Hard Work is the Formula for Success
2nd graders have been working in cooperative learning groups to help themselves grow as readers. They have been working on reading strategies in small groups. Each day every group meets with the teacher for 20 minutes. They work on reading out loud. We focus on sounding out words, finding hidden meanings of unfamiliar vocabulary words, fluency, making connections to the text, inferencing using our schema, and becoming a better reader overall. The students focus on these skills and work hard on the strategies at hand each day. They incorporate lessons taught from small group into our whole group lessons and likewise.
When students are not working in a small group with the teacher, they are reading independently within their ZPD (Zone of Proximal Distance). Their ZPD score is determined by their STAR reading test score. A ZPD is simply the level at which the student should be reading at independently. Students check out library books and read them during free reading time. They can then take A.R. (Accelerated Reader) quizzes on the books they have read. This helps build their comprehension skills.
You might also find students working on Spelling. This week in particular we have been working on long vowels with the silent "e". Spelling goes hand in hand with becoming a better reader too. It helps students learn patterns in words that they can apply when they are sounding out unfamiliar words.
Other students might be listening to stories on getepic.com, or reading on this site as well. We also work on IXL, an online learning platform. On this educational site students can focus on particular skills that the teacher assigns. This week we are working on vowel patterns and long and short vowels.
The students put in a lot of hard work to grow as readers. I think sometimes we forget just how hard they work. Learning can be exhausting but SO rewarding! Keep up the great work 2nd Grade!
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