In Grade 2, Module 2, students move beyond review of Grade 1 spelling patterns and skills. Now familiar instructional practices serve as a vehicle for introducing new spelling patterns, affixes, high-frequency words (regularly and irregularly spelled, including contractions), and fluency practice.
Students engage in deep word analysis, learning spelling rules to help them generalize spelling patterns for vowel teams and affixes, but also learning that there are many words in English for which no rules apply (example: words like "turn," "her," and "bird," which all have the /er/ sound but are all spelled with different vowels). Students begin to understand that they must learn these types of words through repeated readings and spellings and continue to commit them to memory, also relying on context when a word is read in connected text.
By the end of Module 2, students should be able apply learned spelling patterns such as "oi," "oy," "ou," and "ow" to decoding and encoding words. Students will also be able to read, spell, and understand contractions using "am," "is," "not," "would," and "have." Students will continue to decode and encode words with common prefixes ("re-," "un-," "pre-") and suffixes ("-ed," "-ing," "-er"), beginning to tackle words with both. Students will be introduced and should be able to decode words containing word endings such as "-tion" and "-sion." Lastly, students will continue to work on and reflect on their growing ability to fluently read second-grade texts.
Cycles
Cycle Details
- Cycle 6: Reviews r-controlled vowels and open and closed syllables.
- Cycle 7: Introduces "oi," "oy," "ou," "ow" spelling patterns and contractions with the word "not."
- Cycle 8: Introduces "old," "ost," "ind," "ild" spelling patterns and contractions with the word "is."
- Cycle 9: Introduces words that double the middle consonant when adding a suffix (example: "rub," "rubbing").
- Cycle 10: Introduces the three sounds of the suffix or word ending "-ed": /it/, /ed/, and /d/, and contractions with the word "would."
- Cycle 11: Introduces "oo," "ou," "ui," "ue," and "ew" sound patterns (only expected to decode, not encode) and contractions with the word "will."
- Cycle 12: Introduces "-tion" and "-sion" word endings and contractions with the word "us."
Module Pacing Considerations
Flex Week: All modules in the K-2 Reading Foundations Skills Block include a Flex Week for teachers to use at their discretion. When determining how to use these days, consider scheduling challenges (examples: holidays or teacher work days) and students' needs (example: reteaching).
Now that students are likely comfortable and familiar with the instructional practices, consider using Flex Days for goal setting if it is difficult to meet with every student on the Assessment and Goal Setting days in Cycles 8 and 12.
Middle-of-the-Year Benchmark Assessments can be administered at the discretion of the teacher, school leader, or school district. Consider using a few Flex Days at the end of Module 2 if necessary.
Assessment
There are two forms of assessment in the K-2 Reading Foundations Skills curriculum.
Benchmark Assessments
- Students complete Benchmark Assessments at the start of the year, mid-year, and at the end of the year (see Grade Assessment Overview and Resources). Ideally, Baseline Benchmark Assessments should be administered before Cycle 1, but the Flex Week and/or differentiated small group time can be used to complete the first round, if necessary. Group students based on results (see Assessment Conversion chart) to prepare for differentiated small group instruction.
Cycle Assessments
- At the end of two cycles per module (and one cycle in Module 1), students also are assessed on decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) of words made up of taught graphemes and phonemes as well as taught high-frequency words. It is suggested that the teacher scores the assessment and reviews the results with each individual student to facilitate a goal-setting conversation. If time is a concern, the teacher may consider only meeting with one or two groups for each cycle for a goal-setting conversation. Guidance is provided to differentiate the assessments based on each student's Phase of Reading Development. Refer to the Review and Cycle Assessment lesson in each cycle for details.
Habits of Character / Social Emotional Learning Focus
Across EL Education's curriculum, there is a specific focus on students building habits of character. See K-5 Curriculum Overview for details.
Within the K-2 Reading Foundations Skills Block, specifically, there is a strong focus on building students' growth mindset: noticing how their ability grows with their effort. This is addressed during a daily Closing routine where students reflect on how the content of the lesson and specific learning or actions they've taken contribute to helping them become more proficient readers.
In Module 2, students participate in a Mid- and End of Module 2 Assessment designed to provide feedback to both teacher and student about the skills they have mastered and those they still need to learn and/or practice. Daily reflections in this module invite students to consider how successful learners take responsibility for their learning by setting goals for themselves. Students are encouraged to identify something concrete they can work on during whole group, independent work, or differentiated small group instruction. This might be based on their assessment goal-setting conferences, on feedback during differentiated small group instruction, or on their own self-identified needs.
Engagement Texts and Decodable Readers
No purchase necessary. Engagement texts and decodables are included in the module materials.
- Sunnyside Gazette, Edition 6: "Fall Fest in Sunnyside Park"; "Fall Fest at the Park" (written by EL Education for instructional purposes) (Cycle 6)
- Sunnyside Gazette, Edition 7: "Sunnyside City Park Improvements Continue"; "A New Playground!" (written by EL Education for instructional purposes) (Cycle 7)
- Sunnyside Gazette, Edition 8: "Principal Pack Saves the Day"; "Where's Goldie?" (written by EL Education for instructional purposes) (Cycle 8)
- Sunnyside Gazette, Edition 9: "Local Student Wins City Spelling Bee"; "The Spelling Bee" (written by EL Education for instructional purposes) (Cycle 9)
- Sunnyside Gazette, Edition 10: "Sunnyside High School Band Going to State Championship!"; "The Marching Band" (written by EL Education for instructional purposes) (Cycle 10)
- Sunnyside Gazette, Edition 11: "Baby Cougars Born at City Zoo"; "Baby Cougars at the Zoo" (written by EL Education for instructional purposes) (Cycle 11)
- Sunnyside Gazette, Edition 12: "New Restaurant Opens in Sunnyside"; "Too Many Options!" (written by EL Education for instructional purposes) (Cycle 12)
CCS Standards Taught and Assessed
Reading Foundational Skills
- RF.2.3: Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
A. Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.
B. Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.
C. Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.
D. Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.
E. Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences.
F. Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
- RF.2.4: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
A. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
B. Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive
readings.
C. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
Language
- L.2.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
C. Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.
D. Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage badge; boy
boil).
Module at a Glance
Cycle 6
Reviewed: r-controlled vowels and open and closed syllables
High-Frequency Words: "yellow," "orange," "great," "colors," "turns," "sing," "that," "start"
Cycle 7
Introduced: "oi," "oy," "ou," "ow" spelling patterns and contractions with the word "not"
High-Frequency Words: "their," "people," and contractions with "not" ("don't," "doesn't")
Cycle 8
Introduced: "old," "ost," "ind," "ild" spelling patterns and contractions with the word "is"
High-Frequency Words: "together," "whole," "hello," "weird," and contractions with "is" ("where's," "there's," "it's," "she's")
Cycle 9
Introduced: words that double the middle consonant when adding a suffix
High-Frequency Words: "even," "finally," "wrong," "won," plus review of some previously introduced high frequency words
Cycle 10
Introduced: three sounds of the suffix or word ending "-ed": /it/, /ed/, and /d/ and contractions with the word "would"
High-Frequency Words: "o'clock" and contractions with the word "would" ("he'd," "I'd," "you'd")
Cycle 11
Introduced: "oo," "ou," "ui," "ue," and "ew" sound patterns (only expected to decode, not encode) and contractions with the word "will"
High-Frequency Words: "finally," "guess," "through," "good," and contractions with "will" ("they'll," "it'll," "we'll")
Cycle 12
Introduced: "-tion" and "-sion" word endings and contractions with the word "us"
High-Frequency Words: "place," "large" and contractions with the word "us" (let's), plus review of some previously introduced high frequency words
See each Cycle Overview for more details, including information about what to prepare in advance and extension opportunities.