Number Corner Grade 2 Advice for October

Your children will be intrigued with the leaf patterns this month. Remember, there is more than one pattern going on simultaneously. If you don’t remember the secret, read the first paragraph on pg. 49, and know that there are key questions on page 53 to ask about the pattern.

 

It is to your advantage to make a permanent Daily Number Chart (page 55) so you can use it again next year. Construct it on poster board, putting Velcro dots in a 5 by 2 pattern under the ones. Then put Velcro dots on 16 cubes of one color and 16 of another. (In other words, replace the pins in the illustration with Velcro dots.) Attach several dots under the place where the "trains" of 10 cubes are placed. Velcro works much easier than the pins, costs less than $3, takes about a half hour of your time, will pay off in ease of operation and time saved next year.

 

Examining the mystery numbers on the Hundreds Grid, putting a ? mark in a pocket somewhat ahead of where you are currently on the grid, is a fun and challenging way to get kids to see and analyze patterns as they listen to one another’s explanations of how they figured out the mystery number. I remember hearing a lot of “ah ha’s” from students as they listened to each other. There are questions on page 63 if you need ideas to help refine your questioning strategies.

 

In October the Magnetic Tiles are used to form a “two by” array, then examining it to see if it is a double or neighbor. If your kids didn’t have Bridges or Number Corner last year this terminology may be new to them. If you too are new to Bridges, a double is a combination like 6 + 6, while a neighbor is 6 + 7. For some reason doubles seem to be easier facts to memorize, so if a child knows 6 + 6 = 12, then 6 + 7 must be 6 + 6 and one more, or 13.

 

The Coin Collector continues as in September, except you now use the 100 grid instead of the date as the number to use when counting out coins to match. This will get you to combinations up to about 40, so students get to start using quarters more often than in September.

 

Now you get to use a clock with two hands! This month you add writing the time digitally at the bottom. You’ll find good questions on pg. 74 if you need variety.

 

Don’t forget to administer Check-Up 1 near the end of the month, found on your CD, in your Number Corner Student Book blacklines or in the Student Books (pages 9-10) if you purchased them. I placed it on the 29^th in the Planner, but you can administer it at any time during the last week of October. (Or even in early November!)