[育儿] What to Expect in 2nd Grade （US）

In 2nd grade children will spend large chunks of class time reviewing skills they've learned in 1st grade. However, teachers will expect seven year olds to be able focus for longer periods of time — and to read at a basic level.
  
Skills Required at the Beginning of 2nd Grade
Your child's teacher will expect her to do the following:

Reading and Writing

Read basic readers
Expand sight word vocabulary
Recall the sequence of events in oral and written stories
Differentiate between fiction and nonfiction stories
Discuss story elements such as plot, character, events, and setting
Identify the main idea and details in a story
Print legibly
Recognize single and plural forms of nouns
Write in complete sentences
Understand basic punctuation
Use descriptive language

Math

Understand greater than, less than, lighter than, heavier than, the same as, etc.
Recognize and write numbers up to 100
Count backwards from any given point from 100
Mentally add numbers to 10
Add and subtract with pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters
Tell time to the hour and half hour
Recognize symmetry in drawings and shapes
Combine shapes to make other shapes
Identify, describe, and reproduce patterns with number, shapes, colors, or words
Use simple graphs to record information
Recognize simple mathematic symbols (e.g. "+", "= ",">","<")
Begin to understand simple fractions

Social Studies

Locate the United States, the seven continents, and the four oceans on a large map or globe
Construct and interpret simple maps with cardinal directions and map key
Demonstrate awareness of current news
Participate in group decision making
Understand traditions that reflect American ideals and influences from diverse cultures within the nation
Create charts and timelines demonstrating an understanding of past and present
Recognize shared values and goals as students in the same community, despite differences in backgrounds

Science

Use tools such as a magnifying glass, ruler, and balancing scale
Learn basic needs of living things by caring for animals in class
Experiment with balls and ramps to investigate forces such as gravity, momentum, and friction
Explore formation of the earth's surface using water, sand, silt, and pebbles
Develop an awareness of the water cycle
Conduct simple experiments; observe and record results
Other Subjects


Art: Mix primary colors to make secondary colors
Music: Use hand percussion instruments to learn rhythmic patterns
Physical Education: Improve eye-hand coordination, balance, flexibility, and ball handling

Skills Acquired During 2nd Grade
Teachers work diligently with 2nd graders so that they'll be able to read fluently for comprehension by the end of the year. Your child's progress during this pivotal time will greatly influence how he views himself as a reader. For that reason, if your child is having trouble, you may want to consider consulting a tutor or reading specialist for the extra help he may need. By the end of 2nd grade, your child should be able to:

Reading and Writing

Read grade-specific material confidently and for fun
Read with expression
Demonstrate comprehension by predicting outcomes
Identify main ideas and supporting details
Decode words using cues from phonics, word order, and context
Self-select a variety of fiction and nonfiction books
Keep a journal
Recognize parts of speech such as subject, verb, adjective
Use capitalization and punctuation correctly
Compose in poetic, narrative, creative, and expository forms
Write in paragraph form
Recognize spelling patterns and spell high-frequency words correctly
Use basic research skills for presentations
Edit and proofread classmates' work
Math


Read, write, count, and sequence numbers up to 1,000
Identify place value to the thousands
Represent quantities in multiple ways (e.g., 36 = 18 + 18 = 14 + 14 + 8)
Know addition and subtraction facts to 20
Mentally add or subtract any two-digit numbers
Add and subtract three-digit numbers
Identify, describe, and extend repeating numeric patterns
Tell time to the quarter hour; be able to calculate elapsed time (e.g. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Count, add, and subtract money using dollar and cent symbols and decimal point
Collect, sort, and interpret data in various graphs
Social Studies


Discuss current events
Recognize historical figures and their contributions to society
Understand the relationship between consumers and producers
Locate her hometown on a map
Appreciate diversity among cultures in the community
Science


Identify parts of plants and animals and explain their functions
Study dinosaurs and the process of extinction
Name classifications of animals
Study life cycles, perhaps by raising caterpillars into butterflies
Identify land forms
Explore physical science, covering topics such as electricity, magnetism and gravity
Other Subjects


Art: Experiment with depth and dimension integrating such media as oil pastels, crayon rubbings, collage, watercolors, tempera, weaving, sculpture or printmaking
Music: Understand basics of musical notation, such as time, rests, clefts, and keys
Physical Education: Jump rope, run, skip, slide, bounce and catch balls more accurately, participate in team sports
Technology: Learn basic computer skills, such as saving and retrieving documents, accessing the Internet for classroom research and touch-typing

Homework
Homework will become a regular, important aspect of your child's education in the 2nd grade. Teachers begin to take assignments more seriously than they have in the past; sample assignments may include book reports, worksheets, spelling lists, posters or journals. Homework for 2nd graders will average 20 to 30 minutes per night. To help your child most effectively, be available to answer questions, but don't correct her work. If you see a mistake, point out what she might want to try again. Ask questions like, "Can you show me what you did to get this answer?" If she can't get it on a second try, leave the problem uncorrected so the teacher will know that your child needs help in that area..