YEAR TWO

OVERVIEW

Second graders live in two realms at once. They continue to live in a rich imaginative world. At the same time they are becoming increasingly, though not completely, aware of self and others. The curriculum addresses this duality with two types of stories: fables and legends of tzadikim from Chumash and Midrash. Human foibles come to light as animal traits in fables as well as human traits of characters in stories of Chumash. Students delight in the antics of the trickster and ponder the meaning of a story that doesn’t necessarily always end happily for every character, thus reinforcing the causeeffect brain connections. Legends provide the picture of a human being who has mastered the temptation to indulge base instinct. The relation of these tzaddikim, both men and women as well as to animals is of particular interest to second graders. Bedtime stories told by parents play an important role in fostering children’s imagination and nurturing family connections creating memories for life. With increased awareness, social issues grow more complex giving second graders the chance to practice self-control and problem-solving skills in resolving conflicts. Students are asked to play a supportive role in group activities when possible, to participate with a positive attitude even when the task is challenging.

The three-part progression from story through recall to concept continues in secondgrade. Students participate in writing stories they have heard and copy them into books, which will be read. At the same time awareness of sound and symbol is reinforced in games and speech exercises that emphasize vowel and consonant blends and word families (phonograms). Main lessons of Torah Math include work with larger numbers and an introduction to place value mainly by working with Sefer Bereshit and Bamidbar. Multiplication tables and number facts continue to be emphasized. Lessons in natural science and social studies include nature walks, walks into the neighborhood, and stories. The day lengthens in second grade to include more practice, development of skills, movement, and games. Spanish is taught as a second language, elements of eurhythmy, games, and handwork. In music exercises students are becoming proficient at playing the pentatonic flute. Painting and drawing are an integral part of most lessons. In second grade some students will be making their first tentative steps into reading books in print. Others will be rapidly forging their way through chapter books. The parent will expect these differences and address them with appropriate reading material and opportunities for students to read at their own level of comfort. During the year each second grader will undergo an evaluation of his or her development. These assessments helps ensure continued healthy school progress.

SKILLS BY SUBJECT AREA

MIDOT

In Grade Two, students should: • Continue to develop social skills initiated in first grade: respect for parents as well as parent as a teacher, respect for friends and group mates (if study groups are available), ability to adapt the needs of the self to the needs of a larger group (if group lessons are available). • Contribute to the family by doing choirs, helping others, being willing to do what is asked • Begin to work individually and cooperatively within small groups (if group lessons are available) • Work on proper Derech Eretz skills/Manners • Begin to work with process to resolve conflicts • Develop listening skills and empathy.

TEFILAH

By the end of Year Two, students will: • build on what they learned during year one by adding passages to the Tefilot that have learned. • learn the order of prayers on Shabbat and Holidays. • recite by memory a minimum of the first two parts of each section of Tefilah adding for the first parts of Tefilot that require standing (Amidah, Aleinu, and some others).

TORAH STUDIES/CHAGIM

Adapted and expanded stories from Chumash are told to students following the Yearly Parsha and Chagim Calendar. By the end of Year Two, students will know by heart selected parts of first paragraphs of Chumash Parshiyot through sing along method.

TEHILIM

Students will learn and memorize additional 20 tehilim used during prayers during the week and on Shabbat.

SHULCHAN ARUCH (Gifted Program Option)

Basic rules of Shulchan Aruch studies will be taught to students such as 39 Melachot, Rules of Shabbat and Chaggim, Laws of Food and Kashrut. It is best if parents teach those rules to their children as part of their daily activities to create connections for real life applications.

OBSERVATION ART

During Year Two, an art of observation is added to the curriculum to start training students in this important art of life.

By the end of Year Two, students should learn to: - find a lost object in a room full of things - tell apart small details on compared images - find hidden objects in nature during nature walks as well as during Jewish Holidays games such as Chametz and Afikoman Search before and during Pesach.

LANGUAGE ARTS

Towards the end of Year Two, students should be able to: Demonstrate listening, memory, and comprehension through story recall • Use and expand vocabulary from stories • Follow directions • Memorize poems, songs, rhymes, rhythms, and verses learned by imitation and individual as well as group recitations • Participate in group plays (if available) • Speak with clear articulation and connected gesture • Recognize, write, and read upper case, lower case, and printed letters (cursive writing often introduced by the end of the year) (upon parents’ discretion of child’s reading readiness) • Place words in appropriate spatial arrangement on the page; write with decreasing size and increasing accuracy and neatness • Participate in composing a synopsis of a story to be copied and illustrated in the main lesson books • Compose simple sentences, knowing that a sentence begins with a capital, ends with a period, names a subject, and tells what it does • Take simple dictation (emerging spelling skills) • Read self-constructed sentences, show enthusiasm for books, interpret pictures for meaning, eye tracking right to left (for Hebrew) and left to right (for European languages) • Read and write simple word families (cat, rat, sat, like, bike, etc.) • Read and write basic “sight” words (the, who, one, etc.) • Develop working knowledge of phonics: long and short vowel sounds, diphthongs (aw, ow, ew, oy, etc.), vowel and consonant blends • Begin reading books at a level appropriate for the student (a wide variety of ability is expected).

TORAH MATH

Towards the end of Year Two, students should be able to: • Recognize and write numbers 1–100 • Master counting by twos, threes, fours, fives, tens, elevens • Begin counting by six, seven, eight, nine, and twelve forward and backward • Write times tables (12=4x3; 4x3=12 etc.) • Write calculations in all four operations (move to vertical structure) • Practice using place value • Add and subtract up to three columns of numbers with regrouping • Multiply two- and three-digit numbers by a one-digit multiplier • Practice mental calculations in all four operations • Practice situation problems presented orally (may be written) • Count with money• Understand time: basic structure of Jewish and Gregorian calendar, months, days of the week • Recognize odd and even numbers.

NATURAL SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES

By the end of Year Two, students will: • Experience local environment and nature through nature walks, gardening, and nature stories • Discuss characteristics of animals through fables • Sharpen capacities of observation.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES (HEBREW, SPANISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, RUSSIAN)

By the end of Year Two, a student’s active vocabulary should include: • Know the months, seasons, and vocabulary from nature • Know a number of songs, verses, and rhymes by heart • Respond to simple questions about themselves • Take a picture dictation • Point out/name different items in their environment • Family members • Numbers up to 20 • Respond to simple commands and basic questions.

MUSIC

the end of Year Two, students should be able to: • Sing and play (flute) pentatonic melodies and some folksongs • Play a melody previously sung or heard (play songs by ear) • Begin spatial experience of high and low notes, showing pitch of notes with hands • Increase finger dexterity on flutes • Maintain a beat • Master increasingly complex clapping, walking, and dancing patterns.

ART

In Grade Two, students should be able to: • Increase visual motor capacity with more complex form drawings, balancing symmetries (add horizontal symmetries) • Begin cursive writing with moving line exercises (loops and curls) • Draw simple geometric figures freehand colors • Express aspects of three-dimensionality in sculpture (beeswax or clay) • Follow guided drawings from the blackboard with increasing mastery of block crayons, begin to free render drawings from stories presented.

HANDWORK AND COOKING

By the end of Grade Two, students should be able to: • Purl (stockinet stitch) with confidence • Crochet (chain stitch, single crochet) with confidence • Create clear geometrical shapes while crocheting • Recognize and fix minor knitting mistakes (purl vs. knit stitch) • Count with confidence and recognize mistakes in their crochet • Further develop dexterity in the hands to learn to work with their dominant hand • Know basic techniques of challah braiding with 3 and 4 braids for rectangular and round challah • Participate in family and friends’ challah bakes • Practice peeling fruits and vegetables with a peeler under adult supervision • Participate in baking hamentaschen for Purim and cakes for Shabbat • Learn main spices and how they affect food flavors.

BASIC EURHYTHMY/ORIENTATION IN SPACE

In Grade Two, students should be able to: • Know right from left • Walk: spiral, triangle, square, curve, and straight lines; copper rod exercises (if available) • Walk forms around playmates (parents can try to implement these exercises in the form of play between all siblings) • Move in mirror to each other—Cassini curve • Move vowel gestures to music • Explore anapest rhythm through Torah poetry • Clap rhythms and move them with feet. • Work in two circles, inner and outer, short dance • Work in pairs (if group play is available).

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

In Grade Two, students should be able to: • Ride a bicycle and scooter • Know body geography (right, left, front, back, above, below) • Play games that involve coordination and taking aim • Do basic acrobatics like somersaulting, tumbling, and rolling. • Learn basic breathing techniques for management of emotions and stress • Jump rope: forward, backward, with crossovers, individually and partner • Climb a tree, rope ladder, monkey bars. * *It is important to teach girls awareness of tzniut in a gentle playful way while engaging in physical exercise at the public outdoors playgrounds.