2D Language Arts

Grade 2 Language Arts

Language Arts Key Understandings:

The ability to use language effectively enhances student opportunities to experience personal satisfaction and to become responsible, contributing citizens and lifelong learners.

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to:

• explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences
• comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts
• manage ideas and information
• enhance the clarity and artistry of communication
• respect, support and collaborate with others.

The fundamental principals of our Language Arts program are as follows:

• Language is the basis of all communication and the primary instrument, language learning is an active process that begins at birth and continues throughout life.
• Language learning is a continuum.  Students, parents, teachers and the community share responsibility for language learning.
• The Aim of the English Language Arts is to enable each student to understand and appreciate language, and to use it confidently and competently in a variety of situations for communication, personal satisfaction, and learning.

Areas of Inquiry

• The grade two students will work independently, in pairs, in larger groups, as a whole class, and at times they will work together with students from other grades (e.g. reading buddies).
• The grade 2 students will participate in Guided Reading groups using books at their instructional level based on the PM Benchmark, and other classroom assessment.
• The grade 2 students will participate in the “Read Across Canada” home reading program to have constant practice with books assigned to their independent level.
• The grade two students will engage in a variety of writing activities using the 6+1 traits of writing.
• Author’s notebook/ Reflection Log/Journal
• Creative writing
• Structured writing
• Guided writing
• Self-assessment using the 6+1 writing traits “I Can” statements
• The grade 2 students will participate in “Making Words” lessons, which focus on phonic tool sounds.
• The grade 2 students will learn sight words from the Fry 3000 sight word list.
• Students will be given listening exercises to test how well they listen to instructions and how well they understand meanings.
• Students will follow a formal printing program that continues to reinforce good printing posture, letter size and consistency (house printing)

Assessment

• Informal observations/Daily Work/Anecdotal Records/Rubrics
• PM Benchmark - Each student’s reading skills will be assessed at least 2 times a year using the PM Benchmark and other forms of reading assessment.  Their home reading, guided reading groups, and classroom reading will correlate with the results of this test.
• Self-assessment using “On Target” criteria and practice (“Where are you at? Where do you want to go?  How can you get there?”)
• Fry 3000 sight words – a home study sight word program will be used to assess and foster learning of the most common sight words used in print.
• “Chunks” assessment for phonic evaluation and development
• “On target” language and practice will be used for reading, writing, listening and speaking behaviours and skills to determine assessment for learning.

Programs that Support Language Arts in Grade 2:

Home Reading

Home reading is an important partnership between home and school. Students are encouraged to read with a family member for about 15 minutes everyday. While reading, talking about the books is equally important. Please help make home reading an important part of your family's routine.

Students will bring home books at their independent (easy decoding, fluency, and comprehension) level to practice their skills and instill a love of reading.

Please ensure that you record every night that you read, even if you record the same book more than once. For example, if it takes 3 nights to read a book, record it three times or if you reread a book a second time, record it twice.

Click here for the information that was presented in our Home Reading Information meeting for parents.

Click here for more information about home reading and for some questions to discuss when reading with your child

Sight Words

Having an increased number of sight words helps to improve fluency and accuracy while reading. This in turn helps to improve comprehension of what is being read. Your child will be practicing sight words on an on-going basis throughout the year. Please look for further information in the agenda including starting dates. We will be working through the Fry Sight Word List which includes 3000 of the most common words printed in English.

If you are able to volunteer on a weekly basis to be our "Sight Word Parent", please let Mrs. Kehler know!

Click here to access the Fry Sight Word List as well as other useful sight word tools.

Guided Reading

Guided Reading is a program in which the teacher works with a small group of students using levelled books to enhance their reading.

Click here for more information about the guided reading program.

Language Arts Curriculum

Click here to view to the Alberta Education Program of Studies for English Language Arts.