End of School Year... 2nd grade

[velochic]

I was just curious what your 2nd graders are doing in Math here at the end of the year.

[Laurel]

My ds just finished up a unit on money (adding and subtracting coin amounts). Right now they are learning how to figure the area of a shape. For example, a rectangle that is five units long and three units tall. Ds tells me that his teacher says that are going to start multiplication before school lets out for the summer.

In general, I've been very frustrated with how math has progressed this year. I feel like they are trying to cram as many new concepts as possible into the kids' heads, but they are moving so quickly there is no time to really absorb any of it.

[jen in co]

My DDs school uses the Investigations Curriculum. They're currently doing their final unit on measurement. They've done some pretty cool geometry units, have gotten up to double digit addition and subtraction and tons of problem solving/story problems this year. The also do daily Mad Minute (math fact) tests and most kids have proceeded through the standard 16 problems in a minute (there's a level for every number 1-12) for addition and subtraction. Once they've completed all 24 of those levels, they have to pass 30 and 40 addition problems in a minute and 30 and 40 subtraction problems in a minute. There are a few kids still making their way through the subtraction levels, but most are on the +40 test. Once they've gotten 100% all 4 of the longer tests, they get to move to multiplication. My DD has a talent for math and is one of three kids (out of 20) doing multiplication. It took her forever to get there b/c it took her a full 7-8 weeks each time to pass the +40s and -40s simply b/c she can't write that fast. I like that the teacher supplements the math curriculum with tons of games, manipulatives, etc., but also supplements with these Mad Minute math facts. My DD has loved working through them and is bound and determined to get through the multiplication before school's out.

[Alyantavid]

In my son's regular class, they've just finished money and are working on measurements now. They've been doing double digit addition and subtraction for awhile now.

In his accelerated math, he's multiplying and dividing and learning about fractions.

[CarrieMF]

they finished a unit on subtraction and are working on fractions.

[velochic]

Thanks everyone!

Dd has been doing multi-digit addition and subtraction with borrows and carries most of the year and I have no problem with this part.

These past months, they have been doing multiplication, division, and fractions.

What I'm surprised about is that they are doing multi-digit multiplication (like 88X17) and they never went through the multiplication tables.

I was wondering if these drills were still taught in other schools before more complicated multiplication is introduced. Dd had been doing simple multiplication for a year or two before this, and she was fine with it, but I never had her sit down and memorize the multiplication tables. I figured she'd have to do it in school eventually. I guess not. We'll work on this over the summer, then. I still think memorizing the tables is a valuable tool. Thanks again!

[Fuamami]

Originally Posted by velochic

Thanks everyone!

Dd has been doing multi-digit addition and subtraction with borrows and carries most of the year and I have no problem with this part.

These past months, they have been doing multiplication, division, and fractions.

What I'm surprised about is that they are doing multi-digit multiplication (like 88X17) and they never went through the multiplication tables.

I was wondering if these drills were still taught in other schools before more complicated multiplication is introduced. Dd had been doing simple multiplication for a year or two before this, and she was fine with it, but I never had her sit down and memorize the multiplication tables. I figured she'd have to do it in school eventually. I guess not. We'll work on this over the summer, then. I still think memorizing the tables is a valuable tool. Thanks again!

I have read some things that say they are giving up the memorization...or putting it off? My brain is fried right now, maybe someone else knows more.

[CarrieMF]

whether they do memorization of multiplication facts depends on the school and the method of math that they're teaching. Here they do Everyday Math which does not require memorization of the facts, however they struggle bad without it. The school still teaches them to memorize them because of it.

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by velochic

I was wondering if these drills were still taught in other schools before more complicated multiplication is introduced. Dd had been doing simple multiplication for a year or two before this, and she was fine with it, but I never had her sit down and memorize the multiplication tables. I figured she'd have to do it in school eventually. I guess not. We'll work on this over the summer, then. I still think memorizing the tables is a valuable tool. Thanks again!

They aren't teaching it in my son's school. But I do math worksheets for him (at his request) and I've done basic multiplication. It is helping him to go through all of them.

But again, I've supplemented alot of his school education. I know how he learns and the fact that he needs all the steps so things make sense to him. Which is, apparently, not how he's being taught in public school.