Word science incorporates phonic rules, spelling patterns, and grammar skills.  Each week your child will bring home a list consisting of:

• 5 red words

• 10 rule words

• 5 curriculum words

These need to be practiced for Friday’s test.

Most weeks will begin with a pre test and end with a post test to measure growth.

 

Red words are sight words that do not follow typical phonetic rules and therefore need to be memorized. Throughout the year, students will be assessed on their knowledge of the 60 second-grade red words.

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Rule words follow a specific phonetic rule as well as the grammar goal for the week.  The focus is to learn the phonetic pattern (not memorize the specific words).  This will allow them to apply this skill to new words they encounter in their daily reading and writing.

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Curriculum words are chosen by each teacher based upon current units of study.  These are optional words that children can learn and are provided as an additional challenge.

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Review words are given to assess retention of the previous weeks' phonetic rules.  These lists consist of an assortment of words chosen from the previous weeks' lists.  There are no pre tests or practice exercises on these weeks, just one assessment to measure retention.  (Although, that assessment might indicate the need for review of a particular phonetic rule.). These lists will be given every seven to eight weeks.

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The phonic rules covered in 2nd grade follow a developmental progression as follows:

• short vowels

• digraphs (e.g. ch, sh, th)

• blends (e.g. tr-, pl-, -mp, -sk)

• common long vowels (e.g. o-e, ea, oa)

• other vowels (e.g. ou, ir, or)

• endings (e.g -es, -ed)

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Grammar skills covered in 2nd grade include the following:

• Sentence formation

  • Capital letters

  • Punctuation

• Nouns

  • proper, plural, possessive

• Adjectives

• Verbs, Adverbs

• Subject/Predicate

• Contractions

• Prefix/Suffix

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