Unit 1: Sharing Our Stories
2nd Grade ELA
Caesar Rodney School District 2016-2017
Dear 2nd Grade Families,
As a new school year begins, we want to share exciting news. We will engage
the students in purposeful, meaningful lessons as we implement the Common
Core State Standards for English Language Arts. Students will be given
opportunities to increase their reading skills and strategies in both whole group
and small group reading experiences. Our focus is to engage the children in
text and for them to become active readers. With each new unit of study, a
brief overview will be sent home to provide ways for you to help your child
achieve and succeed in school. Thank you in advance for your assistance and
support.
Unit Overview:
Focusing on the overall structure of
fiction (literary) and nonfiction
(informational) texts, students will learn
the beginnings and ending of stories
and poetry forms. Students will gain
more skills in reading, writing, speaking
and listening. Topic-specific titles
about citizenship and insects are the
informational texts. Finally, students will
participate in a variety of large and
small groups. They will retell or
describe important details from a text
read aloud or media source.
Essential Skills:
 Ask and answer questions (who,
what, where, when, why and how).
 Identify the main topics of a
passage
 Use text features to locate key
facts or information
 Read high frequency words and
words with long and short vowel
sounds
 Read appropriate texts with
purpose, understanding and
expression
 Use learned spelling patterns when
writing words
 Write, expand and rearrange
simple and compound sentences
Unit 1: Sharing Our Stories
2nd Grade ELA
Caesar Rodney School District 2016-2017
Activities to do at home:
 Read every day and discuss what they read
 Keep a reading chart to show their progress
 Pay close attention to details in the text and
illustrations
 Make words using magnetic letters
 Read and follow directions to complete a task
 Play games locating high frequency words
in magazines and books
 Write a letter or thank you note to a family member
 Use the internet to find information about insects
 Go to your local library and check out Henry and Mudge books by
Cynthia Rylant
Additional Resources:
 Caesar Rodney Elementary ELA site:
http://www.teachers.cr.k12.de.us/~galgano/2links.htm
 Author study: www.cynthiarylant.com
 Word games:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/construct/
 Look at pictures and read facts about ladybugs
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/animals/
