Grades 2 

Grade 2 is taught in one classroom that is spacious enough to accommodate large and small group instruction.  There is ample space for several teaching and learning areas including a morning meeting center, listening center, a reading and math instruction center, and a class library.  The teaching philosophy is one of hosting a caring, democratic classroom where students are encouraged to foster positive peer relations through cooperative learning, team work, and problem-solving skills.

A phonetic/literature approach (whole language) is used in teaching language arts. The reading program consists of a complete reading program from Houghton Mifflin, as well as a large variety of trade books.  Writing and spelling are a vital part of the language arts program, and students frequently use the class word wall to encourage retention of irregularly spelled sight words.

The math program for Grade 2 is Houghton Mifflin.  The mathematics program is taught using higher level critical thinking skills where students are encouraged to not just give the correct answer, but to explain their understanding at arriving at the correct answer.  Manipulatives such as base-ten blocks, cubes, and counters are used to encourage hands-on learning as well as to reach visual and kinesthetic learners. 

“For photos of the classrooms, please click on the grade links in this section, (Return to Overview) and to see more photos of the school and grounds, please visit the Photo Gallery section of the website.”