2nd Grade Curriculum at a Glance

MAIN LESSON BLOCKS

Language Arts: Legends of Courage

Math: Review of Operations & Introduction to Multiplication Tables

Language Arts: Legends & Fables

Math: Place Value & Adding/Subtracting in vertical format, without regrouping

Language Arts: Legends & Fables

Math: Adding and Subtracting in vertical format, with regrouping

Language Arts: King of Ireland’s Son & Cursive

Drama: The Play Block

2nd Grade Curriculum in Detail

LANGUAGE ARTS

• Reading- Reading is practiced daily in main lesson with lessons around phonics, sight words, word families, etc. Children also practice reading in twice weekly reading groups where focus skills include reading aloud, reading comprehension, and sentence writing.

• Spelling- Expanded work with phonics, word families, sight words, first spelling rules

• Writing- Sentence writing and free renderings with attention to punctuation and capitalization

• Vocabulary- New words are learned in the context of main lesson stories

• Handwriting- Focus on correct formation of letters, spacing, and consistent form

• Conventions-Proper use of upper/lowercase letters and intro to punctuation

• Recitation- Daily speech work with recitation of poetry, verses, and circle exercises

• Drama- Practice with public speaking, group recitation, and individual speaking opportunities

MATH

• Main lesson blocks on place value, addition and subtraction with regrouping, and multiplication

• Expanded practice with 4 processes using both horizontal and vertical math sentences

• Counting and writing numbers up to 1000

• Continued work with number patterns & math games

• Addition Strategies: count-ons, doubles, neighbors, fast 10s, fast 9s, leftovers, combinations of 10 Subtraction Strategies: count-backs, comparisons, zeros, doubles, tens, nines, neighbors, leftovers

• Times Tables 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 10s, starting from any multiple

• Continued measuring work using non-standard measures

• Introduction to reading and making graphs

GARDENING

• Continued development of observation skills through nature walks

• Learning about animal forms, qualities, & habitats through nature stories, fables, & nature observations

• Living into the seasonal changes by doing hands-on projects

• Cultivation of reverence of earth’s gifts through sustainable gardening

FORM DRAWING

• Continued development of hand-eye coordination

• More advanced spatial relationships

• Crossing midline forms, symmetry

• Handwriting practice

FOREIGN LANGUAGE: SPANISH & CHINESE

• Through songs, poems, rhymes, games and movements, children begin to build vocabulary, develop good pronunciation, and oral comprehension.

• Vocabulary development: Numbers 1-30, colors, alphabet, weather, things in nature & in the classroom

• Speaking develops through repetition and recitations.

PAINTING

• Continued work with primary colors

• Introduction to working with form

GAMES

• Cooperative circle and line games

• Ball-handling skills

• Motor skills and coordination through tumbling activities

• Yoga

• Continued work on social dynamics that arise through games

• Sportsmanship

MUSIC

• Simple folk melodies

• Continued work with pentatonic flutes

• Dance/movement while singing

• Introduction to Orff instruments

HANDWORK

• Continue basic knitting skills

• Purl Stitch

• Knitting increases and decreases

• Project: Handwork bag – a very long project

• requiring a lot of perseverance!

EURYTHMY

• Beautiful, flowing ensouled movement to poems and stories, accompanied by live classical piano music

• Strengthens children’s social awareness & their ability to be with one another and treat each other kindly

• Teaches how to move together as one, respectfully passing and moving around each other

• Develops coordination, rhythm skills, and group in sync-ness using copper rods & bean bags exercises

• Continued work on the Eurythmy alphabet