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Ms. Reeder, Language Arts, 2nd

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Literacy Update: 8/24/26 - 8/28/26

DIBELS Reading Assessment:
This week, we will begin our fall DIBELS® (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessments. DIBELS is a series of brief, one-minute reading assessments that help us monitor each student's reading growth and identify areas where additional support may be needed. To administer these individual assessments, I will have a substitute teacher on the morning of Wednesday, August 26, while I work one-on-one with students.

Structured Literacy (Phonics & Word Study): This week, students will learn four consonant digraphs: sh, wh, th, and ch. These letter pairs work together to make a single sound, as in ship, when, bath, and chin. Students will practice reading, spelling, and writing words with these patterns while continuing to build fluency and expression.

♥ Heart Word ♥: very

Reading: This week, we will begin by listening to Violet the Pilot and identifying characters and their traits. Next, we will read Picture Day Perfection as we practice creating mental images while reading and continue describing how characters respond to events in a story. Later in the week, we will watch Get Involved: Be Awesome! and identify the central idea of a media text.

Writing: This week, students will continue working on their personal narratives. We will revise our writing through conferencing with the teacher, edit our work with a partner, and publish our final narratives to share with the class.

Grammar: This week, students will learn about the four kinds of sentences: statements, questions, commands, and exclamations. Students will practice identifying each type of sentence and using a variety of sentence types in their writing.

Ways to Support Literacy at Home

• Read Every Day: Spend 10–15 minutes reading together. Ask your child to describe a character and explain how that character changes or responds to events in the story.

• Practice Digraphs: Look for words with sh, wh, th, and ch while reading books, signs, or labels. Ask your child to identify the digraph and read the word aloud.

• Practice Heart Words: Review this week's heart word, very. Encourage your child to write it in a sentence and practice spelling it from memory.

• Play a Sentence Game: Take turns saying different kinds of sentences (a statement, a question, a command, or an exclamation) and have your child identify which type it is.

Literacy Update: 8/17/26 - 8/21/26

MAPS Testing: Our reading NWEA Maps test will be administered on Tuesday, August 18 at 8:15 AM.   

 

Structured Literacy (Phonics & Word Study): This week, students will continue learning the Floss Rule, which helps them know when to double the letters f, l, s, and z at the end of short vowel words (such as bell, miss, and buzz). Later in the week, students will learn words with the spelling patterns -all, -oll, and -ull (such as ball, doll, and full). Students will practice reading, spelling, and writing words with these patterns to build stronger decoding and spelling skills.
♥ Heart Words ♥: been

Reading: This week, we will begin by reading The William Hoy Story to identify the central idea of an informational text. Then we will read The Great Puppy Invasion as we practice monitoring our understanding while reading and identifying the author's purpose. Later in the week, we will read Being a Good Citizen and practice summarizing the most important ideas.

Writing: This week, students will continue writing personal narratives. We will focus on planning, organizing, and drafting our stories before revising them to include stronger word choices.

Grammar: This week, students will learn how to write complete sentences with correct word order. We will also practice identifying and correcting run-on sentences so our writing is clear and easy to understand.

Ways to Support Literacy at Home

  • Read Every Day: Spend 10–15 minutes reading together. After reading, ask your child, "What was the most important idea?" or "Why do you think the author wrote this?"
  • Practice Floss Rule Words: Look for words like bell, miss, puff, and buzz in books or around your home. Ask your child why the final letter is doubled.
  • Find -all, -oll, and -ull Words: Challenge your child to spot words such as ball, small, doll, or full while reading and sort them by their spelling pattern.
  • Practice Heart Words: Review this week's heart word, been. Have your child write it in a sentence or practice spelling it aloud.