Literacy (Reading, Language Arts, & Writing)
Reading
Reading Genres of Focus: Fiction (specifically narrative format) and Non-fiction (specifically informational)
It is important for your child to understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction; know the various text features used in non-fiction/informational text (i.e. headings; captions; maps; insets; diagrams; charts; print type - bold, italic, small, etc.)
Reading Comprehension Strategies (throughout the year):
- making connections (to what we read – text to self, text to text/movie, text to world)
- checking for understanding (after a sentence, paragraph, or page, telling ourselves what we just understood from what we read)
- backing up and rereading (rereading what we just read more slowly and intently when we don’t understand)
- making inferences (taking what clues the author gives and what we know about the world and putting together to understand what the author is saying)
- making predictions (taking author's & illustrator's clues to help think of what may happen next)
- visualizing (painting a picture or creating a movie of what we are reading)
- questioning (asking questions about the text & trying find the answers)
- setting a purpose or reason for reading
- determining the theme (or author's message) of a piece of writing or a story
- finding the main idea (telling what the text is mostly about)
- summarizing (telling the most important parts of a story or passage; summing it up in your own words)
- finding the cause and effect within a text
- sequencing (determining the order of events of a text)
- identifying the author's main purpose for writing a particular text (PIES: to Persuade, to Inform, to Entertain and/or to Share ideas/thoughts/feelings)
Please encourage your child to practice these strategies at home during the 20 minutes of reading for homework to ensure she/he is getting the most out of reading and truly understanding what she/he is reading.
Language Arts
Spelling, Sight Words, and Syllabication
As part of the EL Education Curriculum our school adopted 2 years ago, 2nd Graders will be challenged to further develop their knowledge and use of the many spelling patterns in our English Language. They will build on their mastery of sight words and they will also be exposed to the process of syllabication. They will use this process as a tool to help them read and write multi-syllabic words.
Decoding Strategies Your Child Can Also Use:
1. Chunky Monkey – break the word into smaller chunks
2. Stretchy Snake – identify, or slowly stretch out and say, each of the sounds in the word, then blend them together to say the word (also known as sounding out the word)
3. Elephant Ears – listen to hear if it sounds like a word you know, and if it makes sense
4. Turtle Talk – say a difficult word slowly and then blend the sounds together
5. Eagle Eye – Look at the words and pictures carefully to find clues to help you figure out the word
6. Skippy Scott – skip a word you are unsure of, and then come back to it
7. Flip Flop Froggy – try using short and long vowel sounds to see which one sounds right
8. Lips the Fish – make the initial (or beginning) sound shape with your mouth
Writing Genres of Focus:
Narratives/Stories; Opinion Writing; Informational Writing (How-To pieces, Recipes, Writing text with information gained from a source (research) or writing text as a response to reading)
Writing Conventions & Grammar:
Capitalization; ending punctuation; correctly spelling sight words; using interesting describing words (or adjectives); using exciting actions words (verbs); using descriptive action words (adverbs); using contractions, compound words, quotation marks, punctuation for effect.
Writing Focuses During the Year:
Writing using evidence from the text; Narrative writing (writing from real life experiences); Informational writing (using data and information gathered from research to present a topic to an audience, using facts and supporting details.
Other writing students will be exposed to:
Choosing your own topic (students become proficient at choosing their own topic); Persuasion (persuading their reader to agree with their point of view expressed in their writing); Opinion Writing (sharing your opinion, with clear reasons for why you hold that opinion); Voice (personality of the author or character comes through); Organization (beginning, middle, end); Conclusion (wrapping up the writing by referring back to the main idea of the piece and solidifying this idea); Bold Beginnings and Captivating Content (capturing and maintaining the readers' attention using great lead-in sentences and giving interesting/engaging details); Use of time order words (i.e. then, next, suddenly, later that day)
We will continue talking about what makes great writing, considering some of our own favorite books, authors, and characters. Students are looking for great writing when they are reading in order to help them with their own writing. Students will be sharing their favorite characters, books, and favorite authors, as well as making book/author recommendations to their classmates and teacher throughout the year.
Writing Techniques:
Using small moments of our own lives for topics; brainstorming ideas (jotting down as many ideas as we can that we might write about); free writing (write whatever comes to mind); Writing a list of favorite topics/things which we can then use to write about; Sketching a picture to help us get our ideas down; Add details to our pictures to help us add details to our writing; Listing rhyming words or words we like, to save for use in our writing; Jotting notes of what we like about other writers' writing; Sequencing (putting in the correct order); creating clear directions and lists, including materials lists; Painting a picture with words.
Additional Skills/Concepts: Literacy (Reading & Writing)
Learning about the five main text structures:
Descriptive, Sequence/Chronology, Comparison (Compare & Contrast), Cause & Effect, Problem & Solution
Math
Ongoing focuses: Addition & Subtraction of 1 digit numbers and 2 digit numbers; 1 and 2 step word problems; Using various strategies to solve problems efficiently; Fluency with addition & subtraction facts to 20; & Strategies Used With Larger Numbers
Additional skills/concepts to master: Knowing combinations to make ten; Using doubles to help us solve doubles plus 1 facts (Ex: If 5 + 5 = 10, then 5 + 6 is just 1 more, so the answer is 11); memorizing all addition & subtraction facts up to 10 plus 10 and 10 minus 10; Skip counting by 2's, 5's, 10's, and 100's; Understanding Place Value
Strategies to be proficient at using: Counting on to add numbers, starting by holding the largest number in our heads and then using our fingers to help us count on to the answer (Ex: For 8 + 4, Say 8 & hold it in your head, then put up 4 fingers and say 9, 10, 11, 12, then we know 12 is the answer.); Counting back to help us subtract (Ex: For 12 - 5, Say 12 & hold it in your head, then put up 5 fingers and drop each finger as count back 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, then we know 7 is the answer.); Modeling or showing the action of math problems or math stories with unifix cubes, tally marks, and/or drawings; Using known number combinations to solve problems; explaining our thinking when solving problems; Recording a solution to a problem with equations (number sentences), number bonds, drawings, and/or words; Using a 100's or 120's Chart, a number line, our fingers, and other math tools to solve problems; Using graphs/charts to represent data.
Ongoing focuses: Addition & Subtraction of 1 digit numbers and 2 digit numbers; 1 and 2 step word problems; Using various strategies to solve problems efficiently; Fluency with addition & subtraction facts to 20; & Strategies Used With Larger Numbers
Additional skills/concepts to master: Knowing combinations to make ten; Using doubles to help us solve doubles plus 1 facts (Ex: If 5 + 5 = 10, then 5 + 6 is just 1 more, so the answer is 11); memorizing all addition & subtraction facts up to 10 plus 10 and 10 minus 10; Skip counting by 2's, 5's, 10's, and 100's; Understanding Place Value
Strategies to be proficient at using: Counting on to add numbers, starting by holding the largest number in our heads and then using our fingers to help us count on to the answer (Ex: For 8 + 4, Say 8 & hold it in your head, then put up 4 fingers and say 9, 10, 11, 12, then we know 12 is the answer.); Counting back to help us subtract (Ex: For 12 - 5, Say 12 & hold it in your head, then put up 5 fingers and drop each finger as count back 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, then we know 7 is the answer.); Modeling or showing the action of math problems or math stories with unifix cubes, tally marks, and/or drawings; Using known number combinations to solve problems; explaining our thinking when solving problems; Recording a solution to a problem with equations (number sentences), number bonds, drawings, and/or words; Using a 100's or 120's Chart, a number line, our fingers, and other math tools to solve problems; Using graphs/charts to represent data.
Science
The first grade science curriculum consists of five units of study:
1. Force & Motion 1.P.1 Understand how forces (pushes or pulls) affect the motion of an object.
2. Earth in the Universe 1.E.1 Recognize the features and patterns of the earth/moon/sun system as observed from Earth.
3. Earth Systems, Structures, & Processes 1.E.2 Understand the physical properties of Earth materials that make them useful in different ways.
4. Ecosystems 1.L.1 Understand characteristics of various environments and behaviors of humans that enable plants and animals to survive.
5. Molecular Biology 1.L.2 Summarize the needs of living organisms for energy and growth.
Note: Above, you will see in bold the Standard Strand for each unit of study. For all of the elements, or specific 'sub standards', that are a part of each larger standard strand, please click on the link below entitled Science 1st Grade Standards.
The first grade science curriculum consists of five units of study:
1. Force & Motion 1.P.1 Understand how forces (pushes or pulls) affect the motion of an object.
2. Earth in the Universe 1.E.1 Recognize the features and patterns of the earth/moon/sun system as observed from Earth.
3. Earth Systems, Structures, & Processes 1.E.2 Understand the physical properties of Earth materials that make them useful in different ways.
4. Ecosystems 1.L.1 Understand characteristics of various environments and behaviors of humans that enable plants and animals to survive.
5. Molecular Biology 1.L.2 Summarize the needs of living organisms for energy and growth.
Note: Above, you will see in bold the Standard Strand for each unit of study. For all of the elements, or specific 'sub standards', that are a part of each larger standard strand, please click on the link below entitled Science 1st Grade Standards.
Social Studies
The first grade social studies curriculum consists of five units of study:
1. History 1.H.1 Understand that history tells a story of how people and events changed society over time.
2. Geography & Environmental Literacy 1.G.1 Use geographic representations, terms and technologies to process information from a spatial perspective; 1.G.2 Understand how humans and the environment interact within the local community.
3. Economics & Financial Literacy 1.E.1 Understand basic economic concepts.
4. Civics & Government 1.C&G.1 Understand the importance of rules.
5. Culture 1.C.1 Understand the diversity of people in the local community.
Note: Above, you will see in bold the Standard Strand for each unit of study. For all of the elements, or specific 'sub standards', that are a part of each larger standard strand, please click on the link below entitled Social Studies 1st Grade Standards.
The first grade social studies curriculum consists of five units of study:
1. History 1.H.1 Understand that history tells a story of how people and events changed society over time.
2. Geography & Environmental Literacy 1.G.1 Use geographic representations, terms and technologies to process information from a spatial perspective; 1.G.2 Understand how humans and the environment interact within the local community.
3. Economics & Financial Literacy 1.E.1 Understand basic economic concepts.
4. Civics & Government 1.C&G.1 Understand the importance of rules.
5. Culture 1.C.1 Understand the diversity of people in the local community.
Note: Above, you will see in bold the Standard Strand for each unit of study. For all of the elements, or specific 'sub standards', that are a part of each larger standard strand, please click on the link below entitled Social Studies 1st Grade Standards.