What reading level for 2nd grade

How to Overcome the 2nd Grade Reading Stumble

Learning to read involves a long journey, beginning with the ABCs and ending with (we hope) a lifelong love and interest in books. But many children experience a few bumps along the road as they develop into skilled readers, and often a problem arises in 2nd grade reading, when children are faced with more challenging material.

Some kids have trouble now because (1) they are still having decoding difficulties, (2) they have weak reading fluency (speed), or (3) the text is just too difficult. Here's what you need to know about each issue:

1. Weak Decoding. In 1st grade, some children do well by memorizing most words by sight rather than sounding them out. This strategy begins to break down in 2nd grade reading when the number of words increases and there is less repetition, making it more difficult to learn words by sight. One of the quickest ways to determine if your child is over-relying on reading words by sight is the Nonsense Word Test below. These words are made up, but can be sounded out with early phonics skills. If he can sound them out, then decoding isn't the issue. If he uses one or two letters of the word to guess another word, decoding issues exist. More phonics work, including learning basic phonics skills and reading lots of simple phonics books, will help. A few great examples for the 2nd grade level are Pete the Cat Phonics Box Set, Pokemon Phonics Boxed Set, and Disney Learning: Toy Story Phonics Box which incorproates well-loved characters to make your child's learning journey a fun one! 

Nonsense Word Test
Tell your child that these words are made-up words, and ask him to read them to you.

1. lat (rhymes with "cat")

2. rud (rhymes with "mud")

3. chab (rhymes with "grab")

4. stot (rhymes with "hot")

5. mabe (rhymes with "babe")

6. glay (rhymes with "play")

7. weam (rhymes with "team")

8. jern (rhymes with "fern")

9. froom (rhymes with "broom")

10. prouch (rhymes with "couch")
 

2. Weak Fluency. In order to understand what we read, we have to read at a speed appropriate for making meaning from the text (comprehension). In 2nd grade reading, your child should be reading 50 to 60 words a minute at the beginning of the school year and 90 words per minute by the end of the year. To test this, give your child a story from her reading list that she has not read, but will pique her interest. If it's below the speed levels noted above, then fluency is a problem. Make sure she has lots of experiences reading simple books. (One Scholastic Parents fan discovered that having her boys read the Elephant & Piggie Series aloud helped her boys improve reading fluency.) Repeated readings of stories she's already read in class will help, by providing the multiple exposures and decoding opportunities she needs.

MORE: How the Elephant & Piggie Series Helped My Kids Become Fluent Readers

3. Text Difficulty. Your child needs lots of reading practice in stories that are not too hard. That is, he should be able to recognize over 90 percent of the words in his  2nd-grade reading books without your help. If you need to assist your child more frequently, then the story is too tough for him. Stories at this level — his frustration level — do not advance his reading skills. They make comprehension difficult because he is stopping so frequently to figure out words. These constant stops break the flow of reading and don't allow him to focus on the meaning of the story. Give Scholastic Success With Grade 2: Reading Comprehension a try to better determine his level of reading difficulty and practice common skills he's learning in school. 

©Ridofranz/iStockphoto

Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox.

PLEASE ENTER A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS.

PLEASE SELECT A NEWSLETTER OPTION.

Preschool View Sample

Elementary School View Sample

Privacy Policy

<div><h3>Thanks for signing up! Look out for a confirmation email from us.</h3><h4>Want to connect now? Find us on social media!</h4><h3><a adhocenable="false" href="https://www.facebook.com/scholasticparents/" target="_blank"><img src="/content/dam/parents/icons/facebook. svg"></a>&nbsp;<a adhocenable="false" href="https://www.instagram.com/scholasticparents/" target="_blank"><img src="/content/dam/parents/icons/instagram.svg"></a>&nbsp;<a adhocenable="false" href="https://twitter.com/scholparents" target="_blank"><img src="/content/dam/parents/icons/twitter.svg"></a>&nbsp;<a adhocenable="false" href="https://www.pinterest.com/scholparents/" target="_blank"><img src="/content/dam/parents/icons/pinterest.svg"></a></h3></div>

2nd Grade / Fountas and Pinnell Reading Level Chart

•  

  Reading Levels	Grade Levels
  A	K
  B	K	1
  C	K	1
  D		1
  E		1
  F		1
  G		1
  H		1	2
  I		1	2
  J			2
  K			2
  L			2	3
  M			2	3
  N				3
  O				3	4
  P				3	4
  Q					4
  R					4
  S					4	5
  T						5
  U						5
  V						5
  W						5

standards for grades and quarters

Reading is a key skill that opens the gate to the land of knowledge for a child. Thanks to this skill, children learn about the phenomena and events of the world around them, get acquainted with the characters and actions of people, meet new problems and ideas. This skill helps them to expand their horizons and ideas about the world, develops critical thinking and trains cognitive abilities - attention, imagination, memory. Reading is the foundation for further successful learning. nine0003

To understand how well a child develops this skill, it helps to check the reading technique. Reading technique is a multifactorial test that characterizes the development of a skill from different angles. In the technique of reading are evaluated:

• reading speed,
• reading method,
• reading awareness,
• correct reading,
• expressiveness of reading.

A difficult reading skill consists of both a technical and a semantic component and is aimed at achieving the main goal - understanding and assimilation of the information read. nine0003

Reading technique parameters

Let's consider all the components of reading technique in more detail.

1. Reading speed - the number of words read in a certain period of time. Often, parents focus on the formation of fluent reading, while the child makes many mistakes, does not understand and does not remember what he read. It is not necessary to force only speed, slower conscious reading and a gradual increase in tempo are better than fast mechanical reading with errors and inaccuracies. nine0008
2. Way of reading — syllabic reading or reading the whole word, smoothly. With the development of the skill, the child has a gradual transition from syllabic reading to smooth reading in whole words.
3. The correct reading of is characterized by the absence of errors and hesitation. Inattention, problems of diction lead to inaccurate reading, indistinct articulation and, as a result, to a distortion of meaning. Pay attention to the correct reading - this will be the key to competent writing. nine0008
4. Reading awareness involves reading comprehension, awareness of the idea and meaning of the text, and in the future - this is the ability to catch the subtext, humor, irony, the attitude of the author. Interfering with reading comprehension can be low reading speed, distorted reproduction - guessing words, changing the shape of words, not reading endings.
5. Reading expressiveness - the use of pauses, finding the right intonation, the correct placement of stresses. The expressiveness of reading is inextricably linked with awareness. When understanding what is read, it is easier for the child to observe the necessary pauses, select the correct intonation and place logical stresses. nine0008

Reading speed standards for elementary school

GEF standards determine the desired reading speed for a child by a certain point in learning, help to understand whether the development of a skill is successful or whether additional attention is required. Standards - indicative values; it is important to take into account the individual psychophysiological characteristics of each child and evaluate the growth of his personal indicators.

Grade 1 reading speed standards

Reading speed standards in grade 2

Reading speed standards in grade 3

Reading velocity

Reading speed, to which it is necessary schools, is reading at the speed of conversational speech, 110-120 words per minute. The human articulatory apparatus has adapted to this speed over time. And most importantly, the reading should be conscious, correct, expressive. nine0003

Other parameters of reading technique

Grade 1

At the end of the first half of the year. Reading is smooth syllabic, conscious and correct, with a clear pronunciation of syllables and words.

At the end of the second half of the year. Reading is conscious, correct, simple words are read as a word. Words with a complex syllabic structure can be read syllable by syllable.

Grade 2

At the end of the first half of the year. Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. Compliance with logical stresses. Compound words can be read syllable by syllable. nine0003

At the end of the second half of the year. Reading meaningful, correct, in whole words. With observance of logical stresses, pauses and intonations. Syllabic reading is undesirable.

Grade 3

At the end of the first half of the year. Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, with the help of which the child expresses an understanding of the meaning of what is being read.

At the end of the second half of the year. Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the child expresses understanding of the meaning of what is being read. nine0003

4th grade

At the end of the first half of the year. Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With the help of observed pauses and intonations, the child not only expresses an understanding of the meaning of what is being read, but is able to express his attitude to what he has read.

At the end of the second half of the year. Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the child expresses an understanding of the meaning of what is read, and his attitude to the content of what is read. nine0003

How can I test my child's reading skills on my own?

Have your child see how well they read already. Children usually love to know how many centimeters they have grown, and they may also be interested in knowing their progress in reading. Warn about the upcoming test and ask the child to read quickly.

The control of reading technique in sensitive children who, due to their temperament, can hardly tolerate various tests, can be carried out imperceptibly or in the form of a game. Do not create unnecessary excitement around the upcoming test, do not arrange a test in the form of an exam. If the child is worried, stutters, transfer control to another time. nine0003

Verification process:

1. Prepare a clock with a second hand or use the stopwatch on your phone, and choose the appropriate text.
2. Ask the child to take a seat.
3. Show him the text and ask him to read it aloud.
4. Track the time from the moment your child starts reading. Not all children are able to immediately start reading on command, which leads to inaccurate results.
5. Usually, one minute is noted for checking, but some experts recommend taking 2 minutes for monitoring, since not all children are equally quickly included in the work. Divide the result obtained in 2 minutes in half. nine0008
6. Do not correct or interrupt while reading. It is better to discuss the mistakes made after the child has finished reading.
7. Assess the speed, correctness, awareness and expressiveness of reading.
8. Retest and compare results. Reading technique may differ depending on the child's fatigue, health status and mood.

Which text is suitable for verification?

Both fiction and non-fiction texts appropriate for the child's age are suitable for this purpose. The text should be unfamiliar, but understandable to the child, have educational and educational value. The texts of V. Bianchi, L. Tolstoy, N. Nosov, B. Zhitkov, K. Ushinsky, V. Dragunsky are suitable. The text for verification can be found in special manuals or in a textbook on the Russian language and literature. nine0003

You should find the text that is located on the spread of the book so that the child does not have to waste time turning pages. Choose text without an abundance of punctuation marks and distracting illustrations. It is not desirable that the passage contains common complex sentences and dialogues. The font must be large enough and legible. The text should not have a technical focus and contain terms incomprehensible to the child.

Test score

Speed ​​score

Count how many words the child read in one minute. When counting words, pay attention:

• prepositions, conjunctions, particles of 1-2 letters are counted as one word;
• when wrapping, the word is counted as 2 words;
• if the word is written with a hyphen, look at how many letters are on both sides of the hyphen: if there are more than three, we count it as 2 words, for example, "long, long", if less than three, for example, "somehow", - as one .

Compare your score with the recommended range and your child's previous performance. nine0003

Comprehension score

Determine how well the child understood what they read. If the student reads slowly and has read only a couple of sentences, let him read the passage to the end. Ask your child a few questions about the text. Ask what or who he read about. Ask the child to identify the main idea of ​​what they read and retell the text.

For a deeper check of the meaning of the reading and learning, use special teaching kits. nine0003

Correctness assessment

Pay attention to whether the child reads what is written correctly, whether he pronounces words clearly, whether there are hesitations and corrections, whether he alters words, whether he changes endings, whether he places stresses correctly. Discuss the mistakes with the student.

Evaluation of expressiveness

To assess the expressiveness of reading, the child is offered a familiar text. Listen to whether the child observes pauses and other punctuation marks, whether he changes intonation, whether he highlights the main idea. nine0003

Improving reading technique

Poor results in reading technique are not a reason to be upset, but only a signal that additional efforts need to be made to improve the skill. You can deal with the child on your own or contact a specialist who will analyze the weak points and select the appropriate exercises. Conduct additional activities with the child in the mode of "sparing reading" without pressure. It is more important to observe the regularity and frequency of classes: 10-20 minutes daily. nine0003

How can you motivate your child to read:

1. Reward your efforts with stickers, stars.
2. Mark progress visually - create a success board so your child can visually see their progress
3. Conduct activities in the form of a game, such as "going to the library" or "reading to your favorite toys."
4. Choose books and texts that are interesting for your child.
5. Let the child read to pets, they are grateful and accepting listeners. Reading to them, the child is not afraid to make a mistake, he relaxes and overcomes the fear of failure. nine0008
6. Have a reading competition between peers and siblings.

To improve the speed of reading will help:

1. Reading by syllabic tables.
2. Multiple reading. Read the same text several times, increasing the pace. From the second time the child will be able to read faster.
3. "Tug". An adult leads a finger along the line, setting the pace. The child tries to read at a given pace.
4. Tops and roots. The child reads the words, covering the upper or lower half of the letters with a ruler. nine0008
5. Reading in a book turned upside down.
6. Lightning. Alternating reading at a comfortable pace with reading at the highest possible speed for 20 seconds on the command "Lightning!".
7. "Sprint". Reading speed competition between classmates.
8. Work on expanding the field of view according to Schulte tables.
9. Reading with a window to eliminate "regression" - recurrent eye movements that lead to repeated reading.

For correct reading:

1. Work on clear diction, do articulation exercises.
2. Read tongue twisters and tongue twisters.
3. Invite the child to correct the deformed sentences: "The weather is good on the street. "
4. "Imaginary word". When reading, the wrong word is pronounced, the child must correct it.

Reading comprehension

1. Wave Reading. First, the child reads aloud, then retells what he read.
nine0007 Drawing up a plan for reading.
2. The student reads to himself at a comfortable pace, tells what he understood and felt, what he thought about
3. Discuss unfamiliar words and expressions.
4. Invite the child to draw a picture of the passage they read.
5. Ask them to tell you what they liked about the text, what they remember.

For expressive reading

1. Role-playing, staging.
2. Put on a "radio show". nine0008
3. Expressive recitation of poems.
4. Voice flexibility training. The ability to speak quieter-louder, higher-lower.
5. Conducting reading indicating the tone or strength of the voice.
6. Live Picture. One reads, the other reacts with facial expressions.

Improving reading skills in elementary school is very important. It is fluent and meaningful reading that activates the processes of thinking, attention, memory and is the basis for a child's successful education in the future. This detailed instruction on reading technique control will help you track and improve your child's skill development. nine0003

Russian language for students in grades 1-4

We develop thinking skills, prepare for the Olympiads and improve the results of the Russian language in an interactive format

learn more

Reading technique. Norms 1-4 class.

Since many parents stubbornly refuse to understand what is the point of testing reading technique in elementary school (grades 1-4), I give up and publish reading norms. At the same time, I ask you to carefully read not only the quantitative norm of words per minute, but also my explanations both in the table and below it. nine0003

→ Number of words may vary slightly depending on curriculum. Increased rates are given in parentheses.
→ Grade 1: no mark is given, the student "did" or "did not do it". In the first half of the year, the reading technique may not be carried out.

Grade	at the end of the first half of the year	at the end of the second half of the year
1 cl.		Reading is conscious, correct, simple words are read as a word. Words with a complex syllabic structure can be read syllable by syllable. nine0313
2 cl.	Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. Compliance with logical stresses. Words of a complex syllabic structure can be read syllable by syllable.	Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of logical stresses, pauses and intonations. Syllabic reading is undesirable.
3 cells	Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the student expresses understanding of the meaning of what is being read. nine0313	Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the student expresses understanding of the meaning of what is being read.
4 cells	Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the student expresses understanding of the meaning of what is read, and his attitude to the content of what he read.	Reading consciously, correctly, in whole words. With observance of pauses and intonations, through which the student expresses understanding of the meaning of what is read, and his attitude to the content of what he read. nine0313

- reading by syllables or word completely,

- Availability of errors when reading,

- number of words per minute,

- expressiveness,

- awareness.

can be clicked to enlarge

As you can see, the number of words read is not decisive.

That is, parents need to understand that such a concept as reading speed is only one of the criteria for determining the level of reading technology . way of reading is being checked : the child reads by syllables or the word is read by him smoothly, in its entirety. It is mandatory to check reading comprehension , in other words, whether the student understands what he has read or not. To do this, after reading, a question can be asked about the text, most often “What did you just read about?” and requires a simple answer (a detailed retelling is not needed 😉)

The expressiveness of reading, the presence of errors and / or stammers are also taken into account. Sometimes there is a return to re-reading the previous word, this indicates a lack of awareness and is considered a mistake.

It should also be taken into account that the standards for the speed (rate) of reading may differ depending on the educational institution, the requirements for a student of a gymnasium will be higher, for a student of a correctional class - lower.

Learn more

• 
  Games that teach spelling
• 
  Sounding out letters for kindergarten
• 
  Sounds of word
• 
  Build social skills
• 
  Activities for twos
• 
  Reading lessons for 1st grade
• 
  What are the ordinal numbers
• 
  Sounds of letters chart
• 
  Family rituals examples
• 
  Why are kids shy
• 
  Learn to read program