GRADE 2 (CE1) PROGRAM

Aims & Objectives
Grade 2 represents the final stage in the basic learning cycle. Students consolidate reading and writing skills and continue to develop skills in other disciplines.

Approximately two-thirds of the program is conducted in French, and one-third is taught in English. The English language program follows the Ontario Ministry of Education guidelines and is equivalent to the Grade 1 and Grade 2 Ontario curriculum.

Program

French
Regular reading practice, combined with increased emphasis on oral and written expression, enables students to refine their language skills. They also begin formal grammar studies, conjugation and spelling.

Mathematics
As a follow-up to skills acquired in Grade 1, students work with numbers up to 999, and learn to multiply and subtract (leading to division in the following cycle). They also work with the measurement of length and mass and learn to interpret two-dimensional shapes and reproduce and construct them in three-dimensional form.

Science and Technology
Research and experimentation are broadened as students work with a more complex range of objects than at the Grade 1 level. Technical projects are conceived, organized and carried out according to the scientific method. Students (in Toronto) also use the ravine for environmental studies.

Information Technology and Communication
Children are encouraged to use computers as a tool (providing them with a different approach to writing). As a continuation of the introduction to computers in Grade 1, they further familiarize themselves with the use of the keyboard and learn to do word processing independently. They also become familiar with computer vocabulary, both in French and English.

History and Geography
Starting with their own family history, students go back through two centuries, using the texts and illustrations provided. They explore their own immediate environment, then compare it to other living environments.

Education in Civic Responsibility
As an extension of the knowledge acquired in Grade 1, the rules and regulations of community life are discussed, and their reasons explored. Canadian institutions are introduced.

Physical Education
Physical activities become more specific. There is strong emphasis on games requiring co-operation and teamwork. These, in turn, give the students an opportunity to satisfy the need for movement within the context of a diversified program. This is accompanied by a 7-week skating session (8 weeks in Mississauga), as well as an 8-week swimming program in the spring (10 weeks in Mississauga).

Art Program
In the realm of the Arts, the student participates in carefully structured activities and gains increasingly better control with various media.

Music Training
Central to the Grade 2 music curriculum is the child's physical, emotional and intellectual development through practical music making. Singing is the focus of the Grade 2 program, which  promotes creative, social and language skills in addition to many musical ones. Recorder playing is introduced in the third term.

English as a Second Language
Children who qualify are taught English as early as Senior Kindergarten by developing their oral skills through hands-on activities. The children take part in various units, e.g. ‘Me’ unit, classroom, colours, numbers and shapes, neighbourhood, birthday and seasonal events. The computer is used to complement all aspects of the program.

Children begin reading small books (fiction/non-fiction) suitable for E.S.L. students. In time they will move into the graded reading program. Pictures, videos and events are used as an impetus to write simple sentences. Language structure and rules are slowly put into place.

English – Curriculum Outline
The English Program, which is introduced in Grade 2 for approximately one-third of the time, follows the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Language Arts Curriculum. The program is essentially made up of two parts, which are integrated and interdependent: core skills and thematic units. These two parts are made up of three strands: Reading, Writing and Oral and Visual Communication.

Reading – Lecture
Learning to read is the primary objective of the English Program. Children enter Grade 2 with varying reading abilities, from non-readers to experienced readers. As a result, the children follow a graded reading program according to their readiness and pace. Using a variety of resources and strategies builds the students’ sight vocabulary, decoding skills and comprehension.

Writing – Langue écrite
Learning to read and learning to write go hand in hand. As students read a variety of written texts, they increase and gain command over their vocabulary. They learn to vary their sentence structure and become aware of the writing process. Opportunities are provided for the children to develop a variety of writing styles ranging from non-fiction to poetry to creative pieces. The stages of the writing process are emphasized at all times. The basic conventions of grammar and spelling are taught as much as possible through use and application in purposeful contexts.

Oral And Visual Communication – Communication orale et visuelle
Students are given many opportunities to develop the oral and visual communication skills necessary to interact with others and express themselves fluently. The program emphasizes presentation and critique skills where the students share, respond to and assess their products and opinions. The computer is used to complement all aspects of the program, from research on the Internet to word processing and educational games.