Number Sense {comparing numbers}

Number sense ... something so very important for our younger students to understand smaller numbers or else they won't understand much larger numbers.

Double Digit Subtraction

A couple of posts ago I shared that my second graders were working on double digit addition and subtraction. Well, we are 4 full days into subtraction with borrowing. We do a quick review each day before beginning the lesson. 

Last week when I introduced this, we started using unifix cubes - our best friend!

First we built the number on top of the problem - 37.

When we saw that we couldn't take 8 away from 7, we borrowed from the tens and broke it up into 10 cubes.

Then we changed the numbers on the top of our problem to show what we have using the unifix cubes.

And now time to start subtracting! 

17 - 8 = 9

And 2 - 1 = 1

We have tried writing the problems on our own, but some of my children have sloppy handwriting and writing the problems on their own is challenging and frustrating, so I quickly put this together to help alleviate some of that frustration.

Check out this low prep double digit subtraction unit. 3 pages of just printables and 20 half-page colored cards with recording pages, perfect for a math center or use as part of your math groups!

Two Digit Addition and Subtraction

We are well into our two digit addition and subtraction unit! This is such an exciting time in second grade - harder math and cursive! 

We've been using the activities in my double digit task cards and printables unit.

It's divided into addition with and without regrouping.

 And also divided into subtraction with and without borrowing.

There are 6 sets of task cards and recording pages.

There's also 8 printables, all divided to use as you teach each part of this unit.

We will start estimation in the next week or so ... I will have an update for you with our activities.

But for now, a freebie only on the blog!

Included are 8 printables for two digit addition and subtraction!

What are your favorite go-to resources for teaching two digit addition and subtraction?

1,000 Followers Announcement!

Some people think of Monday like this .....

Hopefully I can turn your Monday around!

Last week I reached 1,000 followers in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!

I wanted to thank YOU with a gift! We have been working on alphabetical order to the second and third letter in order to work on guide words, so I created this Christmas tree package sorting activity to practice. Included are 6 trees with presents to sort with the correct tree. I put 2 trees in a bag, making 3 centers. I have also included an alphabetical order cut, sort, glue printable, and a guide word cut, sort, glue printable in this freebie. Click here or on the center picture below to download!

One of my reading groups is working on my Rudolph reader this week.

And we are continuing to work on number sense in math. Today we began rounding. About half of my class "got it" in the first couple of numbers. Hopefully tomorrow we will have light bulbs going off everywhere! I have a rounding activity in my Christmas Place Value Unit, but I also created 2 sets of task cards and some printables in my Rounding to the Nearest Ten Unit.

I have 12 more school days until Christmas break! Here's to the countdown!

Dictionary Skills

Last week I blogged on the Virginia is for Teachers site with some activities that my second graders are working on with dictionaries.

Second graders begin to use the dictionary to learn how to use guide words. Gulp. Sigh. And alphabetize to the second and third letter. This is such a hard skill, especially since first graders are only expected to alphabetize to the first letter. So since I have now taught a combination first/second class for two years, I have been able to expose my first graders to more challenging content and get them ready for next year by doing more alphabetical order.

Click on the image or here to read the whole post!

What we've been up to (with a new freebie!)

I can't believe it ... we have 14 more school days! Since we have already administered our end of the year reading and math assessments (and today I finished PALS!), we are reviewing.

Administering PALS tests

I decided to purchase Bubble Gum Math Timed Addition Tests by Fluttering Through First Grade (from their TpT store) to work on fact fluency. My first graders have completely embraced it!

I changed some of the elements to make it work in my classroom. I used these file folders I already had and found large library pockets at my nearby teacher supply store. The children keep their completed quizzes in the pocket. As they master a quiz (with 100%), they get a "bubble gum" sticker, labeled with that quiz to place in their gumball machine. 

 After I check their quiz, I grab the next quiz from my box and place it on the top of their stack and slide everything back into the pocket. I'm amazed how my struggling children are embracing this and so excited about math!

In case you can't find large library pockets nearby, click here chevron large library pockets to see these pockets.

I just opened a Teacher's Notebook store!

My Bug Punctuation Write the Room is a freebie there! There are 12 sentence cards, along with a recording page, to mark the correct punctuation mark.

Happy Monday!

Five for Friday: May 2nd

Happy Friday!  This means it's time for Five for Friday!

Here's what has happened this week ....

 

We used Mary Amoson (from Sharing Kindergarten)'s QR Scan and Learn: Insects pack.  The kids loved it!

 Have you heard of Go Noodle?  We had several days with LOTS of rain this week and Go Noodle saved us!  Here's some of my kiddos in front of our Smart Board.

We are using the SuperKids reading program.  The unit we will finish next week has diphthongs for the word work - so we practiced reading and using these words and spelling features today. 

 

tic-tac-toe (I found pink and blue button magnets at Wal-Mart a couple of years ago) using word cards

 and color/write word sort

 

We have been working on fractions in math this week.  Today we had math stations - one group went to the other first grade classroom to sort and match together fractions and fraction pictures.  The other group stayed in my room and we had a Write the Room activity (see picture).  Both of these activities are in my Fraction Mini Unit.

 

My husband and I are two weeks in to an eight week training to become foster/adoptive parents.  If we have all of our paperwork in order on the last night of class, the next day we are on the list to be called to have a child placed in our home.  This "if" has given us great motivation to complete and have everything ready to go!  Here is a picture of our bedroom.

 

The countdown is on - 15 more school days to go!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

September Currently

I don't know about you, but the beginning of the year is

e-x-h-a-u-s-t-i-n-g!  The beginning of my year was *just a tad* different than any of my other years!  Early in the morning of the first teacher workday I went to the hospital with severe chest pain.  After thirty, yes thirty, hours, the doctors found that my gall bladder was not functioning ... at all ... so surgery was scheduled for Friday (the second teacher workday).  And while the surgeon was in, he found and repaired a small hernia!  I missed all but one workday and the first two days with my firsties.  I am, thankfully, starting to feel better and even drove myself to school today for the first time (and grocery shopped yesterday by myself, too!).

 

Anyhoo, here's my Currently.

Thinking - I LOVE "Duck Dynasty" and my children at school do, too!  One day last week we received a package from my in-laws, with Duck Commander cups for us.  I am heading to the bookstore tomorrow afternoon to pick up Uncle Si's new book and can't wait to get started!

Wanting - How is it that we don't remember how much our feet and back hurt at the beginning of the year?  My feet are rough and I could go for a good pedicure now.

My Happy Heart - I love taking pictures, but don't always think about it until the special moment has passed.  I want to be vigilant about that this month, along with spending some quality time with family and away from school things (let's face it - we always get everything finished, right?!) to make memories and do a little fun reading.

In honor of my love for "Duck Dynasty," I have a math freebie for you.  Click here or on the picture below to get your own!  This mini math unit has a number sense activity with task cards and recording page, as well as addition Write the Room, also with a recording page.

Have a great rest of the week!

 

summer school: days three and four

This week was days three and four of our summer school program.  Day four (Wednesday) was an adventure: the power was off at our school board office, which took down the internet across all schools.  We have 2 45-minute computer lab sessions each day!  Needless to say, I started to panic, trying to figure out quickly what we could do.  I am SO glad that I had worked on several addition and subtraction games, as well as organized them!  It was easy to grab the container and go!

Here's how we spent days three and four:

addition games

addition games

primer sight word activities

primer sight word Write the Room

subtraction games

subtraction coloring activity

subtraction scoops

I'm giving you one of the subtraction games, along with the subtraction coloring page!  Click here or on the picture below to grab yours!

Have a great day!