Welcome to Mrs. Ayres' 2nd Grade!

Kim Ayres

e-mail: kayres@rrps.net

phone: (505) 338-2320, ext. 127

 

We're off to a Great Start!

I enjoyed seeing so many of you at parent/teacher conferences so we could discuss the progress your children are making! The first quarter was very productive and I'm looking forward to all the exciting things we will be doing in the second quarter!

Here is a brief overview of some of the things we will be learning during the second quarter:

 

Math: We are continuing to study numbers, number patterns, time, money, basic addition and subtraction, and place value. We are using the Everyday Mathematics curriculum. We will also work on all of these concepts while doing problem solving. We will be working on "Frames and Arrows" and "What's My Rule" problems where we will identify and continue patterns using addition and subtraction.

Language Arts: We are working to identify the different elements of a story: genre, setting, characters, problem, solution, beginning, middle and end. We are also working on practicing strategies that good readers use such as: phonics/decoding skills, creating mental images, making/confirming predictions and summarizing. We are working on these concepts in our basal reader and in our Literature Circle Groups.

We are also working on writing good paragraphs. We are working to make sure that our paragraphs have good topic sentences, at least 3 supporting detail sentences, and strong concluding sentences.

Science: We are studying soils and rocks this quarter. We are exploring the different properties of soils including sand, clay and hummus. We will do experiments to discover which is best for germinating seads and what growing plants need. We will also explore rocks and learn to classify them by size.

Social Studies: During this quarter we will be practicing using maps and globes. We are continuing to receive postcards from classes all over the country as a way to learn about the different states. We have even received a few from other countries thanks to a parent who has business contacts all over the world!

We will also be exploring traditions and the different traditions that our families and other cultures celebrate during this time of year.

Bilingual Enrichment: We are continuing to learn a lot of Spanish! We have already studied and learned Spanish words for things in our classroom, fruits and vegetables and parts of the body. During the next quarter we will continue to use these words and will also learn about the family and family traditions.