Word Study

When you were in elementary school, no doubt you were given a list of spelling words on Monday, a week's worth of homework assignments to practice the words, followed by a test on Friday. This method of learning to spell may work for some students but studies have shown that a more effective way to teach students to spell is Word Study. In this kind of program, students are not encouraged to simply memorize the words but rather, the emphasis is placed on understanding the patterns found in words and in understanding the structures of the language. Word Study includes work in phonics and vocabulary and leads to greater success in reading. Check out this article from LD Online for more about Word Study.

We will spend two weeks on each of our Word Study lists, starting with a basic list of words from our language program, Imagine It! The lists are based on sounds and spelling patterns so that the children may investigate the words and figure out the patterns on their own - much more powerful than if I were to tell them how the words are similar or should be grouped. These basic lists will work well for many of the students but other children may need more of a challenge or a shortened/simplified list. This differentiation helps me ensure that all students are doing work appropriate for their own individual level.

During the first week of each study, we will work with the words together in class. We'll go over the words together and then work with them in many ways, discovering the common spellings associated with certain sounds as we go. The children really are becoming word detectives at this point! We will then try to find other words that fit into the same patterns.

During the second week, the children will continue to investigate and work with the words in class and will practice them at home as well. They will also spend time working with the 5 high frequency words that go along with the list. These words don't fit the patterns we are working on but they are words that second graders will use a lot and should know how to spell.

Spelling & Vocabulary City is a website the children can use to practice their words during homework week or at any time. http://www.spellingcity.com/

More Fluency Practice

My sister is five years old. She wants to learn to ride a bike. I told her I have an idea. If I have time after school, I will help her. I will run beside her and keep her bike going in a straight line. Have you ever helped someone learn to ride a bike?

See this post for more information about fluency practice.

A Nation Remembers: 9/11

Tomorrow I will begin some discussions with the children about 9/11. We will talk a little bit about the events that occurred that day but will focus more on the outpouring of support and patriotism that followed. We will talk about what makes us feel better during difficult times and the importance of providing a helping hand to those in need after a crisis. We will also reach out to heroes in our community so if you have any suggestions about people we can contact, please let me know.

Your child may have questions about what we talk about in class or what they see in the media. Here's a great article with some resources and a link to a tip sheet that will help with the conversation.

Fluency Practice

"Fluency is the ability to read or access words effortlessly with seemingly little attention to decoding. Fluent readers decode words not only automatically but accurately. in addition, fluent readers group words into meaningful units, utilize punctuation to guide their voices, and use expression appropriately to help them comprehend what they are reading."

"Fluency develops over time, and students should be given repeated opportunities to practice fluency with a variety of texts. Repeated readings increase rate, accuracy and comprehension by providing students with multiple exposures to words and spelling patterns. In addition, it helps students improve their ability to break sentences into meaningful phrases and to use intonation. It is effective with both older and younger students. Repeated readings involve the students reading segments of text between 50 to 200 words, depending on students' ability. Students should practice repeated readings with a variety of different text types."

~SRA Imagine It! Program Appendix

We will be practicing fluency with short pieces of text on a regular basis. All students can benefit from extra practice with the text at home so I am going to include the text on our class blog. Your child should work on being able to read the text without making mistakes, paying attention to punctuation and with appropriate expression. You can time your child and count the number of mistakes made, then reread and try to beat that time, making fewer mistakes. Have your child make a chart to keep track of his/her progress - they love to see their improvement on paper. :)

I have a pet dog. His name is Dash. Dash knows many tricks. He can sit and fetch. Dash and I are kind to each other. I brush his fur and give him baths. He licks my face when I am sick. Dash and I are best friends. How are you kind to your best friend?

Welcome to Second Grade!

Hello Families!

         I am excited to welcome you to our second grade class! As one of the founders of the school, I am very passionate about LdV and am so pleased that you have chosen to send your child to our amazing little school.

         You’ll soon learn about all of the wonderful things we’ll be studying this year and what makes LdV such a unique charter school. Look for your invitation to our “Back to School Night” (coming up on Wednesday, September 21^st) where you’ll get all the details.

         Please note that your child will not report directly to our classroom in the mornings but rather line up with the rest of the class in the lunch arbor area. Look for a sign with my name on it and have your child wait there until I arrive to walk them upstairs to our room.

         Children often bring a wide array of supplies to school with them so I wanted to let you know ahead of time that most of the things your child will need at school will be provided for her/him. Toys and valuables should always stay at home. If possible, please send in the following:

·      pencil box

·      crayons – box of 24 is a good size

·      water bottle (we don’t have a water fountain in the classroom)

·      toothbrush with holder (we brush after lunch)

         It is very important to me that my student’s families know that this is not my classroom, but our classroom.  Parents are always welcome to come watch presentations or just see what we’re up to. Also, I will be sending home a volunteer sheet during the first week of school if you are interested in volunteering your time. Please note: for the safety of the children, volunteers need to have TB and fingerprint records on file with our front office before helping out at school. If you’d prefer to donate items for use in the classroom, a list of needs is available here: http://signupgenius.com/go/classroom446

Should you have questions for me before we meet again, feel free to contact me via email: erin.gannon@davincicharter.org or phone: 271-2777 x111. If you’d like to come in and talk face to face, I’d be happy to set up an appointment with you.

Again, welcome to second grade and room 11!  I look forward to working with you this year.

Sincerely,

Ms. Gannon :)

Grade Change

I am officially switching back to second grade! It was so much fun to loop my students and work with them for two years. We learned a lot together and I return to second grade with a better understanding of what to do to prepare them for third grade. School begins in a little over a week. I can't wait to meet my new group and begin my 14th year of teaching. My how time flies!

Toys From Everyday Objects

I just watched this fascinating video of Arvind Gupta and his ideas for making play things out of ordinary items. It got me thinking about all of you creative kids who are always using the tools I give you in new ways... :) As a teacher, that has sometimes frustrated me but this video made me think about it differently! Time to explore and create new things is so important. Check out this video and see what it inspires you to create...




Please email me or comment below if you come up with something you'd like to share. Hope you're staying cool and enjoying vacation! :)Ms. G

Pack your bags for Camp What-A-Wonder!

Wonderopolis became a favorite website for our class last year. This summer, they aim to combat 'summer slide' and keep kids' brains engaged all through their vacation with Camp What-A-Wonder. Here's some information from the site:

Wonderopolis® is putting a new twist on an old tradition this summer. Created to combat summer learning loss, a troubling trend of children forgetting a significant amount of what they learned during the school year, Camp What-A-Wonder is a free virtual program to engage families in learning while school is not in session.

Don’t miss Wonderopolis’ weekly Campfire Sessions — a one-hour opportunity for parents to gather and discuss related topics with a facilitator. The topics will focus on the same weekly themes at camp and will take place on Twitter on Thursdays at 8 p.m. EDT. (That's 5:00 for us in San Diego.)

This is a great opportunity for families to learn together and even earn prizes! If you don't already have one, you'll need to set up a Twitter account if you are interested in participating in the online discussions with other parents and the facilitator.

To check out the first of eight sessions, visit Wonderopolis today and learn about poison ivy!

The entry includes a video called "How to Recognize and Avoid Poison Ivy" and a link to an e-book "about your skin and how it works." You can even show off all you've learned by taking one of quizzes. Have fun at camp and be sure to write! :)

Puppet Show ~ June 29

PUPPET SHOW
June 29th, 3pm Pacific Beach Library (Puppet theatre with rhythm instruments for the audience)

ZOMO the Trickster Rabbit from West Africa presented by San Diego Guild of Puppetry. Colorful puppets leap out of the welll-loved book by Gerald McDermott. Come join ZOMO in his search for wisdom!
Performed by Iain Gunn & Mindy Donner

 I wanted to share this opportunity to see our friend Mindy Donner perform. She is a member of an organization called Storytellers of San Diego. Check out their website for opportunities to see live storytelling all over the county.

Synesthesia

I came across a video today that made me instantly think of my students so I had to share! If you follow our blog, you may remember that we read a great book called The Name of This Book is Secret. For more about that, click here. Synesthesia was an important topic in the book and the children often wondered if it was "a real thing." Though we discovered that it was indeed real, we didn't learn much more about it - other than what we learned from the book.

Daniel Tammet, who appears in the video below, has linguistic, numerical and visual synesthesia and is further described as a high-functioning autistic savant. He describes how much richer words and numbers can be to synesthetes. The video actually meant for an adult audience so some of it may be difficult for children to follow but I found it very interesting to hear him describe how he views the world. Check it out and let me know what you think by leaving a comment...

Kids - I miss you all and I hope you are enjoying your vacation so far! Hugs, :)Ms. G