Pregnancy
Second Grade: Short and Sweet Activities
Why should the learning stop when the kids leave the classroom? Here are some simple things you and your second grader can do at home to build academic skills in reading, math, history, and science.
READ A STORY, TELL A STORY
Read a story to your child, then ask him or her to tell the story back to you. This is essentially an effort to see what listening skills your child has developed. Is he or she able to relate the major elements of the story? Does he or she understand the story?
COUNT YOUR BUTTONS
Put out eight buttons and ask your child, "How many buttons are there?" Take three away and ask, "How many are there now?" You could continue this with variations to determine how your child's understanding of numbers is developing.
WHAT DO YOU SEE?
Close observation is a primary objective of the science program. You and your child can examine a rock, a tree, a leaf, an animal, or an insect. Take turns asking, "What do you see?"
TV HISTORY LESSONS
Watch the television news together on occasion. Let the events on the news become a basis for conversation. You might also watch documentaries about historical figures with your child; biography is a good basis for helping children learn about history.
Reprinted from 101 Educational Conversations with Your 2nd Grader by Vito Perrone, published by Chelsea House Publishers.
Copyright 1994 by Chelsea House Publishers, a division of Main Line Book Co. All rights reserved.
