October in 2nd Grade

Here's an update from the teachers:

Math

This month in math we have a lot of new things happening. We are pleased to announce that we have started our Jiji math computer program by the Mind Institute. Here the children play computer math games that are geared to the California Second Grade Content Standards. They play many games involving mathematical concepts including but not limited to addition, subtraction, and ordering numbers. Our goal is to have children play these games for about 45 minutes two times a week. Our students are very excited about playing on Jiji, and although it is a challenging game we feel as though it is a great addition to our regular math program. In addition to Jiji math, we have been further deepening the children’s learning about numbers. We have been exploring fact families to get a better understanding of addition, subtraction and inverse observations. We are working on equations with missing numbers and solving addition equations with three numbers (3+4+2=9) The students are learning and understanding that we all have various strategies to solve problems-there’s no one right way to solve a problem, but there is only one correct answer. Our goal is to equip our students with the skills that they will need to solve any mathematical problem by honoring their thinking and asking questions to deepen their awareness and understanding of the way they solve problems.

Writer’s Workshop

As writers, all of second grade has just finished publishing their first writing piece! To reach this point, all students worked through a writing process to brainstorm ideas, create a rough draft, and edit the words they have put down on paper. Moving through each of the steps will help boost both the content and the mechanics of the students’ writing. The emphasis on the process will provide our budding writers with a platform to work from for the rest of their lives. Along with developing strategies to help during writing, our experience of publishing a piece that has been worked on extensively has helped strengthen their relationship and bond with the written word. Pride shown through each writer’s face during publishing, and it was something wonderful to behold. It is our hope that our young writers recall these feelings as they move forward to produce other stories, personal narratives, and non-fictional work.

DWOK

In DWoK, students have been exploring Native American Stories, and the amazing ways they communicate those stories to each other. We have listened to and read many legends that have been passed down through generations. These stories have helped us understand a unique world view while teaching us important lessons about effective storytelling and symbolism. Along with the traditional forms of verbal communication, we have looked at the visual storytelling of Totem Poles. Totem poles serve as a way to recall ideas or stories that are essential to the tribes who erect them. Students went through their own process of meaning-making when they chose animal totems to research and create totem poles around. The work helped each child recognize the intricate way stories, art, research, and family history interact in the world.

Reader’s Workshop

In Readers Workshop this month we focused on finding the elements in a story such as the setting (where the story takes place), characters (who the story is about), and plot (what happens in the story). The students completed a two week project using the book Where the Wild Things Are. The book was read several times to focus on the various elements of a story. At the end of the project the students made their own monster puppets and wrote a story that included all the elements of a story. The stories were very creative and the classes enjoyed hearing all the adventures that the monsters took. Please continue to work on finding the elements in a story at home because it will be an essential tool for next month in which we focus on reading comprehension skills.

Theatre

For Theatre Arts this month the students focused on using non-verbal communication to express and tell a story. This tool is one of many that the student will use at the end of the year to put on a play. We practiced using non-verbal communication through several drama games. The first one was Alphabet Charades in which each student was given a letter of the alphabet and they were to act out two things that started with this letter. The audience did a great job paying attention and guessing most of the letters. The letters “x” and “y” were a challenge. The second game was called Machines. The students were given a location such as the kitchen and as a group of four were to act out a machine in the kitchen. A favorite had to be the Xerox machine in an office. We finished the month off by introducing the art of pantomime. The students played a game called Mirror in which they had to mirror a movement with a partner. They really learned to slow down the movement in order to follow each other. Next month, we will be focusing on another important part of being a good actor which is eye contact.

Character Development

In our Character Development lessons, our second graders have been working to gain a better understanding of themselves, and in the process have made deeper connections to DWoK and Writer’s Workshop. Students have highlighted personal character traits, developing a vocabulary to express human characteristics that will help with interpersonal relationships and strengthen their abilities as storytellers. They also started the time-honored tradition of keeping a journal to record ideas, feelings and reactions to intriguing prompts. Throughout the year, we will continue journaling as we learn more about ourselves as unique individuals and as our writing skills develop and grow.