Second Grade Literacy
What children should be able to do by the end of second grade
Phonics and word recognition
By the end of second grade, a child…
Can read a large number of regularly spelled one- and two-syllable words
Figures out how to read a large number of words with more than two syllables
Uses knowledge of phonics to sound out unfamiliar words
Accurately reads many sight words
Uses knowledge of phonics to sound out unfamiliar words
Accurately reads many sight words
Reading
By the end of second grade, a child …
Reads and understands a variety of second grade level fiction and nonfiction books
Knows how to read for specific purposes and to seek answers to specific questions
Answers “how,” “why,” and “what-if” questions
Interprets information from diagrams, charts, and graphs
Recalls information, main ideas, and details after reading
Compares and connects information read in different books and articles
Takes part in creative responses to stories, such as dramatizations of stories and oral presentations
Spelling and writing
By the end of second grade, a child …
Pays attention to how words are spelled
Correctly spells words he has studied
Spells a word the way it sounds if she doesn’t know how to spell it
Writes for many different purposes
Writes different types of compositions (for example, stories, reports, and letters)
Makes good judgments about what to include in her writing
Takes part in writing conferences and then revises and edits what he has written
Pays attention to the mechanics of writing (for example, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation) in the final versions of compositions
Vocabulary
By the end of second grade, a child …
Wants to learn new words and share those words at school and home
Uses clues from the context to figure out what words mean
Uses knowledge of word parts such as prefixes, suffixes, and root words to figure out word meanings
Increases vocabulary through the use of synonyms and antonyms
Can use different parts of speech correctly, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
Learns more new words through independent reading
Explores and investigates topics of interest on her own
