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Summer, 2015
Dear Rising Second Graders and Parents,
We are thrilled to know you will be joining the St. George’s Independent School family. Soon
your child will be enjoying their second grade experience. During the summer we promote a
healthy balance for our students, with the main objective of this time being to rest, rejuvenate
and spend time with family and friends.
While we advocate a robust respect for time and balance, educational research indicates that
the equivalent of at least one month of learning loss can take place during the summer months
(Cooper et al, 2003). To protect your child’s academic growth, you will find outlined below
the required practice for some of the important academic skills that were learned this year. We
recommend that you create a routine encompassing these activities, so that the practice is well
paced and meaningful. By doing so, you can further ensure that your child is confident and
prepared as he/she enters the next school year in August.
Reading
Required
Students are required to read a minimum of 10 books throughout the summer. Three of these
books should be at grade level or above; the remaining seven books may be picture or chapter
books. Please help your child with completing the enclosed reading record to include the
book’s title, author, and date completed.
Recommended
Please visit the library portion of our website under recommended reading for additional
websites with suggested book titles. Also visit www.amazon.com to read School Library Journal
or Booklist reviews on any of the books to aid in your selection process.
Book Adventure is a helpful online resource for students to continue practicing the important
skill of reading comprehension. Similar to our Accelerated Reader® program, students can
search for interesting summer reading books, and take practice quizzes. Log onto
www.bookadventure.com for more information.
Writing
Required
Students are required to write four question sentences about what they most want to know
about second grade. Each sentence should include a minimum of six words. Please remind
your child to use capitals at the beginning, and question marks at the end of each sentence. If
your child has trouble with a word, have him/her sound it out. It is alright if the spelling is
not exact.
Recommended
Keep a journal of how you have spent your summer days.
Math
Required
When school starts in the fall, second grade students will have an addition and subtraction fact
timed test each week. Students will have 20 facts to answer in 60 seconds. According to
NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics), “Automatic recall of math facts is
essential for students to advance ad master higher mathematical reasoning.”
Students will use IXL to practice their math facts over the summer. Using their customized
username and password to access IXL, an online math practice program, students are required
to practice addition and subtraction skill sets, along with four additional math skills (as
outlined on the attached page). If you have questions or concerns about any aspect of the IXL
online math practice requirement, please do not hesitate to contact me, Allison BetchickHarber, Elementary Division Director, at 261-2300.
Recommended
Be sure to see the helpful tips and website links in the math review packet for extra
information on how to keep the fun of math alive over the summer. Having fun with IXL?
Feel free to continue practicing any first grade skill listed on the site.
Enclosed is helpful information providing specific details of the requirements listed above.
Summer practice will be due to the student’s second grade teacher on Friday, August 21, 2015.
Students who complete all three components of their summer practice will be recognized at the
beginning of the 2014-2015 school year.
Please know that St. George’s is proud to be fostering a community of lifelong learners who
continue to read and educate themselves beyond the school day. You are a key part of that
community and on behalf of the first and second grade teachers, and Mrs. Winstead, we thank
you for joining us as we work together to support our students.
Sincerely,
Allison Betchick-Harber
Elementary Division Director – St. George’s Independent School
Summer Learning Loss: The Problem and Some Solutions, Cooper, Harris (May 2003), from The Clearinghouse on Early
Education and Parenting (CEEP)
St. George’s Rising 2nd Grade – Suggestions for Selecting Books
Fostering a life long love of reading in students is what St. George’s
teachers strive to do each day. Research shows that, in addition to reading
instruction, the more children read independently the higher their reading
gains. When selecting books for your child to read over the summer, please
pay particular attention to your student’s specific reading level.
We have found that a great way for students to be excited about reading is
when they find a favorite series. If you are wondering about the reading
level of a particular book, you can access that information using this link to
the St. George’s Accelerated Reader Bookfinder.
Second grade teachers recommend the following series:
The Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne
My Weird School by Dan Gutman
A to Z Mysteries by Ron Roy
Who Is/Was Biography Series
Mallory by Lauire B. Friedman
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
Box Car Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew by Carolyn Keene The Hardy Boys Secret Files by F. Dixon
In addition, the Simon and Schuster publishing company has created a
fantastic resource with book suggestions given in age range categories.
This tool can be of further assistance in deciding on the best book choices
that interest your child.
St. George’s Rising 2nd Grade Reading Record - Summer 2015
Name:
Homeroom:
Required - Read 3 books, at grade level or above, and 7
additional picture or chapter books of your choosing, for a total
of 10 books minimum.
Please list the title, author (last name), and date completed. Also, make sure you and a parent
sign the back of this form.
Title
Author
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
I have read all the books listed above this summer.
Student Signature:
Parent Signature:
Date Completed
St. George’s Rising 2nd Grade Reading Record - Summer 2015
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
I have read all the books listed above this summer.
Student Signature:
Parent Signature:
What do you want to know??
Are you wondering what second grade will be like? We are sure you are full of
questions! Your new second grade teacher looks forward to answering them during
the first week of school. Write four question sentences below. Be sure that each
sentence is at least 6 – 8 words long. Did you use the right punctuation?
_____________________________________________________________________________
1.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
What do you want to know??
Are you wondering what second grade will be like? We are sure you are full of
questions! Your new second grade teacher looks forward to answering them during
the first week of school. Write four question sentences below. Be sure that each
sentence is at least 6 – 8 words long. Did you use the right punctuation?
_____________________________________________________________________________
3.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
!
Super!
Summer!Math!
2015!
Math!practice!has!never!been!easier!
or!more!engaging!!!We!are!pleased!to!
offer!automated!practice!through!a!!
partnership!with!IXL.com.!
&
Logging&On&
!
Students!have!received!their!own!customized!username!and!password!to!access!IXL.!!
Simply!go!to!www.ixl.com/signin/sgis,!have!your!child!enter!their!username!and!password,!
and!start!the!fun.!
!
Required&Skills&to&Practice&
!
Practice!and!earn!a!minimum!SmartScore!of!80!on!the!following!1st&grade!skills!between!
Saturday,!May!23!and!Friday,!August!21,!2015.!
!
&
Fact&Practice&–&Addition&&&Subtraction&
1.&&Addition&Skillbuilders&
Other&Required&Skills&
3.&&Addition&&&Subtraction&
C.1!through!C.10!
F7!Addition!and!subtraction!sentences:!true!or!false?!
&
2.&&Subtraction&Skillbuilders&
E.1!through!E.10!
!
4.&&Money&
O5!Equivalent!Coins!
&
5.&&Counting&and&Number&Patterns&
A19!Sequences:!count!up!and!down!by!1,!2,!3,!5,!10!
!
6.&&Time&
S4!Times!of!everyday!events!
&
&
&
Having!fun!and!want!to!keep!going?!!Earn!an!80!SmartScore!on!five!additional!1st!grade!
skills!and!earn!a!homework!pass.!!Qualify!for!the!2015!Tough!Enough!soccer!shoot!out!by!
earning!an!80!SmartScore!on!the!most!1st!grade!skills!!
Super!Summer!Math!2015!
!
!
!
Recommended(Skills&to&Practice&
To!compliment!the!required!IXL!practice!skills,!first!and!second!grade!teachers!also!recommend!
the!following!skills!for!additional!practice:!
!
First&Grade&Skills&
!
Addition&&&Subtraction&
F6!
Word!problems!–!mixed!addition!and!subtraction!
!
Money&
O7! Money!word!problems!
O10! Do!you!have!enough!money?!
!
Fractions&
J5!
Parts!of!a!group!
&
!
Time&
Q2! Reading!Clocks!
!
Second&Grade&Skill&
Helpful Tips and Website Links for Math Review
Addition/Subtraction Practice
•
•
•
•
Use or make your own set of flashcards to twelve
Utilize a small dry erase board with dry erase marker to practice facts
Frequent oral drills during car rides
Maintain a math journal where your child can write the facts
http://aplusmath.com/cgi-bin/games/addpicture
http://www.primarygames.com/flashcards/add-subtract/start.htm
Making Change
http://www.funbrain.com/cashreg/index.html
Telling Time
http://www.teachingtime.co.uk/clock2/clockwordsres.html
http://www.primarygames.com/time/start.htm
All Concepts
http://www.abcya.com/first_grade_computers.htm
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