Mr Mock Grade 2 (December, 2021)

Final Blends (Phonics)

In this week’s phonics lesson, students began learning about final blends. A final blend is two consonants that make one sound.  We see final blends in words such as belt, wasp, gift, gold, hand, lamp, limb, milk, plant and stamp. On the first day, students viewed a PowerPoint with the teacher to learn how to read and pronounce each word. Students then copied the words in their books so they could practice at home.

On the second day, student leaders helped the class review the ending blends using the PowerPoint. Then students practiced blends by playing tic-tac toe.  They wrote the blends down on their whiteboard and every time they made an x or o they read the blends.

On the third day students made a book of notes with final blends.  They had to cut out and glue blends for each final blend then read their blends to a partner.

For the final lesson students played walking dictation.  For this activity, one student walked to various places in the room and read final blends.  That student then walked back to their partner and read the blend to their partner who wrote the blends down on their whiteboard.  While students did this, the teacher listened to students read the blends with their partner. Students received stars when they finished this activity.

Thanks to a lot of fun and different activities, the students enjoyed learning phonics this week.

Mr Ryan  Grade 2  (December, 2021)

Comparatives and Superlatives (Magical Adjectives)

In Grade 2, we begin to learn about comparing nouns (i.e. people, places, things and animals) by using comparative and superlative adjectives. (Comparatives are words such as bigger or smaller, and superlatives are words such as biggest or smallest.)

These are useful words the children can use to describe things in their everyday life!

Firstly, the students watched a song that introduces the topic in an easy way. We paused and practiced reading the different adjectives and their comparative and superlative forms.

Secondly, the teacher introduced the spelling rules for each of the grammar concepts and provided example superlative and comparative adjectives. The students identified adjectives and we discussed how the endings change when they are used as comparatives or superlatives.

The Rules: We discussed and practiced the normal rule, whereby -er or -est is added; i.e. small, smaller, smallest. Then the students learnt about the exception words, which have different endings i.e. happy, happier, happiest.

Main Activity: The students created an animal-themed poster, using examples of comparatives and superlatives. An example could be ‘a dog is smaller than an elephant!’ The students drew pictures of their chosen nouns and wrote the sentences underneath. Encouragement was given to make an illustrated poster which would grab the reader’s attention!

 The best student work was rewarded at the end of class! Here are some examples of the students’ great work! 

Ms B Grade 2 (December, 2021)

Clothes and Seasons

This Semester, Grade 2 students are learning about the four seasons. We started by learning their names – winter, spring, summer, and autumn. Then, we learned about the weather in each season. We were then able to discuss the appropriate clothing to wear in each season. First, we sang the song “The Four Seasons” and reviewed the season names, as well as the weather vocabulary students know. Then, we sang the song “Put on Your Shoes” and students guessed the season depicted in the song based on the outdoor clothes mentioned. Using a PPT, we practiced the clothing vocabulary. We then used the dialogue, “What can you wear in (season)?” “In (season) I can wear (clothing).” Every student had a chance to speak. Students were given a worksheet with the image of a person. They chose one season and drew the appropriate clothing on their image. They then wrote five sentences about their picture. They used the same sentence structure as the practiced dialogue. “In (season) I can wear (clothing). The students enjoyed drawing and coloring the clothing and showing their work to their teachers and friends.

Students really like talking about the seasons. We will continue with other aspects about the seasons, including foods, activities, special days and events in each season. 

Mr James   Grade 2  (December, 2021)

Working with Adjectives

Introduction: Most of our students know some adjectives from the past year(s) of learning English.  The aim of the class is to expand their adjective vocabulary and to ensure the students are comfortable using them in sentences.

The Hook: As an engaging opening to the class, we sang an adjectives song and a read a musical chant together.

Lead-in: First, we looked at some pictures together and read sentences describing the pictures. Students then identified the adjectives in the sentences.  The students were asked to give adjectives to describe different images, and we practised using these in sentences.  We then played a “guess the animal” game. Some students described an animal using adjectives, and the others had to guess what that animal is. e.g. “It is tall, yellow, and brown spotted.” = “It’s a giraffe!”

Main Activity: The challenge was to create beautiful adjectives posters for our classroom display, annotated with descriptive sentences. Various adjectives vocabulary cards were placed on the tables for the students to use.  The students drew pictures and then labelled them. For example: a butterfly, labelled with “This is a beautiful butterfly.”

Plenary: To conclude the class, some students were chosen at random to present their posters to the class. We asked the presenters “What’s this?” Presenters then replied with their descriptive sentences.

Revisit: Later in the week, we read the story “Big Bad Wolf is Good,” by Simon Puttock. The students pointed out the numerous adjectives in the story, and re-read the sentences with the identified adjectives.

Reflection: The lesson was a success! Students, who initially struggled with using adjectives in sentences, are now more comfortable using them. The students have also expanded their “adjectives” vocabulary bank, and we will encourage them to use adjectives in their future work.

Ms Kay  Grade 2  (November, 2021)

Writing – Adding Details

In Grade 2, we begin to learn how to do journal writing. Every week, the students get a chance to write about what they did on the weekend. We begin our writing class by reviewing what we have done for the past few weeks. In the first sentence, the students practice writing down the activity they did during the weekend while also answering when, with whom, and where. The next sentences they have learned to use in their journal writing involves the students describing the weather, the clothes they wore, and the things they saw. After reviewing, the students practiced writing down about their weekend, using descriptions when necessary.

Next, they learn three more sentences that they can utilize in their journal writing. They learn how to write about what they bought, ate, and drank on the weekend. They learn what each of these words mean, and how to complete these sentences, using examples. After discussing each of these sentence starters, the students take the time to practice writing these three sentences. The finished writing consists of seven sentences that give details and descriptions to their weekend. This process not only helps build their writing skills, but it helps them to feel more confident about being able to write many sentences! Next semester, they will further develop their writing and write longer and more detailed stories.

Ms. B Grade 2 (November 2020)

Learning Dolch Words

Each week, we learn new sight words to help students improve their reading and writing. At the beginning of grade two, we review the Dolch Pre-primer words the students learned in grade one. We review eight words every week. We begin by reading the list of words together as a class. The teacher models reading the word, and then using the word in a sentence. Then, the students make sentences using each word. Four or five students make a sentence for each word, every day. The teacher uses cards with each child’s name to ensure that all students get an equal opportunity to speak. Once they have practiced making sentences orally, the students write in their notebooks. The teacher displays a sentence with missing words on the screen. The students have three minutes to copy the sentence, filling in the blanks with the words of their choice. This helps the teacher learn which students understand how to use the word correctly. The teacher and TA circulate throughout the room to help students when needed. They check that students use correct capitalization and punctuation in their sentences, and that they are writing neatly. They also ask students to read their sentences aloud. When they are completely finished writing, students spend a few minutes checking their work and correcting mistakes. The teacher makes a final check of the work at the end of the class.

Mr. Mock Grade 2  (November 2020)

Human Body

The students of Grade 2 have been studying the human body. The goal was for students were to use their knowledge of human body parts to make a monster using body parts independently.   

 First the teacher explained we would be learning about the human body.  Next, we learned human body vocabulary and practiced pronouncing the vocabulary correctly.  Then the teacher read various non-fiction books about the human body.  Then we labeled the parts of the face and the human body. After that the students labeled the parts of the face and the body.

Next, we looked at various monsters and identified there body parts. The student learnt how to draw a monster and how to include various body parts. After that students drew a monster and identified the various body parts of their monsters such as mouth, eyes and ears. Then they colored their monster and shared it with a partner using the vocabulary they had learned.

Finally, to get ready for Halloween and to review the body parts, we made a skeleton and labeled the body parts. By being able to label the parts of a skeleton, a human body, and a monster, students showed they really knew the parts of the body.

When students were finished some of them presented their monsters to the class, the monster with body parts is complete!

Mr. Kevin Grade 2 (October 2020)

Phonics Lesson

In this week’s phonics lesson, students began learning about s-blends. We see s-blends in words such as swam, skin, slug, scar, step, smell, star, span, spot and snail. On the first day, students listened to an s-blends song and had to try to remember as many words as possible. They then viewed a PowerPoint with the teacher to learn how to pronounce each word. Students then copied the words in their books so they could practice at home.

On the second day, students read a story containing a number of s-blends. After reading the story together as a class, students got their own copy of the book and then had to find and underline all the s-blends in their books.

On the third day, students practiced writing the different s-blend words on their whiteboards. First the teacher would call out five words and students had to write them down. Next, a student volunteer got to pick and call out the 5 s-blend words for the whole class. Then, students got to find one or more friends and practice writing and calling the phonics words.

For the final phonics class of the week, students reviewed all the s-blends they had learned that week and then played s-blend bingo. Bingo winners got to take stamps and table points.

With lots of different and fun activities the students enjoy learning their phonics each week.

Mr. James Grade 2 (October, 2020)

I want to be a Super Hero! Teaching People Nouns

Introduction

Nouns are an essential and exciting part of the English language. A “Noun” is a word that names something, and in Grade 2 grammar classes, we categorise nouns into “People,” “Places,” “Things” and “Animals.” This class focussed on “People,” and their professions.

The Hook

As an engaging opening to the class, we watched and sang the fun Schoolhouse Rock “Nouns Song.

Lead-in

As a review of our first nouns class the previous week, volunteers helped us sort “people,” “places” and “things” on the OHP.  Then, the students enjoyed identifying nouns in sentences. Students raised hands to show which word they thought was the answer.

Main Activity 1

We had a group discussion on the carpet about people in our lives. Students volunteered people they knew, and they guessed who others were in an on-screen quiz. Students then identified how certain people helped us in our daily lives.

Main Activity 2

Various job roles were shown on the board, and some volunteers used the sentence pattern “When I grow up, I want to be a ________,” to tell the class their chosen future profession. Students then wrote the sentence pattern in their books and drew pictures of themselves in the job roles they chose.

Plenary

To conclude, I asked some students to present their work to the class and tell us why they chose their respective career.

Revisit

Later in the week, we read the story “Maisy Goes to the City” by Lucy Cousins. The students answered questions about the people they saw and the roles they had in society.

Reflection

The lesson was a success, and students who struggled with understanding how to use nouns, are now more comfortable using them in their work.

Ms. Kay Grade 2  (October, 2020)

School Supplies Robot

In Grade 2, we start out the year reviewing and learning about the different supplies the students will interact with throughout the year. Some of these supplies include pencil, eraser, and scissors. The students watch a video and sing along to the song, utilizing their English skills by saying each of the supplies out loud.

The teacher then teaches the students about the school supplies that they are not familiar with, such as a stapler and sticky tape. Then, we practice saying them out loud.

They get a chance to show how much they have learned about these different objects through a game. Each of the five teams competes to see who can identify the supplies the best.

After a couple of weeks of learning, reviewing, and practicing, the students, then, get to show their creative side. They get a chance to draw a picture, but there is one rule they must follow. Their picture has to be made up of school supplies!

They get a chance to see different examples from previous years to help stimulate their imagination. They spend time drawing out their picture, and they label the different objects that they used to create their own School Supplies Robot.

The results not only show how creative each child is, but it also shows how unique they are, too!

Mr. Kevin's Grade 2 Class (April 2019)

Learning about Reptiles

The students began their theme unit on animals by getting together with a partner and completing a cut and glue sorting activity. The challenge was to sort a number of animals into groups based on similarities and differences. Some students sorted animals based on size, number of legs, diet, or how they move. Students then had a chance to present their ideas to the class. In the next class, students learned that the scientists who study animals divide them into groups based on common characteristics. These groups are mammals, reptiles, fish, birds and amphibians.

Students then learned the common characteristics shared by all reptiles. For example, all reptiles have scales and all reptiles lay eggs. We then looked at a number of animals and students were asked to explain whether or not the animal was a reptile. Students gave answers like, “A frog is not a reptile because frogs to not have scales” or “A snake is a reptile because it moves along the ground, lays eggs and has scales”.

Lastly, students worked alone or with a partner to create a reptile poster. Students listed all the characteristics common to reptiles and also gave some examples of animals that are reptiles. All of the students had a great time learning about reptiles!

Ms. King's Grade 2 Class (March 2019)

Let It Rain!

The students in our class have been learning about the water cycle this month.  The students demonstrated what happens in rain clouds using shaving cream and blue food coloring.

First, the class discussed different types of precipitation (rain and snow) and our vocabulary for the water cycle (evaporation, condensation and precipitation).  Then, the students practiced dialogues about the weather and made posters in class about the water cycle.

The class was ready to demonstrate what happens in the clouds before it rains! In our classroom demonstration, when the shaving cream “cloud” can no longer absorb the blue water, gravity pulls the blue water down and it starts to “rain”. The students also had to estimate how many drops of blue water their cloud would hold and then determine how many drops the cloud actually held.

First, the students made a cloud using shaving cream.  Next, they estimated how many drops of blue water their cloud might hold.  The students used a paintbrush to add blue water to the shaving cream “cloud”, counting the drops as they were added.  Once the “cloud” was saturated, the blue water drops started to “rain” in the cup. The students wrote down the actual number of drops their cloud held. 

Some students noticed that the larger shaving cream “clouds” needed more drops of blue water to start the “rain”. Finally, the students discussed the cloudy weather outside and predicted that it would rain soon when the clouds had more water droplets and were “full”. It was a fun time experimenting and learning about how rain is formed.

Mr. James' Grade 2 Class (March 2019)

My Family & Me - Teaching Family Members Vocabulary

In Grade Two, most of our students know the words mother, father, sister, brother, grandfather and grandmother, but they have not learnt others such as aunt and uncle, grandson, granddaughter and cousin. The aim of the class is to ensure that they are familiar with these terms, so that they can use them in their speaking and writing. As an engaging opening to the class, we sang some family songs together. The students then shared all the family members they knew, and drew pictures of them on the board. This was good fun!

As an added layer of difficulty, students were asked to describe the family members using adjectives. Students then drew their own family members in their books, and wrote sentences about them. Once the children were comfortable with the vocabulary, they were asked to create family trees. We first looked at the teacher’s family tree online and discussed the relationships. Then we reviewed the vocabulary with a Simpsons family PowerPoint. The students used this to help them create their own family trees in their books.

To conclude the class, we played a Question and Answer PowerPoint Game to test their knowledge. We also played a fun game of family charades. Later in the week, we read the story “Dracula and his Family” by Gaia Lerace. The students answered questions about Dracula’s family and described the monsters they saw. The lesson was a success, and students who struggled with the family members vocabulary beforehand, are now comfortable using them in their work. 

Mr. Mock's Grade 2 Class (March 2019)

Graphing Fun

Our students have been making bar graphs to work on their English mathematical skills. The goal was for students to complete their own bar graph independently.   

First, the teacher explained we would be learning about bar graphs. Then we watched a short video about them.  Next, the teacher made a bar graph for the students and showed them the proper way to make the graph. Then the students chose their favorite season and asked questions related to the season graph.

Next, we made a bar graph together asking student what color flower they liked the most. The teacher filled in part of the bar graph with the students and then they finished the bar graph independently.  To review, the teacher asked questions about the graph. At the end of this part of the lesson, several students showed the class their completed bar graph.

After that students made their own graph from two options. The students could choose to make a bar graph about the weather or their favorite specials class. They started by making a tally chart to record their data. After that, they asked other students in English their question and recorded their answers on the tally chart. Next, they used the date from their tally charts to complete their bar graphs.

When students were finished, some of the students presented their graphs to the class. The bar graph process is complete! Whilst learning about graphing, the students were also practicing a lot of day to day English and learning some new English vocabulary and having fun! 

Ms. B's Grade 2 Class (March 2019)

Fun with Phonics

This semester we are learning about digraphs. This week, we learned about the digraph /ch/. On Monday, we sang a song to introduce the new sounds. We made a list of words with the /ch/ sound the students heard in the song. Then, we read the story Chip the Chimp together. The students were able to find and decode words in the story with the /ch/ sound. Throughout the week, they looked in this book to underline the words with this sound so they can decode them for homework.

Later in the week, we read the story together again to make sure that all of the students have found all of the words. We also practiced decoding words with the new sound throughout the week. We read them together first, and then practice decoding them. Every student gets to try decoding new words individually every day. They then write the new words in their phonics notebooks so they can read them for homework. We also played computer games that help students practice the /ch/ sound. Students enjoy participating in these games and showing off their knowledge of new sounds. 

Mrs. Palfreyman's Grade 2 Class (Nov 2017)

Introducing the Four Seasons

First, the teacher explained the different seasons in a year and which months belong to which season.  The students were asked to identify and repeat the names of each season and the teacher recorded them on the whiteboard for later use. The students then listened to the teacher read a children’s story book called “The Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter” by Evelyn Scott.  Throughout the book the teacher would ask “What do you see the bears do in summer/winter?” The children took turns pointing out things they saw the bears doing in each season.

After reading the story, the class viewed a power point illustrating each season through multiple pictures. The teacher also used flashcards to introduce different activities people can do during that season. The students were asked to identify activities they liked, what the weather was like, and things they saw in that particular season. Students used this time to practice the dialogue “What can you do in __________?” “In _____ I can ______.”

After the class examined each season through pictures and flashcards, we did a power point activity. This power point showed only a small section of a picture. The students had to try and guess which season was hiding. Lastly, the students were given a whiteboard and marker for an activity called “Name the season.”  For this activity the teacher would say a phrase such as “In this season I can build a snowman.” or “In this season I see many baby animals.” With the help of the names of the seasons written on the board the students wrote the name of the correct season on their whiteboard. The first table with each student writing the correct answers received a point. This activity was a great introduction to the seasons and a way for the teacher to identify the previous knowledge the students had of the seasons in the year. 

Mr. James' Grade 2 Class (Oct 2017)

Halloween Question Words: Who? What? When? Where?

Questions words such as who, what, when and where are different from yes / no questions because they ask for specific information. We use who to ask questions about people. We use what to ask about things or actions. When is used to ask about times which can be specific or general. Where is used to ask about places.

Halloween is a great opportunity to teach the question words!

As an engaging opening to the class to grab the interest and attention of the students, we reviewed Halloween characters using the GENKI Halloween application. The children were very excited about the witches, wizards and werewolves on screen! We then sang the GENKI Halloween song, which we have been learning in class.

To refresh the students’ minds, we reviewed the WWWW questions to ensure we understood the meaning. Then the teacher and the students asked some questions about the Halloween characters, such as ‘What is it?’ and ‘What does it look like?’ Teacher modelled selecting a character and writing and answering WWWW questions about that character. The teacher selected the vampire, and wrote questions such as ‘Who will it eat?’ and ‘Where does it live?’, then answered the questions ‘It will eat students!’ and ‘It lives in a castle’.

Students then selected their own characters and wrote and answered their own questions about those characters.  The teacher visited tables in turn and supported their writing and understanding.  The students produced some excellent work, writing questions with correct punctuation and answering using imaginative thoughts.

Randomly selected students were chosen to present their work to the class in order to finish the class and review what they had learnt and practised. Students’ names were called using a deck of cards with their names. Those students asked their questions to the group, and the group answered them accordingly. The lesson was a success, and even students who struggled with the WWWW questions beforehand, are now comfortable using them in their speaking and writing. 

Ms. B's Grade 2 Class (Oct 2017)

Phonics - Reviewing Short Vowel Sounds

At the beginning of the school year, we review one short vowel sound the students learned in grade one every week. This week, we were at the point where we reviewed all of the short vowel sounds. First, we sang a song called Vowel Bat which practices all five short vowel sounds. The students enjoy singing it, and it compels them to differentiate between these five challenging sounds. Then, we read a story on Starfall.com called Peg and the Box which incorporates all of these sounds. We listened to the computer read the story first. Then, the students repeated the sentence together. Lastly, students read each sentence in small groups and individually.

This allowed the teacher to correct pronunciation when necessary. Every student had a chance to read at least one sentence by the end of the lesson. Then, we looked for specific sounds in each sentence. Students were invited to find the words on the page which make the short vowel sounds. When a student identified a word correctly, we would sound it out together. After we had finished reading the story, the students did some independent work. They looked for words with the short vowel sounds they had practiced and wrote these words on their whiteboards. They had ten minutes to find as many words as they could. When they were finished, several students shared their work with the class. We found mistakes together and students with errors erased them from their board.  The class cleaned up while listening to one of the short vowel songs they have practiced. This is a great way to practice and review Grade 1 phonics!