Second Grade Scoop
Miss Roberts * Stoy School * October 29, 2018
Reading Workshop
This week, we will explore the question, “What might cause a story character to change?” We will read a fun and fantastic story about a Spider’s family, friends, school, and favorite places to play in Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin. Along with this humorous fiction story, we will read A Swallow and a Spider, a traditional tale written in a read-aloud reader’s theater format. Both stories will help us understand more about different kinds of communities. To extend on this idea, the students will have access to other stories by Doreen Cronin; Diary of Fly and Diary of Worm.
Target Vocabulary: rotten, sticky, insects, scare, judge, screaming, dangerous, breeze
Phonics Skills: Words with long O (rose), long U (dune), long E (Pete) VCe spelling pattern; hard and soft sounds for G (giraffe, goose)
Vocabulary Strategy: Context clues
Comprehension Skill: Cause and effect – tell how one event makes another happen
Comprehension Strategy: Summarize – stop to tell important events as you read
Last week the students participated in mini-lessons and began learning about author's purpose. Using the acronym PIE, the second graders identified an author's purpose to be to: Persuade, Inform, or Entertain. As we read various texts last week, we discussed the author's purpose and pulled evidence from the book to support our ideas. If the purpose was to inform; What lesson was learned? What did the character learn? If the purpose was to entertain; What was funny in the story? How did we connect to the story? This week's reading response, the students will be asked to read a story and identify the author's purpose. Then, support their opinion with evidence. Please encourage your student to include an introductory sentence to identify the book the read.
Writer's Workshop
The students have been introduced to the short vowel spelling pattern "Consonant-Vowel-Consonant" and are learning the long vowel spelling patter "Vowel-Consosnant-Silent E." Students should begin transferring these patterns into their everyday writing. In addition, please encourage your child to be mindful of their handwriting. Remember, the goal of Second Grade is to begin writing more efficiently, while decreasing size and using consistent spacing. Most second graders regress slightly and may forget to put enough white space between their words.
In recent lessons, boys and girls have been focusing on letter size; tall, short, descending, and how they are written. Each time a new letter is introduced, the boys and girls practice forming the letters accurately using white boards and writing letters on a classmates' back using their finger. This week the students will again focus on lowercase letters, two of which that have diagonal lines. When writing words throughout our day, they will be asked to double check to writing to make sure those letters are taller than those letters that are short.
The students will be give more time to finish their personal narrative stories. As they began planning and writing stories last week, I found they were using many of the introduced strategies and being very thoughtful authors. I do not want to rush their process and offer them time to include illustrations to enhance their stories. I'm sure you will be excited to see them at conferences.
Math
Unit 3 Subtraction up to 1,000
Lesson 2 - Subtraction with Regrouping in the Tens and Ones
- Use base-ten blocks to subtract with regrouping
- Subtract from three-digit number with regrouping
- Apply inverse operations with addition and subtraction
- Solve real-world subtraction problems
Lesson 3 - Subtraction with Regrouping in Hundreds and Tens
- Using base-ten blocks to subtract with regrouping
- Subtracting from a three-digit number with regrouping
- Applying the inverse operation of addition and subtraction
- Solving real-world subtraction problems
- Using base-ten blocks to subtract with regrouping
- Subtracting from a three-digit number with regrouping
- Applying the inverse operations of addition and subtraction
- Solving real-world subtraction problems
Some frequent and common errors the students are making include:
1) Copying equations incorrectly
- When equations are written horizontally or in given in a word problem, the students NEED to write the vertically. It is imperative for them to write the correct numbers using the place value columns
2) NOT comparing the digits in the same place value before subtracting
- This error causes them to NOT regroup, therefore subtracting incorrect numbers
- The students are asked to show their regrouping work to ensure accuracy - it also allows them to see their thinking as they work
Practice, practice, practice addition and subtraction - there is always a correct answer!
Social Studies
We will delve into our first Social Studies Unit is “Living in a Community.” We will learn the definition of community, and the need for rules within a community. We will also learn about the responsibilities of citizens in a community. Students will describe the different roles people play in their family, school and community. They will also distinguish between roles of children and adults. We will also extend our focus to include how people work together and the need for cooperation within a community.
The students will learn that a neighborhood is an area where people live. Some neighborhoods have businesses as well as homes. We will review that a map is a drawing that helps a person find places. A map has important details such as street names and symbols for specific places on a map.
Social Expectations
Coming Soon
October 31st - Halloween; lunch 12:30-1:30
October 31st - Halloween Parade begins at 1:30 on the basketball court
November 4th - Daylight Savings "Fall Back"
November 6th - School Store
November 8th & 9th - No School; NJEA
November 12th - W.E.B. Projects due
November 13th - Book Orders due
November 15th, 16th, 19th, 20th, and 21st - Half Days; bring a healthy snack
November 15th - 16th, 19th, and 20th - Conferences
November 22nd and 23rd - No School; Happy Thanksgiving