READING
Your child is ability grouped for reading instruction. Literacy and our literacy series are integrated along with out total reading program. Student responses to literature and skill activities are written in logs and that are kept at school. Knowledge comprehension questions are addressed as well as higher level thinking skills. This integrates the reading and writing process. Occasionally, your child will be bringing home a story along with questions that supports what s/he is reading in the classroom.
We use a variety of quality paperback literature sets that have been district approved. These books are used in conjunction with Houghton Mifflin. Our reading program provides support to emerging readers as they develop their reading strategies; such as skip unknown words, go to the end of the sentence and then re-read the sentence to find what makes sense. The use of leveled readers provides appropriate reading materials addressing individual student needs.
The following reading strategies are introduced, taught, and reinforced throughout the year: summarizing, predicting, retelling, sequencing, literal/inferential thinking, main ideas and details, comparing and contrasting, vocabulary development, story elements, glossary and dictionary skills.
This year we will use a monthly reading calendar. The reading calendar is a home program to encourage reading for enjoyment. The children are expected to read at least 400 minutes each month. They will bring home a calendar to record the books and minutes read each day. Books can be chosen from school or any outside source. The reading calendars continue throughout the school year. Reading calendars are due the last school day of each month. The reading calendar is an ongoing homework assignment to be done nightly.
WRITING
This year we will continue to emphasize the writing process. It is incorporated into our language arts time block. The children will write from their experiences and knowledge background to stimulate their creativity. We will also be giving prompts at various times to help prepare them for future test taking.
We emphasize developmental spelling and expect all core list words to be spelled correctly. As you know, writing is a cross-curricular skill, and we encourage the children to use complete sentences are all times. We also routinely conference with the children regarding story content and skills. We often close each workshop session with a time for sharing individual writings.
PHONICS AND SPELLING
Phonics skills are incorporated into all language arts areas. The following phonics skills are taught/reinforced: all vowel sounds, blends and digraphs, contractions, word families, compound words, possessives, silent letters, plurals, homophones, synonyms, antonyms, prefixes, suffixes, and root words.
For spelling, all students will be pre-tested to determine the core words that will be taught during the year. From that list, six words will be selected each week, along with skill words and bonus words. Spelling tests are given weekly. Spelling words and a weekly homework page will be sent home on Monday. Students should complete the homework and return it by Friday, the same day as the spelling test.
Spelling in second grade emphasizes high-frequency words, which make up their core list (number 1-6). Additional words are selected based on the spelling rule taught for the week (number 7-12). Bonus words are chosen based on the science or social studies unit currently being studied.
The spelling grade is determined by the student’s ability to apply their spelling words in writing. Spelling will start on September 2, 2008. It is imperative that students be responsible for homework assignments on a weekly basis and study their words daily.
MATH
Second Grade Everyday Mathematics is the math program that we will be working from this school year. Everyday Mathematics is a part of an elementary school mathematics curriculum developed by the University of Chicago Mathematics Project. The program is designed around four basic principles:
- A problem-solving approach to mathematics based on everyday situations;
- Frequent practice of basic skills
- An instructional sequence that revisits concepts regularly or “spirals”
- A curriculum that explores mathematical content beyond basic arithmetic
Additionally, Second Grade Everyday Mathematics emphasizes the following content:
- Numeration
- Operations and computation
- Data and chance
- Geometry
- Measurement
- Reference frames (use clocks, calendars, thermometers, number lines)
- Patterns, functions, and algebra
Math homework, referred to as Home Links, will be sent home daily (Monday through Thursday) and are to be completed and returned the following day. The focus of each day’s Home Links coincides with the lesson taught that day in class.
Additional information regarding this program’s implementation in your child’s classroom will be distributed at Back-to-School night.
SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES
The second grade social studies curriculum will include a study of Colonial America and pioneer Littleton. Other units of study will be communities, government, map skills and the continents.
The science curriculum in second grade includes: weather, heat and light, plants, and everyone’s favorite, dinosaurs are the units covered.