Welcome To

2nd Grade!

What Can You Expect?

• Your child to change….a LOT! You will see more independence, confidence and academic responsibility.

• For our classroom to be fair, consistent and challenging. I expect a lot from my students because I know how far they can come.

More Things To Expect

• Homework – it will be sent home on Fridays and be due on the following Friday.

• It will usually consist of:- 20 minutes of reading per night- Math practice - Spelling- Grammar- Any concept that needs to be practiced

• On occasion, a special project will be sent home to enhance and enrich learning that happened in class. We will try to keep these to 1 every six weeks.

Therefore, only 10-15 minutes should be spent on the homework practice, in addition to reading practice. Remember, homework is used to reinforce a concept or skill already taught in class.

WE VALUE YOUR CHILD’S TIME!

What We Expect From You

• To read with your child nightly-it may be to your child, with your child, or listening to your child.

• To listen to your child read his/her guided reading books every time they are sent home.

• To assist in filling out your child’s reading log when a book is completed.

• To check your child’s S.T.A.R. binder and planner for important information.

• To initial by your child’s behavior color calendar each night.

What Does a Second Grade Day Look Like?

Every day includes:

• Journal writing• Spelling• Reading Workshop• Guided Reading• Writers Workshop• Math Workshop

• Special hands-on science and social studies units

• PE, art, music, computer, and library time

READING!!!!

Your child may or may not be reading by now. We hope they are reading some!! The expectation for NISD 2nd grade students is that they will begin the year reading on average 60 words per minute.

By the end of the year, it is our goal for your child to be reading fluently at 90 words per minute. Please make it a habit to have your child read (or read to them) EVERY DAY… including weekends. Everything we do and that you do to support us helps your child to succeed!

How Can I Support My Reader at Home?

Choose the right book using the “Five-Finger Rule.”

Use "sounding out" strategies to tackle a new word.

Give support and encouragement.After your child has read a story, reread it aloud yourself, so that he can enjoy it without

interruption. This also builds fluency, a common challenge among second grade students!

Be a good role model. Make reading a priority.

Make reading fun. Keep reading aloud to your child. Don't stop reading aloud to your child once

she learns to read by herself. When you take a turn at reading, you let your child enjoy books that are beyond her independent reading level and build her vocabulary by

exposing her to new words. Reading aloud is also a chance for you to model reading smoothly and with expression.

Introduce new books. Read Old Favorites!

The Reading StrategiesThere are seven reading strategies.There are seven reading strategies.

Make ConnectionsMake Connections

Ask QuestionsAsk Questions

Determine ImportanceDetermine Importance

Infer and PredictInfer and Predict

VisualizeVisualize

SynthesizeSynthesize

Use Fix Up StrategiesUse Fix Up Strategies

Make ConnectionsText to Self (similar events in your Text to Self (similar events in your life)life)

Text to Text (books, movies, T.V., Text to Text (books, movies, T.V., etc.)etc.)

Text to Life (real world events)Text to Life (real world events)

Ask Yourself:Ask Yourself:What do I already know about What do I already know about this?this?

Has anything similar ever Has anything similar ever happened to me?happened to me?

How would I feel if this How would I feel if this happened to me?happened to me?

Can I relate to the characters?Can I relate to the characters?

Does this story remind me of Does this story remind me of something?something?

Why Ask Questions?Asking questions helps keep you Asking questions helps keep you focused on the text. focused on the text.

If your mind wanders, you will If your mind wanders, you will not understand. Then you will be not understand. Then you will be bored.bored.

If you run into problems, things If you run into problems, things you just don’t understand, then you just don’t understand, then you can check yourself with a you can check yourself with a question.question.

Infer and Predict: Become a Detective

Ask Yourself:

What isn’t stated that I have figured out?

What do I predict will happen?

Why do I think so?

Visualize It’s like your very own movie playing in your head.

Picture in your mind the images the author creates with his/her words.

Pay close attention to sensory details. For example, if you were there, what would you SEE, HEAR, SMELL, TASTE, TOUCH, FEEL?

Creating images helps the reader to increase comprehension and maintain focus.

SynthesizeSynthesize is a fancy way of saying that you must bring everything together in the end. In other words, what is the meaning of what you are reading?

Synthesize

Ask Yourself:Ask Yourself:

What does it all mean?What does it all mean? What’s the big idea?What’s the big idea? Are there questions still left Are there questions still left

unanswered?unanswered? What are the lessons I should What are the lessons I should

learn?learn? What do I think about this book?What do I think about this book?

Reader’s Workshop includes…

Working With Words

• phonics• spelling• sight words• word wall• fluency activities

Guided Reading• students grouped

appropriately by levels or strategies

• direct, small group instruction on phonics, reading strategies and comprehension strategies

• book clubs and literature circles

• reading response projects

Reader’s Workshop

Self-Selected Reading• independent reading time for 20-30 min.

daily• practice, practice, practice• students complete reading responses on

books they have read – monitors comprehension and serves as a reading log

• builds fluency and confidence• individual reading conferences with teacher

Writers Workshop

Writing• Narrative and Expository writing• journaling• grammar and language instruction• writing techniques and strategies• analyzing writing samples• writing for different purposes and

audiences• individual writing conferences

MATH WORKSHOP

See Math Workshop Power Point on the 2nd grade Website for more

information!

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• Scientific Method• Project Based Learning

Experiences• Matter• Forces in Motion• Natural resources• Water cycle, changes in

the weather, seasons and phases of the moon

• Living and non-living organisms

• Functions of animal and plant parts

Technology goals:• students will gain

experience word processing, making a power point presentation and making a newsletter or brochure

• technology will be integrated throughout all units

Social Studies• Landmarks, symbols, customs,

celebrations, and historical figures

• Three branches of government and their roles in society

• Communities: types, functions

• Timelines

• Maps, globes and other resources

• Understands the characteristics of leadership

DISCIPLINEWe have very high expectations for

our second grade students. We are firm, fair, and loving! We are trying to build responsibility and want the children to feel ownership for their behavior and work. We communicate with parents through the daily planner that will be sent home daily in the S.T.A.R. binder. Please initial it every night. This is important and shows a home/school connection!

COLORS

• Blue – shining star (above and beyond)

• Green – star student • Yellow – warning• Red – a behavior reflections sheet will need

to be filled out at home, signed by a parent, and returned to school

The children are responsible for showing you their color every day and having you initial their planner. Please initial, so that we can verify that you saw it.

Why Will a Clip Be Pulled?

• Not following school rules

• Not following our classroom rules of:

- Respect Learning- Respect Yourself

and Others- Respect the

School

• Not bringing back the S.T.A.R. binder (2x in one week)

• No homework on Friday

• Forgetting guided reading books & failure to read guided reading books (2x in one week)

How is Good Behavior Rewarded?

We celebrate great behavior by:

• Verbal Praise• Notes home• STAR Party• Tickets for coupons• Trips to the

treasure box• iPad time

• PJ Day and other celebrations

• I want all children to feel a wonderful sense of pride that comes with knowing they are growing and can be more responsible and independent.

WHY I LOVE SECOND GRADE…

and why your child is going to have a super year!

Second graders are so awesome to spend the day with.

In no other job could you sing, dance, love and be loved..all the while guiding these wonderful people to their full potential. I know that 2nd graders are the best kids to teach.

I BELIEVE IN THEM!