Writing expands in order to communicate more complex ideas, and students shift from inventive spelling to conventional spelling. Math develops from learning basic calculations to using those calculations to solve problems. With support from their teachers, second graders become increasingly responsible for their own interactions and work patterns. Most importantly, the students work to become more independent and self-regulated problem solvers. Second grade also works in integrated thematic units, which are hands-on learning projects that promote collaborative work, connections at home, and the importance of presenting to a group. Second graders focus on five thematic units: presidents, the digestive system, inventors, ocean life, and our Character Matters plays.
The second grade math program continues to rely on both mental math fluency and pictorial rendering of arithmetic, algebraic and complex word problems. Students work to achieve a deep understanding of math concepts so that they will be able to attack more challenging problems with greater confidence.
The foundation for multiplication begins in the second grade; moreover, breaking down whole units into sub-parts, such as creating equal parts of a square or rectangle, is just one of the avenues to further the students’ facility with division and fractions.
The practice of estimating solutions, graphing real world data, and understanding equivalencies gives second graders the foundation for strong aptitude when it comes to taking their initial ERB exam at the third grade level.
As in all elementary grades, second grade math is taught each day, both in the scheduled math class time, but also during transition times and during segments of the day that yield the teachable moment.
Students focus on narratives, persuasive, and informational writing. They learn writing strategies such as organization, editing, and formatting to develop their writing skills to write and edit independently.
We teach reading strategies to increase their reading comprehension. To support reading fluency, students focus on decoding strategies learned in previous grades. To attain these goals we practice independent reading, paired reading, reading from a script, and guided reading in groups.
Students expand their spelling, phonics, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary skills within one platform. Based upon the concept of a “sort,” the process of grouping sounds, words, and pictures into categories, the program encourages a close examination of the conventions of reading and spelling English.
We reinforce understanding sentence structures through the use of color patterns. It allows the translation of patterns into original sentences. We also focus on grammatical standards that align with common core such as subject/predicate, contractions, quotes, and more.
Children who master this handwriting are better, more creative writers. The earlier we teach children to master handwriting, the more likely they are to succeed in school, and write with speed and ease in all subjects. We use fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate instructional methods to enable children to master handwriting as an automatic and comfortable skill.
Students learn historical events as well as cultural differences. Our program integrates reading and writing strategies such as comparing and contrasting, identifying the main idea and more to ensure understanding of what is read.
Students focus on map skills through “tour guides” who take them on a trip that includes mapping neighborhoods and states, using a compass and designing maps with keys and symbols, working with grids and scales, and understanding national boundaries (political maps) and landforms.
Our program supports standards-based daily instruction while inspiring students to join the national discourse on current topics.
We also cover national and Judaic holidays in real time throughout the year. Some, such as President’s Day and Election Day include more extensive units, giving the children a sense of pride and confidence to join their community in observance of such holidays.
We continue to teach Hebrew using Migdal Or and reading centers.
Second graders participate in the weekly Kabbalat Shabbat program.
The highlight of the year in 2nd grade Judaic Studies is leading their own Kabbalat Shabbat service at Congregation Beth Yeshurun.
Second graders will receive a Shabbat and holiday Siddur to use on those occasions.
Foss is a research-based science curriculum, designed to engage students in active learning.
Every week the students learn through hands-on experiments, engineering projects, group discussions, and reading and writing activities.
We focus on three major domains: physical, earth, and life science and study Sound and Light, Air and Weather, Insects and Plants.
To understand the digestive system, second graders use scientific experiments to understand how our body breaks down what we eat. Students then focus on the nutritional part of the digestive system by understanding food groups and the importance of eating a variety of foods for a well-balanced diet.
Students will experiment with art elements and art principles of rhythm, movement, and pattern to create art and observe great works of art such as Rousseu and Seurat
Students further learn the Kodaly songs, Solfege singing, and an introduction to music composition. Students sing in a group and in performances for our Thanksgiving, Grandfriends, Chanukah, Spring Showcase programs, and during their own Shabbat Service.
Students build their 1st grade lessons. We review the vowels and focus on reading fluency. We continue to teach Hebrew using the Migdal Or series, started in Kindergarten. Students are given benchmark testing in letter recognition, reading fluency, and comprehension.
In 2nd grade we add adjectives, commands, and verbs into the curriculum. We review and expand previously learned vocabulary and new words for clothing and food.
Through monthly thematic units from basketball to Jump Rope for Heart, we focus on age and skill-appropriate lessons four days a week for 30 minutes a day with a health class once a week.