 Religion
Texts Used:
- Jesus Our Life, Faith and Life Book 2, Catholics United for Faith, 2002 (T2302)
- Jesus Our Life Activity Book, Faith and Life Book 2, Catholics United for Faith, 2002 (T2302A), Optional
- Jesus Our Life Resource Book, Faith and Life Book 2, Catholics United for Faith, 2002 (T2302B), Optional
- The New Saint Joseph First Communion Catechism, Catholic Books Publishing, 1963 (T2231)
Course Description:
Grade Two Religion guides the student through preparation for the reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. The law of God and salvation history are given as background for these Sacraments. The course emphasizes God's mercy and His inestimable gift of His Son.
The student, if he was in the Kolbe program last year, has already used the First Communion Catechism, but the repetition is good. Using both of these books, the child will be ready to receive his First Confession and First Communion in the spring. It is advisable for you to have a child’s Bible to use in conjunction with the lessons in religion.
Reading
Texts Used:
- Catholic National Reader, Book Two (T1862)
- Kolbe Guide to the Catholic National Reader, Book Two (T1862A)
Course Description:
Second Grade Reading will cover a selection of readings appropriate to the level of the child. The readings will be taken from the Catholic National Reader Book Two, plus material from the Kolbe Academy Recommended Reading List or some other reliable source. The style of presentation in the Catholic National Reader is developed so that the full range of study is contained in each story (phonics, spelling, definitions and ever-increasing vocabulary). All outside reading should be chosen for the quality of content, art (if any is reproduced), and the gradual inclusion of more difficult vocabulary.
Goals of the course include developing in the student a love for reading and appreciation of good literature, recognition of characters, details, relationships, and plots, the ability to retell the story in their own words and write book reports, and the ability to find the moral or objective of the selection.
The Catholic National Reader is quite challenging, so if necessary proceed more slowly than the course plans suggest. It is not unusual for a student to be reading the book that is a year below his grade level.
Phonics
Texts Used:
- Phonics Book B, Modern Curriculum Press, 1995 (T1202)
- Kolbe Academy Answer Key to Phonics Book B, 2009 (T1202B) – optional
- Resource Manual for MCP Phonics Book B, 1995 (T1202A) – optional
Course Description:
Grade Two Phonics brings the student into the new areas of hard and soft c and g, r-controlled vowels, plurals, suffixes, vowel digraphs, diphthongs, prefixes, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, and syllabication. MCP Phonics B begins with easy material, and the child should be able to read the instructions and follow the directions. At first this may be challenging, but developing this skill at an early age will be of great value as the child progresses academically. Much in the phonics book reinforces what the student learns in English and Spelling.
English Grammar
Texts Used:
- Ignatius Speaks and Writes: English II (T1012)
- Ignatius Speaks and Writes: English II Teacher Manual (T1012A), Optional
Course Description:
Grade Two English brings the student to study kinds of sentences and most of the parts of speech in a sentence. The student is met with the requirement to use simple punctuation, capitalize words and become acquainted with synonyms and antonyms, as well as alphabetizing words and classifying objects. The student is also required to develop and practice composition skills including writing book reports.
The teaching of English should be cumulative. In Grade Two the student will review what he learned in Grade One and build on it. Everything learned in English should be applied and reinforced in the student’s reading, composition, spelling, and phonics.
Spelling
Texts Used:
- Macmillan Children’s Dictionary, Simon and Schuster, 2007 (T1001), optional
- Spelling word lists found in course plans
Course Description:
Grade Two Spelling develops the student’s capacity to pronounce, spell, use, look up in the dictionary, and understand the definitions of words. Other skills developed are the visual and auditory discrimination of words and becoming familiar with spelling rules that can be applied now and in future spelling.
A child’s dictionary is recommended in the second semester. At first using the dictionary is challenging for most children, but the more it is used the easier it becomes. It is great preparation for the future grades. If your student needs more challenging words, words from The Catholic National Reader can be assigned to supplement the weekly lists.
History
Texts Used:
- Child's Bible History by Fr. F. J. Knecht, D.D., 1973 (T2101)
- Kolbe Academy Answer Key to Child’s Bible History, 2009 (T2101A)
Course Description:
The core and meaning of all history is the history of our salvation, so history rightly begins with salvation history. This Grade Two History course is designed to supplement the study of religion by familiarizing the student with the chief figures and events of the Old and New Testament. These include creation and the fall of man, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and the Exodus, and the life of Jesus, and his suffering, death, and resurrection.
This Bible history course should be used to reinforce what is learned in religion class with an emphasis on God’s plan for salvation. The student should get an understanding of the genealogy of the people of the Old Testament in relation to the coming of Our Savior. He will begin to make the connections between the Old Testament, the New Testament, and our own times. Bible history does not need to be done every day and can be eliminated if the student is being challenged by the basics in the other subjects.
Geography
Texts Used:
- Map Skills, Level C (T5802)
- Map Skills Answer Key for Level C (T5802A) – Optional
Course Description:
In Second Grade Geography the student continues to apply the geography lessons to the world around him. These lessons include cardinal directions, identifying locations and landforms on maps, different types of maps, using an atlas, and locating continents, oceans, and hemispheres on a globe. Geography does not need to be done every day and can be eliminated if the student is being challenged by the basics in the other subjects.
Mathematics
Texts Used:
- MCP Math B, 1994 (T4202)
- MCP Math B Resource Manual (T4202A), Optional
Course Description:
Grade Two Mathematics continues the activities of first grade in the area of inductive and deductive activities. The book begins with review of concepts that the student has already learned. It then continues with problem solving, 3-digit place value, time and money, addition and subtraction of 2 and 3-digit numbers, geometry and fractions, measurement, and multiplication through 5x5.
FAMILIES HAVE TWO OPTIONS FOR SECOND GRADE SCIENCE
Science (Option 1)
Texts Used:
- Harcourt Science, 2nd Grade* (Harcourt Publishing, 2005), (T4822)
- Harcourt Science, 2nd Grade* Workbook (T4822B) – Optional
*Harcourt Science, 2nd Grade is used in both 1st and 2nd grade
Course Description:
Second Grade Science continues the basic introduction to the life, earth, and physical sciences. The most important part of teaching science in the early years is helping the student see the wonders of God’s world, and making him unafraid of the subject when he pursues science in more depth later. Children learn more from doing the experiments and investigations alongside the reading of the textbook.
The Harcourt Science series has the availability of several online learning tools to anyone who purchases the textbook. The first is provided by the publisher, Harcourt. Another website is provided by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). The online resources are a wonderful addition to the activities provided within the text itself.
Topics covered include habitats in Life Science, the Solar System and weather in Earth Science, and energy, as forces and motion, and as hearing and sound in Physical Science.
Science (Option 2)
Texts Used:
- Science and Living in God’s World, Level 2, Lepanto Press 1956 (T4802)
- Science and Living in God’s World, Level 2, Answer Key (T4802A) – Optional
- Science Experiments, Kolbe Academy Press, 2000 (T5018) – Optional
Course Description:
Grade Two Science has the observation of physical phenomena as its focus. Topics covered include the dependence of animals on plants for food, insects, rocks and soil, the sun, plants and seeds, and travel. The most important part of teaching science in the early years is helping the student see the wonders of God’s world, and making him unafraid of the subject when he gets into serious science in later years. Emphasis should be on experiments to facilitate this. Children learn more from doing experiments than they do from books. It is recommended that you obtain Kolbe’s science experiment book, Mr. Wizard, or any other science experiment book to use in conjunction with Science and Living in God’s World. Science, like history, does not need to be done every day and can be set aside if the student is being challenged by the basics in other subjects. |
