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2nd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 14 of 17

Plan, Write and Make It Better

Plan ideas, pick a kind of writing and fix parts that do not make sense.

What your child practices

Planning with lists and webs, different types of writing for different readers, revising unclear writing, and combining words, pictures and sound.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 2W2; 2L3 · planning, choosing a kind of writing for the purpose and reader, and fixing unclear parts

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Plan your ideas before you write.
  2. Pick a kind of writing: a letter shares news, descriptive writing paints a picture with words.
  3. Think about your audience: who will read it? Fix parts that don't make sense.

Example: Who might read your thank-you card? The person you are thanking reads it. The reader is your audience. Answer: your audience

Plan, Write and Make It Better in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 14 of 17 in 2nd grade English Language Arts, after Sight Words and Reading with Expression and before Listening, Asking and Polite Talk.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    You write facts about whales. This kind of writing is…

    • a made-up tale
    • a poem about love
    • informational

  2. Question 2

    Which sentence should be removed from a story about a picnic?

    • My shoes are blue and green.
    • We packed sandwiches.
    • We sat by the lake.

  3. Question 3

    You write about your pet to tell a story. This kind of writing is…

    • a recipe
    • a list of rules
    • narrative

  4. Question 4

    What does brainstorming mean?

    • writing the title only
    • choosing one right away
    • thinking of many ideas

  5. Question 5

    Which order makes sense? First, next, last.

    • We got ready, we played, we went home.
    • We went home, we got ready, we played.
    • We played, we went home, we got ready.

  6. Question 6

    You decide to use pictures with your writing. Why?

    • to help the reader understand
    • to hide the words
    • to fill the paper

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