Frequently Asked Questions
Birthdays
What is done in school to celebrate birthdays?
You may either order cupcakes from our office several days in advance (to be baked on campus), or you may bring a sealed box from a Kosher bakery. Three options in Los Angeles are Delice (310) 289-6556, Schwartz's (310)854-0592, and Eilat (310) 205-8700.
Alternatively, you may bring a non-food item for each student in the class (i.e. a “goody bag” without food in it) or your student may bring in a "birthday book" to donate to the classroom in honor of his or her birthday. It can be read aloud by your child, a family member, or the teacher. Your child should write something inside the book indicating that it is his or her birthday book..
If you choose to have your child celebrate their birthday in class, please inform me as soon as you are able, so that I can plan our morning accordingly, and provide your child a special moment of celebration.
Enrichment Activities
Where can I purchase fun, educational activities for my child to complete at home in his or her free time or on vacations?
Staples or book stores are great sources for ideas on activities your child can do at home. You can also search for enrichment activities on Scholastic.com .
Homework Expectations
How much homework are second graders assigned?
Second graders should receive about 40 minutes of homework per night, 20 minutes of math/English, and 20 minutes of reading. Throughout the year, other long-term projects may be assigned. These help to build a child's responsibility by teaching them to manage their time.
When is homework due?
Unless otherwise indicated, homework is due every Friday. The dates that long-term projects will be discussed as needed throughout the year.
How much help should I give to my child when he or she has a hard time with a homework assignment?
Since homework is a review of something taught in school, your child should be able to complete it independently or with some support. If you find that your child does not understand something, it is best to write a note on it and send it back to me as is. It is helpful for me to see that he or she needed a considerable amount of help with a particular assignment, and will guide my teaching.
Math in Second Grade
What can we do at home to practice math facts?
A goal for your second grader is to memorize addition and subtraction math facts. Memorizing them helps him or her solve complex math problems more efficiently. Using flashcards is usually the easiest way to help your child master his or her math facts. These should go up to at least the number 18 (9+9 or 18-9).
My child does really well in math. How are his or her needs met in the classroom?
Exactly what is done to meet the needs of all of the students can vary but strategies include the following: making changes to assignments in class (such as changing the size of numbers), assigning different homework or giving out "bonus" pages, having a student expand on an idea or topic being taught in class, and/or making available "Think Tank" activities and other challenging tasks.
Math is not my child's strength. How are his or her needs met in the classroom?
Your child's needs are met in very similar ways as those listed above. Work can be modified to be sure that they are working at an appropriate level, rather than far above their capabilities. Homework can be modified as well to reflect what the child is working on in the classroom.
How is my child assessed throughout the year in math?
Assessments are on-going and include a considerable amount of teacher observation during lessons and one-on-one interactions. End-of-unit assessments are given at the close of a unit throughout the year. These help your child's teacher see what he or she has learned and what skills need continued reinforcement throughout the remainder of the year.
Why are my child's math strategies different than what I learned in school?
Many of us grew up learning how to add and subtract double digit (or more) numbers by stacking the numbers and "carrying" or "regrouping." You might have noticed that this strategy is not the primary strategy used by your child. Our math program focuses on teaching multiple efficient strategies, which help the students to understand exactly what is happening with the numbers. When students are taught "regrouping" or "carrying" before this understanding is reached, they usually do not grasp the concept of place value as well. Here is a commonly-used strategy that is often called the "break-apart strategy:"
53+24
50+20=70
3+4=7
70+7= 77
This strategy helps a child to understand place value and also helps him or her to learn a strategy that can eventually be done in his or her head.
Reading in Second Grade
What does a reading class look like on campus?
Reading is a subject that is taught all day long, but during the block of reading time that we have during the day, you would likely see any number of things going on. We read aloud and discuss books with the whole class, do phonics lessons in small groups or with the whole class, conduct guided reading lessons in groups that are leveled or grouped by interest, and teach lessons on reading comprehension skills in small groups or with the whole class. When students are working independently or with a buddy, they can be working on a number of different things, including working with words, listening and responding to a book on tape, completing reading comprehension or phonics skills practice, discussing a book with a friend, reading silently, participating in spelling, reading, or writing centers, or completing a "Brain Buster."
Writing in Second Grade
Why doesn't my child spell words he or she knows correctly while writing stories? Why does he or she forget to include periods?
Your second grader is going to learn about so many things to try to include in his or her writing, such as a great beginning, elaborative details, an entertaining ending, punctuation, correct spelling, and of course, neat handwriting. Developmentally, it is very difficult for a seven or eight year old to concentrate on all of the above and more at the same time as weaving together a complete (and interesting!) story. When our students are writing a rough draft of a story or an entry in their Writers' Notebooks, we encourage them to focus on the actual story and including all of the necessary elements. Focusing on spelling, capitals, punctuation, and neat handwriting are reserved for when it is time to edit the rough draft and write the final copy of a piece.