Curricular Plan for Reading Workshop
Second Grade
Unit One: Taking Charge of Reading
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Students should understand and be able to:
Set goals as an avid reader
Choose ‘just right books’
Make predictions and revise predictions as they read
Build independent reading stamina
Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie de Paola
Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
Amazing Grace by Bernard Waber
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Mentor Texts
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Use strategies to solve unknowns
Use strategies to monitor for meaning
Establish partnerships
Big Al by Andrew Clements
Poppleton by Cynthia Rylant
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
Possible Teaching Points
Part One: Helping Children Make Decisions Based on Habits, Volume, & Stamina
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Set resolutions for ourselves, even if it is not New Year’s
Invent systems for keeping track of how much we have read so that we can look back and ask, Am I reading more?
Push ourselves to read more – more than 30 minutes each day!
Readers practice reading stronger each day. We can do this by…
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What has happened so far in this book?
Who is the main character?
What does he or she want?
What’s happening to the main character?
What is this part mostly about?
Readers set goals to read more. To make our reading lives better, we can:
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Using the five finger rule (less than five words missed on the first page)
Listening for smooth reading, sounds like I talk
Readers use bookmarks to keep our places so that we know where we left off. We can get ready to start reading again by glancing back
at what we read, thinking,
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Choosing the books we want to read
Choosing how we will get ready to read
Choosing where to place post-its while we read
Readers choose just right books. We can do this by:
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(RL.2.1, RL2.2, RL2.3, RL2.5, SL.2.1, RF.2.4, L.2.4)
Readers make decisions about how their reading lives will go! We can be the boss of our own reading by:
Following the words with our eyes, not our fingers
Reading in our heads, not out loud
Readers make their own reading lives but they make sure to get ideas from other readers about cool, smart things they’re doing!
Literacy Curriculum Support Documents 2013-2014
Based on A Curricular Plan for The Reading Workshop Grade 2, 2011-2012
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Part Two: Reading Is Thinking – Before, During, and After
(RL.2.1, RL2.2, RL2.3, RL2.5, SL.2.1, RF.2.4, L.2.4)
Readers set ourselves up to read just like we set ourselves up to play a game. We get ready to read our books by:
o Reading the title and looking at the front cover
o Looking at the back cover and reading the blurb
o Looking inside, taking a picture walk, and thinking, What do I have to do when I read books that go like this?
Readers reread often to hold tight to the meaning of the story. We can do this by:
o Rereading the first chapter to help you figure out who all the characters are the first time through. Then, on the second read,
think about what the characters are feeling and what you think might happen next in the story.
o Rereading shorter books to help you read more smoothly and more fluently.
o Rereading our favorite parts when we have finished reading the book.
o Rereading parts that fit with the ending. When we finish, we might say, “Wait a second. There was something earlier that was a
clue to this ending. Let me go find that part” – and we reread it.
Readers think about the book as we read and when it doesn’t make sense – we notice! We stop and say, “What?” Then we go back and
reread, turning our brains on high, and often it makes more sense.
Readers who read big kid books have to think like big kids. We don’t just pay attention to what’s happening in the story; we also pay
attention to how the characters feel and why.
Part 3: Partners Can Talk about Books to Grow Ideas
(RL.2.1, RL2.2, RL2.3, RL2.5, SL.2.1, RF.2.4, L.2.4)
Readers take care of their reading partnerships. Just like when we play games with our friends, we cheer each other on. We do this by:
o Sharing the parts in our story that are tricky and helping each other figure out those parts
o Listening carefully and then responding to what our partner says
o Asking questions when we aren’t sure what our partner means
o Complimenting each other on the strategies that we tried
Readers prepare and plan for things to talk about during partner time. We can do this by:
o Marking places where we had big ideas
o Marking places where we figured out a new strategy
o Marking places where we were confused
Readers recommend books to their partners. We can do this by:
o Naming the title
o Telling a little bit about the characters or subject that you found interesting
o Explaining why you think your friend might enjoy reading the book
Literacy Curriculum Support Documents 2013-2014
Based on A Curricular Plan for The Reading Workshop Grade 2, 2011-2012
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Part 4: Being an Independent Problem Solver
(RL.2.1, RL2.2, RL2.3, RL2.5, SL.2.1, RF.2.4, L.2.4)
Readers notice when something doesn’t make sense. When this happens, we stop and ask, What can I do to fix this part?
• We could stop and ask, ‘What is going on so far? or What’s happening in this part?’
• We could back up and reread to get back into the story.
Readers are problem solvers. When we come to words we don’t know, we stop and think, What could I do to figure out this word?
o Think about what is happening and reread to get a running start, thinking about what word would make sense.
o Start right in with letters, chunking them and trying to figure out what the word might be saying. Reread and put the first bit of
the word in there, and think, ‘What might the rest of this word be?’
o Remember to use more than one strategy!
Helpful Tips
Reading Resolutions: students could list, then chart a class web for visual
Develop a checkout system; it is important for students to continue reading the same book between home and school until completed.
Students should have 10-12 books/week in their bags. They can swap mid-week with a same-level partner to double the number of
books they have available.
Transitional book baggies are for students who may be ready to move up a level. The bag contains mostly just right books but also
books at the next level.
Assessments during the first week of school should focus on struggling readers. You will need to do a formal running record as well as
high-frequency word assessment, spelling inventory, and check their ability to match letters with sounds.
Students at levels J and above should begin keeping reading Logs. Reading Conferences could include questions about the logs such as:
• What do you notice about how many pages you tend to read at home?
• What do you notice about the number of pages you tend to read at school? Why are they different?
• Do you notice times when reading was really good for you? What do you think made it good?
• Do you notice times when you didn’t do much reading? What do you think caused that?
• Based on what you see here, what kind of goal could you make for yourself?
Students should not be tracking words with their fingers. If you are convinced that they still need support, teach them to run their finger
down the edge of the paper for support. If this isn’t enough, draw a line on a piece of something clear, such as piece of acetate. This will
allow them to continue to see words before and after to get information. Do not use a card under the lines of print as this makes it hard
for child to see ahead which is necessary for fluent reading.
Typical second graders will spend the bulk of the year learning the various ways in which vowel sounds work. It is also very important
to have a word wall for high-frequency words.
The end of unit celebration could highlight students’ growth as readers with a Then & Now museum. Students could display a picture of
their favorite book from Kindergarten as well as a photo from earlier years and a picture of their favorite book now and a current photo.
Another culminating event could be for students to look back across their reading log for the month, reflect on the books they have read,
and make a book list with recommendations to give to another reader in the class.
Literacy Curriculum Support Documents 2013-2014
Based on A Curricular Plan for The Reading Workshop Grade 2, 2011-2012
Common Core State Standards
RL.2.1 Ask and answer questions for understanding of text
RL.2.2 Recount stories, determine message
RL.2.3 Describe how characters respond to major events and
challenges
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RL.2.5
RF.2.4
SL.2.1
L.2.4
Literacy Curriculum Support Documents 2013-2014
Describe the overall structure of a story
Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension
Participate in collaborative conversations
Determine meaning of unknowns using variety of strategies
Based on A Curricular Plan for The Reading Workshop Grade 2, 2011-2012