2nd grade English Language Arts: how to help at home
What your child learns in 2nd grade English language arts in the California Content Standards, and simple things to try at home.
Focus areas this year
- Reading literature and informational text: reading with fluency and understanding stories
- Writing: writing to tell, explain and give an opinion
- Speaking and listening: sharing ideas and building on what others say
- Language: grammar, vocabulary and conventions
Easy ways to practice English language arts at home
- Take turns reading a page aloud, and chat about what happened and why.
- Keep a short journal, with one or two sentences a day to start.
- Hunt for a new word a day and use it at dinner.
- Ask for a prediction before turning the page: “What do you think happens next?”
What each unit covers
Rhyme Time
Hearing rhymes and spotting word families (-at, -ig, -op). Both help with reading and spelling new words.
Sound Detectives
Letter teams that make one sound (sh, ch, th, wh, ee, ai, oa) and clapping syllables.
Story Builders
Reading short stories, then naming the character and setting, explaining why things happened, and retelling events in order.
Word Power
Building compound words, finding opposites and spelling plurals (-s and -es).
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.
Joining Sentences
Joining two short sentences into one compound sentence with and, but, so or or, and putting a comma before the joining word.
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.
Word Pictures
Spotting similes (comparisons with like or as) and repeated consonant sounds, and what they add to a text.
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.
Text Features
Using a table of contents, charts and icons to find information, and following order words in steps and journal entries.
Asking Questions and Finding Facts
Using what you know, asking basic questions, choosing texts and facts for a purpose, and using topic words.
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.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practicing the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exceeding
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the California report card guide.
Common questions
Take turns reading a page aloud, and chat about what happened and why. Keep a short journal, with one or two sentences a day to start. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
The California Content Standards 2nd grade English language arts units include Rhyme Time, Sound Detectives, Story Builders, Word Power, Book Explorers, Joining Sentences.
Free printable 2nd grade English language arts practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.