Reading:

We encourage you to help your child with 20 to 30 minutes of reading 5 or more days a week. Your child's take home folder has more details describing different ways to read. Sometimes this is such a critical piece of beginning reading that it makes the difference for a child. It's like practicing a sport...no practice, no gain.

Look for reading that is at a just right or a "little bit" challenging level. Use the Five Finger Rule. As your child reads 2 pages of text, secretly hold up one finger for each word s/he needs help with. If you get to 4 or 5 missed words, the book is to hard. If s/he knows all the words or misses only one word the book is too easy. Having 2 or 3 difficult words is a "just right" book.

Choose to read what you have time to do. If you run out of time one night do it the next night. A little every day makes a HUGE impact. The practice a child does at home helps build a foundation for reading in the years to come.

Please help your second grader with recording the reading time in the reading log. Eventually, s/he may be able to record his/her own reading. The ultimate goal is to practice and become a proficient reader.

Math:

At the end of each week, students will be sent home with a packet of math pages to practice the week's learning and/or review previously taught material. These packets are completely OPTIONAL and can be turned in at any time or not at all.