The Langford
EXPLORER
Volume 26 April 18, 2024
Greetings Explorer families,
WOW!!! Your children are amazing!!! They did a FANTASTIC job at their Immigration Program - I'm so proud of them. Thank-you Parent Partners for helping your children learn about their Family Stories and for coming to the program. Parents, please send me your FIVE best pictures from today.
Next week, we are starting a new history unit: Civil Rights. Parents, please check SignUp and find an afternoon you can help with Learning Stations the next two weeks.
Please join us Saturday, April 27, 8:30-10:30 for our annual Spring Clean-up! We are excited to begin construction on our new shade structure and install an outdoor sound system. 2nd grade will also plant vegetables in the planters soon!
Keep exploring!
Mr. Langford
A HUGE thank-you to our Terrific Techie, Jen Morris for helping our young poets publish their
Click on the above link to enjoy!
READING. Too much "candy"?!? I am encouraging students to read novels for their required 20 minutes of reading and to reduce the time they spend reading silly graphic novels (think Dogman, Wimpy Kid, Cpt Underpants). I am not saying it's bad or wrong to read this genre, but I am saying if you read only that genre, you probably won't grow as much as a reader that reads deeply across different genres. The students and I discussed this today. Please ask them if they think they are reading too much "candy". And feel free to use my name in vain, if you need to ("Mr. Langford said..."). 😀
We have four reading goals in 2nd grade: Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expand Vocabulary (CAFE). We emphasize these goals throughout the year. We are currently focusing on Fluency ("Bring the story to life.") . Hopefully, you're noticing this at home! Reading aloud is an important skill and reading fluently (at a good pace, 75-100 words per minute, and with expression) is our goal. Please note that daily homework includes 20 minutes of reading. At least 10 minutes should be reading aloud to an adult that is engaged.
Parents, I encourage you to use the language that students hear from me:
"Please read that sentence again. Something did not sound right." -when a reader mispronounces a word and keeps reading. I often remind readers to listen to themselves when they read. If something doesn't sound right, it's their job to go back and figure it out.
"Please reread that section and bring it to life." -when a reader doesn't pay attention to the punctuation or how the character is feeling or is mumbling.
"Accuracy please." -when a reader skips a word or adds a word that is not there. I don't tell them the word they skipped or added. I want the reader to figure it out.
"Coaching or time?" - when a reader is working on a challenging word. Wait 3 seconds, then ask, "Coaching or time?" If the reader says "Time", let them keep working on it. If s/he says "Coaching", ask the reader to chunk the word, 2-4 letters at a time. We want them to chunk the word into syllables instead of "sounding it out" one letter at a time. Example, for Antarctica, remind them to chunk it Ant-arc-ti-ca and then reread the sentence with the correct pronunciation.
Characters, setting, problem, and plot (first - then - next - last). These are story elements (comprehension) that readers should always know about the book they're reading.
Vocabulary. Occasionally, when there's a "juicy word", I'll ask readers to reread the sentence and ask them what they think the word means. "Can you use it in another sentence?"
A note on SPELEENG 😄
During our Literacy Skills block, 9:00-10:00 each morning, part of our focus is on phonics (sounds and how to spell them). In the first few weeks, we reviewed short vowels, consonants, and alternate sounds for s, c, and n. We also learn words that do NOT follow the "rules" (Tricky Words). We practice these each day and then students are held accountable with a spelling test. We are not sending home spelling lists to memorize and, in accordance with Traut's Homework Policy, we're not adding homework time to study the phonics focus of the week. Starting this week, on the back of the Homework Page, will be the Literacy SKILLS we are learning. This is for your information and not intended to be additional homework. Please let me know if you have questions. Thanks!
enVision Math Homework. If your child is struggling to teach you the concept of the day or if you would like additional support, you may download the BOUNCE PAGES app (the link is to a YouTube video), then hover over the Homework Page and a helpful student-oriented video will pop up. Please remember if homework is causing stress, please let me know so we can problem-solve.
For your CALENDAR
April 27 Outdoor Classroom Workday (8:30-10:30)
Traut Spring Fling Gala
May 22 Gather in the Gardens after school
May 23 Field Day
May 24 No school - Teacher Work Day
May 29 No school - Memorial Day
May 28 Field Trip!
May 30 Last day (1/2 day)
