HOMEWORK REMINDER

• Reading Minutes:  It is a requirement that the second grade student reads for a minimum of ten minutes a night and records the minutes on a monthly reading calendar or daily in the assignment notebook.  Parents should initial the reading minutes..
• Math:  The student must practice math facts for 5 - 10 minutes an evening and be prepared to take a one-minute timed fact test at least twice a week.
• Poetry:  Once a week your child will be required to read a poem to a grown-up or to copy it into the poetry journal, as determined by the classroom teacher.
• Spelling: Each week's spelling word list must be practiced for the Friday assessment.
• Other:  The individual classroom teacher may assign additional assignments.

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD

• Check assignment notebook daily and sign.
• Make sure your child has the proper supplies throughout the school year.
• Practice math facts in different ways.
• Not only have your child read to you, but read to your child on a regular basis.
• Review spelling words from lists learned earlier in the school year.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Reading

Our Houghton Mifflin reading series is divided into six themes. Each theme is studied for about six weeks. Each theme includes two vocabulary lists, a feature book, choice books, skill pages, and assessments.

1. Silly Stories
2. Nature Walk
3. Around Town: Neighborhood & Community
4. Amazing Animals
5. Family Time
6. Talent Show

Writing

Writing is addressed in a variety of ways. This may include:

• Journal writing
• Theme related writing
• Paragraphs
• Theme writing assessments

Your child will use the writing process which includes brainstorming ideas, writing a  first draft, revising, editing, and publishing.  An emphasis will be on grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, and adjectives).

Spelling

During the week your child will use the spelling words and complete exercises.  Additional activities will reinforce spelling strategies. Phonics and grammar skills taught in reading are also reviewed in the spelling series. A final assessment is given on Friday.

MATH

The following concepts will be taught throughout the year:

• Place value through 100
• Addition and Subtraction facts through 20
• Telling time in intervals of five
• Identifying and counting ALL coins
• Geometry and Fractions
• Addition and Subtraction of 2-digit numbers with regrouping (carrying, borrowing)
• Measurement
• Multiplication and Division readiness

Your child will be given a one-minute math fact test twice a week. The student will progress at his or her own rate through addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts.

SCIENCE

Your child will read information, do selected activities, and perform experiments in the following units:

Life Science

• Animals
• Fossils

Physical Science

• Matter
• Force
• Magnets
• Electricity

Earth Science

• The Solar System

SOCIAL STUDIES

The following units are covered throughout the year:

• Maps and Globes
• People and Places
• How People Get Along
• Communities of the Past

HEALTH

• Misleading advertising
• Nutritious foods
• Spreading of communicable diseases
• Fire safety, first aid, illness, reporting emergencies
• How to say NO!
• Body parts and functions
• Body language, emotions, family changes, feelings, friendship, points of view, stress