Homework
ORAL READING
Oral reading should be done on a daily basis for about 10-15 minutes (minimum). This will depend on a child's reading level.
Oral reading is different than a child reading to themselves.
You should be listening for:
*fluency (smooth reading, not sounding out each word)
*phrasing (grouping words together in phrases so that they sound good as the reading takes place & pauses in the correct place)
*expression in the voice (emotion/including different "voices" during dialogue/change of tone)
*clear and correct pronunciation
*correct pauses at a comma or a period
*good volume
*appropriate pace (not too fast or too slow & changing the pace based on the content)
*recognition of sight words (they don't need to sound them out)
*self-correcting (when a mistake is made, they notice it and correct it)
*comprehension (they understand what they are reading and can answer questions about the text including specific details)
*inference (based on what they read, they can answer a question, or give an opinion, related to the story that was not a specific detail)
*prediction (as they are reading they can predict/guess what might happen next)
*retention of previously read or previously learned words
WRITING: Sentence writing is a skill that many students require practice with. If possible, please find opportunities for your child to practice their sentence writing skills. A sentence needs to make sense, begins with a capital letter and ends with a period (or an exclamation point or question mark). We are learning about nouns and verbs. A noun names a person. place or thing. A verb is an action/being word. Every sentence needs a noun and verb. Have your child read the sentence aloud once it is written. Does is sound correct? If not, what is missing? We will be learning about adjectives very soon. An adjective describes a noun.
Printing neatly with correctly formed letters, within the lines, is another area that can be focussed on while writing. Use double spacing (skip a line between each line) for neatness. A sharpened pencil and a good eraser (not the one at the end of the pencil) are tools that improve the quality of one's writing.
Remember that a space needs to be left between words but there should not be spaces in the middle of words. Printing should begin at the margin and go to the end of the line before starting a new line. A word that cannot fully fit on the line should not be broken apart onto two lines. Begin a new line for that word.
While correct spelling is a goal, sometimes it's best to focus on the ideas and content of the writing. A child can get stuck with writing if they have to stop after every word to find out if they have spelled it correctly. After getting their ideas down on paper, they can go back and proofread their work for errors and spelling. That's when they can edit their work. I do not correct every piece of writing and you don't need to either. Students would get too discouraged if everything they wrote had to be corrected. They would be hesitant to expand upon ideas or use interesting vocabulary. Writing that is being presented/displayed/sent to someone is the type of piece that would get corrected, most of the time. When proofreading, this is a good time to see if commonly used words have been spelled correctly. That might be the time to mention that they know that word (it may have been a spelling unit word). You don't want this to turn into frustration or an upsetting time for you and your child. Make it as fun as possible and keep the sessions short (unless your child wants to do more).
Ideas For Writing: a journal, letters, a grocery list, stories, poems, reports, prayers, a news or sports report, instructions for a game, recipes
MATH: BASIC FACTS PRACTICE
Two of the learning standards for grade 2 are:
*Recalls, from memory, addition facts to 20
*Recalls, from memory, subtraction facts from 20
What does that mean?
It means that your child should be able to add two numbers together that equal up to 20 (sums will equal 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12, 13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20).
It means that your child should be able to subtract a lesser or equal number from 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,15,16,17,18,19,20) and find the difference (answer).
This is a process and takes PRACTICE. We are focusing on strategies. Regular drill, worksheets, flashcards, and any oral/written practice will help.
Some children may need concrete items to count (manipulatives) to begin with. If that is where your child is at, please start there and work towards memorization. By the end of second term, to be "proficient" your child should know most of the basic facts (I suggest sums to 15 and differences from 15 as a guideline).
If your child is already quick and accurate with recall, they should continue practice to keep these skills. They can also move on to higher sums and differences as these will be the outcomes for the next two terms.
Please refer to the detailed booklet that I have made for parents. It was distributed on the first day of school with a note on the front asking you to save it and refer to it during the year.
Please assist your child with daily addition and subtraction practice. It can be done anywhere!
ANY type of exploring or playing with numbers is great. Board games, card games, grocery shopping, etc. are opportunities to use numbers. Look for patterns in nature and around your house. Encourage your child to become confident with their number sense and number/numeral recognition.
BASIC FACTS: Please remember to give your child consistent practice, at home, with basic addition and subtraction facts. This is essential throughout the year. Daily practice is the best way to learn the basic facts. Even 5 minutes a day will help. Some children will need more time, however, it needs to be on a regular basis. In particular, subtraction facts need practice. Subtraction can be solved by doing reverse addition.
For example: 3+8=11, 8+3 = 11, 11-8=3, 11-3=8
Use fact families: 5+4=9 , 4+5=9 , 9-4=5, 9-5=4
Quick and accurate recall of basic facts is necessary for many aspects of our Math curriculum. During the third term, we will be working on double digit addition and subtraction. Students who are not confident with basic fact recall (memorization) will find it difficult to do accurate work.
Q: How many facts should my child be able to do in one minute?
A: If your child knows them from memory, and is not finger counting, they should be able to consistently get at least 12 addition facts correct, in a minute, to be proficient. That would be random facts (not just the easy ones =/-0,1,2,3). For subtraction, consistently getting 10 facts correct, in a minute, would indicate that your child is confident and accurate with the recall of basic facts and is proficient with grade level expectations. These numbers (12 for addition, 10 for subtraction) are just used as a guideline based on my years of teaching math. They are a good indication of whether or not a child is recalling the facts as opposed to solving them each time. Strategies for solving facts have been taught (and provided to parents). These lead to memorization and, ultimately, quick and accurate recall. When one knows their addition facts, they can relate that to subtraction facts (making them easier to solve). A solid knowledge of addition and subtraction facts are necessary for upcoming grades when multiplication and division are used.
PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! Practice makes progress!
Math facts will improve with practice, just as reading improves with practice.