2nd Grade Parent Newsletter

Learning does not end in the classroom. Children need help and support at home to succeed in their studies. Try to create a quiet place for your child to study, and carve out time every day when your child can concentrate on reading, writing, and math uninterrupted by friends, brothers or sisters, or other distractions.

ELAGSE.RL.9Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story.—There are lots of versions of the same story from different cultures. These stories should have many things in common but there will be differences as well. At home:

  • Find different versions of Cinderella (or any other story with more than one version). Ask your child to make a list of how the stories are the same and how they are different. There are lots of different movie versions of Cinderella as well. If appropriate, rent some of the different versions and have your child compare the two movies.

ELAGSE.2.RI.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text. Your child should begin to ask questions about words and phrases they don’t understand as they read. At home:

  • As you read with your child, keep track of words he/she doesn’t understand. Show your child two strategies when this happens. First, your child should try to reread to see if the meaning becomes clear. If that doesn’t work, your child should continue to read to see if the meaning will be explained later in the passage. In informational text, many times illustrations, graphs, tables, or other textual features will explain meaning.

ELAGSE.2.RI.7 Explainhow specific images contribute to and clarify a text.Just as in literary (story) reading, illustrations and words work together to create meaning, this is true with informational text as well. Many times the images included in informational text is a clue that the author wants you to remember that information. At home:

Pay close attention to images when you are sharing informational books. Read the captions and titles of the headings and subheadings. In fact, before reading the book, have your child scan the pages looking for these important textual features.

W.1: Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or the book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section—students should be able to write about what they think about a topic or book. During second quarter, students will be writing responses to what they are reading. They should be able to tell why they have their opinion about a book and support that opinion with reasons. At home:

  • After reading a book, have your child write about why they did or did not like the book. Make sure your child gives reasons to support whether or not they liked the book.

ELAGSE.2.W.2: Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section– students should be able to write facts about topics they are interested in. At home:

  • After reading informational books, have your child write about the topic. Encourage your child to use the same features you noticed as you read the book – bold print, pictures with captions, diagrams. Ask your child to illustrate their own writing the same way.

ELAGSE.2.L1 e. Use adjectives and adverbs and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. Students should be able to add words to a sentence to give more details. At home:

  • After your child has written a response to a book he/she has read, have them reread their writing to see if they can add more details. Encourage your child to use adjectives and adverbs to paint a better picture in the reader’s mind.

ELAGSE.2.L4 b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word. c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root. Students should be able to use what they already know about words to make new words. At home:

  • Have your child begin to keep a personal dictionary. Have him/her keep track of interesting words they notice when reading. Once a list has been formed, ask your child what other words they know that are related to that word. For instance, if your child knows the word happy, he/she should also know unhappy, sad, etc.

Science

During the second quarter, Science looks at Stars, Sun, and Shadows. Second grade students should know that stars look different because of how far they are from earth and how hot they are. By the end of the second quarter students should know:

Stars are different sizes and different colors.

Stars form patterns called constellations.

The sun causes shadows.

Day, night, and seasons are related to the sun.

The position of the sun determines the length of a shadow. A sundial uses a shadow to mark time.

Seasonal changes occur and affect living things, the appearance of living things, and their surroundings.

At home:

Take some time to look at the stars at night. Notice how some are brighter and larger than others.

During the day, point out shadows. Ask your child, “Why are some shadows longer or shorter than others?”

Watch the weather on TV. The sunrise and sunset times are usually mentioned. Ask your child why the time changes for the sun to come up and go down. Talk about how the time is related to seasons.

Social Studies

During the second quarter in Social Studies, students look discuss how Georgia became a colony. They will look at the lives of James Oglethorpe, Mary Musgrove, Tomochichi, and Sequoyah. By the end of the second quarter students should know:

James Oglethorpe, Mary Musgrove, and Tomochichi contributed to the founding of Georgia.

Sequoyah developed the Cherokee alphabet.

These historical figures did things to improve the lives of others.

How were their lives like ours today and how were they different?

At home:

Have your child make a booklet to show what they have learned about Oglethorpe, Musgrove, Tomochichi, and Sequoyah. Go to the library with your child and check out children’s books about these people.

Have your child make a chart to compare life today with life at the time of Oglethorpe, Musgrove, Tomochichi, and Sequoyah.

Questioning

Why is asking yourself questions when you read so important?

Questions help a reader clarify ideas and deepen understanding.

If you ask questions as you read, you are awake, you are thinking.

Diving in with questions-even those that are unanswerable-enriches the reading experience.

In their quest to make sense of their world, they bombard those around them-young children are master questioners. Why are there clouds? Do fish sleep? Why is the sky blue? Frequently, parents have no idea how to answer these endless questions. In desperation they might change the subject or come up with a feeble dodge to get off the hook. In fact, those questions show a child’s brilliance. As a parent, you want to encourage them to ask the real questions, those questions that really puzzle them, even if you can’t answer them.

Wonder keeps the imagination alive and curiosity well-tuned.

Asking questions is how you make sense of the world.