Daily Math Routine: Is it worth it?

Have you ever heard of Daily Math Routine? In my current Teacher Assisting placement, we conduct the Daily Math Routine on a (as the name implies) daily basis. Are you familiar with this routine? If not...stop and watch the video below to watch a second grade class conduct this routine. 

Math Expressions, the program used within my Teacher Assisting placement, has created this routine. As you saw, the Daily Math Routine is broken down into five different elements all of which give students insight to number sense.

At the beginning of the year, twenty-two second grade students arrived. With a class of six, seven, and eight year olds, the beginning of the year was spent setting expectations, building routines, and creating a classroom community. Daily Math Routine is one of these routines. Now, over three months into the semester, the students still engage in this ten to fifteen minute routine on a daily basis. The question to consider: Is it worth it? 

The answer this, let's break this routine down to the five different "segments:" 120 chart, finger flashes, money chart, number path cards, and secret code cards. As students conduct these routines, they are expected to grow more and more familiar with the way in which they visualize numbers. 

In my second grade class, we begin Daily Math Routine with the 120 chart (pictured on the left). The leader at this station, second grader Sue (pseudonym), asks another classmate to draw 

a card. As you can see, the three number options a student can draw is a 5, 6, or 7. After the card is chosen, Sue asks the class, "What is my new number?" The class responds, in which case, she asks the follow-up question, "Will I make a new ten?" Circles are made, equations are written, and a new number is deemed. 

A new student then leads the class through the money flip chart. Ben, a​ pseudonym, will ask similar questions like, "What is my number?," "Will I make a new ten?" and "What is my new number?" As you can see in the far left image above, the visuals shown are represented in money form, exposing students to a new way of thinking about numbers (in the form of cents and dollars). 

Javier, another​ pseudonym, then leads the student through the secret code cards (pictured in the center). He simply will de-construct and re-construct the new number. For example, if the new number is "124," Javier would say "124 = 100 + 20 + 4 = 124" using the code cards as a visual. 

Hannah (you guess it...a​ pseudonym) runs the class through the number path cards, each student has their own number path card at their desk. As you can see pictured on the far right, an equation is written and the new number is shown using base ten blocks. Again, students are exposed to a variety of number senses through this Daily Math Routine. 

Finally (and not pictured), David, a​ pseudonym, leads the class in the final finger flashes. If you watched the video at the beginning of this blog, you saw students counting by hundreds, tens, and ones to get to the new number for the day. 

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Above, I broke down the Daily Math Routine. It sounds pretty awesome because it is student led and exposes students to so many different ways to represent numbers. The Daily Math Routine is very differentiated in its instruction and connects with many types of learners. However, after seeing this routine performed day after day in a second grade classroom, I am wondering if it is really worth it. 

In my own placement, the students seem to struggle to remember what their job is at the different station. They are often looking for my help or my cooperating teacher's help to guide them through their specific job. Also, because this is a "routine," it is hard to see if the students are really understanding the concepts within the routine or just saying based on the rote questions and answers. 

What do you think? Do you think this routine is helpful in a second grade classroom? Do you think it forces students to think about numbers differently? There clearly are many pros, but also several cons. If you were the teacher, would you continue to cut fifteen minutes out of your day to complete this routine?