St. Rose School
Language Arts Curriculum Standards
June 2003

Grade 2

Reading

• Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
  
  
  • Students understand the basic features of reading. They select letter patterns and know how to translate them into spoken language by using phonics, syllabication, and word parts. They apply this knowledge to achieve fluent oral and silent reading.
    
    
• Reading Comprehension
  
  
  • Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They draw upon a variety of comprehension strategies as needed (e.g., generating and responding to essential questions, making predictions, comparing information from several sources). The selections in Recommended Readings in Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Eight (California Department of Education, 1996) illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. In addition to their regular school reading, by grade four, students read one-half million words annually, including a good representation of grade-level-appropriate narrative and expository text (e.g., classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, online information). In grade two, students continue to make progress toward this goal.
    
    
• Literary Response and Analysis
  
  
  • Students read and respond to a wide variety of significant works of children's literature. They distinguish between the structural features of the text and the literary terms or elements (e.g., theme, plot, setting, characters). The selections in Recommended Readings in Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Eight (California Department of Education, 1996) illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students.

Writing

• Writing Strategies
  
  
  • Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider the audience and purpose. Students progress through the stages of the writing process (e.g., prewriting, drafting, revising, editing successive versions).
    
    
• Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
  
  
  • Students write compositions that describe and explain familiar objects, events, and experiences. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard American English and the drafting, research, and organizational strategies outlined in Writing Standard 4.

Written and Oral English Language Conventions

• Written and Oral English Language Conventions
  
  
  • Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions appropriate to this grade level.

Listening and Speaking

• Listening and Speaking Strategies
  
  
  • Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communications. They speak in a manner that guides the listener to understand important ideas by using proper phrasing, pitch and modulation.
    
    
• Speaking Applications
  
  
  • Students deliver brief recitations and oral presentations about familiar experiences or interests that are organized around a coherent thesis statement. Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American English and the organizational and delivery strategies outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 7.