Friday was a day of celebrations for Second Graders. In the afternoon, children joined with the rest of the Primary School Community for the annual Halloween Parade, followed by much anticipated Halloween classroom parties. In the morning, however, a different kind of celebration took place in all three Second Grade classrooms – a celebration of Reading! Second Grade readers have truly made strides over the past two months in developing their reading skills and habits to become “grown up” readers. Children took the time on Friday to reflect on all that they have learned: what Reading Workshop looks and sounds like, how to select a favorite reading spot, how to choose a “Just Right” book, how to get over “bumps” in the road by using a range of decoding strategies to tackle tricky words and phrases, and how to maintain focus and stamina when we start to feel “squirmy.” Readers then put all of their skills and knowledge into practice by settling in for an extended period of sustained reading. Reading for extended periods of time can be hard work, so readers kept their energy levels up by munching on organic popcorn and sipping water as they read. Congratulations to all of our readers for their hard work and progress! |