Where is your second grader at math wise?

[A home for their hearts]

We are really far behind so I've been wondering what other second graders are doing that are almost through with the year. Just so I have a better idea of things we need to work on. We just started on Horizons math 2 but I don't have the teachers manual so I'm not sure how to teach some of the concepts. *sigh* I'm not creative and although I'm not horrible with math I do have trouble explaining it.

[Sue G in PA]

Ds6 (1st grade) began Saxon 1 in Sept. He worked well for a few months and around Christmas started giving me major problems about ALL school work...esp. math. I let him take a break...a LONG break. We've done absolutely no formal math since, oh, February? He plays w/ manipulative, pattern blocks, Leapster math games (thank God for Leapster!), etc. but no workbook type stuff. Tomorrow we start MUS Alpha and let me tell you...my gut tells me this will work for him! I'm just praying I'm right. So, assuming he progresses at a normal pace through Alpha, we'll hopefully get to Beta around Christmas next year? IMO, that is "behind". Our only saving grace is that he does understand addition and subtraction...just doesn't have his facts memorized yet. Oh, and for the record...I'm trying NOT to think of him as behind b/c all dc move at their own pace. While my ds8 is technically "ahead" in math, I'm sure there will be road-blocks up ahead that will slow us down, KWIM? Relax and just let your ds go at his own pace. Oh, and if you have trouble explaining math...MUS would be the perfect program for you!

[A home for their hearts]

Ds6 (1st grade) began Saxon 1 in Sept. He worked well for a few months and around Christmas started giving me major problems about ALL school work...esp. math. I let him take a break...a LONG break. We've done absolutely no formal math since, oh, February? He plays w/ manipulative, pattern blocks, Leapster math games (thank God for Leapster!), etc. but no workbook type stuff. Tomorrow we start MUS Alpha and let me tell you...my gut tells me this will work for him! I'm just praying I'm right. So, assuming he progresses at a normal pace through Alpha, we'll hopefully get to Beta around Christmas next year? IMO, that is "behind". Our only saving grace is that he does understand addition and subtraction...just doesn't have his facts memorized yet. Oh, and for the record...I'm trying NOT to think of him as behind b/c all dc move at their own pace. While my ds8 is technically "ahead" in math, I'm sure there will be road-blocks up ahead that will slow us down, KWIM? Relax and just let your ds go at his own pace. Oh, and if you have trouble explaining math...MUS would be the perfect program for you!

 

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who is behind. :001_smile:

Could you tell me more about MUS? How does it work?

[Laura Corin]

Hobbes is chugging along at present. We usually do one exercise a day and will get through about a year's worth of Singapore Maths this year. He's a bit ahead, but I suspect he will slow down when we get to long division.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

[Sue G in PA]

you can check out their website http://www.mathusee.com for some more info. AND I'd suggest ordering their FREE demo DVD which explains the program more fully. Basically MUS is a multi-sensory approach to math. It uses unique manipulative blocks to teach all basic concepts (add, subtract, mult, div. on up through Alg. even!). Children learn to "build" a problem like 2 + 3 using the blocks. Each number block is a different color and the dc are encouraged to memorize the colors that correspond to each number. Basically, the blocks are like little unit blocks glued together to form each number 1 - 10). Do you follow? So, a child would fine the "2" block and the "3" block and put them together, "seeing" that they are the same as the "5" block. Thus, 2+3 =5 instead of using separate unit blocks to "count" 1-2 and then 3-4-5. Steven Demme (creator of MUS) teaces the parents (and students) via DVD how to do each lesson. It is a mastery program...dc don't move ahead until mastery is achieved. What that means for addition for example is dc don't move forward until addition fact is memorized...no finger counting, etc. Mr. Demme is a firm believer that a child should not just memorize facts though, that they should be able to apply them (word problems) and understand them enough to be able to teach them back to somebody else. KWIM? Anyway, the Demo DVD would be of great benefit to you. HTH and I didn't confuse you!

[hsmom]

http://mathusee.com

go here and request the free demo dvd. It is the best way to explain to program. I think it look awesome.

 

(OOPS I was typing at the same time as Sue G in PA)

[Trivium Academy]

We're on Lesson 107 of Horizons 2, I have the TM so if you have any questions, just email me Stacy.

[Linda...inOwasso]

Dd7 just finished Horizons 2. We've used both Horizons and Singapore 2a & 2b (workbook only) this year but now that dd has finished Horizons 2 we're changing to Singapore only. We will do the 3a & 3b workbook, intensive practice and level 2 of challenging word problems.

 

Don't worry about not having the Horizons TM, you honestly don't need it. The extra drill sheets are nice, but easily obtained from other (free) online sources. And I know it's hard, but *try* not to worry about being behind. Just keep consistently presenting the material and you'll have them up to speed before you know it!

[Nestof3]

Right now just using Daily Math Practice by Evan Moor, Singapore's Challenging Word Problems Level 2, and lots of manipulatives and games.

 

I use the Virginia SOL objectives as my guide, and mark them off when my second grader masters it:

 

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/go/Sols/math2.pdf

 

We are still working on him memorizing his addition/subtraction facts

 

We still need to do mass and volume.

 

We still need to do this:

The student will use actual measuring devices to compare metric and U.S. Customary units (cups, pints, quarts, gallons, and liters) for measuring liquid volume, using the concepts of more, less, and equivalent.

 

We still need to do this:

The student will read the temperature on a Celsius and/or Fahrenheit thermometer to the nearest 10 degrees.

 

He also needs to practice the following more, since he has shown weakness in these areas:

 

1. telling time

 

2. finding the fewest # of coins when asked to give a certain amount of money. He's fine with all other aspects of money, but needs work on the fewest # of coins aspect

 

Right now, he is doing borrowing and carrying in addition and subtraction with up to 3-digit #s. When we finish this, he will do the things I listed above that we either haven't gotten to yet or that he hasn't matered yet.

[Myrtle]

DS 7 is in Sing 3A and just learned long division.

DD 6 is in Sing 1B and did her first exercise with addition with regrouping. I suspect she'll take the entire second grade year to get through singapore 2. It took her an entire year to memorize her addition facts to 20!

 

Singapore 2nd grade covers addition and subtraction with regrouping and multiplication and division within 5.

[sherylwinter]

My son is 8 yo and were doing a conceptual math program, Rightstart. I did Singapore in Kindegarten, then he did Saxon 1. By the time we got 2 Saxon 3, he knew all his math facts very quick from constant repition, he was doing OK but then "I" was having hard time teaching some of the concepts...getting into multiplication...so I thought I should switch 2 something that teaches more "conceptually"...help me b a better teacher and maybe he would do better. Didn't work out that way for me.

I think I should've just stuck with the one that had lots of drill we were getting with Saxon. I'm getting bogged down with all this conceptual type math thing and it's hurting my brain, lol. I think it was just his age or development thing with him not catching the concepts yet. I was trying to go through the book very fast cuz I thought we were behind and had new baby and busy 2 yo...that didn't help...so we are taking our time now, it's not a race. And were doing lots of extra drill with flashcards and reading number line, place value is what he's having hard time with most... and practising skip counting. It's still a struggle, he doesn't get things fast with math. I thought I had ruined him with "my" teaching but now the younger son is doing really well with his math and he's doing the Rightstart 2. The 6 yo can answer most of the questions before him...so frustrating for him :001_huh: So I think this 8yo just needs time and lots of extra practise and he will b fine. If he is still struggling by end of summer though, I probally will do something else. I just don't want to switch again and wait and see if it improves...maybe it's just an age/development thing. So were keeping with the Rightstart conceptual type math program for now and adding lessons from the old Saxon book we have for extra practise.

 

Sorry, not offering much advice. Just sharing what's happened with my son's math cuz he's same age.:)

 

Blessings 2 u

 

sherylwinter

[DarcyM]

I feel like I could have posted Myrtle's post:

 

Ds7 is in Singapore 3a and we are finally getting somewhere with long division. He uses IP 2b for review, and CWP 1.

 

Ds6 is in Singapore 1b and memorizing the 12x12 mult table. He can skip count and do multiples for: 2,3,4,5,9,10,11, but has not memorized multiples of 6,7, 8 or 12. He just started CWP 1.

 

I consider ds7 to be only slightly ahead, and ds6 to be on grade with average peers.

[Jolash]

DS has just finished Saxon 3 and has started 5/4. We haven't run into any significant problems in math yet, but he's balking at having to do his work on his own paper (ie, copying all the problems himself) instead of having a worksheet that Mom selects problems from. I think this year will be much slower though; it took us two days to get through the first lesson!

[rafiki]

.

[Jennifer in NH]

Dd is now doing singapore 3a. We started the year a bit behind as she was still finishing 1b. Then, I noticed in 2a and 2b that the books are set up with the "fun" stuff at the end. So, to make math fun again, we would do one lesson from the beginning of the book and then switch to one lesson form the end of the book...like addition and then shapes or measuring. We got through the book faster and dd wasn't so bored anymore. The rule was she had to do the addtion/multiplication section first....boy did that help!

[Soph the vet]

Ds7, 2nd grade is about to finish Saxon 2. Math has come easy for him but he is his father's son. I am debating about starting Saxon 3 this spring or making him wait until August when our next year will start. Part of it is not wanting him to "lap" his older sister who is finishing Saxon 5/4 this spring:).

[Plaid Dad]

We took our dd through MCP Math A this year. It's marketed as a first grade text, but I didn't realize that it covers material that is normally taught in 2nd grade. We're now using a 2nd grade review/supplement book and dd knows pretty much everything. Between the two books, she's done addition and subtraction to two digits with regrouping, and multiplication and division through 5, plus a few odds and ends with measurement, time, patterning, and so on. Now I'm wondering if Singapore 2 will be review. :confused:

[Testimony]

With my younger son, I am bouncing off the walls. I :willy_nilly: with this guy. He says that he understands because his brother catches on very well in math. His brother is very strong academically. So, my younger one is always saying. "Ha! Ha! I'm doing top-notch math!" Is he? Let me not comment. I will tell you this: I had to drop the textbook for this year and I am doing math games and drilling him. He needs to understand his math facts. He does not always understand basic concepts. So, I think you are so on top of things. ;) As for me, I am very behind. I will work with my younger son until he understands what he is doing.

 

Blessings to you and your family,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[Chris in VA]

Dd 2nd grade (will be 8 in two weeks!) is on about Lesson 108 in Saxon 3.

We've always used it a year ahead. There's so much review in the beginning that I've never worried. But this year, it's gotten harder for her. Here are some of her skills:

She has memorized all her addition facts and can do 100 in 4 mins (that's how Saxon determines mastery).

 

She is still working on subtraction--knows all the facts, but has only gotten 67 on her latest 4 minute test--Saxon is weird because they only introduce the last group of subtraction facts in 3rd grade, while they introduce multiplication in 2nd grade. Anyway, she's improving.

 

She knows all her multiplication facts thru 10's, and can multiply two digits by one digit.

 

She can borrow and carry in addition and subtraction. She can measure by cm's, mil's, inches, and by half and quarter inches, and draw lines given a measurement (like, draw a line 5 1/4 inches long. How many centimeters is that?)

 

She can find perimeter and area of squares and rectangles.

 

She can solve $ problems, like $56.83 + $277.90

She can count back change

 

She can graph data given in a box-type chart, either graphing using a bar graph or a line graph, and she can extrapolate data from either of those.

 

She can tell time to the minute, and she is using Quarter of (til) and quarter after. These were hard for her.

 

She is using 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/3. She can divide a rectangle or a circle into these fractional pieces. She can add like fractions.

 

There's more, but that's the basics. I hope this gives you a good idea of what is in Saxon 3. I hope it doesn't sound braggy--my intention is just to tell you what we've done. I don't think she's particularly ahead, it's just what she's been taught. We will get to division next, and I really like the way Saxon prepares her to do it. Next year, she goes to public school, so that's the end of our Saxon run.

[Closeacademy]

My second grader is working in Singapore Math 3a and currently learning how to do multi-digit multiplication with long division coming up shortly.

 

I have a strong feeling that my Ker when she gets to 2nd will be do Singapore Math 1b/2a combo and will take her time.:)

[FriedClams]

DD 6 is on lesson 47 of Horizons 2. I would recommend the teacher manual. It has a lot of drill recommendations - flash cards, drill pages, etc. that my DD has really blossomed by using. It's amazing. She needed a lot more repetition than MUS was offering, so after she finished Alpha with MUS we used Critical Thinking Math 1st. After that we went to Horizons. She loves Horizons, the redundancy is enough for her - it's a great fit right now. On the other hand, DS 5 is screaming through MUS Primer, then we'll do Alpha and then on to Horizons. He won't need the same level of review or the different approaches. I hope you find a good fit - with conference season upcoming you should be able to hopefully see some stuff in person.

[Kimber]

Ds(8.5), he's an older second grader because of a Nov. birthday, is somewhere in Horizons 3B. He'll finish by the end of school and will do Horizons 4A during the summer along with the CWP Singapore 3. We have bounced back and forth between Horizons and Singapore for a couple years now.

 

He knows his multiplication facts to 12 and into division now. I've noticed that Horizons teaches long division later than Singapore. What I tend to do is teach it to them on the white board, once or twice a week without requiring any work. We'll be doing that soon here so that when he gets to in Horizons he'll already know it.

 

I try to do the hard stuff first without any pressure. But then who knows, he might think it easy peasy. Dd9 didn't.

 

My STB 5 yo ds is in Horizons K and loves the leapster.

[Jenny in Atl]

Dd7 is almost done with Singapore 3b. She is moving much faster than her sister did.:eek: I plan to spend the summer do the CWP & IP 3a & b over the summer.

[Rhonda@LivingWater]

Lesson 107 of A Beka 2. He has covered borrowing and carrying, adding and subtracting in the thousands, linear and liquid measurements, money problems, Roman numerals, and multiplication. He is very much enjoying multiplication (thinks it is fun!)

[daisychics]

ds6.5 is in MUS Gamma -he knows multplication for 0's, 1's, 2's, 5's, 10's, 9's, 3's and is currently working on 6's.

He just said this morning "I love Math U See."

 

I also use the math copy work that Jessica has recommended. If he knows 3x0, 3x3 - he doesn't have to copy it, I put an "X" through it (he likes that). He only has to copy the ones he doesn't know. It's going well so far. Thanks Jessica :D

 

**We used Saxon 1 last fall and finished all the way through the book and he did not retain much from it. I switched him to MUS in the Fall and started with Beta (after taking the math placement), he zoomed through it. He went through Alpha and now he is doing well (not as fast, and that's okay with me) in Gamma.

[yslek]

Ds7 is at the end of Rightstart B (1st grade program.) We did a bit of curriculum hopping at the beginning. (We had started with MUS Alpha, which was the math program that finally worked for my older ds. 2nd ds hated it, though, which eventually led to the switch.) Most of his work has been with addition (and some subtraction.) There have been other topics, too, but that has been the main focus. I do try to work through the lessons at a rate that will allow us to eventually "catch up", but only if he continues getting it. If we need to take extra time on something, we will.

 

Kelsy

[asher]

Wow, in seeing this, I can tell we're really far behind, too :P Although, based on the Virginia Requirements we're ahead :o

[ArwenA]

DD7 is close to the end of Saxon 2 and will probably be ready for Saxon 3 sometime in early - mid April. Math with her is rather unpredictable, she'll do two to three lessons a day for a few weeks and then she'll hit a brick wall and we're lucky if we complete two lessons in an entire week.

[KarenNC]

We're about 2/3 of the way (perhaps a bit more) through Singapore 2B, and have done much like the other poster, skipping around to include more of the fun stuff earlier on. We did this with 1b as well.

 

We've done the addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, fractions, area, geometry, patterns and graphs sections. Still have capacity, time and money to cover.

 

I've also been working on speed drills with math facts for addition and subtraction. I may go back and finish the Challenging word problems 1 book that we didn't finish last year before we look at moving on to level 3.