Homework
Second grade homework is assigned on Friday and is due the next Friday. It is highly recommended that students spend 20 minutes a night, rather than do everything at once. Students will gain the most from their efforts if it is done in short periods of time over the course of the week. A typical homework routine might include 10 minutes on math, and 10 minutes on the French poem or Book kit. Later in the year, there will also be some cursive handwriting practice.
ReadingOur main goal in second grade is to foster a love of reading, which means building a strong foundation in literacy. There are three important components to second grade reading-related homework.
1. Phonics practice. After an introduction to a letter-sound pattern in class, students will have a very short text (usually a poem) to practice at home. The texts are housed on a website and include audio. By reading along with the narrated text, students boost their phonics skills, improve pronunciation and increase reading fluency. Students practice reading the text several times in class and at home over the course of the week. The poem of the week is linked to the Homework Calendar.
2. Independent reading in French. Finding appropriate reading material is a challenge for our second graders. But thanks to grants from our PTO and the Edina Education Fund, our students are able to take home specially designed reading kits, which include a book, an accompanying CD (you will likely have all of the audio files on a jumpdrive) and a magnet game to boost comprehension. Students also take home books from the Normandale media center and can find on-line books and stories linked to our school webpage:
https://sites.google.com/a/apps.edina.k12.mn.us/normandale---grade-2/homework.
3. Shared reading with Mom or Dad. Parents are encouraged to read with their children in whichever language they are comfortable. This kind of shared reading helps build a strong foundation in literacy, strengthens the parent-child bond and provides hours of pleasure to both children and adults. (Of interest: Literacy Begins at Home: A Letter for Parents)
Mathematics
Math Concepts
Our Singapore Math curriculum does not include any homework, but we try to provide some regular homework opportunities to practice skills learned in class at home. While all instruction is in French during the day, all math homework is in English. This acquaints students with English math vocabulary and also makes it easier for parents to help when a problem occurs. The math homework assignment is listed on the Homework Calendar.
We ask parents to look over the homework for accuracy. You can also add questions or comments regarding the assignment.
HandwritingStarting in winter, students are assigned cursive handwriting practice to work on at home. It is important that parents monitor posture, grip and letter formation in order for this practice to be useful. Extra handwriting worksheets can be printed off from the Homework Calendar page.