Elementary Report Card Companion

Grade 2
This information is intended to provide additional details regarding curriculum, instruction and assessment.
Marking Period 3 Subject Descriptors
English
Language
Arts

In addition to grade level phonics and word analysis skills, students are focusing on
reading accurately and fluently to support comprehension. Students are reading and analyzing grade
level literature. Students are continuing to develop narrative and informational writing skills this
marking period.

Math

During Marking Period 3, students have spent significant time studying concepts and skills related
to: addition and subtraction word problems within 100, time, picture graphs, bar graphs and
understanding numbers to 1000. Frequent problem-solving opportunities allowed students to
apply their knowledge to real-world situations. The end of year fluency expectation that students
are working toward is being able to mentally add and subtract within 20.

Science

The study of soil continued this marking period. Through this content, students were
able to use scientific process/inquiry skills while predicting, experimenting, making and recording
observations, classifying, comparing, and drawing conclusions on various types of soil.

English
Language
Arts

Math

Science

General Report Card Competency Descriptors

Foundational Skills - Students gain a working knowledge of concepts of print, alphabetic principle,
and other basic conventions. These foundational skills are not an end in and of themselves; rather,
students apply them as effective readers.
Reading Informational Text - Students read, understand, and respond to informational textwith
an emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and
between texts with a focus on textual evidence.
Reading Literature Students read and respond to works of literaturewith emphasis on
comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts
with focus on textual evidence.
Writing Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused
text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content.
Speaking and Listening Students present appropriately in formal speaking situations, listen
critically, and respond intelligently as individuals or in group discussions.
Numbers and Operations May include skills/concepts related to: counting/number sets; place
value; and an understanding of operations with whole numbers, fractions and/or decimals.
Algebraic Concepts May include skills/concepts related to: understanding and solving problems
using addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers, fractions and/or
decimals; patterning; and application of order of operations.
Geometry May include skills/concepts related to: the study of shapes and their attributes in both
two- and three-dimensions and partitioning of shapes.
Measurement, Data, Probability May include skills/concepts related to: the study of both
customary and metric units of length, area, mass, temperature and volume; time and money; and
interpretation/construction of charts, tables and graphs.
Fluency Included is a specific math fluency standard for addition, subtraction, multiplication
and/or division at each grade level (shown above in the Marking Period Subject Descriptors).
Problem Solving Students will actively participate in real-world problem solving through the use
of grade-appropriate word problems, performance tasks, and open-ended problems.
Scientific Process/Inquiry May include skills/content related to: reasoning and analysis; processes,
procedures and tools of scientific investigations; systems, models and patterns.
Science Content May include content related to: biological, physical, earth and space sciences.

Helping at Home

General

Provide a structured routine for the completion of assignments and projects at home.
Consider including a set time and a distraction free workspace.
Ensure that all materials needed to complete each assignment and project are available.
Talk about assignments to be sure that you and your child understand what is expected.
Break up long-term assignments into manageable parts.
Check in and monitor the completion of assignments and projects without completing the work
for your child.
Encourage good study habits and help with organizational skills.
When in doubt ask questions to clarify expectations for assignments and projects.

Get a library card! http://www.lancaster.lib.pa.us/

Let your children see you read for pleasure. Share vocabulary, quotes, characters, and the story
with them. Compare similarities and differences between your book and the books your
children are reading.
Help your child find a place in your home that is his/her favorite reading spot - a place where
he/she can read comfortably with little distraction.
Point out the relationships between words. Explain how words have similar meanings and
spellings. Show how a word like knowledge, for example, relates to a word like know.

If your child is struggling with specific concepts and skills, ask your childs teacher for additional
English
help or online resources that could be used outside of school.
Language

Several free websites that may be helpful include:

Arts
www.thinkcentral.com provides all students in K-5 with access to core curriculum materials.
All students have an account. For log-in information, contact your childs teacher.
http://www.readingrockets.org/ offers strategies, lessons, activities and ideas designed to help
young children learn to read.
http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/ provides book lists, games, videos and activities for
readers age 8-12.
http://www.scholastic.com/parents/play/ provides games, stories, printables and videos for
readers age 3-7.

Math

Ask your childs teacher for any specific expectations for completing math assignments.
Find out how your child is being taught math and avoid using shortcuts or strategies that may
be confusing or unknown.
If your child is struggling with specific concepts and skills, ask your childs teacher for additional
help or online resources that could be used outside of school.
Involve your child in math around them such as: cooking, grocery store, shopping, schedules,
maps, shapes, telling time, measuring/estimating, and patterning.
Play games such as: Yahtzee, Monopoly, Battleship, Scrabble, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Chutes and
Ladders, Candy Land, Uno, Phase 10, Checkers, Chess, Life, Dominoes, Chinese Checkers,
Connect Four and various card games.
Practice math facts using flash cards or games.
Remember that you do not have to be the expert in math, be available to support your child in
their learning and ask questions to help him/her make sense of the concepts and skills.
Several free websites that may be helpful include:
www.khanacademy.org provides tutorials and practice on various topics.
www.xtramath.org provides fact fluency practice.
www.thinkcentral.com provides all students in K-5 with access to core curriculum materials.
All students have an account. For log-in information, contact your childs teacher.
www.K-5mathteachingresources.com provides families with grade-specific links to helpful
resources and activities in numbers and operations, geometry, and measurement/data.