Grade 2

Students of this age are very interested in issues of social order and relationships. They like to play tricks, and they can turn any situation into a game. Trickster tales are told to help the students explore this mischievous energy in a safe setting. Sage stories from many different cultures help the students experience the conflicts in the world around them. They see how their curious, mischievous, and stubborn nature can become a source of courage and strength.

Language Arts

Most students enter grade two as beginner readers; in grade two, they also start to become writers. Despite the delay in the formal introduction of literacy, grade two students are introduced to, and practice, all of the language arts outcomes that are described in the Grade Two NS Provincial programs.

Along with the academic outcomes that are described above, grade two students are told stories about sages: ordinary people who do extraordinary things. They also hear tales that reflect their own developmental stage. In the sharing, retelling, and artistic responses to these stories, students develop an understanding of cultures from various parts of the world. Many of the lessons in other areas of the curriculum (science, art, music) are connected to these stories.

Math

Despite the delay in the formal introduction of numeracy, grade two students are introduced to, and practice, the math outcomes that are described in the Grade Two NS Provincial program.

Grade two students continue to strengthen and extend their number sense. They use games, songs, poems, and movement to reinforce their sense of number. They work with more and larger numbers.  

Science

Topics in grade two science are nature-based. Students may do a study of an animal that is connected in some way to other areas of the curriculum. They participate in experiments with the elements. They learn to form questions that express their curiosity about the world. They do observational drawings and writing. Many stories that reflect indigenous perspectives of the natural world are shared.

Art

Art is integrated throughout the curriculum. In grade two, students continue to illustrate scenes from stories they hear in language arts. Students also continue to paint using wet-on-wet watercolour techniques, exploring more of its qualities and working with crayon resist techniques. They continue to model with beeswax. The forms they study and create in form drawing become more complex: sometimes they are connected to their math studies in geometry, or the forms  are related to a form that appears in a story. 

Social-Emotional Learning

Emphasis continues to be placed on providing opportunities for developmentally-appropriate social-emotional learning. Areas of focus may include: gratitude, sharing, taking turns, collaboration, positive self-talk, and conflict resolution. ‘Health’ is not listed as a topic on report cards, but explorations of many health-related areas are woven into the curriculum, such as developing a vocabulary to name emotions, gender identity and use of pronouns, coping strategies, knowing one’s personal information and when it’s appropriate to share and with whom, recognizing one’s own needs, safe play, using caring language, and respecting and caring for others.

French

Students are taught by a French specialist three times each week. The program is mostly conversational, with drama, games, music, and fine art being integral parts of the program. Grade Two students begin to do some simple writing exercises in French.

Physical Education

Physical education is taught two to three times a week by a specialist teacher.

Music

Students sing and continue to play the recorder by imitating the teacher. They begin to learn the names of the notes they are playing and they learn new notes and more complex songs. They are introduced to, and begin to explore, harmony. 

Handwork

Grade two students sometimes engage in handwork and crafting projects that are connected to curricular studies.

Key language and math outcomes: By the end of grade two, most students can read complex texts and have developed good reading stamina. They can independently write a few connected sentences, using effective spelling strategies, and some students use proper punctuation and capitalization.

 In math, they have a strong sense of numbers up to 100. They can solve one and two-digit addition and subtraction questions. They can read and solve simple word problems.