Second grade marks a year of transition as children learn to become self-directed, independent learners. Most children begin to apply the skills they learned in earlier grades with more ease and consistency. Parents are charged with the responsibility to oversee the completion of homework, assist their child in studying for unit tests, and listen to their nightly reading. Many new concepts are introduced in second grade. If they are to be retained, these concepts must be relevant to their world. Parents can assist in making this connection by providing activities at home that reinforce the concepts that are taught in school. To encourage math at home try the following: 1) Using loose change to count money, 2) Tell time by creating a schedule to follow after school, 3) Follow a recipe with your child and allow him/her to measure the ingredients, and 4) Practice measurement by asking your student to find three things that are longer than four inches but shorter than eight inches.

In second grade, children begin to read for meaning. Their focus changes from decoding and reading simple sentences to reading more fluently and understanding what they have read. Students often reread stories and passages to increase their reading rate, accuracy, and use of expression. When second graders are able to read words effortlessly, comprehending what is read is easier to grasp. Reading for meaning entails retelling a story, and being able to identify story elements such as the setting, main characters, the problem and solution. A variety of strategies are applied in decoding unfamiliar words that go along with their knowledge of word structure and letter sound relationships.

They begin to learn the meaning of many prefixes and suffixes as well as well as becoming proficient in reading new words by breaking them into syllables. As a second grader, they will progress in reading more complex materials. Reading becomes an adventure as they read across the curriculum in subjects such as science, socials studies, and math. They will also learn to compare and contrast fiction with nonfiction text

At this stage children become better writers. They are taught the traits of writing: ideas, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. During the year, these traits are woven into their writing. We begin to see their writing develop from simple sentences to detailed paragraphs. Writing is used across the curriculum as second graders are expected write story problems in math, explain how they solve problems, provide predictions, observations and conclusion in science, and write interactive notes in social studies.

In second grade, expect your student to extend the study of number and spatial sense to include three digit whole numbers and solid geometric figures. Your second grader will continue to learn, use and gain proficiency in the basic addition facts through the tens table, and the corresponding subtraction facts. They will learn and apply a variety of strategies to solve two digit addition and subtraction problems. Second graders will begin to use both U.S. customary and metric units of measurement. They will create and interpret picture and bar graphs. Problem solving will be integrated throughout the year. Your child will be taught the relevance of learning the second grade concepts and how to identify the use of them in the real world. Second graders will be actively engaged as they use manipulatives and work in small groups.

Focusing on using a broad range of science skills in understanding their natural world, second graders make detailed observations, draw conclusions, and recognize universal data as they validate the information they’ve gathered completing simple science experiments. Living systems are explored through studying a variety of habitats. Second graders are asked to identify and contrast living and nonliving things. The concept of change is defined as they learn the phases of matter, life cycles, weather patterns, and seasonal effects on plants and animals in their environment.

Introducing second graders to the heritage and contributions made by people of ancient China and Egypt as well as the American Indians gives them a perspective of the world they live in. They are able to see how these people from the past and present made a meaningful difference. They are also able to compare their own lives with their lives of their parents, grandparents, and famous historical people. Civics helps second graders to develop the ability to make informed and reasonable decisions as they become productive citizens. In studying geography, second graders learn how to read and make maps. They will also learn to name and identify the five major oceans and the seven continents. Second graders are taught the basic principles of economics and the value of money. As second graders, they will recognize the United States is a land of people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions. They will learn that these people make contributions to their communities and many are united as Americans by common principles.