Math Class in Grade 2 and 3

Grade 2 and 3 Math Class is always first thing every morning.  We start each day with a Smartboard calendar that lets us work with numbers in many ways. The last calendar activity uses a random number generator to make up a question for us to solve.

The whiteboard in the photo above shows the addition question 69 + 47 in red marker. We worked on a few ways you might think about how to add those numbers or check if you are correct. Ms. Simms always goes back to the way she learned Math from Miss Henry in 1972 to stack the numbers but we have taught her some other ways that we think about it.
Then we had to work on 73 - 16. You can see our ideas for that in blue marker. Luckily, we always got 57 no matter how we looked at it!

Then we move into 3 groups for the rest of Math class.  One group works on Math games to practice their Math facts or other important skills.  Equazzle, on the right above, is a board game that challenges us to come closest to a certain number by adding and subtracting.

Another group does paper and pencil Math.  This person is working on problem solving.  Sometimes Ms. Simms works with this group on a new idea or practicing something we did earlier during Calendar Time.

The third group has some time at Technology.  One of our favorites to do is Live Mathletics or games on Shepherd Software.  The I Pads are also used sometimes by this group.

The hour of Math flies past and it is time for Nutrition Break and then recess!