Mrs. Leech's Newsletter

We have pictures on Wednesday. I sent home order forms last week. Let me know if you need more information.

New spelling words are posted in the phonics section.

Topic 1 focuses on using strategies to achieve fluency with addition and subtraction within 20. Fluency is being able to find the answer by using different methods.

Addition Strategies Your child will use addition strategies such as counting on, adding in any order, using doubles and near doubles, making a 10, and analyzing addition fact patterns. Your child may use tools, such as connecting cubes, to help to build fluency with addition facts.

Subtraction Strategies Your child will use subtraction strategies such as counting on and counting back, thinking addition to subtract, and making a 10. As with the addition strategies, representing these subtraction strategies with tools helps to build fluency. When children count on to subtract or think addition to subtract, they use their understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction, which can be stated like this: If a+b=c, then c−b=a. These examples show how to count on and count back to find 12−3.

Add or Subtract to Solve Word Problems Your child will use equations to represent and solve “add to,” “take from,” “put together,” “take apart,” and “compare” word problems within 20. This example shows how your child might represent and use either addition or subtraction to solve the problem “Seventeen books are on a table. Eight books are on a shelf. How many fewer books are on the shelf than on the table?”

Throughout the school year, our class will use both the Benchmark Phonics curriculum and the UFLI Foundations phonics program. Combining these two research-based programs provides students with daily opportunities to strengthen their reading and spelling skills. This is where you will find our weekly spelling words.

During week 1 unit 1, we will review short vowel sounds, blends, and digraphs. Students will participate in a variety of interactive activities to practice reading and spelling high-frequency words, recognize common spelling patterns, and develop confidence and fluency as readers and writers.

Spelling words for August 17th

a. can, and, come, are, for, big, go, has, I, graph, stand, chest, fetch, flip. this. cloth, shop, just, budge.

Week 2, Unit 1: Students will explore closed and open syllables and learn how these syllable types help them read and spell longer words. Through games, word sorts, and hands-on activities, students will practice recognizing spelling patterns, reading new words with confidence, and strengthening their overall decoding and spelling skills.

Spelling words August 24th

have, is, jump, my, one, put, the, want, what, you, go, we, den, no, she, napkin, dentist, problem, open, silent.

Week 3, Unit 1, students will focus on the long /ā/ sound and learn the different spelling patterns: a, ai, ea, ay, and a_e. They will practice reading, spelling, and sorting words with each pattern while learning when each spelling is commonly used.

Spelling words August 31st

he, like, little, no, of , saw, this, to, we, with, April, play, blame, stay, cake, mail, chain, paint, break, great.

In writing this month, our second graders are learning how to write personal narratives—true stories about a memorable event from their own lives, written from their own point of view using "I" and "me." To help them organize their thoughts and grow into confident, clear writers, we are using a writing strategy called TIDE. This tool acts as a helpful roadmap for structuring their stories: T stands for the Topic sentence or lead that introduces the story and hooks the reader, I is for Important details that explain what happened in order, D is for Detailed explanations that add rich descriptions and show how they felt, and E is for an Ending that wraps up the story with a reflection or conclusion.

We’re excited to begin our reading journey with Unit 1: Habitats Around the World! This month, students will explore how plants and animals survive in different environments while building strong reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills.

Week 1: We will begin with the mentor text "Two Habitats." Students will compare two different environments and discover how plants and animals adapt to meet their needs. Our reading focus will include:

• Asking and answering questions to monitor comprehension
• Identifying the main topic and key details
• Using text features, such as headings and captions, to gather information

Week 2: We will read "The Saguaro Desert" and "Donny's Terrarium." These texts will help students learn how living things survive in desert habitats and how habitats can be recreated in small environments. Students will also be introduced to first-person point of view and learn how the narrator's perspective influences a story. Our focus skills will include:

• Identifying first-person narration
• Describing how ideas are organized in nonfiction texts
• Using text evidence to support understanding
• Building academic vocabulary related to habitats and ecosystems

Week 3: We will continue our study of habitats by reading about a variety of plants and animals and how they interact with their environments. Students will strengthen their understanding of how authors organize information and support ideas with facts and details. Our reading focus will include:

• Describing how reasons support an author's points
• Identifying facts that support the main idea
• Explaining how details help readers better understand a topic
• Using text evidence to answer questions and support thinking
• Expanding vocabulary related to habitats and animal adaptations

Throughout the unit, students will participate in engaging discussions, close reading lessons, vocabulary activities, and writing tasks that help them think deeply about informational texts while becoming stronger, more confident readers.

This month, our science focus will be on understanding that a variety of organisms live in different habitats and how their unique traits help them survive. Students will discover how plants and animals are specially adapted to meet their needs in environments such as deserts, forests, oceans, grasslands, and the Arctic.

As we continue our learning, students will:

• Explore a variety of habitats and the organisms that live in each one.
• Investigate how plants and animals use their adaptations to survive in different environments.
• Compare habitats by identifying the resources living things need, such as food, water, shelter, and space.
• Build science vocabulary using words such as organism, habitat, adaptation, environment, and survival.
• Ask questions, make observations, and use evidence to explain how living things thrive in their habitats.

Our science learning will connect closely with our reading and writing units, Habitats Around the World, allowing students to apply what they learn across subjects. By reading informational texts, conducting investigations, and writing about their discoveries, students will deepen their understanding of the natural world while developing their critical thinking and communication skills. We look forward to seeing their curiosity grow as they become young scientists and explorers!

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