English Language Arts

The Clarkstown School District and NYS provide Link IB World School with English Language Arts (ELA) standards, curriculum, and common required assessments. Literacy is fundamental to learning and permeates our entire curriculum.  By learning the language arts, as well as learning about and through language, we nurture an appreciation of the richness of our language and a love of literature. The ELA expectations are arranged into three main communication strands: oral communication, written communication and visual communication. These communication strands are organized into sub-strands which include listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting. To transform ELA Standards into instructional practice, we embrace Balanced Literacy utilizing Teachers College Reading and Writing workshop approach.

Literacy Block includes:

• Word Study (Phonics, Spelling, Word Analysis) guided by NYS, TC Advancing Literacy, Heggerty, and Fountas and Pinnell (F&P)

• Readers Workshop which includes Shared Reading, Mini Lessons, Guided Reading, Partner Reading and Independent Reading

• Writers Workshop which includes Mini Lessons, Authentic Writing, Conferencing, Editing, Revision, and Sharing/Publishing for real audiences.

• Students have many opportunities to share, present and learn the art of public speaking.

Second Grade Year at a Glance (YAG)

Readers Workshop

September-October: Becoming A Big Kid Reader

November-December: Becoming Experts

January-February: Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books

February-April: Stepping Into The World of Story

April-June: Growing Knowledge Together

June: Reading Nonfiction from Cover to Cover: Nonfiction Book Clubs

Writer's Workshop

September-October: Making Small Moments Big

November-December: Chapter Books: Writing Nonfiction from the Heart

January-February: Poetry

February-April: Finding Awesome Everywhere: Celebrating Through Opinion Writing

April-June: Writing Research-Based Nonfiction

June: Poetry

Phonic's Workshop

September-October: Growing in Second Grade Phonics

November-December: Big Words Take Big Resolve: Tackling Multisyllabic Words

January-February: Word Builders: Construction, Demolition, and Vowel Power

February-April: Phonics Review

April-June: Word Collectors

June: Word Collectors