Second-graders can:

• Read with greater fluency
• Use strategies more efficiently (rereading, questioning, and so on) when comprehension breaks down
• Use word identification strategies with greater facility to unlock unknown words
• Identify an increasing number of words by sight
• Write about a range of topics to suit different audiences
• Use common letter patterns and critical features to spell words
• Punctuate simple sentences correctly and proofread their own work
• Spend time reading daily and use reading to research topics

What teachers do:

• Create a climate that fosters analytic, evaluative, and reflective thinking
• Teach children to write in multiple forms (stories, information, poems)
• Ensure that children read a range of texts for a variety of purposes
• Teach revising, editing, and proofreading skills
• Teach strategies for spelling new and difficult words
• Model enjoyment of reading

What parents and family members can do:

• Continue to read to children and encourage them to read to you
• Engage children in activities that require reading and writing
• Become involved in school activities
• Show children your interest in their learning by displaying their written work
• Visit the library regularly
• Support your child's specific hobby or interest with reading materials and references