Second Grade
	Second grade begins a child's journey through IDS Lower School. Building on the skills acquired in Early Childhood, the students grow into more responsible and independent learners through a comprehensive curriculum that incorporates instruction in fundamental reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, and research skills, cooperative learning and hands-on activities. Here, as well as throughout IDS, we honor the principles of Responsive Classroom, and nurture the full social, emotional, and learning potential of each child. Second grade students continue with the Everyday Mathematics curriculum introduced in first grade. Through the prescribed sequence of instruction, students expand on the skills and concepts acquired in first grade, while cyclically revisiting concepts throughout the year. This builds a firm foundation of mathematical skills and concepts that is reinforced through diverse, multi-sensory games and activities that offer authentic real-life connections. A fraction garden of flowers, tangram puzzles and Math Olympics provide valuable opportunities for children to use fractions, play with geometric shapes, and actively employ other math skills in fun, firsthand ways. Through these lessons and activities we develop confident problem solvers capable of using their growing mathematical reasoning skills. The second grade reading curriculum encourages greater reading fluency, vocabulary development and comprehension through a rich and balanced literacy program. Given small group instruction with daily reading and listening, children enjoy a wide variety of texts, including fiction and non-fiction leveled readers and choice chapter books. Lessons are taken from the Open Court anthology and Wright Group leveled readers. Children become independent and enthusiastic readers who apply literal and inferential comprehension skills during class discussions and in written responses. Our second grade spelling program, an integral component of the curriculum, follows the scope and sequence of Fundations to build phonics skills. For children already proficient in phonics, we introduce an alternative course, Wordly Wise, to expand their vocabulary. Second graders write across all areas of the curriculum, demonstrating their reading comprehension and strengthening composition skills. They craft their work around the pillars of good writing established in the Empowering Writers program. The students learn what makes for engaging narratives, how to incorporate vibrant detail, and to add structure and sequence in their writing to achieve an effectively written effort. They self-edit with an eye on grammar and mechanics. Handwriting skills are practiced using Handwriting Without Tears. The source of some of our best writing comes from our explorations in Social Studies. Here we explore early Native American cultures through field trips, crafts, literature, and the study of key historical and cultural aspects of these first nations. The students generate questions that guide their independent research and create a visual representation of the culture to share during a community presentation. Whether students are researching primitive Native American cultures, mapping community spaces, or are learning about the first residents that settled Middlefield and Durham, they are making choices about their learning and developing their writing skills. The second grade curriculum fosters an appreciation and understanding of our community and the world by participating in many service projects that are organized at each grade level.  In addition to the second grade core subjects, classes in Spanish, Physical Education, Art, Science and Music compliment our curriculum and complete our weekly schedule.