To Parents:

The following is a brief description of each of the subjects your child will study in first grade. It is designed to provide you with a general overview of the content and skills which are taught as well as other pertinent information. Teaching strategies will, of course, vary according to the needs of the class. 

We hope that the continued use of this brochure and the meetings with your child’s teachers and learning specialists will keep you informed about the goals of the Andover Public Schools and your child’s learning progress.

Andover’s Balanced Literacy program uses quality literature as the basis for instruction in phonics, writing, grammar and spelling. Students read fiction, non-fiction, poetry and biographies.  

Students listen to teachers read aloud, read with a friend, and work in both large and small instructional groups. Children are taught decoding and comprehension strategies through direct instruction. They read in the classroom anthology as well as at their “just right” level each week.

Writing is an integral component of our program. Children learn to write best when they have many opportunities to write. Students learn to write in all curriculum areas: writing in daily journals, answering literature based questions, recording scientific data and documenting historical information in social studies. Students learn that writing is a  process as they draft, revise, rewrite, edit and publish their work. There is direct instruction in grammar, usage and mechanics. Spelling competency develops over time and is influenced by one’s experience with language and direct spelling instruction.

The goal of the Everyday Math program is for students to become confident problem-solvers who value and enjoy math. Some of the key features of the program include acknowledging children’s experiences and intuitions about math, providing problem-solving experiences in real life contexts while allowing for various learning styles, promoting practice through meaningful activities and games, and providing a spiral curriculum, ensuring that children encounter and apply concepts over time. Students learn place value, use patterns to solve problems, identify 3-dimensional shapes, use instruments to measure accurately, and collect and organize data.

Science and Technology/Engineering

The science program provides our students with the foundation and understanding of scientific topics through the acquisition of scientific knowledge, the development of thinking skills, and the application of the scientific method. The units of study in second grade that complement the science frameworks in life, physical science are Butterflies, Balancing and Weighing, and Changes.

The goal of the program is to prepare students to become responsible citizens of a democratic society by helping them to understand and appreciate the diversity and commonality of people. The essential question or big idea is “What Is A Community?”. Topics explored include: how location influences a culture, how people past and present help us understand American culture, and why citizens have rights and responsibilities.

The technology program in the second grade provides instruction in both classroom and lab settings. The curriculum includes keyboarding and word processing. The students in grade two use software related to all curriculum areas.

Art

Students develop and keep a portfolio. They continue to make aesthetic decisions. Development of fine motor skills continues as students mix and control paint with a variety of tools, draw a complete circle and draw major parts of the human figure. They begin to write short paragraphs about specific processes.

Music

When singing songs, listening and moving to music, children determine the meter, form, and mode of the song. Students can identify instrument families and can improvise their own melodies and accompany them on barred instruments. Students recognize varying tempos and dynamics and continue to use appropriate percussive instruments to accompany songs.

Physical Education

The focus for grade two is to refine previously acquired skills in the areas of balance, spatial awareness, eye-hand and eye-foot coordination, locomotion and to understand the concepts of force, speed, level and range. Activities that involve sharing and cooperating in a small group are emphasized. Physical fitness is explored further by explaining the importance of stretching and introducing concept of heart rate.

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