Our Curriculum › Reading › 2nd Grade
Reading 2
Second grade reading builds on phonics with word parts, syllable types and new vowel patterns, then spends most of the year on understanding: characters, story structure, nonfiction features, vocabulary, and a book of their own choice.
180 lessons
One a day for a school year
9 units
Each opens to its lessons
A book report & showcase
Pick, read, write up and present to family
Standards
Common Core Grade 2 reading
What's taught, unit by unit
Prefixes, suffixes & word partsDays 1–10
Prefixes un-, re-, pre- and dis-, suffixes -ful, -less, -er, -est and -ly, then compound words and contractions. A review day after each cluster.
- 1 · Welcome to Second Grade Reading!
- 2 · Prefixes: Un- and Re-
- 3 · Prefixes: Pre- and Dis-
- 4 · Suffixes: -ful and -less
- 6 · Suffixes: -er and -est
- 7 · Suffixes: -ly
- 8 · Compound Words Review
- 9 · Contractions Review
Plus 2 review days, not listed.
Syllable types & new vowel patternsDays 11–30
Closed, open, vowel-team, r-controlled and consonant-le syllables for reading long words, then au, aw, oi, oy, ou and ow, soft c and soft g, and silent letters.
- 11 · Closed Syllables
- 12 · Open Syllables
- 13 · Splitting Words into Syllables
- 14 · Reading Multisyllabic Words
- 16 · Vowel Team Syllables
- 17 · R-Controlled Vowel Syllables
- 18 · Consonant-le Syllables
- 19 · Practicing All Syllable Types
- 21 · Vowel Team 'au'
- 22 · Vowel Team 'aw'
- 23 · Vowel Team 'oi'
- 24 · Vowel Team 'oy'
- 26 · Vowel Team 'ou'
- 27 · Vowel Team 'ow' (Diphthong)
- 28 · Soft C and Soft G
- 29 · Words with Silent Letters Review
Plus 4 review days, not listed.
Fluency, longer passages & charactersDays 31–60
Reading with accuracy, speed and punctuation clues, longer passages, main topic, sequence, cause and effect, inferences with text evidence, character traits, how characters change, and who is speaking.
- 31 · Reading Fluency: What Makes a Great Reader?
- 32 · Reading a Longer Passage: The Camping Trip
- 33 · Reading Punctuation Clues
- 34 · Reading Dialogue Fluently
- 36 · Reading a Longer Passage: The Science Experiment
- 37 · Identifying the Setting in Detail
- 38 · Reading a Longer Passage: The New Puppy
- 39 · Finding the Lesson in a Fable
- 41 · Main Topic and Key Details
- 42 · Sequencing Complex Events
- 43 · Cause and Effect Chains
- 44 · Comparing Two Versions of a Story
- 46 · Making Inferences with Evidence
- 47 · Summarizing Longer Passages
- 48 · Text Evidence: Proving Your Answer
- 49 · Asking Deeper Questions
- 51 · Character Traits
- 52 · Finding Evidence for Character Traits
- 53 · How Characters Change
- 54 · How Characters Feel Differently
- 56 · Reading Dialogue in Different Voices
- 57 · Who Is Talking? Narrator vs. Character
- 58 · Comparing How Two Characters Feel
- 59 · Finding Feelings in a Passage
Plus 6 review days, not listed.
Story structure & nonfiction featuresDays 61–80
Beginning, middle and end, problem and solution, comparing versions of a story, pictures, and writing a story map. Then table of contents, index, glossary, diagrams, charts, bold words and reading an article.
- 61 · Story Structure: Beginning, Middle, End
- 62 · The Problem in a Story
- 63 · The Solution in a Story
- 64 · Story Structure: Putting It All Together
- 66 · Comparing Two Versions of the Same Story
- 67 · Using Pictures to Understand a Story
- 68 · Multiple Characters and Their Problems
- 69 · Writing Your Own Story Map
- 71 · Table of Contents
- 72 · Index
- 73 · Glossary
- 74 · Diagrams and Labels
- 76 · Charts and Graphs in Nonfiction
- 77 · Bold Words and Text Boxes
- 78 · Using Text Features Together
- 79 · Reading a Nonfiction Article
Plus 4 review days, not listed.
Vocabulary, kinds of texts & soundsDays 81–110
Context clues, multiple-meaning words, synonyms, antonyms and shades of meaning; author's purpose; fiction vs. nonfiction, fables and fairy tales; blending and segmenting sounds; poetry and illustrations.
- 81 · Context Clues Review
- 82 · Multiple-Meaning Words
- 83 · Synonyms and Antonyms Review
- 84 · Shades of Meaning
- 86 · How Events Connect in Nonfiction
- 87 · What Is the Author's Purpose?
- 88 · Finding the Reasons
- 89 · Comparing Two Nonfiction Texts
- 91 · Fiction vs. Nonfiction
- 92 · Reading a Story with Magic
- 93 · Fables
- 94 · Comparing Two Fairy Tale Versions
- 96 · Blending Sounds to Make Words
- 97 · Segmenting Words into Sounds
- 98 · Counting Syllables in Words
- 99 · Rhyming Word Families Review
- 101 · Poetry: Rhyme and Rhythm
- 102 · Stories That Could Really Happen
- 103 · Using Illustrations to Understand a Story
- 104 · Using Illustrations to Understand More
- 106 · Choosing Books: Fiction or Nonfiction?
- 107 · Reading a Story with Magic: A Passage
- 108 · Reading a Fable Passage
- 109 · Reading a Nonfiction Passage
Plus 6 review days, not listed.
Reading a book & writing a book reportDays 111–130
Choosing a book, predicting, tracking the problem and character traits through to the end, then writing a report with a summary, opinion, recommendation and picture. Ends with presenting it and choosing a next book.
- 111 · Reading Project: Choosing a Book
- 112 · Reading Project: Predicting
- 113 · Reading Project: Getting Started
- 114 · Reading Project: Tracking the Problem
- 116 · Reading Project: Checking Your Prediction
- 117 · Reading Project: Continuing the Story
- 118 · Reading Project: Character Traits
- 119 · Reading Project: Finishing Your Book
- 121 · Writing a Book Report: Summary
- 122 · Writing a Book Report: Your Opinion
- 123 · Writing a Book Report: Recommendation
- 124 · Illustrating Your Book Report
- 126 · Practicing Your Presentation
- 127 · Book Report Day: Sharing Your Project
- 128 · Choosing Your Next Book
- 129 · Building a Reading Habit
Plus 4 review days, not listed.
Review & "superstar" challengesDays 131–150
Two weeks of cumulative review of word parts, syllables, vowel patterns, comprehension, character, vocabulary and nonfiction, then two weeks of challenge days that repeat the same skills as questions.
- 131 · Cumulative Practice: Prefixes and Suffixes
- 132 · Cumulative Practice: Syllables
- 133 · Cumulative Practice: Advanced Vowel Patterns
- 134 · Cumulative Practice: Comprehension Skills
- 136 · Cumulative Practice: Character and Story Elements
- 137 · Cumulative Practice: Vocabulary
- 138 · Cumulative Practice: Nonfiction Skills
- 139 · Cumulative Practice: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Story Lessons
- 141 · Reading Superstar Challenge: Phonics
- 142 · Reading Superstar Challenge: Comprehension
- 143 · Reading Superstar Challenge: Vocabulary
- 144 · Reading Superstar Challenge: Story Elements
- 146 · Reading Superstar Challenge: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Lessons
- 147 · Reading Superstar Challenge: Nonfiction
- 148 · Reading Superstar Challenge: Syllables
- 149 · Reading Superstar Challenge: Everything Combined
Plus 4 review days, not listed.
Games, stories & looking aheadDays 151–170
Reading games (word detective, story swap), a house reading hunt, personal book lists and recommendations, a look ahead to Grade 3, and short stories about characters who grow, read for practice.
- 151 · Reading Games: Word Detective
- 152 · Reading Games: Story Swap
- 153 · Reading Around the House Project
- 154 · Teach Someone About Your Favorite Book
- 156 · Looking Ahead to Third Grade Reading
- 157 · Building a Personal Book List
- 158 · Sharing Book Recommendations
- 159 · Reflecting on Favorite Authors
- 161 · Reading a Story: The Talent Show
- 162 · Reading a Story: The Broken Vase
- 163 · Reading a Story: The Team Project
- 164 · Retelling This Week's Story: The Talent Show
- 166 · Reading a Story: The Science Museum
- 167 · Reading a Story: The Neighborhood Garden
- 168 · Final Independent Reading Time
- 169 · Reflecting on a Year of Reading
Plus 4 review days, not listed.
Final showcase & year-end funDays 171–180
Making and presenting a reading journal page about a favorite book, then mostly celebration: trivia, a final reading hunt, advice for next year's readers, awards and a goodbye lesson.
- 171 · Final Reading Celebration: Planning
- 172 · Final Reading Celebration: Creating a Reading Journal Page
- 173 · Final Reading Celebration: Practicing Your Showcase
- 174 · Reading Celebration Day: Sharing Your Showcase
- 175 · Fun Reading Trivia Day
- 176 · Reading Around the House: Final Hunt
- 177 · Advice for Next Year's Reader
- 178 · Looking Ahead: My Reading Future
- 179 · Reading Superstar Awards
- 180 · Reading 2 Celebration: You Did It!
By the end of the year, your child can
- Read longer words by splitting them into syllables and using prefixes and suffixes
- Read stories and passages smoothly, using punctuation to guide their voice
- Describe a character, the problem and how it was solved
- Use a table of contents, glossary, index and diagrams to find facts
- Figure out new words from context clues and tell fiction from nonfiction
- Read a whole book and share a report about it
Other 2nd Grade subjects: Math 2 · Writing 2 · Science 2 · History 2