Second Grade Information
Reader's Workshop
Our literacy block will be anchored by Scholastic's Guided Reading Program. At the beginning of the year we will assess each student to determine instructional reading level, and this information will be used to place students in guided reading groups. This will change throughout the year as your child grows as a reader. Student opportunities for learning will include: read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, work on writing, and word work. Many skills will be introduced to the whole group, then practiced in small groups. One-on-one instruction based on individual needs is also an integral part of our reading program.
AR
Accelerated Reader is a computer-based program that contains brief comprehension quizzes on classroom and library books. It allows students a great opportunity to read and then monitor their own comprehension. The main objective of AR is to increase the volume of text your child is reading and to give them the opportunity to practice literacy skills in their own reading. As we complete beginning-of-the-year assessments, each student will learn about choosing "good fit books". Students will not be required to accumulate a certain number of points with AR, but most will enjoy taking the tests and become more motivated to read. As your child reads each night, encourage them to check for understanding as they read in order to prepare for AR quizzes.
Word Study
We will be using the Word Study program for spelling instruction. This program was developed through scientifically based educational research about how children acquire spelling skills. Word Study begins when children are given a base-line assessment that identifies specific developmental spelling features that the students use proficiently, use but confuse, or have not yet begun to acquire. Students are instructed at the level where they can use the feature but are still confused by it. The purpose of Word Study is not to have children memorize lists of difficult words. Rather, it is to examine words in order to reveal consistencies within the written language system and to help students master the spelling, recognition, and meaning of specific words.
After assessments are completed, children will be given a weekly list of spelling words that will focus on specific spelling patterns. Students will focus on the patterns within the words and the relationships between them. This should allow them to generalize beyond isolated, individual examples to entire groups of words that work the same way. Next week, we will practice word study activities with one list as a class. Please look for the first list to come home Monday, August 18, with specific information about weekly activities.
Students have opportunities to write about what interests them as they pull stories from their own lives and their classroom learning. Each lesson is structured so that skills are taught explicitly, and students are encouraged to "try it out" in their own writing. We do our best to make connections between our writing instruction and our IB Units of Inquiry. Look for more information to come home about a writing night soon!
Math Investigations
Math Investigations is a mathematics curriculum designed to engage students in making sense of mathematical ideas. The curriculum supports students in becoming mathematical thinkers, focuses on computational fluency, and provides substantive work in important areas of mathematics such as rational numbers, geometry, measurement, data and early algebra. It also emphasizes mathematical reasoning and engages learners in understanding math. Students are encouraged to develop their problem solving skills through the use of many different strategies. Students are not simply taught the algorithm to solve a problem. Family letters will be sent home at the beginning of each unit explaining the content of the unit and how you can support your child at home.
Project-Based Learning
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is based on the foundation that students learn best when they are actively engaged in creating a product to display their knowledge. Thinking maps, flip books, diagrams, and open writing responses are just a few examples of "projects" that are ever-present in our classrooms. Projects are not always a long-process activity. They are not always completed at school, nor are they always completed at home. Projects give students the freedom to show their learning in an innovative way, without always filling in the blank or making a multiple choice. With larger projects, a rubric will be included with project guidelines so that you know exactly what is expected.
Science and Social Studies
Science and Social Studies are an integral part of each of the six IB transdisciplinary themes. Topics will be integrated throughout our day in reading, writing, enrichment and research. Some of the science topics we will investigate this year include matter, scientific method, and nutrition. In Social Studies we will explore communities, celebrations, ancient civilizations, and the earth's resources.
Reader's Workshop
Our literacy block will be anchored by Scholastic's Guided Reading Program. At the beginning of the year we will assess each student to determine instructional reading level, and this information will be used to place students in guided reading groups. This will change throughout the year as your child grows as a reader. Student opportunities for learning will include: read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, work on writing, and word work. Many skills will be introduced to the whole group, then practiced in small groups. One-on-one instruction based on individual needs is also an integral part of our reading program.
AR
Accelerated Reader is a computer-based program that contains brief comprehension quizzes on classroom and library books. It allows students a great opportunity to read and then monitor their own comprehension. The main objective of AR is to increase the volume of text your child is reading and to give them the opportunity to practice literacy skills in their own reading. As we complete beginning-of-the-year assessments, each student will learn about choosing "good fit books". Students will not be required to accumulate a certain number of points with AR, but most will enjoy taking the tests and become more motivated to read. As your child reads each night, encourage them to check for understanding as they read in order to prepare for AR quizzes.
Word Study
We will be using the Word Study program for spelling instruction. This program was developed through scientifically based educational research about how children acquire spelling skills. Word Study begins when children are given a base-line assessment that identifies specific developmental spelling features that the students use proficiently, use but confuse, or have not yet begun to acquire. Students are instructed at the level where they can use the feature but are still confused by it. The purpose of Word Study is not to have children memorize lists of difficult words. Rather, it is to examine words in order to reveal consistencies within the written language system and to help students master the spelling, recognition, and meaning of specific words.
After assessments are completed, children will be given a weekly list of spelling words that will focus on specific spelling patterns. Students will focus on the patterns within the words and the relationships between them. This should allow them to generalize beyond isolated, individual examples to entire groups of words that work the same way. Next week, we will practice word study activities with one list as a class. Please look for the first list to come home Monday, August 18, with specific information about weekly activities.
Students have opportunities to write about what interests them as they pull stories from their own lives and their classroom learning. Each lesson is structured so that skills are taught explicitly, and students are encouraged to "try it out" in their own writing. We do our best to make connections between our writing instruction and our IB Units of Inquiry. Look for more information to come home about a writing night soon!
Math Investigations
Math Investigations is a mathematics curriculum designed to engage students in making sense of mathematical ideas. The curriculum supports students in becoming mathematical thinkers, focuses on computational fluency, and provides substantive work in important areas of mathematics such as rational numbers, geometry, measurement, data and early algebra. It also emphasizes mathematical reasoning and engages learners in understanding math. Students are encouraged to develop their problem solving skills through the use of many different strategies. Students are not simply taught the algorithm to solve a problem. Family letters will be sent home at the beginning of each unit explaining the content of the unit and how you can support your child at home.
Project-Based Learning
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is based on the foundation that students learn best when they are actively engaged in creating a product to display their knowledge. Thinking maps, flip books, diagrams, and open writing responses are just a few examples of "projects" that are ever-present in our classrooms. Projects are not always a long-process activity. They are not always completed at school, nor are they always completed at home. Projects give students the freedom to show their learning in an innovative way, without always filling in the blank or making a multiple choice. With larger projects, a rubric will be included with project guidelines so that you know exactly what is expected.
Science and Social Studies
Science and Social Studies are an integral part of each of the six IB transdisciplinary themes. Topics will be integrated throughout our day in reading, writing, enrichment and research. Some of the science topics we will investigate this year include matter, scientific method, and nutrition. In Social Studies we will explore communities, celebrations, ancient civilizations, and the earth's resources.