Year 2

Reading

Digital  Non Digital
Reading at home

  • Read books together as a family – Ask questions about what you are reading, make predictions, discuss characters and ask why they behave the way they do.
  • Retell favourite stories changing the character and where it takes place. 
  • Act out a favourite story 
  • Make puppets of the characters 

Games

  • I spy… I spy something that starts with a
  • Clap a pattern… I clap a pattern then you copy
  • Snap 

Music

  • invent clapping games with different rhythms
  • find a bottle (plastic, glass) and try and create different tones blowing into them
  • sing a song together
  • collect sticks and create drum beats on hard surfaces (upside down bins, outdoor seats, old boxes)
  • turn on the radio and invent movements to go with different songs
  • kitchen band – make instruments and music with pots and pans.

Writing

Digital  Non Digital

https://nz.education.com/games/ela/writing/ online writing games.

Journal Writing

  • keep a gratitude list
  • write instructions for something
  • write an alternate ending to favourite story or movie
  • write a story
  • keep a book of facts
  • Help write a shopping list

Practice writing your name starting with a capital letter and the rest  lowercase: 

  • With a pencil
  • In sand with your finger
  • In shaving cream with your finger
  • With a paintbrush 
  • Using Playdough

Maths

Digital  Non Digital

https://nz.mathgames.com/play/math-slither.html addition, subtraction, multiplication

  • Play board games and card games (snap, go fish)
  • Baking – measuring and counting
  • Add sets of objects together. (I have 2 apples and you have 4 bananas. How many all together?)
  • Create a tally chart – With things like cars going past
  • Measurement: Ask children to explore outside and collect various natural materials such as sticks, leaves, pine cones, etc.
  • Next, ask them to measure various their own body parts and compare their findings with the items. For example, how many pebbles does it take to measure your arms? How many leaves does it take to measure your leg? Discuss why results may vary.
  • This simple game is all about bringing together verbalisation and maths.

Salute: 

What you need to play:

  • Two willing participants
  • Cards numbered 1-10 (these can be made from a sheet of paper)

How to play:

Step 1: The game starts with the two players facing each other. Each person selects a numbered card and sticks it on their forehead, so the other player can see. 

Step 2: The person leading the game gives a statement, such as what the sum of the two numbers is, the difference between the two or the product of the two etc….. 

Step 3: Each player has to work out what number is on their own card, based on what is written on the other person’s head and the rule given.

Real Life Learning & Other

Ideas
Follow a recipe/instructions

Create a time capsule 

  • Write a letter to themselves – Including their age, friends, favourite tv show, song, book.Tell their future selves how they are feeling.
  • Cut out an article from a newspaper that they think would be important for their future selves.
  • Draw a picture of their family as it is now
  • Take some pictures of today, print them out and include them in the box
  • Put it all together in a scrapbook or a lunch box and bury it in your garden 

Build fine motor skills 

  • Drawing
  • Colouring
  • Knitting
  • Crochet
  • Sewing
  • Weaving

Help out with household chores

  • making your own bed
  • helping with the dishes
  • helping prep dinner
  • vacuuming 
  • unload the dishwasher and learn where everything goes away
Build physical literacy 

  • Do yoga, play catch, play Frisbee, kick a soccer ball or shoot hoops
  • Go outside, walk, run, bike, most outdoor activities keep you at least 10m away from other people

Spend time with your kids

  • Talk to them  and ask them about their hopes, dreams and fears.
  • sing songs together – grab an instrument, or write a rap about all the things you can see around the room! See who can rhyme the most words!
  • play i-spy with words and colours

Set out a challenge for your children 

  • build a tower, boat, bridge, hut out of random materials around the house

Play games 

  • board games, snakes and ladders, cards, bingo, connect four or charades

Make playdough 

1 cup of salt

3 TBS cream of tartar

4 TBS oil

Food colouring

2 Cups of boiling water

Mix together then add 2 cups of flour

Playdough is great for imagination, strengthens fingers for writing. Make 2 colours that will mix to make a new colour. Roll out letters and numbers. Make balls and create 2 sets and add together. Who can make the longest snake? 

Make different facial expressions.