Mastering the Basics of Writing Second graders compose with
greater ease as words click into place. - Grades: 1–2 Young
children need time to absorb — and master — all that they've
previously learned about putting letters and words to paper.
Like many of her peers, Maria Graziano, a 2nd grade teacher at
F.N. Brown Elementary School in Verona, New Jersey, spends a
good amount of classroom time building on skills introduced in
the 1st grade. "Second grade is full of 'aha' moments as reading
becomes fluid and writing gets easier," Graziano says. Kevin
Jennings, a 26-year veteran of the grade at Forest Avenue
Elementary School, also in Verona, agrees: "Second grade can be
a time when things really start to click. For many kids it's a
breakthrough year." Printing and Grammar The Power of the
Paragraph Printing and Grammar In September, handwriting takes
center stage. Being able to write legibly is important, so
children review and practice printing the alphabet in upper and
lower case during the initial weeks of t