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Ms. Spucci's Second Grade Curriculum Highlights » Mathematics Curriculum Highlights
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Mathematics Curriculum Highlights
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Second Grade Mathematics Curriculum
Recently, our district has revamped its mathematics curriculum to align it closely with the various state standards. In doing this, we have removed certain concepts from each grade level's curriculum to allow for more time to teach concepts in depth. We have a new mathematics series this year that is a digital series called EnVision Math. This year, the students will be graded on four areas of mathematics. I will address each area below. They are:
- Uses computational skills accurately
- Demonstrates effective use of manipulatives
- Displays an understanding of math concepts
- Applies a variety of problem solving strategies
Uses Computational Skills Accurately
This is the practice you will see most at home. Skills practice is an integral part of learning mathematics and requires rote memorization of ideas. Homework worksheets and a review of basic skills are a great way to reinforce these skills so they become more automatic.
Displays an Understanding of Math Concepts and Demonstrates Effective Use of Manipulatives
These are the concepts we develop in school. Through inductive thinking as opposed to deductive thinking, the students explore and construct their own understanding of various math concepts. This allows them to understand the why behind the rote process we often utilize. We do the most work with the concepts of building two and three digit numbers as well as addition and subtraction with regrouping. There will also be a larger emphasis on inductive thinking this year based on the book Good Questions for Math Teaching: Why Ask Them and What to Ask. These types of questions are considered "bottom up" questions. They often start by giving students the answer to a calculation, and asking them to formulate the question. These types of questions teach children about the relationships of numbers as well as how to think globally about different mathematical concepts.
An example of this type of problem is listed below.
I bought something and got 5 cents change. How much did it cost and how much money did I give to pay for it?
Applies a Variety of Problem Solving Strategies
Each day, as an extension of our mathematics lesson, we do "Problem of the Day." This is a word problem the students are asked to complete by utilizing the four steps to problem solving. They are: - Underline what the question is asking and circle the signal words
- Identify the important information
- Choose a strategy and solve the problem
- Explain the strategy and the answer in words
These questions are complex and often require more than one step to solve them. We mostly utilize one of three main strategies in second grade. They are:
- writing a number sentence
- drawing a picture
- making a table (with patterns)
An example of one of these problems is listed below.
I have 2 quarters and 2 dimes. I want to buy a puzzle for 65ยข. Can I buy this puzzle? How much money will I get back?
Second grade is one of the most fascinating times to watch students grow in the area of mathematics.
Ms. Spucci's Class
Smithtown Central School District
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