Welcome to Second Grade
There are five second grade classes at Balfour Elementary School with approximately one hundred students combined. The following is a glimpse of what a second grader at Balfour will learn during the school year. Technology is integrated into all subject areas.
During the year, various field trips are scheduled to enhance the curriculum and expand vocabularies through real-life experiences.
High expectations are held for everyone involved in second grade including students, parents and teachers. By working together as a team, parents and teachers can ensure that each child reaches his or her potential. Some things parents can do to help student achievement include: proper amounts of rest, proper nutrition and arriving to school prepared and on-time. Parents are encouraged to read with their child every night and check over homework.
Literacy
Second grade students become proficient readers, writers, and thinkers through Balanced Literacy instruction. This research-based approach towards teaching reading, writing, phonics, and spelling is implemented fully in all second grade classrooms. Our protected literacy block includes guided reading, written comprehension questions, independent reading, and writer’s workshop. Carpet time includes read-alouds to model comprehension strategies, phonics lessons, and shared reading. Letterland is being taught to help students read and spell.
Science
Throughout the year, the students will engage in hands-on experiments related to second grade science curriculum. They will begin to understand concepts and principles related to life cycles, states of matter, weather and sound.
Wild weather causes great excitement in the second grade classrooms. The children observe cloud formations and predict what type of weather they will cause. The children use a variety of tools to measure temperature, rainfall, and wind direction.
Mathematics
Second graders at Balfour are encouraged to think and solve problems using strategies that make sense to them. They often communicate their reasoning with each other during Number Talks. This encourages students to deepen their understanding and make connections to all strands in mathematics. Through the use of manipulatives and hands-on activities, students will expand their knowledge of the following concepts:
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Number and Operations in Base Ten
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Place Value (hundreds, tens, and ones)
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Skip counting
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Read and write numbers to 1000 using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form.
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Compare 2 three digit numbers.
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Add up to 4 two digit numbers
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Add and subtract within 1000. Regrouping and no regrouping.
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Mentally add 10 and 100 to any given number
Measurement and Data
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Measure objects choosing appropriate tools
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Measure an object twice using different units
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Estimate length
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Compare lengths
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Tell time to 5 minute increments
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Solve word problems involving money
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Picture graphs and bar graphs
Geometry
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Recognize and draw shapes
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Partition a rectangle into rows and columns
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Partition circles and rectangles into 2,3, or 4 equal shares
Social Studies
The social studies curriculum covers a wide range of topics. Second graders learn about communities, government, geography, various cultures, economics and map skills. Classroom magazines are used weekly to bring topics of current interest into the classroom.
C.A.R.E.
We are fortunate to have an officer from the Randolph County Sheriff's department come to do the C.A.R.E. program with our students. C.A.R.E. stands for Child Abuse Reduction Effort. The program lasts for 12 weeks and teaches students ways to be happy, healthy and safe.
Testing
Reading and mathematics are assessed throughout the year using formal and informal methods. Students will be measure in reading proficiency through the MClass assessment system. The expectation is for students to read at level J at the beginning of the year, level l in the middle of the year, and level M or higher by the end of the year. They will have two benchmark assessments in Math.