DIFFERENTIATING MATH INSTRUCTION IN SECOND GRADE
Starting our Math Journey: The Facts
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10 out of 21 students categorized as low or low/average from the fall Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment in the number sense category
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Identified a need in number sense, fact fluency, and the ability to decipher story problems
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11 out of 21 scored less than 50% on the portion of our first CFA (Common Formative Assessment) that required them to solve simple addition and subtraction equations
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Majority of my students struggled to solve story problems and more complex math equations during lessons due to the length of time it took them to count on and solve single digit addition and subtraction equations.
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Overall frustration with solving complex problems and math in general, which led to students being disengaged during lessons and not attempting to learn new concepts.
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This disengagement in math was leading to slow growth in math, evident by grades on quizzes and tests within the units.
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Throughout each unit, students were given quick quizzes, which have fact fluency checks on the back.
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Based on student observations, students who were disengaged during math lessons performed significantly lower on these fluency checks than those who were engaged.
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Finally, when observing students using strategies to solve math problems, a significant difference was noted between students who have higher fact fluency and number sense and those who don’t, based on their solution strategies.
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Those who have a strong background in this area were able to solve problems mentally, write the answer on their board, and explain their solution orally.
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Those without fact fluency or number sense were more likely to use strategies such as drawing circles or making math mountains to solve single digit equations. Math mountains is a strategy introduced in Kindergarten that students use to represent partners and totals for both addition and subtraction. Students place the total at the top of their mountain and the partners on the bottom, creating a triangle, or mountain, shape. I noticed that some students were utilizing "tiny tumblers" which is an additional strategy mainly utilized in Kindergarten to represent each partner with circles or "tumblers" coming down the mountain.
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Why is this important?
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Math is important because it helps students learn to think logically about situations. In math, students learn how to problem solve, think critically, and develop both perseverance and lifelong learning skills.
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To assess math in our district, we use Measures of Academic Progress assessment. Students take this assessment three times a year to measure their growth in the strands of Number, Geometry, Algebra, and Data. In second grade, students demonstrate proficiency by scoring 174-180 in the fall, 183-190 in the winter, and 189-196 in the spring. In the fall, 11 out of 20 students (55% of the class) demonstrated proficiency by meeting this benchmark.
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Another strategy my district uses to assess math is our curriculum, Math Expressions. Within this curriculum we utilize both formative and summative assessments to monitor student progress. Formative assessments occur in the form of quick quizzes throughout each unit. These quizzes assess current skills as well as fact fluency. Summative assessments are given at the end of each unit to assess skills taught throughout the entire unit.
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Math achievement is vital to student success in all subject areas. The skills they learn through math such as critical thinking and problem solving enhance their abilities as lifelong learners. As a result of increased achievement, students become more engaged in mathematics and the skills that come with it. To increase student achievement and therefore increase engagement, students need to be exposed to content in ways that makes sense to them as individual learners.
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As stated in my literature review, by assessing what students know and the abilities they already possess, teachers then use this knowledge to help students both meet standards and further develop critical thinking skills. To learn more about math differentiation, grouping practices, and reteaching strategies, please see my literature review.