Weekly Update 9/29

We have had a busy couple of weeks in Second Grade!

During our Daily Five blocks, the children have been introduced to two more components of Daily Five which are Listen to Reading and Work on Writing. It has also been very exciting to begin reading groups! The groups worked on making predictions before reading and enjoyed reading books at their individual levels.

During Listen to Reading, the children use an ipad to listen to stories. They do this through either RAZ Kids or Tumblebooks which is offered through the JV Fletcher Library Website. The purpose of Listen to Reading is to model what fluent and expressive reading sounds like. RAZ Kids also allows the children to answer comprehension questions about the stories they are listening to in order to help with their comprehension skills.

The children have many different choices for Work on Writing. They can write a personal narrative story, a make-believe story, or choose one of our many Work on Writing Task Cards which include fun activities such as: making a postcard, writing a letter, making lists, poems, and many other exciting writing choices. We are encouraging the kids to slow down and focus on quality writing rather than quantity.

In math, we finished up Unit 1 which was a great review of skills the children learned in first grade. The children took their Unit 1 Assessment, which was sent home for you to review with your child. If you haven't sent it back signed, I would appreciate if you can do so. We also began Unit 2 which focuses on Fact Strategies. The children have learned about grouping by tens, how to write number stories, and how to use doubles and combinations of ten/making ten to help them solve addition problems more efficiently.

We also finished up our Apple Economics unit. The children enjoyed performing plays which really helped to bring the idea of economics to "life." We also had the opportunity to learn about other types of goods and how they are produced. Each child choose one of the following to study: Sheep to Sweater, Milk to Cheese, Clay to Bricks, or Wheat to Bread. It was a great culminating activity as it allowed the children to discuss who the producer, consumer, good, etc were for these products as well along with the apple products we discussed throughout the unit.

During writing, the children are working on their first draft of their first personal narrative stories. We have spent time talking about ways to begin their stories. Some examples include: a detailed setting, quote, sound word, or a question. We also worked on writing the middle of their stories and making sure that they told the story in sequential order using transition words to help them move from one event to the next. Their stories are really coming out great! Next week we will talk about endings, revising and editing, and hope to have some time to share their stories with the class.

We also had a wonderful trip to the Living Lab! It was a great introduction into our first Science Unit "Plant and Animal Survival" that we began this week as well. The children had a chance to visit the Reed Brook and observe the plants and animals that live in that habitat. Inside we learned about various living things and how they depend on one another for survival. Finally, the kids got to learn about frogs and how they adapt to their environment. We learned about the various types of feet they have (webbed, digging, sticky) and how they use camouflage to help them survive in their habitat. We look forward to going back to the Living Lab in the Spring!

WOW, what a busy couple of weeks!!!!

Upcoming Dates: 
Wednesday, October 4th- Picture Day
Monday, October 9th- No School for Columbus Day
Tuesday, October 10th- No School for Professional Development

Weekly Update 9/15

It's been a pleasure meeting all of the children over the past few weeks! I can already tell that it's going to be a great year! We have been very busy in room 7, so I wanted to share some of the things we have been doing. Along with continuing to get to know one another, we have also begun establishing routines in many of our academic areas. 

We have spent most of our reading blocks reviewing the Daily Five structure. For those new to Robinson or those unfamiliar with Daily Five, it is a literacy structure that allows for differentiation in the classroom and provides consistency. It is an integrated literacy instruction and classroom management system that is used during our literacy block. While I am working with small groups for Guided Reading, the other children have literacy “tasks” that include: Work on Words, Work on Writing, Read to Self, Read to Someone, and Listen to Reading. It takes a few weeks for me to assess all of the children and to determine their reading levels and while I am doing that, the children will build their stamina in each of the "task" areas. So far we have begun practicing Read to Self and Work on Words. Next week, we will be adding in Listen to Reading. 

In math we are off and running with Unit 1. This unit does a lot of review of concepts learned in first grade and allows time for us to establish math routines in the classroom. We focused on number scrolls and number grids this week as tools to help us solve addition problems. 

I also had a chance to assess the children on the 100-second grade high frequency words. This is done periodically throughout the year to see what words your child needs to practice. These words will become part of their weekly spelling words that they will practice at school and home. Hopefully your child shared their first spelling list with you this week. Spelling will be a weekly homework routine from this point forward. Please help your child practice their spelling words at least 3 times per week. There is more about homework at the end of this post.

"Star of the Week" was introduced to the children last Friday. Each week one child will be chosen to be our "Star" for the week. That child gets to bring in photos and other special items that tell about themselves. We will display those items for the entire week, and the child will get to present their items to the class on Fridays. It is a great way for us to learn about one another and practice speaking in front of the large group. Last week I got to be the 'Star"!! It was a fun way to demonstrate what "Star of the Week" might look and sound like. 

Finally, we began our first social studies unit on "Apple Economics." In the first lesson, the students learned about the apple tree and the "goods" that come from the tree. We then discussed some important vocabulary words that go along with our unit. Ask your child to tell you about these words: economics, goods, services, consumers, producers, and community. The children also enjoyed watching a video about apple production. The video showed the steps necessary in order for the apples to get to the markets for consumers to buy. Finally, we had a chance to put the vocabulary words into context by performing some plays for each other. This was such a great way to see some kids really shine!

**Homework: Please check your child's folder daily for homework assignments. We started this past week with only the Spelling Tic-Tac-Toe routine mentioned above. Your child will be expected to practice their spelling words at least three nights per week. The Spelling Tic-Tac-Toe sheet will have a variety of choices for your child to pick from in order to practice their words. Please return the Tic-Tac-Toe to school each Friday. 

In addition to spelling, most night's your child will have a math worksheet that reviews a concept taught that day in class. This should be a quick, independent activity. All math assignments are due back the next day. If your child feels frustrated or doesn't seem to understand a certain concept, please send the homework sheet back with a note letting me know.

Lastly, second graders are expected to read for at least 15 minutes per night. Your child will record what book they read and the number of minutes they read on their weekly Reading Log, which will be sent home this Monday. There is also a place for parent initials. The Reading Log should be passed in each Friday. 

Thank you for your help and support on homework.

Upcoming Dates:

Tuesday, September 19th is Grade Two Curriculum Night from 6:00-6:45. This is a night for parents only as we will spend time sharing the second grade curriculum and routines. Robinson is providing childcare for children who currently attend Robinson or Crisafulli. If you're unable to make it, I will send home a folder with all the handouts on Wednesday with your child. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Weekly Update 9/5

I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day with your friends and families! We had a great first week of Second Grade and I truly enjoyed getting to know each of the students a little better. Last week we spent time doing activities that allowed us to get to know each other, discussing classroom routines, and talking about expected behaviors. This week, the students will be taking some pre-assessments, will continue with our first unit in Everyday Math, and will begin our first Social Studies unit which is Apple Economics.

I wanted to give out some extra information regarding our "Apple Free" classroom. We do have a child in the class who is allergic to apples so we need to be careful about the snacks that are sent into the classroom. Please don't send whole or sliced apples, applesauce, or juices that contain apple. The nurse gave me a list of SAFE juices- All Honest Kids except for the actual Apple Juice one, Hi C Fruit Punch and Poppin Lemonade, and V8 Fruit Fusion. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me or the school nurse. You may send apple products for lunch, just not for our classroom snack. A reminder that all classrooms are Nut Free at Robinson as well. Thank you for your help and consideration in keeping our classroom safe for all students.

I am looking forward to another great week! As always if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask!