Mastering Second Grade Reading

Are your second-grader's reading skills up to par? Here's the rundown on where your child should be now, and what they'll master by year's end.

What You Need To Know

The big shift this year, reading-wise, is a new focus on what words mean--not only how to sound them out. Before the school year starts, your new second grader should be able to:

• Sound out words they don't know
• Have the motivation to read
• Continue a story using their imagination
• Guess at what happens next
• Talk about why characters do what they do
• Talk about the cause and effect of what happens

And by the end of second grade, your child should be able to:

• Understand what they're reading
• Figure out words they don't know within the context of the story
• Communicate simple thoughts in writing
• While reading aloud, correct their mistakes
• Spell words and identify them by sight
• Retell a story in their own words 

Check in with your child's reading skills before school starts, so you'll know where they need help. Listen to your child read aloud, and pay attention to how well they read without stumbling on the words. Ask questions about the story. "Why do you think Frog did that? Is he a good friend to Toad?" Before turning the page, have your child predict what will happen. Take note of any areas to work on, and renew your commitment to read with your child every day!