March Newsletter
Reader's Workshop:
Wow! It's amazing how much the students have improved in their reading. They have been working very hard building their reading stamina, and I am so proud of them. We started our third unit, Bigger Books Mean Amping Up Reading Power. In this unit, students learned different strategies to fine-tune their reading fluency. This includes reading 5+ words at a time, adding expression and more. We will be working on partner reading in the upcoming weeks.
Writer's Workshop:
Students have published their second chapter book on an animal of their choice. I am so impressed with their ability to research a topic by reading various nonfiction books, and then turn it into a chapter book. In the upcoming weeks, students will learn how to create a PowerPoint on the topic they researched and present it to the class. We will also begin our opinion writing unit.
Math:
We finished our sixth module in Eureka math and are now in module 7. In this unit, students will learn about money, time and measurement (both metric and standard units.)
Social Studies:
We are currently in our "Map Skills" unit. Students have learned about the the continents, important components found on a map (i.e. legend, compass rose, etc.). Student have also learned about rural, urban and suburban communities.
Wow! It's amazing how much the students have improved in their reading. They have been working very hard building their reading stamina, and I am so proud of them. We started our third unit, Bigger Books Mean Amping Up Reading Power. In this unit, students learned different strategies to fine-tune their reading fluency. This includes reading 5+ words at a time, adding expression and more. We will be working on partner reading in the upcoming weeks.
Writer's Workshop:
Students have published their second chapter book on an animal of their choice. I am so impressed with their ability to research a topic by reading various nonfiction books, and then turn it into a chapter book. In the upcoming weeks, students will learn how to create a PowerPoint on the topic they researched and present it to the class. We will also begin our opinion writing unit.
Math:
We finished our sixth module in Eureka math and are now in module 7. In this unit, students will learn about money, time and measurement (both metric and standard units.)
Social Studies:
We are currently in our "Map Skills" unit. Students have learned about the the continents, important components found on a map (i.e. legend, compass rose, etc.). Student have also learned about rural, urban and suburban communities.
January Newsletter
Happy New Year. Check out what we are learning!
Reader's Workshop:
For Reader’s Workshop, we are continuing our third unit of study, Becoming Experts in Nonfiction Reading. In this unit of study, students will begin growing knowledge on various nonfiction topics, by asking question; noticing details from their books; and learning the lingo of a specific topic. Students will also learn the elements that go into a nonfiction book such as: Table of contents, index, and more.
Writer's Workshop:
We finished practicing sentence structure and paragraph writing. Now they are ready to dive into our nonfiction unit. Together, we will be learning about tigers and the students will write their very first chapter book, All About Tigers. Students will then get the opportunity to research their own topic and write another All About Book on a topic of their choice.
Math:
Students completed the mid-module math assessment for Module 5, which focused on strategies for composing tens and hundreds within 1,000. The second half of this unit students will learn strategies for decomposing tens and hundreds within 1,00, and will begin explaining which method they used to solve a problem, using written words.
Social Studies:
We finished our Holidays Around the World unit. We will now be moving into our "Map Skills".
Reader's Workshop:
For Reader’s Workshop, we are continuing our third unit of study, Becoming Experts in Nonfiction Reading. In this unit of study, students will begin growing knowledge on various nonfiction topics, by asking question; noticing details from their books; and learning the lingo of a specific topic. Students will also learn the elements that go into a nonfiction book such as: Table of contents, index, and more.
Writer's Workshop:
We finished practicing sentence structure and paragraph writing. Now they are ready to dive into our nonfiction unit. Together, we will be learning about tigers and the students will write their very first chapter book, All About Tigers. Students will then get the opportunity to research their own topic and write another All About Book on a topic of their choice.
Math:
Students completed the mid-module math assessment for Module 5, which focused on strategies for composing tens and hundreds within 1,000. The second half of this unit students will learn strategies for decomposing tens and hundreds within 1,00, and will begin explaining which method they used to solve a problem, using written words.
Social Studies:
We finished our Holidays Around the World unit. We will now be moving into our "Map Skills".
December Newsletter
Reader's Workshop:
For Reader’s Workshop, we are moving into our third unit of study, Becoming Experts in Nonfiction Reading. In this unit of study, students will begin growing knowledge on various nonfiction topics, by asking question; noticing details from their books; and learning the lingo of a specific topic. Students will also learn the elements that go into a nonfiction book such as: Table of contents, index, and more.
Writer's Workshop:
Students completed their first personal narrative. They worked so hard by learning and incorporating important elements that go into narrative writing such as: Adding detail to show, not tell the reader what was happening; adding catchy leads to grab the reader’s attention; and how to properly conclude a story. Now, students will be learning how to write a paragraph. They will begin this process by analyzing different sentences and organizing them into a coherent paragraph. Then students will have the opportunity to write their own original paragraphs using the knowledge they learn from their nonfiction stories, in reader’s workshop.
Math:
We are wrapping up Module 4, and will begin Module 5. In this module, students will continue solving addition and subtraction problems within 1,000 and word problems within 100. They will learn strategies adding and subtracting 1,000; strategies for composing/decomposing tens and hundreds within 1,000; and student explanations for a choice of solution methods. We will also examine the associative property to subtract from three-digit numbers and check our work with an addition problem
Social Studies:
We are learning about the different holidays, celebrated around the world during this time of year. Each week students will learn about a new holiday. They will have the opportunity to read about the holiday, write an informational paragraph about it, and complete an art project. The holidays we will be covering are: Kwanza, Diwali, Las Posadas, Christmas, and Hanukkah.
For Reader’s Workshop, we are moving into our third unit of study, Becoming Experts in Nonfiction Reading. In this unit of study, students will begin growing knowledge on various nonfiction topics, by asking question; noticing details from their books; and learning the lingo of a specific topic. Students will also learn the elements that go into a nonfiction book such as: Table of contents, index, and more.
Writer's Workshop:
Students completed their first personal narrative. They worked so hard by learning and incorporating important elements that go into narrative writing such as: Adding detail to show, not tell the reader what was happening; adding catchy leads to grab the reader’s attention; and how to properly conclude a story. Now, students will be learning how to write a paragraph. They will begin this process by analyzing different sentences and organizing them into a coherent paragraph. Then students will have the opportunity to write their own original paragraphs using the knowledge they learn from their nonfiction stories, in reader’s workshop.
Math:
We are wrapping up Module 4, and will begin Module 5. In this module, students will continue solving addition and subtraction problems within 1,000 and word problems within 100. They will learn strategies adding and subtracting 1,000; strategies for composing/decomposing tens and hundreds within 1,000; and student explanations for a choice of solution methods. We will also examine the associative property to subtract from three-digit numbers and check our work with an addition problem
Social Studies:
We are learning about the different holidays, celebrated around the world during this time of year. Each week students will learn about a new holiday. They will have the opportunity to read about the holiday, write an informational paragraph about it, and complete an art project. The holidays we will be covering are: Kwanza, Diwali, Las Posadas, Christmas, and Hanukkah.
November Newsletter
Reader's Workshop:
For Reader’s Workshop, we are working on improving our reading fluency and comprehension skills. Reading fluency is “how” we read the story. Students are paying close attention to the punctuation in their passages, and making sure to naturally pause when they see commas, periods, etc. In addition, they are changing the fluctuation of their voice when there is an exclamation mark or question mark. Lastly, students are paying close attention to the rate in which they are reading, making sure to scoop the sentences so it's smooth and consistent. As for reading comprehension, students are practicing answering literal and critical thinking questions that relate to the short passages they are reading. You can help your student with this at home, by asking them to do a five-finger retell and ask how the narrator or character is feeling in their story, and what examples from the story validate their opinion.
Writer's Workshop:
Students are working hard on their first personal narrative. So far, students have learned tricks for how to brainstorm a topic for a personal narrative; and how to take a topic and narrow it down to be a “seed story.” This means focusing on one small moment and providing a lot of detail. In addition, students examined different ways to start and end their story. We are trying to move away from starting stories like, “One day…” and how properly wrap up a story without “the end.”
Math:
We are halfway through module 4, with the objective: Addition and subtraction within 2000 with word problems to 100. In the part of the module, students learned various strategies for solving the objective listed above including: vertical way (standard algorithm), place value chart, arrow way, and the number bond strategy. In the second portion of the module students will learn the following: Strategies for composing tens and hundreds; strategies for decomposing tends and hundreds; and writing explanations of written methods.
Science:
Students are loving science with Mrs. Schroeder. They finished module 1, and are currently learning the following in module 2: How are different kinds of materials similar and different? How can testing materials help us understand their properties and how they can be used? What materials are best for building strong structure’s? How can properties of materials change? How can we use the same materials to make something new?
For Reader’s Workshop, we are working on improving our reading fluency and comprehension skills. Reading fluency is “how” we read the story. Students are paying close attention to the punctuation in their passages, and making sure to naturally pause when they see commas, periods, etc. In addition, they are changing the fluctuation of their voice when there is an exclamation mark or question mark. Lastly, students are paying close attention to the rate in which they are reading, making sure to scoop the sentences so it's smooth and consistent. As for reading comprehension, students are practicing answering literal and critical thinking questions that relate to the short passages they are reading. You can help your student with this at home, by asking them to do a five-finger retell and ask how the narrator or character is feeling in their story, and what examples from the story validate their opinion.
Writer's Workshop:
Students are working hard on their first personal narrative. So far, students have learned tricks for how to brainstorm a topic for a personal narrative; and how to take a topic and narrow it down to be a “seed story.” This means focusing on one small moment and providing a lot of detail. In addition, students examined different ways to start and end their story. We are trying to move away from starting stories like, “One day…” and how properly wrap up a story without “the end.”
Math:
We are halfway through module 4, with the objective: Addition and subtraction within 2000 with word problems to 100. In the part of the module, students learned various strategies for solving the objective listed above including: vertical way (standard algorithm), place value chart, arrow way, and the number bond strategy. In the second portion of the module students will learn the following: Strategies for composing tens and hundreds; strategies for decomposing tends and hundreds; and writing explanations of written methods.
Science:
Students are loving science with Mrs. Schroeder. They finished module 1, and are currently learning the following in module 2: How are different kinds of materials similar and different? How can testing materials help us understand their properties and how they can be used? What materials are best for building strong structure’s? How can properties of materials change? How can we use the same materials to make something new?
October Newsletter
Reader's Workshop:
We are wrapping up our first unit in Reader’s Workshop, 2nd Grade Reading Growth Spurts. Next, we will be moving into our Character Study unit. In this unit, we will be learning about main characters, supporting characters, and will be identifying problems/solutions our characters encounter in the stories we read. Together, we will be reading the book, “Clementine” by Sara Pennypacker and will be identifying those important characteristics.
Writer's Workshop:
Next week, we will be launching our first unit of Writer’s Workshop, which is all about writing personal narratives. In this unit, students will learn the characteristics of a personal narrative, how to brainstorm topics to write about, and the process of writing and publishing a personal narrative. The biggest jump from first to second grade, is learning how to focus on one special moment and enhance the student’s writing craft by adding descriptive details. Students will also learn different ways to “hook” their reader’s attention with a strong introductory sentence. Lastly, students will learn how to write across multiple pages, in clear and concise sentences, and conclude their story with a life lesson learned.
Math:
We completed modules 1 and module 3. Module 2 (measurement) will be saved for the end of the year with our other measurement unit. On Monday, we will be starting Module 4. In this unit, we will be focusing on the following objectives: Sums and differences within 100; strategies for composing a ten; strategies for decomposing a ten; strategies for composing tens and hundreds; strategies for decomposing tens and hundreds; and student explanations of written methods.
Social Studies:
We are currently in the middle of our “Goods and Services,” unit. Next, we will be moving onto “Map Skills”
Science:
Students are enjoying science with Mrs. Schroeder. The students will be completing activities in their TWIG science workbook, for unit 1, “Earth
September Newsletter
Reader's Workshop:
We started our first Reader’s Workshop unit, “Growth Spurts.” In this unit, students will be learning many skills as their reading capabilities grow. In the first section, students will be taking charge of their reading by learning how to create reading goals. They will also learn new strategies to solve tricky words; and lastly will learn to pay close attention to what lesson the author is trying to teach.
Writer's Workshop:
In the beginning of the year, we always want to focus on the fundamentals of handwriting. It will set students up for success, as they begin writing longer, more detailed stories. Please refer to the “Handwriting Without Tears” terminology if you feel you’d like provide your child with additional support at home.
Math:
We completed our first unit of Grade 2, Eureka Math. In this unit, students practiced the foundations for fluency with sums and differences within 100; and will be initiating fluency with addition and subtraction within 100. We skipped Module 2 (will complete at the end of the year), and are now working in Module 3. In this unit students will learn the fundamentals of place value to solve addition and subtraction facts within 1,000.
Social Studies:
We began our social studies interactive notebook. Our first unit is all about community.
Science:
Students are enjoying science with Mrs. Schroeder. The students will be completing activities in their TWIG science workbook, for unit 1, “Earth Science.”