The document provides information about the 2nd grade teachers, their backgrounds and fun facts. It also outlines the academic curriculum including subjects like language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Additionally, it details homework expectations, classroom rules and procedures, assessments to be given, and ways for parents to help prepare their children over the summer.

1. Welcome to 2nd grade!
Mrs. Clough
Mrs. Hockensmith
Ms. Tosten

2. Mrs. Clough
• Experience: @ F.T.E. for 11 yrs.
• Home: Dillsburg, PA
• Education: Shippensburg University, B.S. Elementary Education, Penn
State, M.S. Curriculum and Instruction
• Fun Fact: Zumba Instructor and Zumba Kids Instructor

3. Mrs. Hockensmith
• Experience: 2yrs. @ F.T.E.
• Home: Hanover, PA
• Education: Towson University, B.S. English Literature, York College, B.S.
Elementary Education
• Fun Fact: I am a new mom to my dear son, Reed Alexander.

4. Miss Tosten
• Experience: 1yr. @ F.T.E.
• Home: Fayetteville, PA
• Education: Gettysburg College, B.A. Psychology & Elementary Education
• Fun Fact: soon to be Mrs. Ryder on October 4, 2014

5. Academics
• Language Arts
• Journeys
• Spelling
• Words-Their-Way
• Phonics based program
• Mathematics
• Everyday Mathematics
• Resources
• Everydaymathonline.com

6. Language Arts
Journeys-Core program for
language arts that
encompasses reading
comprehension, vocabulary,
grammar, and writing.

7. Mathematics
• Everyday Math
• Spiral Program
• 12 Units
• Pre-test & Post-Test
• Measures growth for each unit
• Part A v. Part B
• EDM online

8. Daily Schedule
• Reading Comprehension
• Whole Group Instruction-45 minute block of whole group direct instruction of reading
strategy & skill
• Small Group Instruction-Guided reading based on your child’s BOY DRA Assessment that
reinforces the reading comprehension strategy on your child’s individual reading level
• Grammar & Writing
• Basic grammar & writing skills
• Lunch & Recess
• Specials
• Physical Education, Music, Library, Art

9. Daily Schedule Cont.
• Spelling
• Students may switch teachers 3x/week for spelling instruction based on your child’s BOY
Words Their Way Spelling Inventory Results
• Science (Mrs. Clough)/Health (Ms. Tosten) /Social Studies (Mrs. Hockensmith)
• Students switch 2x/week
• Math
• Pre-Assessment before each unit to guide instruction & a Post-Assessment to measure
growth
• Only Part A is averaged for report cards

10. Grade Level Rules
• Expectations
• We expect 2nd graders to follow school rules that generally equates to: respect themselves, respect
others, and do their best work.
• Consequences
• Possible loss of Smiley, loss of rewards i.e., Holiday Centers
• * Teachers use rewards and consequences as fairly as possible while evaluating each situation on an
individual basis
• Reward Examples
• Special Holiday Activities
• Fun Friday
• Lunch with the Teacher

11. What does homework typically look like?
• When? Monday-Thursday
• What?
• Reading-10 min. + each night
• Spelling-4 spelling activities for each night of the week that remain consistent
throughout the year
• Math-worksheet each night that corresponds with that day’s lesson
• Who? It’s your child’s responsibility but you will need to help them along the
way

12. READING
Reading Record
• Reading is Monday-Thursday
• Starting at 10 min./night
• Student completes the date, title of
book, time read, and pages read
• Parent initials for confirmation

13. SPELLING
Spelling Homework Sheet
• Monday-Thursday and a the test on
Friday
• Each night has a different assignment
that remains consistent throughout the
year *exceptions* some weeks may be
shorter due to breaks
• Student completes the exercise
• Parent initials and dates for confirmation
Spelling Homework Sheet
*Please keep this in your Spelling Envelope.
Monday: sort the words into categories and read each word aloud during this
activity. Ask your child to explain to you why the words are sorted in a particular
way—what does the sort reveal about spelling in general? Ask your child to sort
them a second time as fast as possible. You may want to time them.
Parent Initials __________ Date _____________________
Tuesday: blind sort Lay down a word from each category as a header and then
read the rest of the words aloud. Your child must indicate where the word goes
without seeing it. Lay it down and let your child move it if he or she is wrong.
Repeat if you child makes more than one error.
Parent Initials __________ Date _____________________
Wednesday: writing sort/ Practice Test, in the wordbook, to prepare for the
Friday test. Don’t forget to practice the Sight Words. As you call out the
words in a random order your child should write them in spelling categories.
Parent Initials __________ Date _____________________
Thursday: sorting and gluing the sort into wordbook and have your child spell
them to you.
Parent Initials __________ Date _____________________

14. Math
Home Links
• Each day’s lesson has a corresponding
homework sheet or “Home Link” to be
completed that reinforces that lesson’s
skills and other skills to be practiced.
• Student completes the worksheet
• Parents, please look for the symbol of
the house to differentiate between Home
Links and other papers

15. Other
Sometimes we will send
announcements about: school
events, class parties, volunteer
opportunities, fundraisers, etc…
We will print these special
announcements on colored paper.
Please, be sure to check your child’s
homework folder nightly.

16. 2nd Grade Rocks
• The Great Poetry Race
• Holiday Centers
• Fine Arts
• Class Parties for the Holidays
• Field Trip to the Whitaker Center
• Junior Achievement

17. The Great Poetry Race
The Great Poetry Race
Dear Parents,
Fluency, or the ability to decode words correctly and
effortlessly, is one of the skills we will continue to build on
over the school year. One way we will do this is by
participating in the Great Poetry Race. Once a month, your
child will come home with a poem we have read together in
class. Their job is to read this poem to as many people
as they can. The repetitive reading will help to increase your
child’s reading skills, particularly fluency. There is more
information about fluency on the back of this page.
On the back or attached to each poem will be a place
for adults to sign once your child has read the poem aloud.
Your child’s goal is to get as many signatures as they can. At
the end of the month, your child will bring the signatures
back to school and we will celebrate their success. Thank
you for supporting with this reading project.
Thank You,
The Second Grade Teacher
Reading Fluency
Is More Than Just Reading Fast and Accurately
Reading with proper expression brings better
comprehension and retention. As children often comment,
“If you don’t ride your bike fast enough, you fall off.” This
analogy can be applied to reading fluency and
comprehension. If a student struggles to recognize the
words and laboriously read a page, the meaning can get lost
and the student may not remember what he or she read.
Reading fluency is often perceived as recognizing
words effortlessly while reading fast and smoothly.
“Although automatically (automatic word recognition) and
fluency are sometimes used interchangeably, they do not
measure the same skill in reading. Automaticity refers only to
accurate, speedy word recognition, not to reading with
expression. The National Reading Panel defines reading
fluency as reading with speed, accuracy, and proper
expression.” (NRP 2003).
So…Fluency = speed + accuracy + proper expression
(including the use of correct punctuation)

18. Monthly Poem
Example
To be read aloud to 15 adults
Signature Sheet signed by each adult
listener

19. Holiday Centers
Students practice key
language arts and
mathematics skills at one
of many hands-on holiday
themed learning stations.

20. Merry
Christmas!
Gingerbread House
decorating…YUM!

21. Field Trip
Exploring the water
cycle at the
Whitaker Center.

22. Junior Achievement
Theme: How Money Circulates Through a
Community

23. Beginning of the year assessments (BOY)
• Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA)
• Benchmark Levels 16-20
• Everyday Mathematics Beginning-of-Year Assessment
• Words Their Way Spelling Inventory
• Benchmark Within Word Early
• DIBELS
• Benchmark 52 WPM or 75%
• Writing
• End of Year Goal towards 24 points

24. Everyday Mathematics
Beginning-of-Year (BOY)
Test
• The EDM BOY test is 23
multiple choice question
diagnostic tool used to
create a baseline for your
child’s math skills coming
into the 2nd grade.

25. Words Their Way
BOY Test
• 26 Spelling Words
• Examines spelling patterns
students can hear and spell
• BOY expectation
• Within Word Early Stage =
consonant blends

26. Writing
• BOY cold writing prompt
• District mandated writing prompt and
subject
• Cold write each quarter
• Throughout the year working towards of
score of 6 in each cateogory
• BOY and End-of-Year (EOY) kept in
permanent file

27. What can I do to prepare my child for the 2nd
grade?
Math
• Everydaymathonline.com
Reading
• Summer Reading Program
• Retell Hand

28. What can I do to prepare my child for the 2nd
grade?
Writing
• Journaling
• Scrapbooking-Take pictures over the
summer and write a caption.
Spelling
• Make-and-Take Games &
Supplemental materials

29. Summer Reading Program Information
• School Goal: 100,000 minutes read over the summer
• School Prize: Poetry Alive Performance
• Class Prize: Ice Cream Party & extra recess
• Choose 1: Scrapbook, Research Report, or 5 Book Reviews (online
component)
• Complete 2 or more and your child gets a book and/or extra prizes
• Summer Book Swap