Language arts work in 2nd grade focuses on:

• Reading: Students participate in daily reading both one-on-one with a teacher or in small groups, and are assigned nightly reading at home.  They work on word attack strategies, phonics, comprehension and literary analysis, with the goals of developing independence, stamina and learning to read for meaning.
• Writing: Students learn the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, writing a final copy and publishing their work) through dedicated time in writing workshop.  Second graders also engage in one-on-one meetings with a teacher (“writer’s conferences") for support in shaping their work, learning to organize ideas and express their point of view, and practicing spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Handwriting: Students practice handwriting using the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum.