Bear
Creek’s philosophy is to do what is best for kids. We have one Creek
rule: Be in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing.
We strive to meet individual needs, and create a sense of community
among all students. We encourage students to be independent learners and
responsible for their own behavior. Communication between school and
home is a priority.
Reading and Writing
We use a
Houghton-Mifflin reading series as well as novels and other materials to
teach reading. We reinforce phonics, comprehension, dictionary usage,
and a wide range of skills appropriate for 2nd graders. Expository,
creative, and journal writing are explored throughout the year. We
focus on non-fiction topics when we read Weekly Reader magazines and
also during our science and social studies units. Our literacy block is
90 minutes long, broken into three rotations. During
this block, children spend time in a small guided reading group with a
teacher, time working independently at their seats, and time in the
Media Center. Students also participate in the Accelerated Reader
program which reinforces fluency and comprehension. In the Media Center, children work on SRAs once a week to support their
independent reading comprehension development.
Math
Everyday Math units
include number relationships, geometry and measurement, problem solving,
patterns, functions and algebra. We focus on learning basic addition,
subtraction, and multiplication facts and students
take timed math fact tests weekly. We also use a supplemental program
called Sunshine Math to challenge students in their thinking, as well as
help them articulate their thinking about problem solving. Every
Friday, we meet in large group for S.T.A.N.D. O.U.T.
Math. This program reinforces math concepts by learning and repeating
chants and cheers. Students work cooperatively to solve problems and
practice the concepts they've learned.
Science and Social Studies
Units in social studies include Self-Concept, Map Skills, Current Events
and Communities. Our continent focus will be North and South America
with an emphasis on the Amazon Rainforest. We use a Science curriculum
called Foss Science and the units include
Sensory Systems, Growth of Plants and Animals, and Heat, Light and
Sound.
Spelling
The goals of our spelling program are:
- to learn and transfer the spelling of the words most frequently used in writing.
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to improve spelling accuracy in everyday writing.
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to develop useful proof reading skills.
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to integrate spelling with listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking.