by Diana Remick, Monthly Columnist
Whether you are using Common Core or state standards, math is an overwhelming content area with so many basic skills that need to be acquired before “moving on”. Teachers are responsible for teaching the grade level standards, but must go back to foundational skills that students may lack or have not yet mastered. Teachers also have to move forward for students that are ready to move on.
Teaching Math Foundational Components
Math standards have so many parts. For instance, a 2nd grade Common Core Standard for Telling Time is as follows:
2.MD.7 Tell and write time from analog and digital clocks to the nearest five minutes, using a.m. and p.m.
Even though some of the foundational skills are taught in prior grades, this standard still requires students to be able to:
- Explain the difference between a.m. and p.m.
- Determine the difference between hands on an analog clock
- Understand that the hour hand moves with the minutes and know “whose space” it is when determining the hour
- Know the parts of a digital clock
- Identify how many seconds are in a minute, minutes in an hour, and hours in a day
- Tell time to the hour, half hour, and quarter hour
- Write time to the hour, half hour, and quarter hour
- Know and use special terms such as half past, quarter to, quarter after, quarter past, minutes to, minutes after, minutes past
- Tell time to the nearest 5 minutes
- Write time to the nearest 5 minutes
- For students ready to go on, tell and write time to the minute
To help students master each foundational skills, my 2nd grade team made the decision to teach this standard throughout the entire school year. This allows the teachers time to teach and reteach each part of the standard and allows the students success before moving on to the next part.
As the appointed assessment creator for my 2nd grade team, I find the creation of assessments to be very challenging. When working with my Instructional Coach in creating the assessments, I was made aware of how different the standards and expectations can be interpreted by different people. I rely on other school districts that have Assessment Coordinators/Developers to help me understand and break down the standard. When creating tasks and assessments, the depth of knowledge and rigor has to be appropriate. Keeping this all in mind makes the development of the tasks and the assessments on-going challenge.
Math is a content area with many parts. It is crucial that teachers break down the standards into smaller and more attainable parts!
About the Author
Diana Remick is a 2nd grade teacher at La Junta Primary School and has been teaching for 18+ years. She received both her BA and her MA from Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado.
Astute Hoot says
Continually reviewing key concepts such as telling time is a great way to ensure students retain essential foundational skills.