The Second Grade Program at St. Thomas More School

Curriculum Overview

The second grade curriculum is aligned with the Diocesan guidelines and Pennsylvania State Academic Standards.

Religion

The second grade religion program emphasizes the sacraments. During  second grade, children study and receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.

Reading

Students are taught to read within both the whole group and flexible small group settings. Students use both leveled readers and an anthology. They learn skills such as summarizing, predicting, inferring, and identifying the main idea and details within a story.

Language Arts

The second grade language arts program includes instruction in phonics, English, spelling, and handwriting skills. Also included throughout the curriculum is the study and practice of the writing process from brainstorming to publishing. Students create personal narratives, friendly letters, how-to articles, descriptive writing, poetry, and research reports.

Math

The second grade math curriculum focuses on key concepts that students will use throughout their lives. Topics studied include addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, place value, money, time, geometry, fractions, and measurement. Emphasis is placed on developing problem solving skills throughout all of the units covered. In addition, the use of manipulatives, children's literature, and technology aid in student learning.

Science

The science curriculum covers life, physical, and earth sciences. We cover topics including plants, matter, magnets, sound, the solar system, dinosaurs, and the weather.

Social Studies

In second grade, students learn map and globe skills. They also learn about United States and Pennsylvania history, as well as good citizenship qualities.

Second Grade Highlights

The students contribute to their community by visiting the senior citizens at Country Meadows, providing residents with an afternoon of entertainment. Students also visit the Lehigh Valley Zoo where they participate in a special class with live animals. They also take part in a nature walk and a guided tour of the zoo. Throughout the year, parents visit the classroom to talk about different occupations which helps students to recognize the different roles of people in society.

Technology Highlights, Projects, and Special Events

Teachers use electronic whiteboards and multimedia projectors to introduce concepts and involve students in the learning process. Students use the computers located both in the classroom and the computer lab to create projects related to the curriculum. They also use the Internet for research. In the classroom, teachers use Discovery Education United Streaming video clips to bring abstract concepts to life. Students also have access to Compass Learning, which enables teachers to assign lessons and assessments in different subject areas to provide both remediation and enrichment for students. Finally, students use Academy of Reading, a computer-based reading program, to help enhance phonics and reading comprehension skills.