Jump to content

Menu

2nd grade language arts help


rutheart
 Share

Recommended Posts

I have a young second grader who is just about to finish up her first grade language arts (we were given Harcourt Language 1). Given the free price tag, it worked okay, but I don't want to spend the money to get the second grade level since I don't love it.

 

I am already reading aloud chapter books 4 days a week, using the fifth day for poetry or short stories. I have already bought Writing Strands 2 and intend to use that for composition, as well as keeping a journal. She will continue to use Building Spelling Skills 2. We're in the last 100 pages of Phonics Pathways and she's also reading aloud readers to me at least three times a week. She is still learning vowel blends, so she's not doing much independent work yet.

 

We are a very STEM focused family. I need something that will hold my hand and give me lots of ideas for how to create a language-rich environment. I'm looking for something that is more than just grammar, but I'm not sure exactly what that would be. Whatever it is, it NEEDS to be secular.

 

Thanks,

Ruth

Edited by rutheart
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a young second grader who is just about to finish up her first grade language arts (we were given Harcourt Language 1). Given the free price tag, it worked okay, but I don't want to spend the money to get the second grade level since I don't love it.

 

I am already reading aloud chapter books 4 days a week, using the fifth day for poetry or short stories. I have already bought Writing Strands 2 and intend to use that for composition, as well as keeping a journal. She will continue to use Building Spelling Skills 2. We're in the last 100 pages of Phonics Pathways and she's also reading aloud readers to me at least three times a week. She is still learning vowel blends, so she's not doing much independent work yet.

 

We are a very STEM focused family. I need something that will hold my hand and give me lots of ideas for how to create a language-rich environment. I'm looking for something that is more than just grammar, but I'm not sure exactly what that would be. Whatever it is, it NEEDS to be secular.

 

Thanks,

Ruth

 

As far as "language arts," you already have composition, reading, and spelling covered. Until she is reading much better, she cannot really do grammar. What component of "language arts" do you think you are missing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I came to the same conclusion as Ellie. I would keep the focus on her reading and not worry about the grammar just yet. What do you think you're missing?

 

My second graders' language arts had:

-phonics or spelling: When they're reading well enough for a spelling book to take over the phonics instruction we switch.

-writing/composition: My second graders just did copywork daily and discussed what they read orally. No composition books.

-penmanship: Really just the go-getters who were ready for cursive.

-reading/literature: You've got this nailed. They practice reading daily and I read to them daily.

-grammar: First Language Lessons is a good first start, but I wouldn't bother until reading was solidly on its way. My late bloomer couldn't even wrap her brain around the completely oral FLL 1 in second grade. We just kept working on reading, and in 3rd grade she could understand the concept of nouns and took off. 

 

Some add vocab. I don't.

 

You've got the important bases covered, and I'd let all else take a backseat until reading is solid. If you want more typical public school materials most of the McGraw Hill Treasures stuff can be found online in free downloads.

Edited by SilverMoon
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I want something for reading/grammar? It just doesn't feel like I'm doing enough for her. My oldest went to public school for preK-2nd grade, so I haven't done the reading instruction thing before. Maybe Phonics Pathways is a bad fit for us, since we've been at it for so long and she still has so far to go? She's only covering about 1/4 of a page a day, so I'm not sure we'll even finish by the end of the year. She says she wants to be able to read more, but she's unwilling to do a second (5 minute) session of Phonics Pathways on school days.

 

Or maybe instead of curriculum, I need a book for me to read to tell me supplemental things I can do to encourage her reading and language use? For instance, I know it would be helpful to label household objects so she could see the words in print, but doing that to the whole house feels overwhelming. I was hoping for a resource that would break things like that down into weekly tasks.

 

Ruth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, if you want a language rich environment, the biggest thing you can do is keep reading aloud.  Also, memorizing poetry is great for kids at this age.  Talk about things a lot, too.  Keep plugging away at Phonics...maybe supplement Pathways with something else so you can get a second lesson in.  Brave Writer has all kinds of ideas - written out for you by day of the week - that you can do to create a language rich environment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're looking for a very easy "something more," I think the thing that motivated my kids most of all was reading things I had written.  On most days, I would write them each a little note and leave it somewhere around the house--by their seat at the table, on their desk, on the bathroom mirror.  It could be a joke, or something I wanted to compliment them for, or a reminder, or a surprise.  I also have a calendar posted at kid-level, which I keep updated with their activities.  Everyone gets excited to see new field trips or playdates appear.  Another fun thing we occasionally do is pretend we're running a restaurant; I write out menu options and the kids place their orders either orally or in writing.  Probably the highlight of my kids' learning-to-read lives, though, was the treasure hunts I made.  I'd only do one a week or so.  I'd start by hiding their snack somewhere in the house, and then I'd write a note with a clue ("Look by the pots and pans."); that note would be hidden, and a note would be written to reveal its location ("There's something under your pillow!").  Once you have several notes leading to each other and--at last--to the snack, you give them the first note and off they go finding each note in turn until they discover their treasure.  (This is an ideal activity for yucky weather, especially if you make sure to make your kid run from one end of the house to the other repeatedly as they follow the trail of notes.)

 

Writing a lot of things for your kids to read tends to have the effect of inspiring them to write--at least in our house.  I still find notes on my pillow, pictures with elaborate captions posted on the fridge, half-finished stories on the table, to-do lists on bedroom floors, etc. And of course these are all brilliant for development of language skills, as well as being fun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe I want something for reading/grammar? It just doesn't feel like I'm doing enough for her. My oldest went to public school for preK-2nd grade, so I haven't done the reading instruction thing before. Maybe Phonics Pathways is a bad fit for us, since we've been at it for so long and she still has so far to go? She's only covering about 1/4 of a page a day, so I'm not sure we'll even finish by the end of the year. She says she wants to be able to read more, but she's unwilling to do a second (5 minute) session of Phonics Pathways on school days.

 

Or maybe instead of curriculum, I need a book for me to read to tell me supplemental things I can do to encourage her reading and language use? For instance, I know it would be helpful to label household objects so she could see the words in print, but doing that to the whole house feels overwhelming. I was hoping for a resource that would break things like that down into weekly tasks.

 

Ruth

 

Grammar is separate from reading...A little person who is just 7 or 8 doesn't really need grammar yet.

 

Perhaps instead of Phonics Pathways, you might consider Spalding. Spalding teaches children to read by teaching them to spell, and simultaneously covers penmanship, capitalization and punctuation, and simple writing. It can also do grammar and more comprehensive composition and literature, but most people like to use other things for those, just to change things up. :-)

 

All you need to teach the Spalding Method is the manual (Writing Road to Reading), a set of phonogram cards, and a composition book for children 8 and older.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My daughter is in the 2nd grade, as well, and right now for LA we are doing Dictation Day by Day (free!) for spelling and copywork. I'm also trying to get her reading fluently so we're using a free guide I found online meant for ps teachers. And then of course we just read a lot, she reads to me daily from a level 2 or 3 reader, and we memorize poetry and Bible verses. I don't teach grammar this young.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...