Second Grade

Second grade is filled with hands-on, engaging lessons that strive to keep each child actively learning. Throughout the year, we work on expanding our reading and writing abilities. We use the Super Kids curriculum in a Daily 5 model to ensure each student gets individual time with the teacher as well as time to practice being independent learners. Students learn about what “good readers” do. We work on predicting, using context clues, asking questions, fluency, setting a purpose, decoding unfamiliar words, and other techniques to improve skills. Centers, and guided reading time, are used to individualize instruction and allow for personalized practice. Writing is taught through a combination of mini lessons and the writing workshop model. Students learn about sentence structure, phonics, vocabulary, the six-traits of writing, and other components necessary to becoming a great writer. Throughout the year, students will become the authors of many different genres of writing- from imagined stories to research essays.

In math students continue forming the building blocks of mathematics. Math lessons progress from students using concrete objects and pictoral representations to learning the abstract method in order to ensure all students have a solid conceptual understanding of each topic rather than rote memorization of the topics.

Students use scientific inquiry to explore different areas in science. Lessons are hands-on and allow each young scientist to explore why our world does weird and wonderful things. We cover topics such as living things, sound, energy, motion, Earth long ago, weather, space, states of matter, and germs. In Social Studies second graders also use their community as springboard to learning about people and places through culture, citizenship, economics, history, and geography.

In religion students grow in their understanding of God’s love, their relationship with Christ, prayer, stewardship, scripture, sacraments, and the wider church. We also have the joyous experience of preparing for first reconciliation and communion.