Fall Has Arrived!!

Fall Has Arrived!!

                                                                                           

  September 26, 2016

Dear Parents,

Fall is here, along with the appropriate weather!  Miss Garcia and myself have to admit that we are definitely fans of this cool, crisp weather!  Please be sure that with cooler weather your student is dressed for comfort with at least a light jacket or sweater for recess time.

Math

In math we spent the week on Part-Whole Word Problems.  Word problems are always a bit tricky for students.  As we work on them we are "dissecting" the problems looking for the important clues, to help us to understand and answer the problems.  Students are working on identifying whether a number in the problem is the "whole" or one of the "parts".  Our mantra has been...

Part + Part = Whole (If the problem gives you the parts, you would add to find the whole.)

Whole - Part = Part (If the problem gives you the whole and a part, you would subtract to find the other part.)

In our answer we are writing an equation and writing an answer sentence.  Below is an example.    

Part-Whole Word Problems

Sarah drew 7 pictures on Saturday.  She drew a few more pictures on Sunday.  She drew 15 pictures altogether.  How many pictures did she draw on Sunday?

All Pictures

Saturday/ Sunday Pictures

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sat.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Sun.

Number Bond     (Whole 15 -- Part 7 = Part 8)

Equation:  15 -- 7 = _8_                  or              7 + _8_ = 15

Answer Sentence:  Sarah drew 8 pictures on Sunday.

  

Give One Take One in Math                  

Our work with word problems will be ongoing.

Here's the homework for this week.

Mon.  IXL E.10 Add Doubles

Tues. IXL E.11 Add Doubles Complete the Addition Sentences

Wed.  Worksheet Branch Addition (2-digit + 1 digit numbers)

Thurs. Worksheet Branch Addition (2-digit + 1 digit numbers and 2-digit + 2-digit numbers)

Language

In Language, students started learning about verbs.  We created a circle map that included many verbs.  Students listened to a verb "rap", then completed their own verb "rap" which they will perform in groups for the class.  We also discussed the present and past tense of verbs.  Students used a bridge map to show present tense verbs and past tense verbs made by adding the "ed" ending.  They then used the present and past tense verbs in sentences.   

Writing

Second grade writers have completed their first piece of writing that has gone through the complete writing process, a riddle about themselves.  The riddles are now hanging up in the hallway with their self-portraits.  Hopefully parents will be able to stop by and try to guess which riddle belongs to your child.

With our first writing completed we spent time working on sentence descriptive writing this week.  Students worked on taking a basic sentence without description and adding some sensory details (what you might see, taste, hear, smell, or feel).  Adding sensory details really “paints a picture” with the sentence.  This skill will be revisited many times over the course of the year!

Projects

Although our Tribes in Action Project is taking longer than anticipated, we will complete it this week and perform it next week!!  Miss Garcia and myself are so proud of all groups.  They have worked really hard on their scripts, puppets, and props.  We will practice, practice, practice this coming week.  Our performance will be on Tuesday, October 4th at 3:15 PM.  Each class will perform in their own classroom.  We hope you will be able to come!  The total time for all 4 puppet shows will be approximately 20 minutes!

Our next project will be in the area of science and will begin this coming week.  More on that in next week's blog.

Here's wishing you a great week!

Sincerely,

Anne Bloomfield

and

Miss Garcia

Reading Information from Mrs. Loop…

Hello Second Grade Families,

Last week all second grade students continued reviewing closed syllables, open syllables and vowel-consonant-e syllables.  They were introduced to  R-controlled syllable which has -ar, -er, -ir, -ur, -or in the word.  Students practiced telling what happened at the beginning and the end of a story with their assigned reading books and they were all assessed on Thursday to check their ability to do this independently.  They also were assessed on sequencing events in the order that they happened in a book.  

This week all second graders will begin spelling tests.  They will be introduced to their spelling words on Monday of each week and a list will be sent home with them to practice.  In class during the week they will be required to complete two spelling activities of their choice that will encourage them to practice writing their spelling words correctly.  All students will be assessed on their spelling words on Thursdays.  They will also continue reviewing long and short vowel sounds in words and determine if they are long or short in a closed or open syllable.  Consonant -le syllables will be introduced this week that includes any word that has a syllable that ends in -le.  Such as in the word maple, freckle, table, etc.  Please continue to have your child read aloud to you nightly to help them improve their reading fluency.  Students will also be assessed on reading fluency each week.  They need to be able to read 100 words per minute by the end of 2nd grade.

Happy reading,

Mrs. Loop