FOR PARENTS

Dear Parents/Guardians of Second Grade Students,

These are skills that your child should have mastered in first grade.  

Math Skills

Number Sense 

• Count to 100 by 1’s  (1,2,3,4,5,6…100)
• Count to 100 by 5’s  (5,10,15,20………100)
• Count to 100 by 10’s  (10,20,30…100)
• Count to 100 by 2’s (2,4,6,8…100)
• Count backwards from 20 (20,19,18,17…0)
• Memorize addition and subtraction facts to 20.
• Write simple math problems for your child to solve such as 29-10=, 8+9=  (math problems should not involve borrowing or carrying like 21-9=).
• Know the value of a penny, a nickel, a dime, a quarter and a dollar.
• Count pennies to $1.00.
• Count nickels to $1.00.
• Count dimes to $1.00.
• Make trades such as 2 nickels = 1 dime or 10 pennies.  Find 3 ways to make $.30 (3 dimes, 2 dimes & 10 pennies, 30 pennies, 6 nickels, etc.).
• Write numbers from 0-100 in order.  Please make sure that there are spaces and commas between numbers (1, 2, 3, ….100).
• Divide objects into groups of tens and ones.
• Be able to tell what number is one more than, one less than, ten more than, ten less than.

  Algebra and Functions

• Show understanding of +, -, and =, by making up number stories and by writing number sentences to go with them.
• Add three one-digit numbers together. (for example, 3 + 6 + 4 =)
• Show and tell about in writing or verbally what comes next in a pattern.
• Use buttons or coins and have your child: sort, pattern and group them.  He/She can also do simple addition/subtraction problems.

  Geometry

• Identify and describe (how many sides, how many corners) triangles, rectangles, squares, and circles.
• Use words to describe the shape of real-world objects (for example, an ice cream cone is a cone, a ball is a sphere).
• Classify objects by color, shape, position, size, roundness, and number of corners.
• Give and respond to directions about location (near, far, above, below, up, down, behind, in front of, next to, left, right).

  Measurement

• Use words like longer, shorter, bigger, smaller, heavier, lighter, etc. to describe and compare two objects.
• Estimate (use a “best guess”) how long an object is, how heavy an object is, or how much something holds.  (for example,  estimate how many M & Ms are in a bag of M & Ms, then count to check)
• Tell time to the hour and half-hour.

  Statistics, Data, and Probability

• Sort objects in different ways and tell why they sorted them that way (for example, put buttons in different groups, by color, by size, by shape, etc.)
• Collect data, show it and compare it (for example, divide a bag of M & Ms by color, then make a graph to show how many of each color; tell how many of each color there were and which had more or less).  Also tally objects and show how many (for example, make a tally mark for each M & M by color, then make a graph and tell about it).

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Language Arts Skills

Concepts About Print

• Touch a word on a page for each word read aloud.
• Identify the title and author of a book.
• Identify which are letters, words, and sentences.

Phonemic Awareness

• Tell the first, middle, and last sounds in a word.
• Tell which are long- and which are short-vowel sounds.  (for example, lake has a long a, cat has a short a)
• Make rhyming words.  (for example, cat, bat, hat, sat, mat)
• Add, take away, or change a sound to make a new word.  (for example, change the f in fox to b to make the word box)
• Blend two to four sounds to make a new word.  (for example, c-a-t is cat)
• Break apart words into their sounds.  (for example, fit is f-i-t)

Decoding and Word Recognition

• Blend sounds together to read words.
• Read at least 100 sight words.
• Know and use vowel digraphs (for example, ay, ie) and r-controlled vowels (for example, er, ar, ur) to read words.
• Read compound words (for example, workbook, doghouse) and contractions (for example, can’t, isn’t).
• Read words with endings (for example, looked, looking).
• Read and recognize words in common word families (for example, pig, big, wig).
• Read out loud with fluency that sounds like someone is talking.

 Reading Comprehension

• Answer questions that ask who, what, when, where, why, and how.
• Read and follow one-step directions (for example, Color the circles red.).
• Use what they read to understand words and sentences and to see if they predicted (guessed) correctly what would happen in a story.
• Use what they already know to help them understand a story.
• Tell what is the main idea of what they are reading.
• Check to see if what they are reading is making sense, and then correct themselves if it doesn’t.

 Literary Response and Analysis

• Tell what is happening in a story, where it takes place, and who are the characters.  Also tell the beginning, middle, and end of the story. After reading a story together, discuss: What was the story about? Who was in the story?  What happened?  What were the beginning, middle and end of the story? --Retell the story.  Where did this story take place?  Was it real or pretend? -- How did you know?
• Tell what an author and an illustrator do.

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Writing

Writing Strategies

• Pick something to write about.
• Use descriptive words (like color words, size words, shape words) when writing.
• Have good handwriting (write letters that others can read and use spaces correctly).

 Writing Applications

• Write short stories describing something that happened to them.
• Write a short description of a real object, person, place, or event.  Use their five senses to add details.

 Written and Oral English Language Conventions

• Write and speak in complete sentences that make sense.
• Use words like isn’t, aren’t, can’t, won’t, his, her, my, mine, hers, your, yours correctly.
• Tell when a sentence makes a statement, asks a question, or is an exclamation (and use periods, question marks, and exclamation points correctly).
• Use capital letters when appropriate (first word in a sentence, names of people, I).
• Spell three- and four-letter short-vowel words and also sight words correctly.

 Listening and Speaking

• Listen attentively to others.  Ask questions to understand better.
• Give, retell, and follow simple two-step directions. (for example, Stand up.  Walk to your seat.)
• Stay on one topic when speaking.
• Use descriptive words (like color words, size words, shape words, etc.) to tell about people, places, things, and events.
• Recite poems, rhymes, songs, and stories, and be able to answer who, what, when, where, why and how questions about the stories.
• Retell an important personal experience in one simple sentence.
• Use their five senses to describe something.

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 More Things to Do at Home With Your Child  

• Read everyday for at least 15 minutes.
• Create a journal…have your child write at least 2 simple sentences about what he/she did each day. The number of sentences should increase over the year.  Remember to use 2-finger spacing between words and a period (.) at the end of each sentence.  The beginning of a sentence always starts with a capital letter.  Try to use word wall/spelling words.
• Review letter recognition!! --Capital and lowercase letters.
• Review letter sounds!!
• Use index cards to make flashcards for all word wall words/spelling words.
• Draw a picture of a person (remember to include neck, ears, clothing, hands, feet/shoes, etc.).  Focus on the details and real colors (not everything is purple).  Then have your child draw the background (indoors or outdoors, show what is the person is doing), and tell you a story about this person.
• Practice printing (using good letter formation) your first and last name.
• Say the days of the week (Sun., Mon., etc.).
• Say the months of the year (Jan., Feb., etc.).
• Memorize your birth date (birthday).
• Memorize your phone number and address.

If this sounds like a lot for children to master, you’re right!  Our classes will be working very hard on these skills and it is very important that you continue to work with your child to reinforce and strengthen his/her skills.  Even if this has been a busy year for you, it is not too late to begin today to work with your child.  Every moment you spend helping your child is the greatest gift you can give your child.  Parental involvement does make a significant difference in your child’s education.

Attached is a list of the 100 sight words that we are working on this year.

We hope this will provide you with helpful ideas for you to work with your child.  If you have any questions, please call us at 967-8700.  

Thank you for your help!

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© by Helena Normark

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Page last updated on March 18, 2008