Sure, they're everyday words, but pound, cup, pint, foot and yard can seem like rocket science to a second grader. Teachers spend lots of time breaking down those concepts because estimating and measuring capacity, length, and weight using standard units is a cornerstone of the second grade math curriculum.
You'll probably see worksheets in your child's homework folders, but beware: as third grade approaches, kids will need to be able to apply these measurement skills to real-life situations. Every time you buy fruit at the store, for example, you have a chance to practice weighing; and someone needs to calculate the right amount of rice for dinner. Put your second grader in charge of reading those measurement fractions on recipe pages, and then of handling cups and teaspoons. As you help your second grader solidify these core curriculum pieces, there's no substitute for hands-on discovery learning! And as Mother's Day approaches, why not make it a celebration?
How wonderful is Mom? Help your second grade mathematician "measure" the ways with this creative gift of appreciation, great for Mother's Day, or any day. Taking the structure of a recipe, ask your child to come up with a set of "ingredients" that make Mom special, and then put it into a whimsical card. Whether it’s 3 cups of love or a tablespoon of laughter, this fun activity will bring a smile to any mom’s face … and it will also provide valuable practice with measurement terms that are a classic part of second grade mathematics.
What You Need:
- Measuring tools from the kitchen
- 2 5×8" unlined index cards
- 1 piece of red or pink construction paper
- Markers
- Start with one 5×8" index card, held vertically. Have your child draw a picture of Mom, and use as many colors and details as possible.
- Now take the second card. Again, hold it vertically. On top, have your child write: "Recipe for Mom."
- Help your child make a list: what are at least seven things that make Mom special? Maybe it's "sense of humor," or "great cookies…" whatever comes to mind, support your second grader in getting it written down, and provide help with spelling if you're asked, too! As your child writes, have her leave a 1/2" space on the left margin–you'll fill in measurements when you're done. At the bottom of the card, there should be at least 2" left as well. That's for "cooking instructions."
- Gather a bunch of measuring tools from the kitchen. These can be cups, teaspoons and tablespoons.
- Now comes the fun part! Have your child go through all the measuring tools to put a quantity amount to each trait. So, for example, if she picked “understanding” as one of her mom’s qualities, she can decide how much understanding to put in her recipe (probably about 5 cups!)
- Invite your child to decorate the margins of the card with whimsical designs that Mom will like. Then fold one 9×12" piece of construction paper in half horizontally (the "hamburger" way). Work together to glue the drawing of Mom on the front of the card, and glue the recipe inside. You'll have an heirloom thank you for Mom…and a whimsical piece of math practice while you're at it!
Submitted by Vanessa Genova DeSantis has been teaching for fourteen years in public and private school settings in grades 4-8. She's also an educational freelance writer as well as a private tutor for elementary, middle and high school students.
