Developing Math Fluency in Second Grade: Strategies for Success

1. How to create Math Fluency in Second Grade

2. Environment • Students must have an understanding of class expectations, including expectations for participation, listening, speaking and interacting with classmates. • Teacher must model desired behaviors and reinforce compliance in a consistent fashion. • Math vocabulary and work samples should be posted. • Math Tools (cubes, tiles, base 10 pieces , hundred table etc) should be available for use.

3. Learning Process

4. Viewing • Teacher will introduce the concept or skill. • Teacher will present and/or connect the new material to a real life situation (buying an ice cream, sharing items, telling time etc.) • Teacher will “Think aloud” as a way of modeling the thought process required for academic success. • Teacher will guide students’ thinking by asking appropriate questions. • Students will be looking, listening, interacting with classmates and sharing thinking.

5. Viewing

6. Doing- Exploring the idea • Students (Sts) will connect previously acquired knowledge with the new material. • Sts. will make their thinking public by sharing with partner or the whole group. • Sts. will agree and disagree with the ideas presented by other students. • Sts. will show their thinking by including in their work pictures, words and numbers. • Teacher will provide opportunities for repeated collaborative experiences with the new material to ensure mastery.

7. Math notebook daily entry

8. Talking-Learning to Justify • Sts. work with partner or small group to make sense of a story problem; • Read – Dialogue – Information represented by symbols (pictures & numbers). • Sts. will agree or disagree with the ideas presented by their partner or small group. • Sts. will present their work to the class. This requires making their thinking public, justifying their thinking and using math vocabulary appropriately.

9. Talking-work justification

10. Transforming • Sts will be able to apply the new skill successfully when working independently. • Sts. will develop confidence in their knowledge and understanding of mathematical concepts and skills. • Sts. will see themselves as being able to make sense of a situation requiring math. • Sts. will be able to teach and help others with math.

11. Transforming knowledge Independence

12. Fluency in the context of the TEKS. The content is defined by TEKS. • TEKS 2.1, 2.3 Math Notebook focusing on using today’s number to teach expanded form, place value, doubling . • TEKS 2.3 Numerical fluency on activities to build flexibility with addition & subtraction with combinations to 20. • TEKS 2.12, 2.13, 2.14 focus on the skill of problem solving which requires Sts. to write/read a problem that needs mathematical understanding of addition, subtraction, grouping, regrouping and strategies in order to arrive to a sensible answer.

13. Acknowledgement • I would like to thanks many individuals whose advice and guidance made this presentation possible. • First and foremost to Ms. Janet Densmore, Math Coach at Andrews Elementary, whose mathematical knowledge and instructional methodology are second to none. • Ms. Laurie Barber, principal at Andrews whose expectations and rigorous leadership brings the best of every teacher at the school. • Ms. Sharon Duncan, A.C.C.- Director of Cohort whose professional (& motherly care) demands made me a better learner & teacher.

14. Math fluency - practice

15. Sources: • Ms. Janet Densmore, Math Coach at Andrews Elementary. • Ms. Laurie Barber, Principal at Andrews Elementary. • Dr. Jennifer Hollings, Global Language Solution Presenter. • Ms. Adelita Campos Acosta, Global Language Solution Presenter. • Professor J. Cummins, Cummins’ model on learning theories.