Second Grade

Second grade is a year of making connections as students hone their skills in all academic areas and strengthen their social-emotional development by learning to solve problems in and out of the classroom. As students become more independent readers, they explore a variety of reading genres, and develop their voice through oral presentations and written word. They learn to clearly express thoughts in writing by summarizing stories, recording observations and findings, creating narratives, and detailing discoveries in research projects. Students deepen their math fluency and develop problem solving skills by using various strategies in math. Students gain confidence by strengthening social-emotional skills while developing a repertoire of tools to help navigate through challenges. As students begin to think more abstractly, they investigate and interpret the world around them. Second grade is a year of self-awareness, community awareness, and growth in all areas!

Curriculum

Language Arts

Super Foundational Kids (Phonics)

Teacher's College Writing Workshop

Second Graders work intensively on their reading and writing skills, with students tackling increasingly difficult material in both their classroom and independent reading. Strong emphasis is placed on comprehension, students’ growing vocabulary, and their responses to and recognition of different kinds of literature. Writing is a big part of Second Grade. As students learn about the difference stages of the writing process – prewriting, writing, editing, rewriting - they work on creative writing projects in Second Grade’s Writer's Workshop. Students also work on book reports and speeches which they present in class. Students are expected to read at home and log their independent reading minutes in a fun, motivational program called “Read Your Way Across the USA.” This program incorporates math and geography skills into language arts, as students keep track of their reading and chart their progress reading their way across their country.

Math

Saxon, Grade 3 Curriculum

The Second Grade day starts with a class “Math Meeting” in which students practice a wide variety of everyday skills including using the calendar, a daily number pattern, problem solving, temperature, time, counting, and money. During the formal math lesson, a new concept is presented through discussion and a class activity. Concepts and skills studied in Second Grade include computation, problem-solving strategies, pattern identification, measurement, geometry, money, time, fractions, graphs and charts. Number facts are introduced using fact strategies. Students practice the facts in class using fact cards, oral fact practice and fact sheets. Reinforcement of math concepts and facts learned in class are reinforced through daily math homework. All new learning is reinforced through regular practice in class. Math includes many hands-on activities that illustrate the practicality of a lesson in students’ daily life – such as baking brownies!

Science

Foss Next Generation Science

The curriculum is designed around active investigations that provide engagement with phenomena and science and engineering practices. Surrounding those firsthand investigations are experiences that help build student understanding of core science concepts and deepen scientific habits of mind. Special topic areas in 2nd Grade include investigations across physical (Motion and Matter) and life sciences (Plants & Animals).

Social Studies

Students follow thematic units of study throughout the year, including Food from Farm to Table, Our Nation’s Capital, Winter Celebrations Around the World, The Seven Continents, Presidents, Our Constitution, and Flags. Through these units, students learn and demonstrate map skills by describing the relative and absolute locations of people, places and different kinds of environments. They also develop an understanding of basic economic concepts, their own place in the economy, and the importance of individual responsibility. Second Graders explore the lives of actual people who make a difference in their everyday lives, and then they make the jump to extraordinary people from history whose achievements continue to influence their own lives, directly or indirectly. Units often cross into language arts, math and science lessons, and are very hands-on, involving student presentations, art projects, writing projects, and field trips to a farm, bakery, restaurant and more. Students also learn about different customs and holiday celebrations throughout the year.