| About 2nd Grade |
|
Children engage in silent, partner, shared and group reading. They are encouraged to read aloud with accuracy and expression, and to attend to punctuation and appropriate phrasing. Literary elements such as character, plot, setting and theme are discussed and analyzed. Skills such as cause and effect, compare and contrast, and drawing conclusions are practiced. Children are introduced to and encouraged to use different decoding strategies. Phonics and vocabulary are part of everyday lessons. In conjunction with our regular reading series and to reinforce all that is taught in the classroom, children work independently on the computer-based reading program entitled Breakthrough to Literacy. Children participate in Journal writing and are taught to write well developed paragraphs. Parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, pronouns, adverbs, and adjectives are reinforced and integrated into their writing. Students participate in a varied array of writing genres including, but not limited to, personal narratives, poems, letter writing, comics, etc. In math, students will add and subtract two and three digit numbers with and without regrouping. Word problems are stressed and practiced daily, and children are encouraged to use critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve these problems. Children learn to interpret data, as well as read and create graphs. Time, money, and measurement are taught and integrated into different subject lessons. As part of our social studies curriculum students learn about the different types of communities. Children are involved in an in-depth study of the borough of Queens. As the year progresses, children practice mapping skills. They learn how to create and read a map. Continents, oceans, and landforms are also introduced and studied. Children learn about important American symbols such as the White House and the American Flag, and explore holidays and historical leaders. In science class we begin our year with a unit on germs. Children learn to identify different kinds of germs and investigate how they are spread, and how we can stop the spread of germs. As the year goes on, children are involved in a unit of study on different types of matter and how matter changes states. Finally, we close our year by studying how living things interact with each other. Religion is integrated into all areas of our curriculum. Love for God, others, and oneself is not a lesson isolated to religion class but taught, modeled, discussed, and lived throughout the day. The teachings of Jesus Christ are an integral part of our daily lives here at St. Francis of Assisi. During their time in second grade, children receive two Sacraments; Eucharist and Reconciliation. Much time and study are involved in preparation of these two life-forming events. Sacred vessels used during liturgical celebrations are examined and discussed. Children tour the church and become familiar with the different parts and their meanings. As part of Religion class, children will learn about the early church, sacraments, ten commandments, Blessed Trinity, liturgical year, and the parts of the Mass. As part of a well balanced education, students also receive instruction in Art, Italian, Gym, Music, Library, and Computer with special subject teachers. At St. Francis of Assisi School we strive to instill in our students a love for learning and a sense of responsibility for all of creation. It is my hope that their second grade experience helps them to grow academically, spiritually, and emotionally enabling them to meet with success in the third grade. |
