Reading in 2nd Grade

In 2^nd grade, our primary goal is to work on reading fluency (smooth reading, reading with expression & bringing the words to “life”).  As students begin to read more fluently, their ability to understand and learn from text increases dramatically.  A great way to practice fluency is to have the children practice reading aloud to an adult in small segments.  This should be an enjoyable experience.  Car rides, waiting in lines, and during dinner time are great times to fit this in.  In addition when reading with children, it’s always good to ask detailed questions about the text such as:  “Who is the main character?” “Where is the setting?”  “What do you think will happen next?  Why?” “Do you agree with the choices or decisions the character made?”  Generally, encouraging students to make connections to their real lives & other stories is a great way to engage them during story time.  Although children have extremely busy lives, it is of vital importance that they read and are exposed to literacy experiences outside of the classroom.  Your child should be reading every night (and enjoying it!). 

Most importantly, our goal in 2^nd grade is to share a love of reading with young children.  It should be a fun time in the day where the child looks forward to that time reading independently and with adults.  As students reach behavioral or academic goals, a clever idea is to reward them with a trip to the bookstore to pick out a brand new book of their choice. 

Research suggests that students improve at the most accelerated rate when they read “just right” books.  Students will be required to select “just right” books.  Students should be able to read the book independently for a period of at least 10 minutes at a time and be able tor etel what they have read.  Once the student completes the book, they will be asked to take an AR test on that book in class.  Students need to make an 85% or higher to demonstrate comprehension.  This does not mean that students cannot select books that do not have AR tests (which can be the case for nonfiction), or that every book they check out has to be within a specified range.  All we ask is that at least two of the four books be “just right.”  Students are also encouraged to take AR tests on the stories they read with adults at home! 

            Although students may be capable of reading books in a high range, certain books are meant to be enjoyed at specific ages due to the nature of the content.  That is not to say that a child cannot read the book, but we heavily encourage parents not to discount the rich world of trade (picture) books.  They are such a wonderful (and valuable) part of children’s literature! 

Great ideas for home enrichment: this should take into account a child’s interests and learning style.

·         nature journals

·         literature response journal (where they share their thoughts about stories they read)

·         Illustrate/paint your favorite part of the story. 

·         Create an alternate ending to the story.

·         Pretend you are the main character, act out your favorite part. 

·         Design a research poster about the author, the illustrator, or the topic (non-fiction).

·         Create a slideshow.

·         Scrapbooking special events or experiences.