NEWSLETTER 9-9-16

SECOND GRADE NEWS

9-9-16

Hi! We had a great four day week! We have learned how to do almost all of our new routines. We started learning about weathering and erosion and how it can change the Earth. It was especially fun using wind and water to change the pans of sand we had in our room! We loved walking to the river to look for ways water can change land right here in our town!

Reading Workshop is going well! Each day we begin our reading time with a comprehension activity. Everyone reads a passage and answers four questions. Students then move into choice reading. They may pick three new books a day. They take their books and read quietly anywhere they choose in the room. During this time Miss LaGrange and I read with individuals, work with small groups on word work and/or guided reading groups. At the end of each reading time we alternate between a short buddy share or a classroom share in which kids can read a page, paragraph or even word that stood out to them. We are keeping tracks of the titles we read in our Reading Journals.

We began Spelling this week. It is much more complex than last year! The kids are asked to do analogies, sort words phonetically, edit paragraphs and even write their own stories! Each Friday, students will be tested over ten words. There is also a dictation part of this test. It checks to see if kids can spell their words in their writing while using punctuation, capitalization and spacing correctly.

Homework will begin coming home nightly beginning next week. On Monday you will get a spelling list that you can keep at home for practicing. Madison shared a fun website that she uses to practice her words with:  www.spellingcity.com. Math homework will come home in your child’s folder each night unless we are assessing. Books will come home to read three to five times a week. Children should be reading to themselves or a family member each night for at least twenty minutes. If you need more books, just let me know!

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Thursday, Sept. 15th at 5:30 - Open House / Spaghetti Dinner

Wednesday, Sept. 21st - Picture Day

Happy Weekend!