Grade 2 News – October 2016
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Grade 2 News – October 2016
As we enter October, we look back on a very busy first month of school for second graders. Everyone is settling into a comfortable daily routine, and we are making steady progress in our work each day. Our classroom reflects a friendly, cooperative spirit, and we continue to concentrate on consistently making fair, safe, responsible, respectful choices in all aspects of our school day.
READING
We have shared some “Silly Stories” throughout the month. These have included If You Take a Mouse to School, Dragon Gets By, Mrs. Brown Went to Town, and Julius.
This week we will read an excerpt from George and Martha, a fantasy-fiction series about two very unusual friends who happen to be hippos! Next week we will be read an article about real hippos from Ranger Rick Magazine, as well as some other non-fiction as part of an ongoing “Comprehension Tool Kit” focus. We will continue to note some important differences between fiction and non-fiction throughout the year.
We have been busy with Benchmark testing, establishing “Daily Five” routines, and incorporating good habits and important strategies second grade readers and writers must use each day to strengthen their skills. Our “Second Grade Reading: Growth Spurt” focus has included choosing “Good Fit” books, practicing new skills, building stamina, and using strategies to become stronger, more independent readers. Later this month and into November we will investigate “Becoming Experts: Reading Non-fiction.”
Later in October we will briefly explore the genre of poetry with a variety of work by favorite poets. We will even write some poetry of our own! Our next theme is called “Nature Walk,” and will include several very interesting realistic fiction and non-fiction selections. (This also ties into upcoming Science topics “A World of Living Things” and “Animal Groups” quite nicely!) As we explore new stories and work in our guided groups, we will continue to learn new vocabulary, strengthen our fluency and comprehension, and discuss what we read with peers.
LANGUAGE ARTS
During “Writing Workshop” we have been crafting personal narratives based on our actual life experiences. Throughout the year our “Writing Workshop” times will offer us many opportunities to record, share, expand, and refine ideas as well as explore the concept of “personal voice” in our writing. Second grade writers have lots of interesting things to write about, and enjoy sharing their work!
We continue to emphasize writing and speaking in complete sentences to explain ideas or answer questions. It is also important to practice this at home since it does carry over here at school! There is strong evidence to support the idea that students who routinely speak in complete sentences tend to write the same way. Second grade students are also expected to write neat, complete sentences using capital/uppercase letters and proper punctuation on a regular basis. We are steadily improving each day!
WORD STUDY
Detailed information about our district-wide Words Their Way program and how it works in our second grade classroom will be coming home next week. This week we will practice some Words Their Way routines in class to prepare for work at home later on!
MATH
Throughout the last month, we reviewed a number of important math concepts as part of our Everyday Math program. This included recognizing patterns, organizing information, and computing accurately. We used math strategies, manipulatives, hands-on activities, and group discussions to help reinforce and extend our understanding of these math concepts. This included playing card and dice games, using coins and bills, exploring dominoes, and using calculators. Number lines, charts, and 10-Frames have also been featured in our lessons. As we move into the area of number sense which includes counting, addition and subtraction, and place value, we will also incorporate music, movement, literature, and writing into our math lessons.
This month I will be sending home information about Xtra Math, a free website to practice and master basic math facts. I encourage students to use this website at home. I will also be sending home “Fact Triangles” for your child to practice math facts on a regular basis. In addition to this, I will be sending home updated User ID and Password information to log onto a newer version of ConnectEd (Everyday Math) online. This year we must master our math facts with automaticity!
Math is not a subject taught in isolation. It permeates our everyday routine, from our daily lunch count and morning calendar to how we organize ourselves into cooperative groups for Science or Social Studies activities. Encourage your child to think about how your own family uses math daily!
SOCIAL STUDIES/SCIENCE
We have nearly completed our Social Studies unit about “Communities.” Students have read about and discussed the differences and similarities of cities (urban), suburbs, and towns (rural). We have examined various features and characteristics of these communities including jobs, buildings, transportation, environment, and entertainment. We have also talked about our own community, Plymouth, and what makes it unique. We just completed city, suburb, and town triaramas for discussion and display, and took a written test of key concepts. This week we will complete and share cooperative group posters about different kinds of communities.
In Science we will briefly look at “A World of Living Things” (noting the difference between living and non-living things, and exploring what living things need to survive) before focusing on a more extensive “Animal Groups” unit. We will explore how scientists group animals, and closely examine various groups’ similarities and differences. Students will learn about the major animal groups including mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, mollusks, insects, and spiders. Cooperative group work, projects, and independent classroom activities will further reinforce these important science concepts. In addition, our “Science Exploration Center” and “Science Literature Area” will provide many opportunities to extend knowledge.
Our “Monarch Mania” center has provided us with a fascinating close-up view of real monarch caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies! We have released several healthy monarch butterflies, and we wish them a safe journey as they migrate to warmer places.
After we complete Science we will return to Social Studies and focus on landforms, continents, and mapping skills.
READING AT HOME
I am pleased that so many students are reading at home! Students take pride their growth, improvement, and fluency as readers. Remember that second graders also enjoy having chapter books read to them, and rediscovering old favorites can be fun for parents, too! Chapter books on CD’s are available at the Plymouth Public Library. These are great for long car trips and vacations! And my website at www.chalaspalace.weebly.com has several read-aloud book options on the “Quick Links” tab, including Tumblebooks and Storyline Online.
Listening to, retelling stories, making predictions, sequencing events, and discussing or reflecting on what they have heard or read are very important skills for second grade students to develop, practice, and refine! You can help your child a great deal by practicing these skills at home.
I highly recommend The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. This book promotes the benefits of reading aloud to children of all ages, and it is an excellent resource for parents. A clever and practical tip I learned from Jim Trelease many years ago, is to turn on the “Closed-Captioning” feature of your remote whenever your children watch television, movies, or DVD’s. Their eyes will “catch” the words as they are spoken, reinforcing reading skills! (It’s easy and best of all free!)
ODDS AND ENDS
It was great to meet so many of you at our recent Open House Night!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Chalas
As we enter October, we look back on a very busy first month of school for second graders. Everyone is settling into a comfortable daily routine, and we are making steady progress in our work each day. Our classroom reflects a friendly, cooperative spirit, and we continue to concentrate on consistently making fair, safe, responsible, respectful choices in all aspects of our school day.
READING
We have shared some “Silly Stories” throughout the month. These have included If You Take a Mouse to School, Dragon Gets By, Mrs. Brown Went to Town, and Julius.
This week we will read an excerpt from George and Martha, a fantasy-fiction series about two very unusual friends who happen to be hippos! Next week we will be read an article about real hippos from Ranger Rick Magazine, as well as some other non-fiction as part of an ongoing “Comprehension Tool Kit” focus. We will continue to note some important differences between fiction and non-fiction throughout the year.
We have been busy with Benchmark testing, establishing “Daily Five” routines, and incorporating good habits and important strategies second grade readers and writers must use each day to strengthen their skills. Our “Second Grade Reading: Growth Spurt” focus has included choosing “Good Fit” books, practicing new skills, building stamina, and using strategies to become stronger, more independent readers. Later this month and into November we will investigate “Becoming Experts: Reading Non-fiction.”
Later in October we will briefly explore the genre of poetry with a variety of work by favorite poets. We will even write some poetry of our own! Our next theme is called “Nature Walk,” and will include several very interesting realistic fiction and non-fiction selections. (This also ties into upcoming Science topics “A World of Living Things” and “Animal Groups” quite nicely!) As we explore new stories and work in our guided groups, we will continue to learn new vocabulary, strengthen our fluency and comprehension, and discuss what we read with peers.
LANGUAGE ARTS
During “Writing Workshop” we have been crafting personal narratives based on our actual life experiences. Throughout the year our “Writing Workshop” times will offer us many opportunities to record, share, expand, and refine ideas as well as explore the concept of “personal voice” in our writing. Second grade writers have lots of interesting things to write about, and enjoy sharing their work!
We continue to emphasize writing and speaking in complete sentences to explain ideas or answer questions. It is also important to practice this at home since it does carry over here at school! There is strong evidence to support the idea that students who routinely speak in complete sentences tend to write the same way. Second grade students are also expected to write neat, complete sentences using capital/uppercase letters and proper punctuation on a regular basis. We are steadily improving each day!
WORD STUDY
Detailed information about our district-wide Words Their Way program and how it works in our second grade classroom will be coming home next week. This week we will practice some Words Their Way routines in class to prepare for work at home later on!
MATH
Throughout the last month, we reviewed a number of important math concepts as part of our Everyday Math program. This included recognizing patterns, organizing information, and computing accurately. We used math strategies, manipulatives, hands-on activities, and group discussions to help reinforce and extend our understanding of these math concepts. This included playing card and dice games, using coins and bills, exploring dominoes, and using calculators. Number lines, charts, and 10-Frames have also been featured in our lessons. As we move into the area of number sense which includes counting, addition and subtraction, and place value, we will also incorporate music, movement, literature, and writing into our math lessons.
This month I will be sending home information about Xtra Math, a free website to practice and master basic math facts. I encourage students to use this website at home. I will also be sending home “Fact Triangles” for your child to practice math facts on a regular basis. In addition to this, I will be sending home updated User ID and Password information to log onto a newer version of ConnectEd (Everyday Math) online. This year we must master our math facts with automaticity!
Math is not a subject taught in isolation. It permeates our everyday routine, from our daily lunch count and morning calendar to how we organize ourselves into cooperative groups for Science or Social Studies activities. Encourage your child to think about how your own family uses math daily!
SOCIAL STUDIES/SCIENCE
We have nearly completed our Social Studies unit about “Communities.” Students have read about and discussed the differences and similarities of cities (urban), suburbs, and towns (rural). We have examined various features and characteristics of these communities including jobs, buildings, transportation, environment, and entertainment. We have also talked about our own community, Plymouth, and what makes it unique. We just completed city, suburb, and town triaramas for discussion and display, and took a written test of key concepts. This week we will complete and share cooperative group posters about different kinds of communities.
In Science we will briefly look at “A World of Living Things” (noting the difference between living and non-living things, and exploring what living things need to survive) before focusing on a more extensive “Animal Groups” unit. We will explore how scientists group animals, and closely examine various groups’ similarities and differences. Students will learn about the major animal groups including mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, mollusks, insects, and spiders. Cooperative group work, projects, and independent classroom activities will further reinforce these important science concepts. In addition, our “Science Exploration Center” and “Science Literature Area” will provide many opportunities to extend knowledge.
Our “Monarch Mania” center has provided us with a fascinating close-up view of real monarch caterpillars, chrysalises and butterflies! We have released several healthy monarch butterflies, and we wish them a safe journey as they migrate to warmer places.
After we complete Science we will return to Social Studies and focus on landforms, continents, and mapping skills.
READING AT HOME
I am pleased that so many students are reading at home! Students take pride their growth, improvement, and fluency as readers. Remember that second graders also enjoy having chapter books read to them, and rediscovering old favorites can be fun for parents, too! Chapter books on CD’s are available at the Plymouth Public Library. These are great for long car trips and vacations! And my website at www.chalaspalace.weebly.com has several read-aloud book options on the “Quick Links” tab, including Tumblebooks and Storyline Online.
Listening to, retelling stories, making predictions, sequencing events, and discussing or reflecting on what they have heard or read are very important skills for second grade students to develop, practice, and refine! You can help your child a great deal by practicing these skills at home.
I highly recommend The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. This book promotes the benefits of reading aloud to children of all ages, and it is an excellent resource for parents. A clever and practical tip I learned from Jim Trelease many years ago, is to turn on the “Closed-Captioning” feature of your remote whenever your children watch television, movies, or DVD’s. Their eyes will “catch” the words as they are spoken, reinforcing reading skills! (It’s easy and best of all free!)
ODDS AND ENDS
It was great to meet so many of you at our recent Open House Night!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Chalas