This is going to be such a great year! This page will help parents and students stay informed about and keep up with everything going on at school. Check in to learn about homework, events, class needs, fun websites, and more!

Something that I have been especially focusing on is the use of technology in the classroom! All students come into my class with different levels of computer ability, but by the end of the year we will all have many new skills. The students will become familiar with PowerPoint and will use this program for many projects and activities. I have a lot of experience using and teaching with this program. Along with PowerPoint, students will use a word processing program to type up their work, practice spelling and vocabulary, and much more. There are many creative ways to integrate this into your classroom. Additionally, many internet sites are appropriate and fun to use as class work and practice. Students can play games online individually, or I can use the computer on the T.V. screen to play a game whole class or small group. I have also created many games using PowerPoint as a fun way to practice skills in any subject. Take a look at my Millionaire Vocabulary game under reading if you want to see an example! As you can tell by my photo album, I also love to take pictures in the classroom and will include them in monthly class letters and e-mails. Lastly, I use an ELMO in my classroom, which magnifies documents so that everyone in the class can see them on the board- which greatly simplifies whole class lessons. Students will also work with the ELMO at times to show each other their work or ideas.

Throughout our language class, we will be learning specific skills that are necessary to be a good writer and reader. Every week has a specific set of skills to be learned, building off of what was taught previously. These often link directly to the Harcourt reading selection for that week.

Here are some websites to practice second grade skills!
-word wizard
-Harcourt language practice

Good math practice!
*IXL math is great for practice during any unit. I can check student activity and progress on my account, so I would love to see you working at home!

*When we are learning time, bang on the clock is a great way to practice time before and after the hour.

*practice graphing skills and create a graph at home! Use any data you can find- amount of soup, pasta, and vegetables in your cupboard, your friends' favorite sports, etc! Be creative!

Beneath are resources to inform pedagogy.

Click to learn more about:

-Indiana state standards
-computer assisted instruction
-techtorial
-reading instruction
-graphic organizers

Multimedia resources:
Create together
Pixie

Click below to learn more about available assistive technology:
-assistive technology for individuals with learning disabilities
-attainment company is a website that provides materials for all kinds of impairments. This is recommended for parents, teachers, and special education teachers, and adults with disabilities.

We read such a variety of stories in our classrooms. Within the Harcourt reading series, the students are introduced to many different kinds of texts from all genres. Within these books are specific comprehension questions which practice the different levels of thinking and engaging with text. The stories are all incredibly enjoyable. The students will interact extensively with each one through games, discussion, worksheets, writing, and much more.

To further engage with these texts, or for suggested second grade reading, see below.
* Harcourt reading website
* Suggested books

I am very excited for spelling this year. Many students find this subject boring and monotonous, but I try to make it fun and educational! We play games, sing, chant, and much more. Below are some links for students to practice their spelling at home!

Websites:
Spelling game
Spelling Practice

Valparaiso University
Joanie Haseman