Touch Math Multiplication

Now that we have delved into the wonderful world of multiplication, I am introducing the class to a variety of problem solving strategies.

1. Skip counting using the touch points from their Touch Math charts. 

2. Repeated addition

3. Counting up

4. Or if all else fails, they can put manipulatives into groups (This is how most of us were taught, it's not a bad method, but it is not efficient and does't help build number sense) 

In this video, Davis solves 2x7 using the Touch Math method.  

Wilson 2.1 - Glued Sounds

This week our class started step 2.1 in the Wilson Reading System.  In this step the class is introduced to welded or "glued" sounds.  all glued sounds are presented on green cards.  This is a way of differentiating sounds and concepts with color. The set up of the board is very important; the top rows end with bonus letters (f,l &s) digraphs are under the consonants and they are yellow because they only make one sound. the suffix "s" is a different shade of yellow and it is on a larger card.  

Glued sounds are marked by simply boxing the letters.  We are scooping the words so that when we get into multisyllabic words students will already be used to scooping syllables.

This is our glued sound drill; I was going to edit out the part where I say "action" because I am told to, but I thought it was kind of funny, and it shows the personality of our class. (they are such hams!)