Dear Second Grade Families,

For the remainder of the year students will be using a math mad minute program called Mastering Math Facts, which has been developed by the Otter Creek Institute. This program allows students to work at their own individual level, taking into account how each student processes each math problem and then writes the answer to the fact. This program takes only a few minutes each day of class time. Students will keep working until they have mastered all the facts on each level (levels are indicated by a letter of the alphabet). A fact is mastered when it can be answered instantly, without any pause. Mastering Math Facts is unique because it teaches only two facts and their inverses on each page. The program allows each child to go at his or her own pace, taking as many days to master those two facts as needed.

You can help your child progress and learn faster by practicing at home the same set of facts your child is learning at school. Here's how we recommend you practice with your child. Have your child read each fact aloud and then say the answers to you. If you hear a hesitation or an error on one of those facts, give your child some extra practice on that fact. The best way to give extra practice is to begin by immediately giving your child the correct answer, then ask him or her to repeat the problem and the answer once more. Next, back up three problems and have your child begin again. If there is no hesitation or mistakes when the problem is reached this time, be sure to praise your child and let him or her continue.

Work until finishing the top half of the page, but no more than five minutes in one session. If you wish to do a second session, wait at least an hour. When memorizing facts, two short sessions hours apart are far more helpful than one long session. Your child's hard work should pay off in "passing" within a very few days. Then the next set will be assigned and practice can begin again. Each practice and test sheet is cumulative, including all the facts learned so far.

Learning all the facts in a given operation is a lot of work and may take many attempts. Please share in your child's excitement in learning these facts. For more information you may visit their website at
http://www.oci-sems.com/

Thank you for supporting your child in this fun learning activity.

Second Grade Teachers