Themes, Concepts and Objectives for October 3-7

Reading- Theme Four begins on Monday and we will be reading Maui and The Sun and Super Sun Science as we practice the comprehension skill of determining importance. Good readers learn to identify the main idea of a text and it's supporting ideas.

Spelling- Long /u/ spelling patterns /ui/ and /ue/ will be practiced this week.

Cougar Reading- The second graders will go a little batty this week as we reinforce the comprehension strategies: visualizing , asking questions and determing importance as we read several non-fiction books about bats.

Math- Topic 4 explores the concept of arrays. We will be modeling rows and columns and learning how to count them. For example 4 rows of 5 make 20. Look out for an at home array project to be done for homework. It's coming your way soon!!

Writing-  We will be focusing on main ideas and details this week as we write about a witch and a haunted  house for sale.

Science- We will begin a unit on plants this week. We will learn about the parts of a plant and discover different environments in which plants grow.

Concepts, Themes and Objectives for the Week of September 26-30

Reading- We will conclude Theme 3 this week by rereading the selection The Missing Moon Mystery and The Moon a poem by R. L. Stephenson. We will take our theme test on Friday, September 30th.  Reading groups are in full swing and the students are doing a great job balancing their independent work and  small group time. Your child meets with their reading group teacher for 15 minutes daily where they participate in activities such as oral and choral reading, asking and answering comprehension questions and reinforcing the comprehension skills being taught being in whole group reading. So far we have covered making connections, visualizing and asking questions. I encourgage you to practice these comprehension strategies when reading with your child at home.

Spelling-  This week we will practice the long /o/ spelling patterns /oa/ and /ow/. Your child's individualized list will come home on Monday. Please note that your child's list of words may vary in difficulty from week to week. We give a pre-test each Friday to determine which spelling list will best suit your child.

Cougar Reading- We will make text to text connections while reading the stories Zoom Broom and Piggie Pie  and  Tub-Boo-Boo by Margie Palantini.

Math- We will continue to learn about subtraction strategies this week in math. Our Topic 3 test will be given on Friday, September 30th.

Writing- We will review story elements: setting, character, problem, events and conclusion as we write a story about a scarecrow this week.

Social Studies- Our unit on citizenship will conclude this week as we learn about important landmarks in our country and what they symbolize. We will reflect on what it means to be a good citizen and establish ways that we can practice citizenship in our country, community, and classroom.

Themes, Objectives and Concepts for the week of September 19th

Reading- Theme Three blasts off this week with a short non-fiction story by Isaac Asimov Why Does The Moon Change Shape followed by the fiction piece Tbe Moon Mystery.  We will learn about the phases of the moon as we practice the the comprehension skill asking questions.  Good readers stop to question, reflect and process information as they read.

Spelling- This week we will practice long /e/ spelling pattens /ee/ and /ea/.  Your child's individualized spelling list will come home on Monday in their home folders.

Cougar Reading- We will build upon our knowledge of moon phases this week by creating a model of moon phases. Also, we will practice identifying and writing statements and questions about the moon this week.

Math- Topic 2 test on additon strategies will take place on Tuesday, September 20th and on Wednesday, September 21st we will begin Topic 3 subtractions strategies.

Writing- We will learn about story elements and write a short personal narrative.

Social Studies-  In honor of Constitution Day we will participate in a history lesson about the founding of our country and then explore what it means to be a good citizen in our country , community, and school.

Concepts, Themes and Objectives for September 12-16th

Reading- This week we will conclude our Family Time Theme by rereading the selection Hello Paty.  As we read, we are concentrating on creating images in our mind and discussing how visualizing the story deepens comprehension and make us better readers.

Small group reading begins this week! Each second grader has been benchmarked and placed in groups based on their reading ability. Reading groups will meet 4-5 days a week for approximately 15 minutes.  Some students will be switching classes for their group, and working with Miss Davis, Mrs. Smith or Mrs. Dolan. Be sure to ask your child about reading groups this week.

Cougar Reading-  We will be reading a variety of 9/11 themed literature this week as we define words such as "hero" and "bravery".

Math- Addition Strategies is our current math topic. So far we have reviewed +0,+1,+2, doubles, and doubles + 1 facts. This week we will learn the commutative property of addition (4+5=5+4), and add three digits to find a sum. We will also introduce Smart Sums by Greg Tang this week, a program designed to help kids mater single digit digit addition using the make 10 strategy.

Science- Our nutrition unit will conclude this week with our Five Food Group Banquet. Please be sure to send in a ziploc bags of meat or eggs to be shared on Friday with the whole second grade.