2nd Grade

Second Grade Curriculum Overview

Reading
Second graders read, discuss, and write about a wide range of books across a varietyof genres. Students read for enjoyment and to learn. At this stage, they are skillful and confident in using word attack skills to make predictions about words and meaning. They have knowledge of many comprehension skills and are able to answer questions about what they have read. In second grade, students are have begun to read silently for extended periods of time.

Writing
Second grade students write about reading, for pleasure, for recording observations and experiences, and for conveying information. They can write several sentences to several paragraphs on one topic. Their writing has a clear purpose, with some detail, and with a sense of story. They understand that text can be changed and are beginning to revise and edit. They use more standard spelling than “temporary” phonetic spelling.

Mathematics
The mathematics curriculum is organized into five strands:
(1) number and operations; (2) measurement; (3) geometry; (4) data analysis and probability; and, (5) algebra. Problem-solving strategies are embedded into each of the 5 strands. 
Students have an understanding of place value and can use place value methods to add and subtract numbers. At the second grade level, students will demonstrate a greater consistency than first grade children in applying mathematical knowledge and processes. However, while second grade students can do much more than has been expected of them in the past, it is important to recognize that they still learn best by exploring with games and manipulatives.

Social Studies
Second graders continue to use and reinforce skills introduced in kindergarten and first grade. They examine the qualities of good citizens, study the government, and learn about economics. Students also learn how to use maps and globes. 

Science
The focus for second grade students is analyzing collected data over a period of time to make predictions and understand changes. Science concepts studied are animal life cycles, changes in weather, changes in properties of matter, and sound.


Art/Music
Arts Education includes four separate and distinct disciplines; dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts—each with its own body of knowledge and skills, The intent of the National Standards for Arts Education, along with the standard courses of study in each area, is that a comprehensive understanding of one or more of the arts is accomplished by each student throughout the K-12 Program.

Health/PE
The Healthful Living Education program promotes behaviors that contribute to a healthful life-style and improved quality of life for all students. The Healthful Living Education portions of the NC Standard Course of Study support and reinforce the goals and objectives of its two major components—health education and physical education.