Second Grade Parent Night

Reading and Writing Mini-Workshop S.A.F.A.R.I. Guides: Mrs. Bowen Mrs. Moorhead

Do you feel like this as a second grade parent? Or could your second grader be feeling this pressure?

What is the cause of this overload?

Focus for Tonight To give you and your child some guidance in the hopes of making you feel less overloaded in second grade Helping your child to discover enjoyment in reading and writing

Agenda: choosing a book appropriate for your child to read how to help improve your child’s reading comprehension second grade writing rubric and how students are assessed in writing parent writing activity with child

A Just Right Book For Me P urpose- Why am I reading? I nterest- Does it interest me? C omprehend- Do I understand what I am reading? K nowledge-Do I know most of the words?

Purpose- There are different reasons for reading even in second grade. Most commonly, we read for pleasure. Narrative books are generally easier to read and comprehend. Other times, we read informational texts to gather information. Often, we are researching a topic or completing a task which requires an understanding of more complex information. Even these informational texts come on different reading levels and can accommodate different abilities.

Interest When reading for pleasure, it is much more fun to read a book that interests you. Your student feels the same. Help your child explore topics that interests him/her. If your child plays a sport, explore that area of the library or book store. Some children are really excited to read books about other elementary students. There are many books that fall into this category of realistic fiction.

Comprehend This is one of the most difficult areas for you and your child to pick a book. Sometimes students make a choice because the cover appeals to them or a friend just finished reading that book. If you are unsure of your child’s ability, open it up and have your child read a page or two. Then ask them what they think is going on. If they have a pretty good idea, then go for it. If they are unable to use any context clues, chances are they are not quite ready for that book.

Knowledge This final step is a little easier! Can your child read most of the words without difficulty? If your child is having to struggle to sound out each word, they are going to have trouble remembering what the sentence is about when they reach the end. This makes comprehension even more difficult for them.

The Writing Bug We want our students to feel the “writing bug”. Through the teaching of Traits of writing, Thinking Maps, and the writing process in second grade we hope to instill a love of writing at an early age. They are encouraged to use creative thinking as they write on topics of their choice in Writer’s Workshop. The teacher conferences with students and guides them in teaching points and strategies during daily writing mini-lessons. Writing is part of our curriculum and is expected of students. This is also a subject in which we assess our students.

What does second grade writing look like? In second grade, students write on a daily basis with the goal of becoming independent writers. As specified in second grade writing standards, students begin by learning how to write a paragraph with a topic sentence and supporting details. Second-graders gain awareness of the audience they are writing for and write for different purposes. In reports and stories, second grade students learn how to provide descriptive detail about characters and setting, and organize their work using a beginning, middle, and ending. Students also focus on using sequence of events and writing from different viewpoints, i.e., first person (‘I’) and third person (he, she, it, they).

What is the purpose of writing? In second grade, students learn to write for different purposes and audiences, and in various forms, including creative, informational/expository, and persuasive. Specifically, second grade writing standards stipulate that students write to: record ideas and reflections discover, develop, and refine ideas communicate with a variety of audiences respond to literature and answer math word problems express themselves in different forms for different purposes, such as lists to record, letters to invite or thank, and stories or poems to entertain, and brief narratives to tell about a personal experience

6 + 1 Traits of Writing Ideas Organization Word Choice Sentence Fluency Voice Conventions Presentation

The Writing Process Prewriting: Students generate ideas for writing by using prewriting techniques, such as drawing and listing key thoughts. Drafting: Students write a draft suitable to the topic, audience, and purpose. In drafting, second grade students strive to create clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Revising: Students revise and refine the draft for clarity and effectiveness, with the goal of achieving a sense of audience, and using precise word choices and vivid images. Editing: Students edit and correct the draft for appropriate grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalizations, and other features of polished writing. Publishing: Students produce, illustrate, and share a variety of compositions, including using appropriate computer technology to compose and publish work. Sharing: Students share their writing with a partner, group, or the class if they choose.

Parent and Child Writing Activity spend 2-4 minutes brainstorming ideas with your child on a topic of your choice you and your child will draft a brief paragraph on your chosen topic (allow your child to help with what they know about the traits of writing) 5-7 minutes use the writing rubric for you and your child to score your piece based on the traits (you may have a total of 30 points) if time allows you or child may share the piece with the group

K-2 District Five Writing Rubric look over the 30 possible points which may be earned by grading all of the six traits parents will work with their child for 5-7 minutes grading their piece based on this rubric

opefu Thank you for your attendance. We hope that through us working together and using the tools necessary your child well become a happy reader and creative writer in second grade!