2ND GR LIT: UNIT 1

Learning Goals:

• I can read and understand expository text.
• I can use text evidence to respond to expository text.
• I know what happens when families work together.
• I can write realistic fiction.
• I can write an expository essay.

Key Concepts:

• For these two weeks our class will be learning about families around the world. We will discuss how families in different places have many things in common. We will read different texts in the genre of realistic fiction.

Vocabulary: Help your child define each word and take turns using each word in a sentence.

• plead, invited, culture, share, aside, language, fair, scurries

• ball, blue, both, even, for, help, put, there, why, yellow

• Family Activity: Slowly read some words. If you hear a word that has the same sound of a as in cat, say. Yes! If you hear a word that has the same sound of i as in hit, say No! Then we will look over the list together and circle the words that have the i sound as in hit.

Spelling Focus Week 2: Words with short e, o, u

• Family Activity: I’ll read the short poems below, but I’ll leave out the last word. You choose a word from the list to make a rhyme and finish the poem. Then you’ll tell me what sound the rhyming word has: the sound of u as in bug, e as in bed, or o as in cot.
• Rub a dub-dub, My dog’s in the __________
• My friend Bob has a new __________ .
• She said do __________ touch that pot.
• To move the rug, we’ll give it a __________ .

Comprehension: Character, Setting, Events (click the link to see the activity)

Learning Goals:

• I can read and understand fantasy.
• I can use text evidence to respond to fantasy.
  
• I know how friends depend on each other.
  
• I can write realistic fiction.
  
• I can write an expository essay.

Key Concepts:

• For these two weeks our class will be learning about the ways friends help one another. We will discuss the many ways friends depend on one another and have fun together. We will read different texts in the genre of fantasy.

Vocabulary: Work with your child to make up sentences about a cat trapped on a roof, using the words on the list.

• nervously, afraid, rescue, secret, peered, depend, perfectly, actions

Spiral Review: Choose one of the words below to make up a question about an animal. Then try to use another word from the list to answer your question.

• boy, by, girl, he, hear, she, small, want, were, what

Spelling Focus Week 3: Words with two-letter blends, such as r-blends like in crack, s-blends like in grass, t-blends like in trips, and l-blends like in plans

• Family Activity: Let’s play, “I’m Thinking of a Word.” I’ll begin by saying, “I’m thinking of a word that ends with the letters st. Which word is it?” If you guess the correct word, you take a turn and then give me a clue using the first two letters of the word or the last two letters of the word. We will continue the game until we guess all the words.
• grass, trips, crack, still, clap, plans, west, mask, milk, belt

Spelling Focus Week 4: words with short a, long a

• Family Activity: Let’s practice spelling words with short and long a. I will say a word and you spell it. Then you will say a word that rhymes with it.
• bag, cape, cap, made, ham, back, bake, mad, rake, ate

Comprehension: Theme (click on the link to see the activity)

Learning Goals:

• I can read and understand expository text.
  
• I can use text evidence to respond to expository text.
  
• I know what happens when families work together.
  
• I can write realistic fiction.
  
• I can write an expository essay.
  

Key Concepts:

• For the next week our class will be learning how families work together. We will discuss the jobs different family members have and how each job contributes to the family. We will read different texts in the genre of informational text.

Vocabulary: Work with your child to create sentences and/or pictures about going a trip to the store using the words on the list.

• customers, tools, jobs, cost, checks, choose, spend, chores

Spelling Focus Week 5: Words with short i sound as in pig, long i sound as in kite

• Family Activity: Write each word by scrambling the letters. You will have to unscramble the letters to guess the word on the list.
• did, fin, pick, line, pipe, tip, mix, five, side, hike
  
• Scrambled Versions of Words: ddi, nif, ckip, ilne, pepi, pti, xmi, ivef, sedi, ekih

Comprehension: Topic and Relevant Details (click on the link to see the activity)

This week our class will be focusing again on the important skills covered during the last five weeks. Here are some activities you can do with your child.

• Read together a short fiction story from a print or digital book.

• Write a few sentences together to summarize the story.

• Ask your child to present the summary as a short speech to family members.