When it comes to math facts for 2nd graders, they need to know their basic addition and subtraction facts within 20. They can have them memorized or they can quickly use mental strategies to help them get to the answer. As 2nd grade students learn these facts fluently, it helps them build a foundation of number sense and helps them find success with higher level math.
Getting all your students to know all these math facts is easier said than done. Over the years I have seen what has really helped my students learn these second grade math facts. So today I thought I would share 3 tips to help teach math facts for 2nd graders.
Math Facts for 2nd Graders
Use Strategies
Teaching your students math fact strategies is extremely helpful for students. Math fact strategies help students find the answer to math facts even if they forget what they have memorized. This helps take the pressure off of students and lowers their anxiety towards math. Math fact strategies focus on number sense and patterns. This helps students establish meaning to the numbers and equations. Math fact strategies are more hands one than rote memorization. You can get students using manipulatives like counters to better be able to see the math. As they do this, they are building connections that help them commit the facts to memory.
I take two weeks at the beginning of the school year to explicitly teach each math fact strategy to my students. I hang up anchor charts for students to reference too. I help students get plenty of practice with worksheets, scoot activities, and games.
This sets a solid foundation for math. It sets up students for a successful year as they learn higher level math.
Wondering what math fact strategies I teach math 2nd grade students? I have a one page guide you can print out and have handy as you teach. Get it here in my free workbook: The 7 Steps to Ensure Math Fact Fluency
Or read about each math fact strategy here in this blog post: Math Fact Strategies That Work
Find all of the math fact strategies resources I use to teach here in this money saving bundle: Math Fact Strategies
Model to Students
Once students have been taught the math fact strategies, I like to keep reviewing them all school year. This is easier than it seems and doesn’t take up a lot of time. When we come across a math fact in our regular math lesson I like to model how to use a math fact strategy to solve it.
If it’s a near doubles fact, I use my doubles facts posters and songs to model how to get to the answer. Find these posters here.
I like to keep a set of ten frames up on my whiteboard. I also have magnetic counters I keep up there. That way I can quickly model how to solve a math fact using the make ten strategy with the supplies on my white board. Learn more about how to teach the make ten strategy here in this blog post: How to Teach the Make Ten Strategy
I also have a laminated number line up at the front of my classroom. That way I can draw on it with my dry erase marker to quickly model how to use the number line strategy to solve a math fact. After modeling this to students a few times, I see them looking at and using this number line to find math facts in their head. For more tips on how to teach this strategy, check out this blog post here: How to Teach Number Line in Addition in a Way that Absolutely Works
Another simple idea on how to model to students is to do a math fact daily warm up. I call mine “Math Fact of the Day.” I put up a math fact on the whiteboard and I ask, “How do you think through this to get to the answer.” At the first of the year I model to students different ways to think through the numbers and equations. I model out all the different strategies and write them up on the board so students can follow my reasoning easier.
Soon students can do this more independently. I give them some time to think about it by themselves. Then I have them turn and talk to a partner. Then I will call on some students to share their reasoning. I record their thoughts and numbers up on the board. I am always amazed at what students come up with. I especially love when they share invented strategies. These are the strategies that I didn’t explicitly teach to students. Students are being flexible with the numbers to find the answer in ways that make sense with them.
As students share these strategies, the pathways to recall these math facts become faster and faster. It helps lead students to math fact fluency. Find my Math Fact of the Day resource here.
Make it Fun
Instead of drilling students on boring, anxiety inducing time tests, have them play math fact games! I like to set these games out as fast finisher activities in my classroom. When students finish their work and there is some time before we are moving onto our next activity, they can get together with a couple other students and play a game.
One of my students’ favorite games is Math Facts War. In this game students pass out the cards with math fact equations out to all the players evenly until all the cards are gone. Then students flip over the top card of their pile. Whoever has the highest sum wins the round and takes those cards. Students repeat this until only one player has cards. Find my Math Facts War game here.
I also like to set out games as center activities. Math Facts Bingo is really simple to set out as a center. Once I show students how to play it once, they are really independent with this game. Find my Math Facts Bingo game here.
Learn about all the math fact games I use in my classroom here is this blog post: The Best 9 Games for Practicing Math Facts
Already know you want to incorporate more math fact games into your 2nd grade classroom? Get all my math fact games in this money saving bundle here: Math Facts Fluency Games
I hope these 3 tips to help teach math facts for 2nd graders have been beneficial for you. Which ones do you want to incorporate more of in your classroom? Leave a comment below. I’d love to know.
Wanting more help to get your students to math fact fluency? Download my free workbook for 1st and 2nd grade teachers: The 7 Steps to Ensure Math Fact Fluency
Download your free copy here.
