Second Grade Newsletter- Week 1
August 28, 2026
We had such a fun and creative week in second grade! We celebrated Dot Day by making art with dots and using our imaginations to turn a single dot into a picture all our own. It was so much fun to see how one little dot could inspire so many BIG ideas! And, of course, our celebration included a sweet treat; Dippin’ Dots! Take a peek below to see what we’ve been learning and what’s coming up next!
This Week in ELAR:
This week, we explored external and internal character traits, using text evidence to learn more about what characters look like and who they are on the inside. We also began practicing visualization, or creating a “mental movie” as we read! I read a story aloud without showing the illustrations so students could use the author’s words to picture the characters, setting, and events in their own minds.
In phonics, we continued practicing the digraph ck and trigraphs -tch and -dge, focusing on when to use them in our spelling. We also reviewed magic e in both reading and writing, noticing how adding an e can change kit into kite! Please continue reviewing these phonics rules at home so your child becomes more confident applying them naturally in their spelling.
Our high-frequency words this week: list, kind, open, add, and, well, off, spell, still, miss.
This Week in MATH:
This past week in Math, we reviewed chapter one concepts involving place value, namely number patterns, and took our first Singapore Math second grade Math TEST. Most students reported that they think they did a great job! Graded tests will be sent home Monday. We also began chapter two titled "Adding Fluently Within 100." Students were introduced to such phrases as adding mentally, number bonds, and adding without regrouping. We focused on different Math strategies (and shortcuts) used to assist when adding larger numbers.
We also discussed the importance of having a classroom make up of different students with different learning modalities. This is normal, acceptable, and encouraged. Since each student absorbs information differently, no two students learn exactly alike. It's my job as a teacher to meet my students where they are by teaching various (addition) strategies to best support their learning. This will equip students with a robust set of mathematical skills in which to add to their never-ending Math toolkit.
Looking ahead in MATH:
In Math next week, we will continue adding mentally, mainly focused on adding without regrouping. We'll do this by using counting tape/tape diagrams, number bonds, the ten strategy and manipulatives. We'll start to dissect simplistic word problems by using different addition strategies and algorithms to add up to three-digit numbers and beyond. *Friday will be dedicated to various number games that will offer students fun opportunities to explore the week's learning by reiterating foundational skills and reducing anxiety. "Lehman Gaming" will definitely be a fun and out of the box way to MATH (verb)!
Looking Ahead in ELAR:
Next week, we will introduce soft c and soft g, learning how c can make the /s/ sound and g can make the /j/ sound when followed by e, i, or y, as in circle and giraffe. We’ll practice recognizing these sounds in our reading and applying them to our spelling!
In reading, we will explore author’s purpose, or the reason an author writes a text. We’ll use PIE to help us remember three purposes: Persuade, Inform, and Entertain. We will also begin making inferences, combining clues from the text with what we already know to figure out things the author does not tell us directly. Think of it as becoming reading detectives!
Our high-frequency words next week: such, both, mother, father, which, don’t, it’s, could, should, would.
What is Happening in Science/STEM?
Our second grade engineers have done an excellent job working through the Engineering Design Process to build their landform model. They were asked a question and solved their problem on which landform they wanted to create. The students then imagined and brainstormed their ideas of what could be their best model, then planned their favorite choice onto a blueprint labeling their landform’s physical features. Students are working hard in creating and improving their landform model from air-dry clay. As the landforms are being completed, students will communicate with another student to compare and contrast their models by completing a Venn Diagram. It is pure joy to watch our second graders create and design to bring their science to life through STEM!
Academic Language We Are Using This Week
landform, mountain, peak, hill, canyon, cliff, slope , plains, volcano, peninsula, island, plateau, cliff, cave, valley
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