Grade 2

3. Speaking and Listening 4. Language Four strands 1. Reading Literature Informational Foundational Skills 2. Writing 3. Speaking and Listening 4. Language There are four strands throughout the standards. Let’s begin with Reading. Within the reading strand your child will work on learning to read both literary and informational texts. You may know these better as fiction and nonfiction. An additional component of this strand is the Foundational Skills which focuses on developing the Phonological Awareness and phonics skills that will help your child learn how letters and sounds work together to create words and how to read those words. Kindergarten students will spend time on this key area because it is the foundation for beginning reading success. Writing is an equally important strand for students as they begin to put their thoughts, ideas, and evidences on paper. We sometimes say that writing is thinking with a pencil. Kindergarten students will begin with pictures, words, or even letter strings to tell their story. Writing, like reading, will include stories but students will also be asked to write about their opinions, like a favorite book or animal, as well as create informational texts. Speaking and Listening is a new standard that helps our students learn how to be good listeners as well as how to participate in conversations and discussions. Students will learn how to ask and answer questions in a variety of settings to increase their understanding of topics being studied. Language includes both conventions of standard written and spoken English as well as vocabulary development and understanding. Kindergarten students will look at texts to identify ways that authors use conventions (capital letters, periods, and sentences) to convey their meaning. Students will appropriate language in their sharing of wants, needs, and ideas within the classroom setting.

Determining message, lesson, or moral in fables and folktales The big ideas Using images, illustrations and text features found in texts to deepen understanding Determining message, lesson, or moral in fables and folktales Retelling key information or ideas from media or books read aloud The big ideas in second grade include: Using images, illustrations, and text features found in literary and informational text to deepen understanding of what the author is trying to tell the reader. Second graders should add to their understanding of text features by learning about captions, bold print, and indexes. Students should also discuss the use of illustrations in literary texts and identify ways that they support understanding. Second graders will read fables and folktales from diverse cultures and identify the message, lesson, or moral. Students will retell key information or ideas from texts they have heard read aloud or other types of media (i.e,. Stories or articles read or viewed on the computer). This helps students learn that we gather information in a variety of ways.

In Mathematics, we have two sets of standards: Content and Practice In Mathematics, we have two sets of standards: Content and Practice. The Standards for Mathematical Content will focus on WHAT students are learning. The Standards for Mathematical Practice will focus on HOW students are learning.

Instructional time will focus on four critical areas: Content Standards Instructional time will focus on four critical areas: Extending understanding of base-ten notation Building fluency with addition and subtraction Using standard units of measure Describing and analyzing shapes Critical areas have been identified at each grade level. Although these are not the ONLY skills students are responsible for mastering, it does focus the work at each grade

Standards for Mathematical Practice include: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them Reason abstractly and quantitatively Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others Model with mathematics Use appropriate tools strategically Attend to precision Look for and make use of structure Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning The practice standards are the same K-12, providing a coherent vision to be applied to the teaching and learning of the mathematical content standards. Standards for Mathematical Practice describe the characteristics and habits of mind that all students who are mathematically proficient should be able to exhibit.

Five strands include: History Geography and Environmental Literacy New to social studies is the exploration of content through five strands. Five strands include: History Geography and Environmental Literacy Civics and Government Culture Economics and Personal Financial Literacy The changes in curriculum will bring about significant shifts in the way that instruction is delivered in the Social Studies classroom. The new curriculum will provide opportunities for students to become more critical thinkers. There will be a greater emphasis on teaching students to make connections and to see the big picture. In doing so, there will be less focus on recalling facts. Students will create work products with the use of instructional technology. There will be an increased focus on using primary and secondary sources to analyze historical events through multiple perspectives. This means that students will actually read and study and analyze historical documents rather than just hear about them. Specifically, second grade students will develop a deeper understanding of culture and understanding how various cultures influence communities.

Areas of Focus: Air and Weather Solids and Liquids Sound Science instruction continues to be inquiry-based Areas of Focus: Air and Weather Solids and Liquids Sound The Life Cycle of Butterflies With inquiry-based science, instruction begins with open-ended questions or demonstrations. Students do experiments or collect data and take a “hands-on” approach to science. They experience science rather than merely read about it. Second graders will build tools, such as a wind vane, to collect weather-related data such as wind direction. They will explore the properties of solids and liquids and conduct tests to find out if solids sink or float. They will begin exploring sound through building instruments. Second graders will also observe the life cycle of a butterfly and compare it to the life cycle of other animals such as frogs or birds.