Combination Clubs and Math Fluency

This week our class began Combination Clubs! As stated in the introduction letter, addition facts will be sent home on "flash cards." Each student will begin with set number one (combinations of ten, plus one, plus two). The cards should be cut out and practiced at home throughout the week. Some time during the week, a parent volunteer will quiz your child on these facts. It should take no longer than 3-4 seconds to answer each expression. When your child masters the set of facts, a new set will be sent home to add to their cards. 

You may be asking yourself "but I thought Chets focused on conceptual math, rather than algorithms and rote memorization?" And you would be right....sort of. In the primary grades, it is extremely important for students to develop a strong understand of what is actually happening when adding to and taking away from a quantity. As we move through 2nd grade, our focus is still very much conceptual. However, we begin to discuss some higher order thinking. In order to do this, we need students to become automatic in basic addition and subtraction facts. "If this fluent retrieval does not develop then the development of higher-order mathematics skills — such as multiple-digit addition and subtraction, long division, and fractions — may be severely impaired." (from the Scholastic Research Foundation Paper Research Foundation & Evidence of Effectiveness for FASTT Math). 

We will spend a lot of time this year during Interactive Math to build fact automaticity. We will also be using a computer-based program called Reflex Math. However, we also need your help at home. Please take 5-10 minutes each evening working on these facts. The investment of time spent building fluent retrieval of facts will pay dividends as your child moves into higher-order mathematical thinking this year!

Routines, routines, and more routines

Hello friends and parents! Our classroom has been filled with our safari guides taking a not so "wild" walk into second grade with learning the habits and routines of our classroom and workshops. Why is this necessary? Why is it so time consuming? Routines and habits are the foundation for every classroom. It's imperative that we go over them within the first few weeks of school to establish a safe and positive learning atmosphere, while at the same time outlining for students our expectations for work habits and "what if" situations. Many things we've done are things that are already familiar to them, however, now that they are in second grade, we can scaffold a known routine. What do you think is the most important routine in our classroom, parents? Friends, what do you think is the most important routine in our class? 

It's a jungle in here...

Happy First Day!

We had the BEST first day of 2nd grade! Our class started off quickly learning new (yet very familiar) routines. We learned about our new classmates and teachers, wrote about the cool things we did this summer, explored how we can be scientists, learned a new math game, and (most importantly) got to play on the coveted BIG playground!

On top of all of that fantastic fun, we got to be explorers! Since our theme this year is "Creek Life: Take a Wall on the Wild Side," our school has been filled with animals. Real animals! Well, "real dead" animals (as some of our students phrased it). The Safari Club International has brought their Sensory Safari to CCE. We will get to visit all of their taxidermied animals throughout the school. 

Here are some pictures of today's adventures: