2nd grade English Language Arts
17 units matched to the New York State Learning Standards. Kids see this subject as “Reading & Writing”.
Focus areas
- Reading foundations: vowel teams, syllables and fluent reading
- Reading: how characters respond, story structure and text features
- Writing: opinions, information and stories, and gathering facts to answer a question
- Language: nouns, pronouns, verbs and joining sentences
Units
Unit 1
Rhyme Time
Hearing rhymes and spotting word families (-at, -ig, -op). Both help with reading and spelling new words.
Learning standard: 2RF3 · rhymes and word families
Unit 2
Sound Detectives
Letter teams that make one sound (sh, ch, th, wh, ee, ai, oa) and clapping syllables.
Learning standard: 2RF3 · syllables, digraphs and vowel teams
Unit 3
Story Builders
Reading short stories, then naming the character and setting, explaining why things happened, and retelling events in order.
Learning standard: 2R3; 2R5 · characters, settings and how a story begins, goes on and ends
Unit 4
Word Power
Building compound words, finding opposites and spelling plurals (-s and -es).
Learning standard: 2L4; 2L5 · compound words and opposites
Unit 5
Book Explorers
Book words (author, illustrator, title, chapter, table of contents, caption, heading, diagram), fiction and non-fiction, and what letters, recipes, maps and lists are for.
Learning standard: 2R7 · information from titles, captions and pictures
Unit 6
Joining Sentences
Joining two short sentences into one compound sentence with and, but, so or or, and putting a comma before the joining word.
Learning standard: 2L1 · joining ideas with and, but, so and or
Unit 7
Grammar Gears
Using the right form of the verb “to be”, choosing pronouns, comparing with -er and -est, and picking joining words like but, or and because.
Learning standard: 2L1 · nouns, pronouns and verbs in sentences
Unit 8
Word Pictures
Spotting similes (comparisons with like or as) and repeated consonant sounds, and what they add to a text.
Learning standard: 2R4; 2L5 · similes and words that appeal to the senses
Unit 9
Reading Detectives
Reading short texts to work out who is telling the story, what will happen next, how characters feel, and how things are the same and different.
Learning standard: 2R3; 2R6 · comparing characters and noticing who tells the story
Unit 10
Text Features
Using a table of contents, charts and icons to find information, and following order words in steps and journal entries.
Learning standard: 2R5; 2R7 · using contents pages, charts and order to find information
Unit 11
Asking Questions and Finding Facts
Using what you know, asking basic questions, choosing texts and facts for a purpose, and using topic words.
Learning standard: 2W6; 2W7; 2R1 · asking questions and choosing a text that answers them
Unit 12
Media Detectives
Children compare ads, signs, posters, books and videos, tell what each one is for, notice the choices their makers made, and pick good sources for a research question.
Learning standard: 2W7; 2R6; 2SL2 · gathering information to answer questions and naming what a text or message is for
Unit 13
Sight Words and Reading with Expression
Recognizing common words quickly and noticing punctuation to read in phrases with the right pausing and expression.
Learning standard: 2RF4 · reading common words quickly and using punctuation to read smoothly and with expression
Unit 14
Plan, Write and Make It Better
Planning with lists and webs, different types of writing for different readers, revising unclear writing, and combining words, pictures and sound.
Learning standard: 2W2; 2L3 · planning, choosing a kind of writing for the purpose and reader, and fixing unclear parts
Unit 15
Listening, Asking and Polite Talk
Using non-verbal cues to show listening, asking questions to learn more, adding to others' ideas and changing how you talk for different people.
Learning standard: 2SL1; 2SL3; 2SL6 · listening, asking questions to learn more and choosing polite or casual words
Unit 16
Main Topic and Reasons
Your child finds the main topic or central idea of a short text, picks the best retelling or summary, spots the reasons an author gives for a point and makes text-to-self, text-to-text and text-to-world connections.
Learning standard: 2R2; 2R8; 2R9 · main topic, retelling and summarizing, how reasons support an author's point, and making connections
Unit 17
Opinions, Stories and Responses
Your child chooses opinions and the reasons that support them, time-order words, details about actions, thoughts and feelings, story openings and endings, and creative ways to respond to a text such as a poem or a play.
Learning standard: 2W1; 2W3; 2W4 · opinions with reasons, stories with order words, details and endings, and creative responses to texts
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