The course has two components: the knowledge and skills component focuses on computation and basic problem solving and is done individually, and the live meetings that center around the "Big Ideas" set forth in the "Mindset Mathematics" series for grades 1 and 2. Example lessons can be found at the following website: www.youcubed.org During the live meetings we will be following the sequence visualize, play, and investigate. During the visualize portion of the lesson, we create models and pictures that represent the ideas we are learning. Recent research in neuroscience has shown that two of the five brain pathways used in learning mathematics are visual pathways. We want to be able to create a mental picture when solving math problems. The use of drawings and physical math manipulatives helps us do this. There is even research that shows that counting on our fingers increases math achievement! It's our very first visual model. This visual component also allows for some creative thinking and combining math and art. These activities are some of the kid's favorites. In the second part, the "play" time, students work with an important idea in a free space where they can enjoy the freedom of mathematical play. The play activities are designed to downplay competition and build cooperation and understanding as a group. During the final activity, the "investigate" portion, questions are posed that students can explore and take to very high levels. If students are not struggling a little bit, then they are not learning. We need to make things challenging enough so that the students think it is hard, but not so hard as to seem out of reach. In addition to the Big Ideas each week, students will work on math skills through the Beast Academy website. A membership for your child is included in the price of the course. It is a $60 value and one of the reasons why the cost is a little on the high side per hour.  Beast Academy has instructional videos and a companion comic book that students can read to help them solve the problems they will be working on. In addition, every problem has a complete written explanation of the correct answer. 
Students will have time at the beginning of each live class to ask questions about that week's assignments on Beast Academy and get clarification for any difficulties they are having. Please note that during a regular school year a student would spend at least 4.5 hours in active classroom instruction and practice. Since we are only meeting twice a week, parents may need to assist their child with homework and provide some additional instruction if needed. 

It is helpful if children can log in from two devices. One is the regular camera and shows the student's face, and the second is a picture of their desk so that I can see what they are doing with their manipulatives. This is a very hands-on class and this setup, if possible, makes things a lot easier!

Here is a breakdown of the Big Ideas for each week:

Week One: Building Group Work Norms. Students discuss how to work in groups and learn how to reason, convince, and how to be a skeptic. We will be doing a geometry activity with geoboards and rubber bands to help us represent shapes. We will also work on using our fingers as a basic visual representation and counting system.

Week Two: This week we will focus on number lines. Did you know a ruler is a number line? We will build our own number system using an activity called “How Close to 25?” Students will get practice in showing proof of their approximations by manipulating counters or tiles. We will begin working on addition and subtraction facts within 20 by creating multiple representations of numbers. For this we will use several manipulatives including base ten blocks, tiles, and Cuisenaire Rods.

Week Three: This week we focus on measurements. Students will use standard and non-standard units to measure items in their environment. Students explore number flexibility by creating and using multiple representations to solve word problems involving one step. Students learn to distinguish between addition and subtraction in word problems. 

Week Four: Students are introduced to benchmark numbers on the number line, and expand their understanding of the base 10 number system by representing the numbers 1-100 with base 10 blocks. Students learn to count by 2s and 10s. Students learn to count to 1000 by 100s. Students are asked to solve word problems using number lines and/or tape diagrams. 
Week Five: The focus this week is on data – collecting it, organizing it, interpreting it. The concepts from the previous weeks are utilized and expanded as students will need to do things they have never done before, such as addition and subtraction of numbers larger than 100. Students will explore multiple ways to solve these types of problems. 

Weeks Six through Eight: Students focus on the connection between addition and subtraction and attempt to solve problems with missing addends. 

Weeks Nine and Ten: Students will solve word problems with one or two steps using addition and subtraction. 

Weeks Eleven through Thirteen: Students will be introduced to additional problem-solving strategies such as Venn diagrams, the “Think 1” strategy, logical thinking, and “guess-and-check.”

Weeks Fourteen and Fifteen: Students will learn to count change up to $1.00 and will use addition and subtraction to solve money problems. Students will be able to tell time on an analog clock in 5-minute increments.

Week Sixteen: Review

The ixl portion of the class is flexible. Each week we will be focusing on a different set of skills. You can go to www.ixl.com to see the list of skills for 2nd grade. There are too many to list here!