The joy and knowledge children receive from reading all types of material, fiction and non-fiction, is their birthright. Mastery of the mechanics of English allows children to grasp the priceless gift of expression. In order to implement this philosophy, the class enjoys reading from an extensive collection of materials, both texts and supplemental. A vast classroom library enables the students to choose from a multitude of topics which spark the love of reading in this age group.

In 2nd grade Armenian, students read and understand grade-level material. They are encouraged to draw conclusions, make predictions and put events in order. Students enjoy acting out passages from stories.

In grammar, students learn synonyms and antonyms. They identify and correctly use singular and plural nouns. Students learn about verbs, adjectives and compound words.

In 2nd grade, students start to write longer paragraphs about their interests and other topics appropriate to their age level. They pre-write, draft, revise and edit. In spelling, students are able to spell more complex words.

In addition, students learn Armenian riddles, songs and poems. They perform on stage during Armenian assemblies.
In Armenian Social Studies, students learn and write about important Armenian events and figures. They learn about Armenian folk epic heroes.

Social Studies is a thoroughly enjoyable area for the students as they study an interesting wealth of material from their text, as well as from supplemental materials, such as atlas work, hands-on study of Braille, the story of the Statue of Liberty, as well as commemorations throughout the year –such as Womens’ History Month , ML King’s birthday, among many others.

An essential component of the modern world is a high degree of math mastery, starting at a young age. Our second grade program is a logically conceived series of small steps which build on previous understanding and expands the students’ knowledge into new areas.

The use of manipulatives is essential with this age group, so that all the concepts have been made as concrete as possible. The vocabulary of math is stressed in our program so that students learn the “language” of math as they progress through the steps.

The children enjoy field trips to the Randall Museum, the San Francisco Botanical Garden, Theaterwork stage productions, and Aquarium-of-the-Bay Museum. The year culminates with a class picnic, which is full of fun and camaraderie.

With our new Science Lab, the students will be able to augment their lessons with hands-on experiments. This area of the curriculum is fascinating to students as they learn about the human body, animals and their habitats, the solar system, and dinosaurs.