2nd Grade
Should be old hat, right? This may be called second grade, but really, counting kindergarten, it’s the third year of school. Your child has long ago mastered rugtime and lineup, recess and lunch. You’ve had the excitement of first grade reading and math, so now you’re probably looking forward to a steady, solid year.
Well, maybe. But don’t be shocked if your second grader also has up, down, and sideways days, the kind that make you wonder if kindergarten ever got done after all. It’s developmental: second graders tend to think in black and white but worry in Technicolor—all at a time when their academic and social worlds are growing broader by the day. It can be dizzying—but fortunately, teachers expect the ride to get bumpy sometimes, and they expect to help.
In second grade children start to focus a bit more. They beginto reason and concentrate, start to worry, are self-critical, and may express a lack of confidence. They demand more of their teacher's attention during work time to ensure they have it "right". Second graders dislike being singled out, even for praise.
There's lots of review in second grade, so that students truly master all the skills presented in first grade. Your child will also learn to recognize familiar words more rapidly, read new words, add and subtract faster, compose more complex sentences, spell many new words, and increase their reading and speaking vocabularies.
The second grade team is experienced in the unique developmental needs of children at this level. They are dedicated to their students, understand each student's academic needs, work to help students understand their world and their place in it, and help students celebrate their successes.