Write a list of numbers on a piece of paper. Write as many numbers as you like, in whatever order you wish, containing as many digits as you want. Write the numbers in a row to avoid confusing your students visually. For example, write 14, 15, 35, 56, 43, 14, 35, 14, 6.
Explain to second graders that the mode is the whole number that appears the most frequently. Ask students to tally up how many times each number appears and to tell you which number appears the most often. For example in the number set above, the mode is 14.
Place three pieces of green paper, two pieces of red, and four pieces of blue in front of students and ask them to identify which color of paper appears most often. Then explain to them that this is also looking for the mode and that they must apply the same concept to numbers. By repeating the explanation using colors, you can assist second graders for whom numbers are initially confusing.
Show second graders the same list of numbers that you used to teach them mode, which in this example is 14, 15, 35, 56, 43, 14, 35, 14, 6. These numbers can be in any order. Explain that range indicates the difference between the biggest and smallest numbers in the list.
Identify the largest number, which in this case is 56, and the smallest number, which is in this case 6. Ask students to subtract 6 from 56, which is simple enough for most second graders to complete. Format this subtraction problem in a manner that students are accustomed to so it does not confuse them visually. For example:
56
-6
=50
Explain that the range is 50, since it is the difference between the largest and smallest numbers in the list. Repeat the exercise with smaller, simpler numbers if second graders are struggling with the concept. Offer students alternative methods to visualize range as well. For example, poll the class to learn the children’s ages. If the oldest child is 8 and the youngest is 6, ask students to solve the problem 8-6, resulting in a range of 2.