If you teach Grade 2 using Illustrative Mathematics, you may have noticed that some students need more support than the core lessons alone provide.
You may have students who understand a concept during the lesson but struggle when they have to practice it independently.
You may have students who need more repetition before a skill becomes automatic.
You may have students who understand the math but become overwhelmed by the reading, writing, or language demands of a problem.
And you may have students who simply need more time.
These challenges are common concerns teachers raise when discussing Illustrative Mathematics.
Teachers often mention that lessons can feel long, that students may need more repetition with a skill, and that practice problems can sometimes feel very different from the examples students just completed.
For students who are still developing foundational math skills, this can create a frustrating experience.
They may understand the concept.
But they are not yet ready to apply it independently in a new format.
That is where supplemental math resources can make a big difference
The goal isn’t to replace your math curriculum
Your Illustrative Mathematics curriculum provides the foundation for your instruction.
But no curriculum can perfectly meet the needs of every student in every classroom.
Your students may need:
- More practice with a skill.
- More repetition before moving on.
- Additional opportunities to build confidence.
- A visual reference they can return to.
- Different ways to interact with the math.
- Extra support when a concept has not been mastered after one lesson.
That doesn’t mean you need to throw out your curriculum.
It means you may need resources that help you fill the gaps between the core lesson and what your students need next.
That’s exactly why I created the Grade 2 Illustrative Mathematics Teacher Toolkits.
The toolkits are designed to give you ready-to-use supplemental resources that you can use alongside your existing math instruction.
Illustrative Mathematics Extra practice worksheets for students who need more repetition
One of the biggest frustrations teachers mention is that students sometimes need more practice than the core lesson provides.
A student may understand a strategy during instruction but still need several additional opportunities to practice before they can use it independently.
That is completely normal.
Learning a math concept is not the same as mastering it.
The extra practice worksheets in the teacher toolkits give students additional opportunities to work with the skills they are learning.
You can use them for:
- Independent practice.
- Small-group instruction.
- Math intervention.
- Reteaching.
- Review.
- Homework.
- Early finishers.
- Additional practice before an assessment.
Instead of spending your planning time searching for another worksheet or creating practice problems from scratch, you have supplemental resources ready to use.
This can be especially helpful for students who need to see a skill more than once before it becomes familiar.
Because sometimes the student doesn’t need a completely new lesson.
They need another opportunity to practice the lesson they just learned.
Math choice boards for students who need flexibility and variety
Another common concern teachers share is that students can become frustrated when every math task feels challenging or unfamiliar.
For some students, completing problem after problem is not the most effective way to practice.
They need variety.
They need choice.
They need opportunities to approach the math in different ways.
The math choice boards in the teacher toolkits give students multiple practice options while keeping them focused on the skills they are learning.
Choice boards can be used during:
- Math centers.
- Independent work time.
- Small-group instruction.
- Intervention.
- Review days.
- Early finisher time.
They can also help you differentiate practice without having to create completely different lessons for every student.
One student may need additional practice with a skill.
Another may be ready to apply that same skill in a different way.
A choice board gives you more flexibility to meet both needs.
Interactive notebooks for students who need visual support
Some students can understand a math concept during a lesson but struggle to remember it later.
They need a place to return to.
A visual example.
A strategy.
A reminder of what they learned.
The interactive notebook resources in the teacher toolkits help students create a visual math reference they can use throughout the year.
Students can interact with the content by:
- Cutting.
- Gluing.
- Drawing.
- Labeling.
- Organizing examples.
- Recording strategies.
- Creating visual references.
This can be especially helpful for students who struggle to remember a concept after the class has moved on to something new.
Instead of asking, “What did we learn about this?”
students can look back through their notebooks and find a visual reminder.
The interactive notebook becomes a resource students can actually use.
Your students don’t need to master every skill after one lesson
If your Grade 2 students using Illustrative Mathematics need additional practice, flexibility, or visual support, the Grade 2 Teacher Toolkits can help you supplement your instruction with ready-to-use extra practice worksheets, math choice boards, and interactive notebook resources.
Give your students more opportunities to practice the math they are learning—and give yourself more tools to support the learners in front of you.