Goals

By the end of second grade, your child should be able to do the following (but is not limited to):

• Read grade-level text with a purpose in mind (e.g., to identify the main idea, to glean information) and for understanding
• Apply phonics rules, meaning clues and language structure to decode words (i.e., use knowledge of letter-sound relationships to correctly pronounce written words) and increase fluency (i.e., read, speak, and write easily and accurately, almost automatically)
• Use context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words
• Ask and answer questions using the text for support
• Retell stories and determine the theme or lesson learned
• Make, revise, and confirm predictions about the text
• Describe characters, setting and important events in fiction and poetry
• Summarize stories and important events with beginning, middle and end in the correct sequence
• Use text features (e.g., title, captions, bold words, etc.) to preview the text and to locate key facts or information
• Organize writing to represent a meaningful sequence of events by including a beginning, middle and end
• Recognize and use complete sentences
• Use correct spelling for commonly used sight words, including compound words (two words joined together to form a new word like arm + chair forms the word armchair) and regular plurals (words made plural by adding an �s, -es, or -ies to the end of it, for example cat - cats or baby - babies)

*Tips

• Read Every Day - Continue to read aloud with your child regularly. As you read, stop to discuss what was read and ask questions about what�s happening in the story (fiction) or what has been learned (nonfiction) about a topic. Your child should discuss the important details from the beginning, middle, and end of a story, and be able to discuss the main idea and details of a nonfiction text.
• Encourage and Explore Different Uses for Writing - Make sure that you and your child write in different ways for different tasks, purposes, and audiences. Examples of writing may include grocery lists, recipes, notes, thank you cards, letters, and stories. Authentic writing experiences will motivate your child to write and foster a love of reading and writing.
• Visit the Local Library - Please be sure your child has a library card and is familiar with your local library. Encourage your child to choose books that are of interest. Make sure that your child has time at home, away from computers and television, to focus on reading independently.

Tips provided courtesy of NBC News Parent Toolkit

Goals

By the end of second grade, your child should be able to do the following (but is not limited to):

• Create and solve story problems involving addition and subtraction
• Apply addition and subtraction strategies for basic facts to larger numbers
• Identify and write fractions of a set (group of objects) and region (figure) and length/measurement models
• Understand place value to the hundreds place
• Measure and estimate in standard units (length, weight and liquid volume)
• Work with time and money
• Analyze data in tables and graphs
• Recognize, describe and compare plane figures (2-D flat figures like triangles, squares, circles) and solid figures (3-D figures like spheres, cubes, and cones)

*Tips

• Make Math �Hands On� - Helping your second grader with math means helping him understand the meaning of mathematics concepts, not just the procedures of doing a written problem. Making math as "hands on" as possible is the best way to ensure that he will develop an understanding of concepts and number sense. To help your child really grasp the math that he needs to master, keep the learning simple, use real tools and everyday objects, and make it fun. Just call your learning activity a "game" and you can guarantee you will have your second grader's attention!
• Speak Positively About Math - Speak positively about math and reward effort rather than grades or ability. Think about how important reading is and how we model this behavior for our children. We need to place math in the same category. Don't discount the importance of math by saying, "I'm not a math person, I was never good at math." Help your child read books that incorporate math, such as Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag, or On Beyond a Million: An Amazing Math Journey, by David Schwartz.
• Explore Fractions - Since children are most familiar with the fraction 1/2, as in "Can I have half a glass of milk," the unit is a strong base from which to start exploring fractions. Compare half a glass of water to a whole glass, half a cookie to a whole cookie, half a book (opening it to the middle) to a whole book. Encourage your child to show you when he sees or hears fractions used in daily life. Cutting up sandwiches, fruit, or pastries into equal pieces and counting the fractional parts is one way to reinforce fraction identification.
• Play Family Math Games - Plenty of family games incorporate math. Connect Four, and dominoes are just some of the many games that help build math skills. Any game using dice and counting spaces also builds math concepts.

Tips provided courtesy of NBC News Parent Toolkit