My goal in the second grade classroom is to keep the children engaged and excited about learning. I enjoy seeing their faces light up when they accomplish goals they never thought possible! We work hard and have fun at Oak Hill School.
In second grade, the focus is on reading fluency, writing skills, and core math skills. In reading, students work to master basic reading concepts with an emphasis on comprehension and fluency. In writing, students progress along a writing continuum, 6+1 Traits of Writing, building writing skills in organization, voice, word choice, conventions, sentence fluency, and ideas. The second grade math book, Everyday Math, creates the core for instruction with the frequent use of supplemental materials.
Language arts and math are also often integrated into social studies and science units.
Students have exciting opportunities on our beautiful campus at Oak Hill School to explore and experience hands-on environmental education. One area of study is nature’s recycler, the earthworm. The children create worm bins in the classroom and learn how to care for a creature so small. Oak Hill has a beautiful garden where the children planted fava beans which we will be harvesting soon for a scrumptious meal.
Students also uncovered the mysteries of mummies as they researched mummies from all over the world and created dioramas out of recyclable materials to represent what they learned. The children practiced their public speaking skills by presenting their dioramas to the rest of the lower school and families.
The class recently explored American History and traveled the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tubman. The children followed up the history unit by completing their first five-paragraph research papers on a related history topic.
The social and emotional development of the children is very important at Oak Hill. Children learn tools to help with communication and to help manage feelings through the Second Step program. Each child’s well-being is supported by all the teachers throughout the day, which creates a wonderful environment for children and an exceptional work environment for teachers.
