Keeping Up With Kirbys

I LOVE teaching my 2nd graders the beginning of multiplication and division.  They feel all grown up and like true mathematicians!!  Their littles eyes light up and they act like they can now conquer the world.  Nothing else matters as far they are concerned.  Adding, subtracting, regrouping, borrowing...who needs that?!  We can multiply and divide. I think I enjoy teaching this to the kids because it is a nice break from borrowing and regrouping -- which is a gray hair creator for teachers.  And if you asked 9 out of 10 second graders what they want to learn in 2nd grade they will say "times", which means multiplication. We used Laura Numeroff books to get us started.  First we read If You Give a Pig a Pancake  and then make a list of all the things that we could put on top of a pancake and create their multiplication problem with a craftivity to match her books. I've created templates for a variety of her book...

Hi friends!  This past week we were learning about dramas and plays but I wanted to talk with the kiddos about MLK, Jr. before we were out for school.  I hit the jackpot when I found this little gem. It's a reader's theater with 3 different versions and a comprehension check to use at the end of the week.  The kids enjoyed it and took it very serious to practice reading their parts so that they were reading effortlessly and sounding fluent.  You can pick this up here . I always find it a little hard to teach because the kids are so young and they really DO NOT understand that there was a time when things were different and people were judged by their skin color.  It is hard for them to wrap their heads around this.  Some of the books that I read this past week were: click here to order click here to order   We are constantly working on social skills at my school so we discussed "Just" and "Unjust" situations that they could relate...