classroom, students begin the day by working independently in their morning work books for 10-15 minutes. Trying to design the original version of the morning work book in 2003 is what first got me developing my own curriculum materials. Back then, my results were pretty basic (and typed in comic sans.) So it brings me great delight to share the updated model. We've come a long way baby!

After a year of work, my new bundle of joy is 180 pages of common core standard language arts/math spiral review.  And 100% comic sans free!  The first 30 pages or so review 1^st grade concepts because the kids haven’t learned 2^nd grade material yet and, by keeping the content simplified, children are able to master the expected procedures.

This morning work book is as comprehensive as I can make it while keeping the format predictable enough for students to work on independently.  I think of it as spirals within cycles.  Every ten pages is one “cycle.”  The type of question on page 3 is the same as 13, 23, 33, etc., but the content within those cycles gradually increases in difficulty.  So on page 8 students are asked to find a picture with a short i sound.

By page 178 they’re still practicing vowel sounds, but now they’re mastering less common patterns.

Every 10-page cycle has its own:

1. Vowel pattern focus (following the Words Their Way sequence) that progresses from short vowels through long vowels to diphthongs (oa, oy, aw, etc.).  Words using this pattern are used throughout the cycle (in sight words, spelling practice, vocabulary words, story problems, editing sentences).

2. Consonant pattern focus (following the Words Their Way sequence) that progresses from basic blends/digraphs (sh, tr, etc.) through less common blends/digraphs (gn, nk, ld) to ending consonant patterns (le, tch, dge, on, etc.).  Words using this pattern are used throughout the cycle (in sight words, spelling practice, vocabulary words, story problems, editing sentences).

3. Vocabulary acquisition word that fits either the vowel or consonant pattern for the cycle.  Students will practice the word 4 different ways during the 10 –day cycle.  The idea is that repeated exposures over time aid in retention of the word.

On the first day, students are given a child-friendly definition and asked to illustrate the word.

On other days, students are asked to make a personal connection to the same word and later asked for some non-examples of the word.  Finally they’re provided with a sentence stem (to ensure accurate context) and asked to write about the word.

4. Original story to practice comprehension and fluency.  Students read a story on page 5 (15, 25, etc.) answer questions about it, and finish a graphic organizer.  On page 10 (20, 30, etc.) students read the same story for a second time.  This time they answer vocabulary-related questions.  They are then asked to rate their reading fluency.  It may be useful to have students buddy-read the story and give each other feedback.  Or you may want to time students reading the first time and again the 2^nd time to see how they improve with repeated readings. 

Stories alternate between fiction and nonfiction and many of the words in the story are taken from the cycle’s vowel/consonant focus.

5. Grammar/Usage/Mechanics focus.  These are skills taken from the common core and are reviewed at different times during the book.  Students are asked direct grammar related questions such as:

 

They’re also asked to apply what they’ve learned to editing sentences such as: 

where is dans shoe

Still with me?

So the cycles are kind of like the backbone.  Let’s put some fluff on this beast!

A. The page number is written in words.  It’s amazing the difficulty some students have with reading number words!  This is good practice.

B. This box alternates between vocabulary and phonics.  Questions rotate among 4 different question types for each subject.

C. This box rotates among spelling, grammar, and usage questions.  Again there are 4 different question types that appear.

D. [Purple D] On pages 1,3,6,8 students are given a sentence to edit.  The errors in the sentence relate to the cycle’s vowel/consonant and grammar focuses.

[Blue D] On pages 2,4,6,9 students are given a prompt and asked to write their own sentence.  They then check for capitals, punctuation, and spelling errors.

E. Students are asked to identify which sight word is spelled correctly.

F. At the beginning of the year, students are given a number word and asked to write the numeral.  As the year progresses this box holds time, money, expanded notation, and number sense questions.

G. [Purple G] On pages 1,3,6,8 students practice the cycle’s vocabulary word.
[Blue G] On pages 2,4,7,9 students write whatever sight words your class is working on for the week.

H. [Purple H] On pages 1,3,6,8 students do one of 8 spelling practice activities.
[Blue H] On pages 2,4,7,9 students complete a vowel practice, number of the day, guess my rule activity, or a math facts review.

I. Math content box that rotates among reviewing number bonds, place value, time, graphing, skip counting, number lines or money, measurement, or geometry.

J. Problem solving box that rotates question types (join, separate, comparison, part/whole, and multiplication) and includes 1 and 2-step problems.

K. Math review boxes that start with basic addition/subtraction practice and advance to more difficult addition/subtraction, number sense, and place value problems.

Phew!  You can see what it’s taken me a year to finish!  I used a rough draft of this with my class this year.  Based on that experience I tweaked this some more.  Can a book of worksheets be considered art?  If so, this is my masterpiece!!

If you think this is something that would be helpful for your kiddos, you can get your copy over at Teachers Pay Teachers. And you can download a free 10 page preview there too.

Included in the set are:

*180 different pages covering nearly all of the language arts and mathematics common core standards.

* A cover design (if you choose to bind it)

* A scope and sequence for language arts

* A page of helpful tips

* A copy of this blog post explaining how the book is laid out

Please don't share these files with others.  You would be handing out in seconds what has taken me a year of hard work to create.

Math + Games -- Dice

Besides number cards, dice are a must have in a math classroom! You can use these "random number generators" (I had a professor who called them that!) in limitless ways. Check out some of these sites for suggestions:

• spaghettiboxkids.com
• teacher.scholastic.com
• activityvillage.co.uk
• proteacher.org

Don't Forget!

Just a reminder to sign up for this year's World Math Day! Over 2 million students are ready to go--don't be left behind!

Math + Games -- Cards

ETA: the downloads are updated so they should be formatted correctly now. :)

I am a huge fan of using games to practice arithmetic. The students are motivated and engaged and practicing important skills in relevant settings and deepening their understanding by applying strategy and problem solving. It's really a win-win-win-win-win situation!

Most math games require either dice or cards. I must admit that number cards are some of the most used items in my classroom. You can use decks of playing cards or even UNO cards for math games, but I didn't want to store the larger size. Also, I color code each set of my cards so if something goes missing I know where it belongs. And I think having the ten-frame on each card helps the kiddos visualize what they're working with.


You can download a set of number cards here. There are numbers from 0-10 and Wilds. I print each set on a different color of cardstock and laminate. I can usually get about 3-4 years of classroom use out of a set of cards.

These cards can help you teach almost any arithmetic skill. Who wouldn't rather practice addition with a game than a worksheet?? We've already talked about two of our favorite math games here. But those don't even scratch the surface of possibility!

At the first SEP conference of the year, my grade level sends home a set of number cards and a packet of games. You can access the game list here. It includes instructions for 23 games (including our favorite Tens Go Fish).


The games are listed (roughly) from easy to difficult. Topics include addition, subtraction, place value, and multiplication.

So, what are you waiting for? Deal the cards!

We're linked up at Math Monday and ABC and 123.

Online Math Games

You will never be a fluent reader if you always have to sound out "and," "the," "said." Some words you just have to know! Sight word practice can't be the sole focus of literacy instruction, but every good teacher will make some time for that practice.

Math facts are a lot like sight words in reading.

Math instruction is more than drilling number facts. But at the same time, computational fluency can't develop without mastering basic facts. If a student must use his fingers to add 6+7, then 456+987 is going to be slow going!

The bulk of my math instruction is on making meaning of numbers, but we also do some activities where the focus is on quick and accurate recall. Emily mentioned the Banana Split program I have a parent helper run. We also do races and tests and games.

One big wish, though is that I had more computer access. There are on-line games for every math topic. And while some sites are basically computerized worksheets where students see a problem and type a correct answer, there are loads of entertaining games. The reinforcement of immediate feedback is an incredibly valuable thing!


Here are a few of my favorite sites:

• Brainpop Jr. (it's a subscription site, but some activities are free)
• Cool Math
  
• Math Playground
• Fun Mathematics Lessons
• Ambleside Primary
• Eduscapes
• BBC schools
• Fun School
• Primary Games
• US Mint

What are your favorite math practice websites?

Printable Math Games

 
We have a game in the shop that is perfect for teaching basic math facts. Banana Split Math Facts. As students pass off all the math facts in each level, they earn a piece of their Banana Split. When their sundae is complete, they get to enjoy a real Banana Split with all the toppings they earned. Our students LOVE this activity. We have designed it so parents can be in charge of quizzing the kids and helping them add to their sundae but you can run it anyway you like. I think it would be a fun activity for homeschoolers and moms to use at home as well.

World Math Day

March 1, join more than 2 million students across the world who will celebrate World Math Day in a quest to set a new world record for answering math questions! If you're interested in participating (for free!), make sure to sign up before Feb. 28.

Questions come in five categories: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and simple equations. The website attempts to match players of similar ability levels. Results are shown immediately after each round.

Individuals and school classes can register. At our school, each class is assigned a 30 minute slot for a computer lab. That way each of the kids gets the chance to play a few rounds. They love racing kids around the world and I love that they're getting excited about math!

14 Days of Love: Day 11

Remember how I like to have students recite the monthly poem aloud during transitions? Another thing I like to do is sing skip counting songs. Just like reciting the poems, the students know they should be to the carpet or in line before the song is over. It's also a good way to pass the time while lined up waiting to go to lunch or out to recess.

The skip counting songs I use:

2s to the tune of Yankee Doodle to 30 (and sometimes 50)
3s to the tune of Are You Sleeping? to 30
4s to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat to 40