Just What I Needed!!

Sometimes life has a way of giving you what you need right when you need it. I was looking on the web tonight for math games and activities that my students could do during math rotations. After 5 minutes on Pinterest (that's a record for me!) I came across Mrs. Clapp's Blog Serenade to Second grade

Yay!!!  I immediately downloaded all of her math games and will put them together this weekend. I mean how totally cute are these game labels, and the organization; I love the simplicity! Nothing too bulky to store and lots of fun options for the kiddos! Thank you Mrs. Clapp for saving me hours of work!

Accelerated Math

Accelerated Math is a program that we use at PDS to supplement our math curriculum. The kids work at their own pace and level to complete a series of practice exercises and tests. They are then graded by the computer via scan card and the computer determines the next series of objectives for each student to work on. The great thing about Accelerated Math is the abundance of reports and useful features for the teacher. I can see immediately who is not understanding certain concepts and I can print out custom support for the students who need it. Meanwhile, the students who understand quickly are able to progress without being help up for reteaching. It is individualized instruction at it's best and a great way to have students practice math skills. I have already started AM with a small group of students, but last week I introduced it to the whole class. The reason that I wait until after Christmas is because it can be a management nightmare. Kids are in all different places, it is reading intensive, and it requires kids to be able to bubble in a scan card and scan it independently. I am anticipating some bumps along the way, but hopefully the program will be running smoothly in no time!

Math Booklet Mania

Second graders love math booklets. Well, okay, they love the Tootsie Pop they receive when they finish a math booklet. I'm usually not the kind of teacher that condones bribing kids with candy, but these little math booklets sure help with math practice so I guess a Tootsie Pop here and there isn't going to hurt anyone!

Math booklets are simply packets of practice sheets stapled together that the kids work on when they finish their morning work or math sheet. Very simple and "old school" but they have a useful side too. You see the packets are leveled. There are 17 of them and each one gets progressively more difficult. The skills at the beginning are review of first grade; addition, subtraction etc. But then, they begin to introduce new skills in level 3. Missing addends and minuends, double digit addition and subtraction with and without regrouping, advanced patterning, money, multiplication and even long division. I have found that these little booklets let advanced math students learn new skills at a faster pace and provide extra practice for students who need it. Plus, students love the little celebration we have during morning meeting when they have completed a booklet accurately.

That's a win win in my book. Just don't tell your child's dentist!