Second grade represents the critical juncture between lower and upper elementary school.

In Language Arts, the second grade students transition from guided reading groups to small group independent reading discussions and, in writing, from highly structured, teacher directed revisions to peer and self-editing. Math includes crafting and responding to open ended word problems with real world applications, as well as moving rapidly through math facts to gain automaticity. Social Studies requires independent research using texts and carefully selected websites that students paraphrase, summarize, and transform into papers, projects, and presentations. In science, the second grade students are given responsibility for generating their own hypotheses, then collecting, organizing, and presenting data to support or refute their claims.

The second grade students become more adept at reading, writing, and conversing in Hebrew, while they move into textual analysis and debate in their Judaic Studies classes. A highlight of their Jewish experience is the Chumash ceremony for the family program. The presentation of the Chumash represents the second graders’ readiness to delve more deeply into their Torah study.

The second graders also take on complex community service work, as exemplified by their Thanksgiving project to feed JFS families. By the end of the year, Lerner second graders are confident and have built the stamina and persistence that they need to take on the challenges of upper elementary!