Maple Elementary School

                                                                                                    

                            

    

                                                                     Second Grade News

 

Reading- We just started our fourth theme Amazing Animals.  In this theme, we will read             

          about real life and make believe animals that do amazing things.  The three stories in  

          this theme are Officer Buckle and Gloria, Ant, and The Great Ball Game.  For compre-

          hension skills, we will be working on drawing conclusions, text organization, and cause 

          and effect.  Be sure to ask your child about the stories we are reading and the amazing

          things that animals can do.  Remember to read for 20 minutes every night.

Math-   We just started our unit on money.  Students will work on identifying the values of bills and coins, as well as counting and making change up to $20.00.  This is a great unit for you and your child to work together.  Allow your child to practice counting money at home.  Let them add up the totals and figure out change for items at the store.  Also, do not forget to allow your child to tell you the time as a review from our time unit.  Students should also keep practicing their math facts.

Math sites-     http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mthexp/content/egames/faf_grade2.html

                          http://www.hbschool.com/activity/counting_money/

                          http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_2nd.htm#math

Writing- The second graders are becoming great writers.  Encourage your child to write about 

             things that they have done or read.  They can write their favorite part or a summary.  

             We have also worked on writing friendly letters.  Let your child write a letter to a       

             friend or family member, or even a character in a book.

Social Studies- We just finished talking about immigration and the westward expansion of the

             United States. Even though we are going to be taking a break from Social Studies, continue to talk with your child about your family’s background and why people move from

             place to place.

Science- With it getting colder outside, we will be starting to talk about the weather.  The stu-

            dents will be involved in hands-on activities to determine what causes the changes in

            weather. The students will be using thermometers, making observations, and drawing

            conclusions about the weather. Since we experience a wide variety of temperatures in

            this area, ask your child to point out the differences in the day to day weather and what kinds of weather your child likes most.

 

Websites for checking out the weather-             www.fi.edu/weather/owc.html

                                                          http://kids.earth.nasa.gov

                                                                                             

Second Grade FYI

**When your child is reading to you, make sure that they are reading fluently and accurately.  Their reading should be smooth and at a steady pace.  They should also be careful not to make any mistakes.

**Make sure your child is continuing to add to their reading log.  Almost a third of the second graders have earned their reading medals.  Let’s see if everyone can earn their medal by the end of the year.

**Students should also be working toward passing their facts tests.  Remember, students have 5 minutes to complete 90 problems.  Our goal is to have all students pass the addition and subtraction tests by the end of the year.

 

**Be sure to watch for information about our upcoming field trip to the National Aquarium in Baltimore and our after school math and reading club.

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