Grade 2 marks the beginning of the transition out of the early childhood years. Grade 2 students are ready to start building upon the firm foundation of skills they have acquired and developed in Kindergarten and Grade 1. While we recognize that children are individuals and that they develop at different rates, we know that second graders can and do assume a more active role in becoming capable, responsible and independent students. We continue to emphasize individual strengths while enlarging each student’s repertoire of strategies and approaches to foundational skills. As in Kindergarten and Grade 1, we allow children time to artistically explore each area of the curriculum, using their creativity and love of exploration to great advantage. It is wonderful to see the strides the children make as they take off on their own. Language Arts The basic aim of the Grade 2 language arts program is to further enhance each student's ability and desire to listen intently, to speak articulately, to read fluently and to write clearly. Growth in any one of the four modes of communication is often influenced by individual developmental factors and a wide range of achievement levels is both normal and ever?changing. As in Grade 1, reading instruction is taught using methods and settings that complement the children's learning styles. We utilize a variety of methods and materials because we understand that children learn in different ways. We firmly believe that students derive the greatest benefit from being exposed to a diverse range of reading experiences, and we judiciously choose and take what is best in each of the teaching methods. Our students read in small groups, as a whole class, and in one?on?one situations. Reading selections are chosen from a wide variety of high?interest materials, both fiction and informational texts, that represent a broad spectrum of developmental and readiness levels. The children are encouraged to actively observe, view, listen, talk, reason, question, discuss, interview, comment, report, reflect, predict, evaluate, create and share their views on the material they are reading. Supplemental activities reinforce specific skills that have been introduced through the readings. We continue to provide opportunities for all kinds of artistic and expressive literary extension projects. Chapter books, poetry, and genre studies (such as biographies) help the children to expand their understanding of reading for pleasure as well as for information. Our students participate in many writing experiences. They keep journals and/or diaries, they have regular Writing Workshop times, and they conduct beginning levels of research writing both in social studies and in independent projects. We encourage the children to use writing as a tool for thinking and communicating in all areas of study. Grammar, punctuation, and editing and organizing skills are taught within the contexts of the children's own writing in order to make these rules clearer and more meaningful. Formal reinforcement, increased practice, and the use of writing as a springboard into learning in a broader context begin to bring our students to a greater understanding of the conventions of print. Spelling is presented in a variety of ways; both individualized (within the confines of writing experiences) and in a more general, structured approach. Second graders continue to learn about phonics and spelling through a program called Wilson Fundations. The students learn to recognize blends, digraphs, suffixes syllable types and word families. Correct spelling is emphasized throughout all areas of student work. Mathematics The Grade 2 math program relates math to everyday life experiences whenever possible. We continue to build upon the conceptual and practical skills mastered in Grade 1, with the intention of assuring greater depth and complexity of understanding of number sense. (For instance, the relationships between addition and subtraction are discussed as the children expand their knowledge of numerical operations.) The groundwork in grouping and place value done in Kindergarten and Grade 1 helps the children explore double?digit addition and subtraction with regrouping. Students are also introduced to multiplication, division, and basic fractions through interesting activities that help them apply the concepts to real life situations. Our students are taught important math concepts including the properties of numbers, geometry and spatial relations, time, measurement, money, patterns and relationships, and problem solving. Explorations take place in whole class and in small, differentiated group situations, as well as on an individual basis. The children work with manipulative math materials, use iPads, and play games to develop and increase mathematical understanding and computational skills, and to solve both structured and more open?ended tasks. We collect data and construct a variety of diagrams and graphs in order to both understand and present some of the mathematical concepts in a visual way. We use a variety of mathematical methods and teacher? created materials, as well as published materials for both presentation and reinforcement. As with all areas of learning, we strive to tailor our program to approach learning from many different angles. Writing is also an important part of our math program. Using drawing and writing to explain the strategies used to solve problems help our students to clarify their comprehension of the concepts currently being worked on, and helps them to verify their own thinking. The use of iPads to explore and practice math concepts is frequent and meaningful. Additionally, students are introduced to a problem?solving technique called Bar Modeling, which allows them to extract information from increasingly complex word problems and systematically draw models to arrive at a solution. Social Studies The main focuses of the Grade 2 social studies curriculum are the concepts of Interdependency and Identity taught through the lens of the Native Americans of the Northeast Woodlands. Building upon the Grade 1 theme of Community, the students work both independently and in groups to gain a deeper understanding of how communities are groups of people that depend upon one another to survive and thrive. This program is enriched through trips, the investigation of artifacts, the viewing of films, and the use of our library resources. Our Native American study culminates in an interdisciplinary festival that integrates literature, singing, dancing, acting, and the playing of musical instruments. Arts and crafts are also an integral part of the festival. The students participate in the creation of costumes and props. In connection to this social studies theme, the students also make a connection between community members’ rights and responsibilities to their own roles as citizens of various communities—the classroom, the school, New York City, and beyond. Social?Emotional Development The topics of fair treatment of community members continue to be explored through literature and activities that provide positive models of behavior for the children to emulate. As a community service project, upper school students visit classrooms to present a series of 8 half?hour workshops on topics of interpersonal relationships with peers. Toward the end of Grade 2, classroom discussions evolve around a variety of family structures, culminating in the viewing of the movie, “That’s a Family.”
