What's in this guide? This page walks through what your second grader will experience across each subject this year — from math and reading to social-emotional learning.
Look for updates on ParentSquare throughout the school year regarding your child's current units of study.
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Mathematics Reading Word Study Writing Science Social Studies Social-Emotional Learning
Through whole-group instruction and station teaching, second grade uses Great Minds Eureka Math Squared as the core curriculum to deliver instruction. The major second grade instructional focuses are:
- extending understanding of base-ten notation
- building fluency with addition and subtraction
- using standard units of measure
- analyzing and classifying two dimensional shapes as polygons or non-polygons
Supplemental digital resources include Zearn, XtraMath, and First in Math, available on students' ClassLink (opens in a new tab).
Second grade uses a variety of modules and units of study to explore the features of different fiction and informational genres.
Series books and read alouds allow second graders to build reading stamina as they begin to read longer texts. Students will expand meaning across multiple days while they engage with the same characters across texts.
Fairy tales support students' understanding of story elements such as characters, setting, and how problem and solution contribute to plot. Students learn about the message of a story.
Informational units build students' content knowledge as they read text sets on individual interests and on content areas such as immigration. Later, students will participate in research book clubs on science topics.
Greek mythology introduces students to myths, characters, and themes from ancient Greece while helping them explore how stories reflect the beliefs and values of different cultures.
Students continue learning more complex phonological structures through Sounds-Write. Students acquire the conceptual knowledge that a single sound can be spelled with one, two, three, or four letters, that a sound can have multiple spellings, and a spelling can represent multiple sounds. They apply this by segmenting and blending multisyllabic words.
Second graders also begin studying morphology through Morphemes for Little Ones. This program supports students' vocabulary and spelling knowledge as they study prefixes, base words, and suffixes and develop an understanding of how meaningful word parts contribute to word meaning and structure.
Second grade uses units of study to write narrative, opinion, and informational pieces. Second graders also write about their reading. Teachers use The Writing Revolution (opens in a new tab) approach not only during these writing projects, but across the school day and in all content areas, to support students' development of grammar, conventions, sentence structure, and organization.
Second graders study living things such as trees, plants, and animals. They learn about Earth Long Ago and incorporate measurement in the units, using a combination of resources from OHM BOCES science kits. Students engage in hands-on science labs, using writing to explain their learning and demonstrate their understanding of scientific concepts.
Second grade uses a variety of resources to support students' social-emotional development, including RULER. Students receive different levels of support based on their individual needs. Throughout the year, students also participate in cultural contribution activities and explore character traits that promote positive relationships, responsible decision-making, and a strong sense of community.
Using BOCES-created curricula, students develop an understanding of citizenship, holidays around the world, how historical figures fought for causes, communities, geography, and economics.