Grade 2 English Language Arts: how to help at home
What your child learns in Grade 2 english language arts in the Saskatchewan Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- Comprehend and Respond (CR2.1–CR2.4): Comprehend and respond to a variety of grade-level texts. View and explain (with support from the text) the key literal and inferential ideas (messages), important details… Listen and retell (with support from the text) the key literal and inferential ideas (messages) and important… (and 1 more outcome)
- Compose and Create (CC2.1–CC2.4): Compose and create a range of visual, multimedia, oral, and written texts that explore. Use a variety of ways to represent understanding and to communicate ideas, procedures, stories, and feelings in a… Speak clearly and audibly in an appropriate sequence for a familiar audience and a specific purpose when… (and 1 more outcome)
- Assess and Reflect on Language Abilities (AR2.1–AR2.2): Reflect on and assess their viewing, listening, reading, speaking, writing, and other representing experiences and… Set personal goals as a result of group discussions. Communicative Environmental and Technological Imaginative and…
Easy ways to practise english language arts at home
- Take turns reading a page aloud, and chat about what happened and why.
- Keep a short journal, with one or two sentences a day to start.
- Hunt for a new word a day and use it at dinner.
- Ask for a prediction before turning the page: “What do you think happens next?”
What each unit covers
Rhyme Time
Hearing rhymes and spotting word families (-at, -ig, -op). Both help with reading and spelling new words.
Sound Detectives
Letter teams that make one sound (sh, ch, th, wh, ee, ai, oa) and clapping syllables.
Super Sentences
Starting sentences and names with capitals, and choosing a period, question mark or exclamation mark.
Story Builders
Reading short stories, then naming the character and setting, explaining why things happened, and retelling events in order.
Word Power
Building compound words, finding opposites and spelling plurals (-s and -es).
Reading Detectives
Reading short texts to work out who is telling the story, what will happen next, how characters feel, and how things are the same and different.
Text Features
Using a table of contents, charts and icons to find information, and following order words in steps and journal entries.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Beginning
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Approaching
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Meeting
- Has it! Meeting is the goal for every outcome. Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Exemplary
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the Saskatchewan report card guide.
Common questions
How can I help my Grade 2 child with english language arts?
Take turns reading a page aloud, and chat about what happened and why. Keep a short journal, with one or two sentences a day to start. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
What does my child learn in Grade 2 english language arts in Saskatchewan?
The Saskatchewan Curriculum Grade 2 english language arts units include rhyme time, sound detectives, super sentences, story builders, word power, reading detectives.
Free printable Grade 2 english language arts practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.