(Left) 2nd graders Camila M. and Amalia A. dance to the music of “Higher, Higher” as they “skip count” from 10 to 100. (Right) 4th grader Kai Ishizuka practices reducing fractions using IXL Learning Technology.
Who goes from 2nd grade to 6th grade in the blink of an eye? Second grader Victoria Feldman does. As an advanced math student, Victoria has mastered her own grade level math problems and advanced to sixth grade math using a series of blended learning technology tools that Ms. Lahlum uses in her daily math instruction.
With 19 children in her class, all of varying math abilities, Ms. Lahlum uses blended learning techniques and tools to ensure that all her students master 2nd grade math concepts at their own pace. Children work at various stations, some using IXL, an internet-based learning technology, while others use Osmo for number identification and practice. The students work on addition and money and time problems at their own pace. As a group, they practice math activities like skip counting (counting by 2’s, 5’s or 10’s) by using rousing music videos by Blendspace.
Interim Lower School Principal Ms. Coustan notes, “This is the first year we’ve purchased IXL for 2nd and 4th grade. It enhances Eureka Math which is our core curriculum K – 5. IXL provides individual practice with math concepts that is tailored to the students’ needs. The student earns awards for mastering content and the teacher can track the progress of the entire class across skills, time on task, and mastery.”