2nd Grade

Second grade students will work on building their "bank" of high frequency 

words.  We will focus on word families, blends and stretching out words like 

a rubber band .  We carry these isolated skills into the interactive 

writing.  The higher they go in reading levels, the less interactive writing 

we do.  The stories become longer and we will take more time for the guided 

reading component of the lesson.  As in every grade, we have to focus on 

retelling.  We are using a flow chart with picture cues to help with the 

retelling.  Once they’ve gained a good understanding of what is expected with 

the retelling we will push into more challenging text and focus on the print 

processing.  The “Helping Hand” is what I use with the kids to help them with 

print processing (what to do when they come across new or challenging word).  

Soon you will see both the flow chart and helping hand in the baggie for easy 

reference.  Please have your child read to you.   The practice of familiar 

text will help improve the fluency, which helps with gaining meaning from 

text.

In your child's baggie I will put the exact questions teachers ask during a 

retelling.  This is just for your reference.  Please have your child work on 

one or two questions per story.  You don't have to focus on every question 

each time a story is read.  The higher level questions such as plot, author's 

message and character development are the more challenging and thought 

provoking ones, so be sure to give extra time to these.

about              after                 again

air                also                  always

animal             another               answer

any                around                because

been               before                boy

call               change                could

different          does                  each

end                even                  every

find               first                 follow

found              give                  great

hand               if                    its 

kind               know                  land

large              learn                 letter

live               many                  many

may                mean                  men

more               mother                move

much               must                  name

need               new                   number

old                only                  other

our                page                  part

people             please                point

read               right                 round

same               say                   should

show               small                 still 

such               take                  tell 

than               their                 these

thing              think                 three

through            together              try

turn               under                 use

want               way                   well

were               which                 who

why                word                  work

world              would                 write

year