Mrs. Bice's Second Grade

Reader’s Workshop

We kicked off our new unit of study titled “2nd grade Reading Growth Spurt!” This week we learned that we are growing , not only as people, but as readers too! As readers grow, they make choices when they read; they not only choose what they read, but also HOW they read. Fluency is such a big part of being a 2nd grade reader. Readers took sneak peeks, set goals for themselves, scooped up words in bigger phrases and kept tabs on our comprehension! Please work with your child on practicing all of this important 2nd grade reading strategies! It is important that your reader stop every few pages or every few minutes and do a quick retell, which can help them hold on to the bigger story in texts!

Writer’s Workshop

Poets put so many new tools in their writing tool belt this week. They worked on adding comparisons and stretching the comparison out throughout their whole poem. Poets also learned that poems can have different structures. We learned how to write conversation poems and list poems! Next week we will wind down our unit! Stay tuned for an Author’s Celebration.

Phonics

We have had a ton of fun playing with rhymes! They have become so much stronger at reading and writing because of all of their hard work during our first phonics unit! We concluded the unit with writing “Silly Rhyming Books.” Your phonics professor will be bringing their book home with them today. This was an authentic book they created all on their own to celebrate their hard work in studying word patterns and rhymes. Please celebrate all their silly, hard work in their rhyming book! Next week we will kick off our second unit titled “Marvelous Bloopers.”

Social Emotional

This week we concluded our unit on growth mindset. The kids grew so much through all of our read alouds and conversations! Growth mindset is all around us now! Please continue to encourage your child to keep this mindset when they encounter challenges in AND out of school! Next week we will begin a unit on gratitude! Perfect timing with Thanksgiving coming up!

Science

This week we finished our learning on “matter.” We concluded the week learning more about gases and liquids. We looked at ice cubes and how temperature can affect them and change them into a different state of matter! Today we experimented with gas and blew up a balloon uses coke and Pop Rocks. Ask your scientists to explain the experiment :) We also mixed matter and discussed changes that were reversible and irreversible. Due to COVID19 restrictions we were not able to “make ice cream” this year. It is a super fun experiment and shows kids how all three forms of matter work together to create ice cream! Your child will bring home directions on how to conduct the experiment if you want! Might be a fun rainy day activity at home. Next week we will take a test and show all we know on the properties of matter.

Homework

Next week we will begin to have homework sent weekly. The students have one week to complete the homework. We will do a Monday-Monday cycle. Therefore your child will bring home homework on Mondays. The homework will be differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. I will be sending you an email on Monday to explain your child’s work for the week, based on their needs. I am going to try a few things out so it may change a tad over the next few weeks. As always, thanks for being so flexible this year!