November 7, 2017

We have been studying non-fiction text features. Ask your kiddo where you can find the Table of Contents, Index, Glossary, and Headings. Also, ask what these parts of the text do.  In addition, ask what the difference is between a Photograph and Illustration, what the parts of a Diagram do, and the difference between Bold Print and a Caption.  This week and next week we will be reading non-fiction texts to determine the Heading and Supporting Details. We will complete many graphic organizers about the texts we read. We will also ask and answer questions about the texts we read. It should be very exciting!  In math we are adding two digit numbers for mastery and working on two digit numbers with regrouping. Next week we will be working on subtracting 10 and other numbers using a 100's chart. On Friday, we are going on a 100's chart scavenger hunt!!

 We are getting close to our Thanksgiving Break! Please join us for the family Thanksgiving Feast on Thursday. Our Scholastic Book Fair is in the Learning Commons each day next week. The most important thing your child can do over the break is READ, READ, READ!!!!! Please make sure they have a book to read over the break. I'm happy to provide some family reading strategies if you would like. As always, you can reach me at jennifer.hadden@cobbk12.org 

 or 770-331-8616 between 6am-9pm.

Have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

October 16, 2017

STUDY TIME

One of the best things you can do for your child is creating a study environment that is free from distractions and helps them focus. There are four basic strategies that help with study time.

1.  Turn off the TV- Television makes demands on your eyes and ears. If you are listening and watching television during study time, something is getting shortchanged. Hopefully, it is the show and not what you are studying!

2.  Work out rules about study time. Make sure your child knows when it is study time and be consistent so it is part of the daily routine.

3.  Find a place free of distractions. Reduce your exposure to things that compete for your attention. 

4.  Have a specific study area. Find a place in your home where your brain goes into "study mode" when you enter that space.

Hopefully, these hints will create a stress free environment for study time at your home!

October 2, 2017

I hope each of you had a relaxing Fall Break! There is so much learning to be done before our next big break at Thanksgiving. We will continue to work on spelling patterns (CVCe, "all", "alk", and blends). In addition, we are going to practice our decoding skills daily as we READ, READ, READ! Please look for letters about Conference week, October 16-20, coming home in your child's purple folder. As always, if you need anything at all, please feel free to contact me at 770-331-8616.

September 11, 2017

Please continue to go over our spelling patterns for the week.  We will be working on short vowels (a,e,i,o,u) for the next several weeks.  In addition, we will be reviewing and learning our sight words to make reading much easier.  Reading at night with your child is the most important thing you can do! If your child needs a "just right" book, encourage him/her to go to the media center.

August 26, 2017

Spelling and sight words will come home in the folder stapled to the right side of the agenda for the week. I will put your child's score for the spelling quiz on the Friday section each week, or you can text me your phone number and I will text it to you. (770-331-8616)  Please make sure your child is reviewing his/her words every night. A fun activity would be to put 2 words a day in dry erase marker on the bathroom mirror and quiz your child several times a day on those 2 words. I will send a dry erase home if you need it, just let me know.

We will be working on place value to 2 digits over the next several weeks. I will provide many opportunities for your child to work independently to gain mastery of this concept. When passing gas stations or any other place with numbers, please quiz your child on the tens and ones places for numbers they see.  Please look for math homework each night next week.

In review for next week:
Read 20 minutes each night
Review 2 words daily
1 math homework review daily

Welcome to our class!

Our Mission: Cultivating life-long learners through engaging experiences.

jennifer.hadden@cobbk12.org

Welcome to 2nd Grade!!

Open House is Thursday August 10, 2017 from 6-8pm. Please come join us for important information to help you and your child breeze through 2nd grade! We are really excited to meet you! 

What Should You Expect in 2nd Grade?

In 2nd grade, students have adjusted to the more rigorous learning environment they initially encountered in 1st grade and are able to further deepen and expand their skills and knowledge. In 2nd grade, they become more experienced writers, readers, and mathematicians as they practice these skills more and in more complex and comprehensive ways. They read longer and more complicated books, they write longer and more complex pieces, and they learn more of the concepts underlying the math they do. In addition, 2nd graders begin to develop their research and critical thinking projects as they create individual and group work to share and present what they learn through different forms, including writing, speaking, and art.

The 2nd grade classroom is structured like most elementary school classrooms, with desks or tables for the students and usually an area for lessons and class meetings and discussions. There are often also areas or centers dedicated to different subjects of learning.  For instance, there may be an area with all of the math tools and supplies and a class library dedicated to reading. Technology also becomes a more important part of the 2nd grade classroom as students learn about and use it more, specifically for publishing their writing.  I will add suggestions for each week to help you and your child become a very successful second grader. Please email with your thoughts at jennifer.hadden@cobbk12.org.

A portion of this post is adapted from an article by Shira Ackerman.