Meet the Second Grade Team Ms. Brown Mrs. Duke Ms. Threatt Mrs. Young

Second Grade Classroom Rules Rule 1-Follow directions quickly Rule 2-Raise your hand for permission to speak Rule 3-Raise you hand for permission to leave your seat Rule 4-Make smart choices Rule 5-Keep your dear teacher happy

Homework Homework will be assigned Monday through Thursday and should be turned in daily. This is review and practice for skills we are learning. Please encourage your child to read directions carefully and to show their work. Please help your child read for 15-20 minutes every night. Please make sure you are checking your child’s agendas and homework folders every night. Homework may change.

Assessments Reading, Math, and Writing Typically, assessments and practices that are graded will be given on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Assessments Science/Social Studies Please study and review Science and Social Studies study guides with your child daily to prepare for assessments. Typically, two practices will be given weekly (Wednesday and Thursday) and a review quiz on Friday. Science will be taught and assessed for a week. Then Social Studies will be taught and assessed the following week. For example, this week, October 3-7, we are teaching Social Studies. The new information is diversity and the review quiz will cover diversity and citizenship. Next week, will be Science.

*Math* Ordinal Positions and Numbers Skip Counting Comparing Numbers Even/Odd Numbers Estimate/Add/Subtract to 100 Equality Fact Families Word Problems Place Value Rounding Comparing Numbers Time Fractions Calendar Patterns Symmetry Geometric Figures Measurement/Weight/Mass/Volume Charts/Graphs Money Predictions

*Reading* This year we will focus on -Comprehension strategies -Word study -Reading aloud -Phonics/Spelling -Flexible reading groups -Renaissance Place (AR program)

*Flexible Reading Groups* Students in Ms. Brown, Mrs. Young, and Mrs. Duke’s classes will participate in flexible reading groups. Classes will switch for reading groups starting the second week of October. We have a letter with your child’s reading teacher’s name for you. Students will still have the same reading homework and assessments; however, instruction will vary according to ability. Students will be placed in groups using PALS Reading test results.

*Writing* We are focusing on -Neatness -Letter formation -Spacing -Capital letters, punctuation and spelling -Complete sentences

*Phonics/Spelling* ~Students will be given differentiated spelling opportunities. ~Mrs. Young and Ms. Brown will focus on Phonics skills, but may progress to spelling patterns later in the year. Some students are building reading skills and phonics based skills will help them to become better readers. ~Mrs. Threatt and Mrs. Duke will focus on Spelling skills, but may include phonics skills later in the year. ~ All students will have a practice on Fridays with phonics and/or spelling features. This practice will be checked for accuracy but not graded. It will not count as a grade in the gradebook. ~Any spelling test given and assessed earlier this year will not be graded and will not be put in teacher’s gradebooks. ~ Students will not have spelling homework. Teacher’s will post suggested activities for phonics/spelling practice on our blog pages.

*Science* Living Systems Scientific Investigations Plant Products Life cycles of plants and animals Magnets Scientific Investigations Matter Animals Weather Seasonal Changes

*Social Studies* Maps Citizenship and Communities Ancient Civilizations (Egypt, China) Economics Native Americans Diversity and Rights Famous Americans, Holidays, and Community Service

Websites Ms. Brown ~ http://blogs.spsk12.net/6025/ Please check out each of our blogs: Ms. Brown ~ http://blogs.spsk12.net/6025/ Mrs. Duke ~ http://blogs.spsk12.net/3959/ Mrs. Threatt ~ http://blogs.spsk12.net/10270/ Mrs. Young ~ http://blogs.spsk12.net/6943/