WELCOME TO… ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN 2ND GRADE!

WELCOME TO…ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN 2ND GRADE!

WRITING 5 STAR SENTENCES For Example: mrs poirier and her family went two the movies on saturday Capitalization Punctuation Grammar Spelling Sentence Structure Writing integrated through… Literature Responses Research Reports Social Studies Journal Writing Letter Writing Write from the Beginning

Genres of Writing • Writing personal narratives • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure. • Writing informative/expository pieces • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.2Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section. • Writing opinion pieces • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.1Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g.,because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.

SPELLING High Frequency Words (a.k.a. “No Excuses” Words!) Each week in the homework, there will be a word study on 5 high frequency words. It is important for students to learn how to read, write, and correctly use these words. We will do the first one together as a class, and students can keep these in their home folders to use as a reference guide.

MATH • Engage New York – This year, we will be implementing Engage New York, which is a rigorous program that focuses on the common core standards by using mathematical reasoning and an in-depth focus on various math topics. • Investigations - a hands on way of teaching math through exploration and problem solving. We will make real life connections as to why and where we would use math. (supplemental) • Problem Solving–CGI - This strategy focuses on student knowledge and encourages teachers to pose story problems that can be solved by any means chosen by the child. Problem-posing and problem-solving become the focus of the mathematics class, rather than the traditional emphasis on memorization of facts and algorithms.

Problem Solving Situations

Math Big Ideas • Operations and Algebraic Thinking (OA) • Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction. • Fluently add and subtract within 20. • Work with equal groups of objects to gain foundations for multiplication. • Number and Operations in Base Ten (NBT) • Understands place value. • Uses place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract. • Measurement and Data (MD) • Measure and estimate lengths in standard units. • Relate addition and subtraction to length. • Work with time and money. • Represent and interpret data. • Geometry (G) • Reason with shapes and their attributes.

Reading Big Ideas • Key Ideas and Details: • Ask and answer questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. • Recount stories and determine their central message. • Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. • Craft and Structure: • Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text. • Know and use various text features (for example: captions, headings, etc.) • Identify the main purpose of a text (informational). • Describe the overall structure of a story (literature). We use the Core Knowledge program, along with Scholastic News, authentic literature, and other supplemental reading materials to help us achieve these reading goals! Core Knowledge also focuses on science and social studies integration within our reading time.

Reading Skills Big Ideas • Key Ideas and Details: • Know and apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. • Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words. • Know spelling- sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams • Decode two syllable words with long vowels • Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes • Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling- sound correspondences • (Tricky Words) recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. We use the Core Knowledge Skills program to teach phonics and word analysis. We use other resources as well, such as 95% Group to teach multisyllabic words.

Science In second grade, we have 4 main areas of science content that we will work on throughout the year: • Matter (solids, liquids, gases) • Weather • Insects • The human body

Social Studies We do a lot of integrating social studies curriculum with our reading. The topics we will cover in second grade are: • Community building • Maps / Physical features of the Earth • Ancient civilizations and civilizations in China, India, and Japan • Westward expansion • Immigration to the United States • National symbols • US Constitution • Significance of national holidays • The Revolutionary War (causes, effects, people, etc.)

HOMEWORK • A homework packet will go home on Monday…due on the following Monday. • Usually, the weekly packets will include: • Math assignment • Reading / Language Arts assignment • Word Study assignment • Students should also be reading at least 20 minutes per night (this can include parents reading to the student) Please allow your child to do the homework on their own, as this builds confidence and self esteem! You can help and guide, but please don’t do!

UNITY I dreamed I stood in a studioand watched two sculptors there. The clay they used wasa young child's mindand they fashioned it with care. One was a teacher:the tools that were used werebooks, music, and art.One was a parentwith a guiding hand and a gentle, loving heart. Day after day the teacher toiledwith a touch that was deft and sure.While the parent labored side-by-sideand polished and smoothed it o'er. And when at last the task was donethey were proud of what they had wrought.For the things they had molded into the child,could never be forgot. And they agreed each would have failedif either had worked alone.For behind the parent stood the school,and behind the teacher, the home. ~Author Unknown~

WELCOME TO… ANOTHER GREAT DAY IN 2ND GRADE!