2nd Grade

Essential Question:

How does a community support the needs of the people who live there?
Our program focuses on what makes a “community.” We examine this through a focus on the Upper West Side neighborhood at the turn of centuries: 1900-2007. In this study we think about how a neighborhood meets human needs — basic, educational, recreational, and social — both now and in the past. During this study we develop map skills, look at architectural details, interview people, and learn about inventions and games in the past. Activities related to these studies include readings, films, trips, discussions, research, problem-solving activities, and creative artistic expression. Mid-year each class creates a “neighborhood,” dealing with the same issues as real-life city planners. The study of the Upper West Side in the past culminates in a “Long Ago School Day,” where the children spend the day as their counterparts at Ethical Culture might have 100 years ago.

Reading

Second grade reading instruction takes place both in small groups and individually. The small group instruction is skills-based, with some groups spending more time on strategies for decoding and others going directly to comprehension strategies and discussion of character, motive, and plot. Teachers also confer individually with children, helping them find “just right” books, and tailoring strategies to the needs of the reader. Phonics knowledge is further emphasized to the whole group through formal spelling lessons and weekly quizzes.

Writing

In second grade “writers workshop” children deepen their understanding of genres and spend time studying more about the craft of good writing. Excellent picture books are used to illustrate examples of fine craft. Peer conferences and feedback take an increasingly important role in second grade. Several pieces of writing are “published” during the course of the year.

Math

Students continue to learn to collect, sort, classify, and represent data. They extend their experiences with geometry and use this information to begin the understanding of fractions. They use their understanding of the number system and place value to develop strategies to add and subtract numbers to 100 through story problems. At the heart of our program is the curriculum Investigations in Number, Data and Space, which supports students as they learn to think mathematically; manipulatives like pattern blocks, color tiles, and snap cubes are used throughout the year.