It has been a busy few weeks in 2F. We have come such a long way since the beginning of the year and have learned many new things together as a class. One of the most rewarding experiences, this year, has been the success of Daily 5 in our classroom. Students have now been introduced to all components of the Daily 5 and are hard at work learning the expectations of how to properly participate in the exciting task of Word Work. This will give the students the opportunity to practice their spelling words more during the school day. Students will have the opportunity to use materials like Play-Doh, magnetic letters, letter tiles, and even paint dotters to practice their words.
Students have also been learning how to complete reading responses during Work on Writing. One of the major focuses has been writing summaries using a graphic organizer. In addition, students have been working on making connections and were required to include one strong connection within their response. Students will continue to practice responding to their reading and will be taught how to expand their connections so that they are true connections rather than coincidences. Mrs. Langel popped into our classroom last week and helped us to understand connections that were helpful to us as readers and those that were simply coincidences. We learned that coincidences do not lead us to a true understanding of the text being read; strong connections do.
In Math, we have been hard at work learning how to count up from a smaller amount of money to a larger amount in order to identify how much change one should receive. We have also been learning about Frames and Arrows Having Two Rules. Students continue to be instructed through the use of Guided Math. All of the Second Graders have had the opportunity to play games which have helped students to review the concepts being learned. This is a wonderful opportunity to reinforce what is being learned during whole class or small group instruction.
It also provides the opportunity for students to work on socialization and problem solving skills. The students completed the Unit 2 assessment and did an outstanding job. I look forward to sharing this assessment with you at conferences. It is evident that the implementation of Guided Math has enabled students to focus on the concepts being taught and understand them with greater clarity. I am very proud of the students and how quickly they have adjusted to this new format of learning.
In Social Studies, students are continuing to learn about our country's past. They will now be focusing, specifically, on famous Americans that have made important contributions to the country we inhabit. The students were extremely eager to begin their research projects. They were given the opportunity to work in the Computer Lab and use WorldBook Online as a resource for finding information. Mrs. Smith assisted us during this time, and we were very impressed with their listening skills as well as their ability to weed out the important information. We are still working on using our own words rather than using the exact words of the author. The students will be creating bio-poems which will be on display in the Second Grade hallway very soon. If you are in the building, please take a step into the past and stroll down our "Hall of Famous Americans".
Lastly, the students had the wonderful opportunity to meet a real, live author. Last week, Traci Dant came to visit our classroom. She shared the evolution of herself as a writer. In addition, she educated the students about the process of creating/publishing a book. Students are currently learning about the writing process (brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing and publishing) during Writer's Workshop. However, we learned that authors have to be extremely dedicated when attempting to publish their work because there are several steps that need to be taken before their job is complete.
Her presentation was encouraging to the students and helped them to understand that what they do right now as students will determine their success in the future. The most memorable event was when she shared a book that she had written in fourth grade. It reminded me that writing is such a powerful tool to express one's thoughts and feelings. My goal is to instill this within my students. We will soon begin publishing our own writing during Writer's Workshop. Traci Dant helped us to understand that the possiblities of what a writer can do are endless.
I look forward to seeing you at conferences and sharing with you how your child is performing in Second Grade. Please be on the lookout for student work and pictures of the students participating in Word Work.
