2nd Grade Reading Activities

Reading experts have identified 5 different skills or areas that make up the ability to read. These areas are:

  • Comprehension – the ability to understand and gain meaning from what has been read
  • Phonics – an understanding that there is a relationship between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language
  • Phonemic Awareness – the ability to hear, identify, and play with individual sounds – or phonemes – in spoken words.
  • Vocabulary – the knowledge of words students must have to communicate effectively
  • Fluency – the capacity to read text accurately and quickly

Here are home learning ideas for you to try in each of these areas of reading! Click on the area of interest and discover activities for you to do at home!

Comprehension – the ability to understand and gain meaning from what has been read

Activities to develop reading comprehension:

  • Have a planned reading time each day. Be excited about ‘getting’ to read and the world it causes you to discover. Read aloud as well as listen to your child read. Point to words and sounds as you read. Listen to your child read familiar books. Listen to your child read words and books from school.
  • Read aloud to your child as well as listen to him/her read books everyday. Read books that are above his/her reading level, but are understood when read aloud. Read with expression. Encourage your child to read aloud. Help them by listening carefully.
  • Let your child read aloud. Your read a sentence, paragraph, or page, and then it's your child’s turn.
  • Read stories that are about real people and places and events such as biographies (stories about a real person’s life) as well as made up stories. Discuss with your child that the person in the biography ‘really’ lived and the characters in the story are made up.
  • Talk about the differences between ‘stories’ and ‘fact books’.
  • Have information books available in your home or check out informational books from the library. Informational books would be encyclopedias or books concentrating on one subject matter usually based on facts. Point out the differences between these books and “story” books. Ask questions about the pictures and notice any charts or interesting diagrams. Notice how the reader can page through the book without reading the whole book and still gain information.
  • Find out what interests your child has, and then obtain informational books about this subject such as if your child loves cats checking out information books about cats would be of great interest.
  • Have informational books available so child can simple inspect them and then ask questions about the various layouts and what can be learned by just reading the headings of a section.
  • Have informational magazines available such as “Ranger Rick” or “Highlight Magazine”.
  • Read other versions of common stories such as “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs”.
  • Re-tell common stories in a more modern time or from a different cultural point of view.
  • Check out books from the library that take place in various time periods such as the Laura Engels Wilder series of books. Discuss how family life and community life were different as well as ways they are the same. What are some things that are different from what would happen today? (For example: cooking over the fireplace, sleeping in the hay loft.) What experiences are the same? (Hugs, good night stories, etc.)
  • Talk about what is read. Ask your child about the characters – who the story is about. Ask which character your child likes and why. Ask what problems the characters are having. Encourage your child to try and solve the problems before reading on. Have your child guess what the characters will do to solve the problems. Ask about what is happening and what might happen next. Ask why something is happening thus pointing out there is a cause and then an effect. (For example: When a little girl takes her brother’s toy, her little brother cries and she gets in trouble with her mom.) Ask where the characters are at (setting – where the story takes place such as ‘in a car’, ‘in a castle’, or ‘on a farm’) Ask about the thoughts (the message of the story) the character has about the action and how those thoughts compare with what he/she thinks or would do in the same situation.
  • When reading aloud be aware of who the characters are and where they are. This will cause your child to be attentive to the parts that are in the story, such as character, setting, and plot (what the story is about). Discussion is the best way to ensure comprehension. It is also good to ask your child about what ideas the character has about the action and how those ideas compare with what your child would do.
  • Read chapter books to your child. Stop at exciting parts so your child is excited to listen the next time. Read with expression changing the tone and volume of your voice. If your child loses interest, change the tone and volume of your voice.
  • When reading a chapter book, stop at the end of the chapter when the child is sure to wonder what will happen next. Adventure stories are great for anticipating what will come next. Encourage your child that the next reading time he/she will find out what happens.
  • As your child is reading aloud, point out words he/she misses and help him/her sound out the new word, then reread the whole sentence. Ask if the word makes sense in the sentence. Help your child notice clues such as pictures or other words he does know to help him/her figure out the new word.
  • Listen to your child read words and books from school. Let your child self correct and ask him what sounds a word is making. Ask him if the word he is sounding out makes sense in the context of the sentence and story.
  • When reading with your child show him/her how to use context clues – the sentences, words, and pictures around an unfamiliar word- to figure out the word’s meaning. (For example: Read a line from a book, such as this line from Eric Carle’s Pancakes, Pancakes! “Take a sickle and cut as much wheat as the donkey can carry.” Then ask a question, such as “Look at the picture of Jack cutting the wheat. What is he using? That’s right, it’s a sickle. A sickle is a tool for cutting wheat and other kinds of grain.”
  • As you read to your child be aware of common comparisons like “the moon looks just like a yellow ball”. This is using language to further describe an item by comparing it to something the child understands from their everyday world. Also, notice sounds that are being used for effect such as “Silly Sally scrambled….”. Point out that these sounds make the sentence fun. When reading books that repeat phrases or give a rhythm through sound, be sure and read that line the same ways each time and then don’t read it when it comes again and let your child read it. Just from listening they will be able to read the sentence. Read Dr. Sues books for good examples of using sounds to make reading fun.
  • As your child reads or listens to reading, ask questions about what is happening in the story and what he/she would do in the story if it was about him/her. Ask your child to guess what might happen next or how the story might end. Ask if anything like the story has every happened to him/her.
  • Read or tell familiar stories over and over. Ask your child to re-tell stories. When you read or tell a familiar story ask your child to make up a new
  • If your child can’t sound out a word, suggest skipping it, reading the rest of the sentence, and deciding what word would make sense.
  • Listen to your child reread familiar books.
  • Help your child become aware of prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Point them out in books you are reading together or in print materials around the house. Ask him/her to think of other words related to the words you are discussing. (For example: “Can you think of any other words that have the word move in them?” Some possible answers are moveable, movement, moving, and moved.)

Phonemic Awareness – the ability to hear, identify, and play with individual sounds – or phonemes – in spoken words.

Activities to Develop Phonemic Awareness

  • Play rhyming games in the car.

Vocabulary – the knowledge of words students must have to communicate effectively

Activities to Develop Vocabulary and Oral Language Vocabulary

  • Tell your child stories from your own childhood. Compare your childhood with their experiences. How are they different? How are they the same?
  • Tell your child stories which include problems and ask them to help you solve the problems.
  • Play word games. (For example: Create words and play spelling games with letter magnets. Make a list of words that would be seen on a road trip. Give each family member a copy. When an item on the list is seen it may be crossed off. The most items crossed off a list at the first stop gets a treat. Decorate an index card box. Place several cards in the box. Each morning (or other time each day), ask your child to think of a word. Write the word on the card while your child watches or have child listen to the sounds and write the word. Read the word several times and store the cards in the box. Each day read the words in the box and add another.)
  • Read or tell familiar stories over and over. Ask your child to re-tell stories. When you read or tell a familiar story ask your child to make up a new ending.
  • Talk about words. Notice beginnings and endings of words. Notice punctuation marks. Stop, pause, and start as the punctuation marks (periods, commas, question marks or exclamation points) direct.
  • Make a list of words that would likely be found on a road trip. Give each family member a copy of the list. Allow child to have the list and sound out each word. Watch for each item on the list. When your child sees the item, he/she can cross off that item and the one who crosses off the most items by the first stop gets a treat.
  • Talk about new words that your child has read or heard.
  • Help your child become aware of prefixes, suffixes, and root words. Point them out in books you are reading together or in print materials around the house. Ask him/her to think of other words related to the words you are discussing. (For example: “Can you think of any other words that have the word move in them?” Some possible answers are moveable, movement, moving, and moved.)

Fluency – the capacity to read text accurately and quickly

Activities to Develop Fluency

  • Have a planned reading time each day. Be excited about ‘getting’ to read and the world it causes you to discover. Read aloud as well as listen to your child read. Point to words and sounds as you read. Listen to your child read familiar books. Listen to your child read words and books from school.
  • Read aloud to your child as well as listen to him/her read books everyday. Read books that are above his/her reading level, but are understood when read aloud. Read with expression. Encourage your child to read aloud. Help them by listening carefully.
  • Let your child read aloud. Your read a sentence, paragraph, or page, and then it's your child’s turn.
  • Go to the library and get early easy to read books or beginning books. Read the book to your child several times. Then have your child read the book several times aloud to you.
  • Tell your child stories which include problems and ask them to help you solve the problems.
  • As your child is reading aloud, point out words he/she misses and help him/her sound out the new word, then reread the whole sentence. Ask if the word makes sense in the sentence. Help your child notice clues such as pictures or other words he does know to help him/her figure out the new word.
  • If your child can’t sound out a word, suggest skipping it, reading the rest of the sentence, and deciding what word would make sense.
  • Listen to your child reread familiar books.

Phonics – an understanding that there is a relationship between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language

Activities to Develop Phonics

  • Play alphabet games. Write words on small cards and practice placing them in correct alphabetical order. Explain to your child why each word is placed where it is. Ask them which letters come first when pointing to the first letter of the word and then the second letter of the word.
  • Sound out words throughout the day. Listen for beginning, ending, and middle sounds. Take turns thinking of words and listening to the sounds slowly such as rat – ‘r’ ‘a’ ‘t’. Say sounds clearly before putting the word together. Take turns doing this. Ask your child to write the sounds he hears in a word. Write family notes and thank-you cards. Sound out words on labels and signs.
  • Play word games. (For example: Create words and play spelling games with letter magnets. Make a list of words that would be seen on a road trip. Give each family member a copy. When an item on the list is seen it may be crossed off. The most items crossed off a list at the first stop gets a treat. Decorate an index card box. Place several cards in the box. Each morning (or other time each day), ask your child to think of a word. Write the word on the card while your child watches or have child listen to the sounds and write the word. Read the word several times and store the cards in the box. Each day read the words in the box and add another.)
  • Think of words that start with different letters but fit into one category such as a fruit or vegetable that starts with “b”, with “c”. Or a vehicle that starts with “b”.
  • Place magnet letters on refrigerator. Practice putting letters together to make simple words with various sound combinations and create words. Have a contest and see who can make a word at their turn.
  • Point out the letter-sound relationships your child is learning on labels, boxes, newspapers, magazines, and signs.

Print Concepts and Writing

  • Demonstrate how to use the aids for finding information in the book such as the index (words listed with the page number where that word can be found) or the glossary (words listed at the end of the book with definitions and pronunciations.
  • Have your child fine telephone numbers for you.
  • Have your child find words in the dictionary for you.
  • As you read aloud or your child reads aloud, clearly point to the end of the sentence and stop and move onward. Ask your child what is at the end of the sentence. Notice the mark and what it says about the sentence. Ask your child if it is asking a question or is it telling something. Use voice variations in loudness and pitch and expression to demonstrate what the punctuation marks indicate to the reader. For instance when coming to a comma that is punctuating a series, pause and point at each item. Point out that when the group of words is marked at the end the reader stops and pauses and continues on.
  • Leave notes with words your child can sound out in his/her lunch bag or back pack.
  • Make a list of words that would likely be found on a road trip. Give each family member a copy of the list. Allow child to have the list and sound out each word. Watch for each item on the list. When your child sees the item, he/she can cross off that item and the one who crosses off the most items by the first stop gets a treat.
  • Have your child decorate an index card box. Place several cards in the box. Each morning ask your child to think of a word. Write the word on the card while your child watches. Read the word several times. Have your child store the cards in the file and read the cards each morning, adding a new word of your child’s choosing each day.
  • Have writing materials present and ask your child to write the sounds he hears in words that you say to him/her. Encourage your child to write often such as thank-you cards, letters, simple stories, or e-mails. Be available to help sound out words and give correct spellings. Be excited with each creation.

Motivation

  • Visit the library and check-out books. Have phonics workbooks and reading books on hand.
  • Read every day. Let your child see you reading when they are reading.