Moving grades

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Home : 2004 : July : 19

Moving grades
By Robin

Deb, I was an upper grade teacher also, who went down to second grade so I could change to a more desirable school. The biggest difference I found (even compared to third graders, which I now teach) is that they are much
more like young first graders at the start of the year. They are not overly independent, and the day may seem long for them, especially if you do not have an afternoon special. I would plan short activities and projects, and give them plenty of opportunity to move around if they seem to need to. I would get some good picture book read alouds like First Day Jitters or Nobody's Mother is in

Second Grade. I did find that many of my third grade projects would work for second graders, I just needed to model more. Mailbox Magazine publishes a Superbook for Grade 2, and I subscribe to the primary edition of Mailbox magazine, also because it gives me lots of good ideas. They are very warm and loving and not generally shy about showing their teachers they love them. You will be spending more time on "basic skills" such as phonics in reading than you did in fifth, but the math in second wasn't too bad. Subtraction with regrouping and telling time were the two big topics in our district for that grade. Good luck to you!