Post 14

Thank you to all who have signed up and donated materials for our special project next week! We still need some materials. Please click on the sign up genius below if you are willing to donate. Thanks!  

IMPORTANT DATES:

December 23, 2016: On the last day before vacation,the second grade will be engaging in a special project and we still need your help with procuring materials. Please visit our sign-up if you would be willing to donate. Thanks!! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a4ea8a928a20-2ndgrade

December 26-January 2: NO SCHOOL - December recess - School resumes on Tuesday, 1/3


REMINDERS: 

Wow words:  Please continue to help your child gather new words each week and bring them in on Wow Word Wednesday. Here are links to an online dictionary (Merriam Webster for kids - Word Central) and our wow word worksheet in case you need a new one. This is an ongoing reminder for the year. Please make acquiring new words part of your home routine.

CURRICULUM UPDATE:

In reading we: 

• Worked in our research groups. We will be presenting our learning to the class next week.
• Practiced visualizing (making a picture/movie in our minds) as we read.  

At home, you could have your child draw a part of a book they are reading to show you the picture in their minds.   

In Fundations (Word Study) we: 

• Practiced breaking up multisyllablic words into parts. 
• Learned to use the suffixes -less, -ful, -ness, -ment, -able, -en and -ish.
• Trick words once, often, always, knew, know, against   

At home, Please refer to the Unit 5 family letter to learn how you can support our word study work at home. Also, look though the fundations/word study section on my website. There, you will find all of the first and second grade trick words. If your child needs practice with these words, please practice through activities such as playing bingo, memory or through reviewing them on flashcards. Here is a link to a great website with different sight word games that you might like to try. Finally, please check your child's homework each night with them to see if they are grasping the fundations concepts that they are practicing. If they are not, please let me know by writing down your observations on the back of the homework sheet, but also feel free to help teach them concepts they are not grasping. 

Next week, we will continue reading and forming multisyllabic words from 2 closed syllables and working with our new suffixes.   

In writing we: 

• Continued writing informational books.  

At home, ask your child about the book s/he is writing. Ask what the different chapters are about. Have them tell you what information s/he is including in each chapter. Feel free to make suggestions of other ideas to add as well! 

In math we:

• Continued our practice in solving double digit math equations using an open number line. If you have not already read our math practices section of our website to learn about how this will be taught in second grade, please check it out. We ask that you DO NOT teach borrow and carry at this point because we want students to work with their place value understanding and not simply apply an algorithm. 

Next week, we will work on addition and subtraction in the context of number stories. We will work on the three-read strategy to help us comprehend what the stories are asking us. You will see this strategy used in your child's homework next week.

 

At home, help your child to apply their understanding of adding double digit numbers to real-life situations, such as when adding money.  

In Social Studies we:

• Began our study of Mexico. Early this week, we flew to Mexico, taking off on Memorial-Spaulding Airlines from Logan and landing in Mexico City. We viewed an in-flight movie about Mexico on the way.
• Wrote about what we know and want to know about Mexico.
• Watched a Brainpop video about Mexico and recalled some facts on our Mexico fact page in our travel journals.

Next week, we will explore maps and the geography of Mexico.

At home, talk with your child about what they are learning about Mexico. 

Have a great weekend!