A one-of-a-kind teacher shares her creative ideas for helping students get the most out of their school year. Illustrations.

Capture the adventure students feel as they advance to a new grade level, encounter new concepts, and master new skills. These motivating activities cover language arts, math, science, and social studies. A bonus section at the end of each book provides a jump start to the next grade level, with a selection of language arts and math activities.

Second-grade classrooms are exciting places to visit. Children are consolidating their growing reading and writing expertise, exploring new genres, and becoming more effective communicators. This book takes the reader into several exemplary second-grade classrooms to demonstrate what teachers can do to optimize literacy learning for their students. Highlights include how to set appropriate short- and long-term goals for individual students, ways to plan instruction to meet those goals, and innovative ideas for partnering with parents.

You're teaching 2nd grade this year. What do you need to know? In a warm, conversational style punctuated with anecdotes and examples from her own classrooms, Margaret Berry Wilson reviews second graders' common developmental characteristics and shares practical know-how on topics such as: Arranging a circle, desks, and tables Choosing and storing supplies Scheduling a child-centered day and teaching daily routines Planning special projects and field trips that maximize learning and build community Understanding the special concerns of second graders' parents and finding the best ways to communicate with them

Mastering Skills takes a fresh approach to the teaching of grade-specific skills. Each book uses a wide range of activities to spark students' interest in learning. As students complete the activities, they develop the skills they need to meet academic standards in reading, writing, math, social studies and science. Both teachers and parents can use the books to introduce new concepts, to assess learning and skill development, and to reinforce familiar knowledge. The versatile activities can be used for individual practice, test preparation, or homework assignments. Complete answer keys are provided. Book jacket.