Second Grade

banner labeled second grade

Grade Level Expectations

Reading/Language Arts

  • Uses prior knowledge, illustrations, and text to make and confirm predictions.
  • Applies knowledge of beginning letters and spelling patterns in single and multi-syllable words as visual cues for decoding.
  • Uses a variety of structural cues to decode unfamiliar words.
  • Uses a variety of context clues to construct meaning (illustrations, diagrams, titles and headings, etc.).
  • Develops vocabulary by reading independently and listening to and discussing both familiar and challenging selections.
  • Summarizes information in texts including central idea, supporting details, connections between texts.
  • Selects materials to read for pleasure, as a group or independently.
  • Reads aloud with fluency and expression from developmentally appropriate material.
  • Reads informational texts for specific purposes.
  • Uses simple reference material (dictionary, index, glossary).
  • Generates ideas before writing on self-selected topics and assigned tasks.
  • Makes a plan before writing the first draft.
  • Writes legibly.
  • Uses one or more paragraphs to focus on separate ideas in writing and uses transition words when appropriate.
  • Revises writing to improve supporting details and word choice.
  • Spells frequently used words correctly.
  • Uses conventions of punctuation (periods, commas, question marks).
  • Capitalizes initial words of sentences, the pronoun "I", and proper nouns.
  • Writes for familiar occasions, audiences, and purposes.
  • Listens for information and pleasure.
  • Uses strategies to contribute to group conversations.
  • Uses oral communication to clarify understanding of a topic.

Math

  • Reads, writes, identifies, and represents numbers through the thousands.
  • Counts by tens and hundreds through the thou-sands.
  • Identifies relationships between digits and their place value through the thousands.
  • Compares and orders multi-digit numbers through the thousands.
  • Develops quick recall of addition facts and related subtraction facts.
  • Adds and subtracts two-and three- digit whole numbers with fluency.
  • Solves problems with repeated addition.
  • Estimates solutions to two-and three- digit addition and subtraction problems.
  • Solves addition and subtraction problems that involve measurement and geometry.
  • Estimates, measures and compares objects using standard units, such as inches and centimeters.
  • Selects an appropriate measurement tool to compute lengths.
  • Skip counts by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s through the thousands.
  • Classifies numbers as odd or even.
  • Generalizes numeric and non-numeric patterns using words and tables.
  • Describes and applies equality to solve problems, such as balancing situations.
  • Recognizes and states addition and subtraction rules.
  • Models part to whole relationships as a foundation to fractions.
  • Identifies time to the nearest hour and half hour
  • Identifies and counts money in cents up to $1 and dollars up to $100.
  • Measures weight/mass and capacity/volume of objects.
  • Knows appropriate units of measure and their abbreviations including cups (c), pints (pt), quarts (qt), gallons (gal), ounces (oz), pounds (lbs), grams (g), kilograms (kg), milliliters (ml), and liters (L).

Science

  • Recognizes that the Earth is made up of many sizes and shapes of rocks.
  • Describes how soil is formed from small rocks and decaying material.
  • Classifies soil types based on color, texture, the ability to retain water and sup-port the growth of plants.
  • Compares and describes that changing patterns in nature repeat themselves such as weather conditions.
  • Investigates by observing and measuring the Sun’s energy directly and indirectly warms the water, land and air.
  • Investigates how water that is left in an open container, it will evaporate.
  • Investigates that air is all around us, and moving air is called wind.
  • States the importance of preparing for severe weather.
  • Observes and measures objects in terms of their properties, including repulsion of magnets.
  • Observes and describes water as a solid, liquid and a gas.
  • Investigates various pushes and pulls.
  • Demonstrates that magnets can be used to make some things move without touching them.
  • Distinguishes human body parts and their basic functions.
  • Observes and describes the major stages of the life cycles of plants and animals.
  • Investigates plants and animals have life cycles that vary for different organisms.
  • Uses a variety of tools to gather and analyze information from the world around them.

Social Studies

  • Utilizes the media center, technology, or other informational sources to locate information that provides answers to questions about a historical topic.
  • Recognizes that Native Americans were the first inhabitants in North America.
  • Explores ways the daily life of people living in Colonial America changed over time.
  • Discusses why immigration continues today.
  • Identifies terms and designations of time sequence.
  • Uses different types of maps (political, physical, and thematic) to identify map elements.
  • Labels on a map or globe the continents, oceans, Equator, Prime Meridian, North and South Pole.
  • Recognizes that people make choices because of limited resources.
  • Explains the personal benefits and costs involved in saving and spending.
  • Explains why people form governments.
  • Explains the consequences of an absence of rules and laws.
  • Defines and applies the characteristics of responsible citizenship.
  • Identifies ways citizens can make a positive contribution in their community.
  • Evaluates the contributions of various African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, veterans, and women.
  • Identifies the Constitution as the document which established the structure, function, powers, and limits of American government.
  • Examines primary and secondary sources.