What Language Arts Should a 2nd Grader Know?
By the time they finish first grade, students are getting a strong handle on phonemic awareness. They are writing short sentences, reading simple stories and poems, and can begin to explain what they are reading about. Some of the specific skills that second grade language arts students will need to know include:
Figuring out unfamiliar words using phonetic strategies
Being able to answer a question about a story they have just read or listened to (who, what, when, why, where)
Reading simple stories, fables, and articles fluently and independently
Identifying the main topic in a text
The ideal second grade language arts curriculum will cover each of these bases with a combination of lessons, activities, and assessments to make sure students are on the track to success. Read on to learn how Time4Learning’s second grade language arts scope and sequence covers all of these topics to help your student master these crucial concepts.
First Grade Reading Goals/Objectives
Foundational skills for second grade readers involve making sure they are able to read carefully and independently for sustained periods of time. They will grow in their ability to comprehend unfamiliar text and to make predictions based on what they have just read. Some of the specific reading goals for 2nd grade include:
Using the information in text to determine the characters, setting, or plot.
Anticipating, making inferences, and recognizing the author’s point of view of a story
Identifying the meaning of words and phrases in appropriately-leveled text based on contextual cues
In second grade, students continue learning how to communicate clearly and coherently with their writing. They will begin to study the writing process—the stages of writing from pre-writing through editing.
Some of the specific goals that second graders will aim for in writing include:
Learn to gather information from sources to answer a question.
Creating written drafts that will be revised and edited, with guidance from a teacher
Writing for different purposes and audiences such as creative, informational/expository, and persuasive forms
Writing Goals/Objectives
Grammar Goals/Objectives
It is impossible to separate reading and writing skills from the conventions of English. Although often one of the more challenging areas of language arts, second grade students should be on track to creating grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs. Second graders will continue to review the grammar rules they have learned to this point, and will add new concepts such as:
Distinguishing between complete and incomplete sentences
Identifying and correctly using parts of speech including nouns and verbs
Using quotation marks correctly
Spelling frequently used, but irregular words correctly (e.g.: was, were, says, said)
Students in 2nd grade language arts will gain more skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. They will continue to build an understanding of the connection between sounds, letters, and words. They will gain skills in using word roots to help them figure out the meaning of new words. Second graders practice word use and comprehension by writing to express ideas and information.