READING WORKSHOP In Reading Workshop, we have reviewed various decoding strategies and children have learned how to identify "Just Right Books," which they choose to read during independent reading times. While they read, they are practicing the "thinking strategies" that we have been learning about. They mark their books with "think marks" to indicate where they make predictions or connections, have particular feelings, questions, learning, and/or make other observations. In small guided reading groups, children focus on the particular skills where they need to improve. WRITING WORKSHOP In Writing Workshop, second grade authors have been busy writing stories about their personal experiences. They have been learning to replace "blah words" with more "colorful words" and to include more detail in their stories so that they can "paint a clear picture in the mind of their readers." Teachers conference with children about their writing and children take turns sharing with the microphone in Author's Chair. Other times, "Writing Buddies" share their stories with one another. WEEKEND JOURNALS Children in 2C begin each week by writing a letter to the teacher in their Weekend Journal. They are allowed to tell me about their weekend, or about anything that is on their mind. Sometimes they write about their excitement over an upcoming event, or about something that is bothering them. I write back to the girls one week and to the boys the next. WORD STUDY Our weekly spelling practice comes from a phonics awareness program called "Words Their Way." This program involves practice in school and at home and is meant to improve children's skills in spelling and decoding. So far this year, children have been learning spelling patterns for short and long vowel sounds. DAILY LANGUAGE REVIEW Each morning, children complete short language exercises that are meant to improve their skills in spelling, punctuation, grammar, and other general language skills (i.e. alphabetizing, categorizing, word families, opposites, etc.). Then we correct our work together. The exercises increase in difficulty throughout the year as children's skills improve.