Student Generated Addition Strategies

Take a look at 4 different strategies we've been using to solve problems with multiple addends. Ask your child to demonstrate a classmate's strategy. We're working hard to solve problems in multiple ways.

Juno Accumulation Predictions

On Monday, waiting anxiously for a blizzard, we spent some time thinking about just how much snow might fall. Now that it's Wednesday... we should check in with our predictions! Students in our class predicted that we would receive somewhere between 20 and 36 inches of snow. How much snow fell at your house? What was the difference between what fell and your prediction?
We had fun measuring to really get a sense of how high 20 inches of snow and 36 inches of snow would be. Everyone got a turn to stand up next to our measurement markers to see how high the snow would be compared to their own size. Some second graders were excited by the prospect of waist deep snow, and others said they would not go outside if there was 36" of snow because it would be up to their shoulders! We snapped a quick picture of everyone too, to refer to after the storm had passed. We will use these fun measurement pictures to kick off some wintery writing when we are back at school.

I'm looking forward to finding out what everyone did in the snow, and during the blizzard- trapped in the house. I hope everyone is warm!

Slides & Ladders

Dear Families,
Students had a blast playing Slides & Ladders (remember Chutes & Ladders?) in our Math Fact center today. The best news- I was asked by many students if I could make enough copies for them to take home and play for homework. I will definitely put that on my to do list... but in the meantime- feel free to print and play! There are more versions in this document than students have seen. We are plying Doubles and Near Doubles this week in our Math Fact center. Feel free, however, to play any of them at home. As we say in second grade, practice makes us smarter- especially when it's fun!

Best,
Mrs. Sullivan

Coming Home Today... Addition Flashcards!

Your second grader is coming home with addition flashcards today. They should already be cut out and safely secured in a snack bag inside the pouch in our OWL books. Our goal is "fact fluency." This means we can give the answer in 4 seconds or less. We talked today about how to practice with flashcards. When your child chooses to practice his facts for homework, encourage him/her to make two piles- easy and harder, and then to focus on the harder pile for a bit. Then, when returning to the whole stack, hopefully he/she can celebrate success. Practicing flashcards with an adult or sibling can also be fun.

Place Value Cards

Have you been playing some of our place value card games with your second grader? Check out this quick video to see just how we determine the value of our cards at school!