2nd GRADE LEARNING:
The Cobb County School District is committed to providing your child an academic experience that will develop his or her knowledge and skills at every grade-level and to ensuring a strong foundation is established for your child to reach his or her greatest potential. Our teaching is aligned with content standards and our teachers bring those standards to life for your child through various strategies designed to meet your child’s learning strengths and needs.
In Cobb County classrooms, students are immersed every day in learning experiences based on exploration, problem-solving, and critical thinking in all content areas, including the core areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science; and in specialized academic content including Health, Music, Physical Education, Technology, Visual Arts, and World Languages*. Excellence in teaching guides your child’s educational experience from Kindergarten to graduation and into life.
*Programming available varies at local schools
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS:
Second grade students are immersed in reading, writing, listening, and speaking throughout their day. Student success in English Language Arts in second grade involves fluency, accuracy, and reading to understand. Students enjoy a classroom with balanced literacy experiences such as small-group and guided reading, shared writing, reading aloud, listening and speaking. Students read a variety of fiction and nonfiction texts. Emphasis is on communicating through speaking, listening, and writing. Students use sounds, syllables, and phonics to decode words. Close listening and peer conferencing engage students in learning.
MATHEMATICS:
Second grade students continue their learning with addition and subtraction for mathematical fluency, measurement with length and time, as well as developing the concept of multiplication. They focus on practices that deepen their conceptual understanding of number sense and characteristics of plane and solid figures. Resources such as money, rulers and base ten blocks support the learning of the standards to model real-world math experiences. Critical thinking about computation and problem-solving helps 2nd graders deepen their understanding of the mathematics and the ability to communicate effectively.
SCIENCE:
Science in second grade centers on a hands-on, student-centered exploration of our natural world. Earth, Life and Physical Science are studied throughout the year, giving students opportunities to build their understanding of core ideas while developing scientific skills such as conducting investigations and analyzing data. The changing seasons are studied throughout the year as students investigate the life cycles of living things and environmental changes and causes. Finally, students explore the nature of matter, the sun, moon and stars and the effects of forces on objects.
SOCIAL STUDIES:
Students become aware of their community and the role society plays in establishing a democracy. America’s history is explored and students connect the country’s past to its present and to their lives. Georgia’s history is featured including Creek and Cherokee American Indian culture. Maps and globes are used to connect standards about geography with a focus on the topography of Georgia. Decision-making, laws and beliefs, community- and society-based actions and how they impact citizens help students understand the world around them. Economic decision-making is introduced.
SPECIALS:
Awareness of the elements of creativity inspires 2nd graders in Visual Arts and Music. Building on basic experiences in Music, students expand the use of pitch and rhythm concepts to create musical sentences and pentatonic melodies. Learning is deepened through an understanding of patterns and musical form. The Visual Arts allow students to explore formal and expressive qualities of art and create their own works using additional art elements and design principles. In Health, students explore personal health and safety, illness, and disease prevention. PE gives students foundational knowledge of physical fitness, coordination and skill development.
PARENTS TIPS: Reading
Daily reading as a family is an enjoyable and important way to grow a love of learning. Create time to read during breakfast or in the evening before bed. Share your own favorite childhood books and talk about why the book is one you still love. Visit your local library and take advantage of school book fairs and literacy events. By sharing what you love about reading and showing them how much it means to you by reading with them, students will see how important literacy is in their lives.
Your child will have a variety of classroom assessments that will aid his or her teacher in knowing how to provide the best possible instruction for your child. These assessments will also help you know how well your child is learning and what extra support may be needed. In addition, your child will participate in some standardized assessments that are used to gauge how well your child is doing in his or her grade level.
All students in grades K-9 participate in the universal screening process for reading and math using a digital inventory. Your second grader’s proficiency and progress in reading and math will be measured three times a year using the reading inventory and math inventory.
PARENT TIPS: Assessment
Parents can support students in easing any concern or anxiety about assessment:
Remember that assessment is an important and helpful part of learning for students of all ages. Your support and involvement in your child’s education is critical to success in school and in life. Research shows when parents play a key role in their child’s learning, their child’s achievement excels.
Instructional resources are provided to students and teachers to support teaching and learning. The titles listed below have been recommended to our Board by a committee of teachers, parents and community representatives and approved through the textbook adoption process (See Board Rule IFAA-R). Additional resources to enhance the instruction are constantly added by local schools and individual teachers.
English Language Arts
Scholastic Leveled Bookroom
Ready to Go Classroom Library
English Language Arts
Benchmark Phonics
Benchmark Literacy
English Language Arts
Units of Study Writing
My Math, Grade 2,
Teacher Kit
Georgia Science, Grade 2
Science Dimensions, Grade 2