OVERVIEW
The Reading Rope is a simple way to understand how a child learns to read. It's a foundational concept within the science of reading, created by literacy expert Dr. Hollis Scarborough, and serves as a helpful image for parents and teachers. Think of it as a real rope made of many smaller strands that are all woven together. Reading isn't just one skill; it's a combination of many.
The rope has two main parts:
Word Recognition: This is about figuring out the words on a page. It includes skills like sounding out words and recognizing them instantly.
Language Comprehension: This is about understanding what those words mean. It includes skills like having a good vocabulary and understanding the topic you're reading about.
When all the strands of the Reading Rope are strong and woven together, a child can become a skilled, fluent reader. This is the core principle of our literacy program at Woburn Public Schools. Our comprehensive Literacy Block, used at every grade level, is designed with multiple programs to address each and every one of these vital components.
In second grade, your child will build on their reading and writing skills to become even more confident and skilled. They will continue to develop a deeper understanding of texts and learn how to express their own ideas more effectively.
Students will work with two main types of texts:
Narrative (Stories): They will learn to analyze stories by focusing on how a character's thoughts and actions affect the plot, describing how the beginning introduces the story and the end concludes it, and using context clues to infer meaning. They will also explore the main message or lesson in a story and compare different versions of the same tale.
Expository (Informational): This is where students become experts on a topic. They will read nonfiction books to find key details, use text features like captions and headings, and understand the connections between ideas or events in the text. They will also compare and contrast information from different texts on the same topic.
Students will develop their writing skills in three different areas:
Narrative: Writing stories about real or imagined events. They will learn to include descriptive details and dialogue to show what characters are thinking, feeling, and doing, and use words to show the order of events.
Informational: Writing about a topic and including facts and definitions to teach others. They will learn to introduce their topic and write a concluding sentence or section.
Opinion: Stating their thoughts on a book or topic and providing clear reasons to support their opinion. They will use linking words like "because" and "also" to connect their ideas.
Throughout the year, students also work on building their vocabulary, using correct grammar, and becoming more confident communicators.
Unit 1: Narrative Reading: Story Structure
I can ask and answer "who, what, where, when, why, and how" questions to show I understand the key details in a story.
I can describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
I can describe how the beginning of a story starts the action and how the ending concludes the action.
How do story elements help me understand a story?
How does a character’s thoughts, feelings and actions help the story move along?
Who is the story about? What do you know about them?
What is happening in the story?
Where and when did the story take place?
How did the main character feel when something challenging happened?
How does the beginning of the story introduce what is happening?
How does the end of the story wrap up the action?
Unit 2: Narrative Writing
I can write a story about a real event or a made-up experience.
I can add details and dialogue to my story to show what characters are thinking, feeling, and doing.
I can use words to show the order of events in my story.
I can plan, revise, and edit my writing with help from adults and friends.
I can use digital tools to write and share my stories with others.
What is the purpose of narrative writing?
What is the purpose of the story you are writing?
Can you tell me about the event you are writing about?
What are your characters saying and thinking?
What happens at the beginning, middle, and end of your story?
How are you using words to show the order of events?
How did you revise or edit your writing today?
How can you use a computer to help you write?
Unit 3: Narrative Reading Inferencing
I can ask and answer "who, what, where, when, why, and how" questions to understand the key details in a text.
I can use the pictures and words in a story to help me understand the characters, setting, or plot.
I can use what I already know and clues from the text to "read between the lines"
How does a reader "read between the lines"?
How do the pictures in the story help you understand what is happening?
What can you infer about the characters based on their actions or what the pictures show?
What does the story say directly, and what do you have to figure out?
Can you find a clue in the text that helps you understand something that isn't directly stated?
How do you "read between the lines" in this story?
Unit 4: Narrative Reading Theme
I can retell a story and tell its central message, lesson, or moral.
I can compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story from different authors or cultures.
I can use what I know from my own life to help me understand what I am reading.
I can describe how a character's change helps me understand the lesson the author wants to teach.
How does the way the character changes help you learn the lesson that the author is trying to teach you?
How do I use my life to make me a better reader?
What is the main message or lesson in this story?
How did the character change from the beginning to the end of the story?
What did you learn from the character's journey?
Have you ever felt or acted like the character in the story? How did that help you understand the story better?
Have you read another story that has a similar lesson? How are they alike and different?
Unit 5: Narrative Reading Point of View/Authors Purpose
I can explain what dialogue is and how it shows a character's thoughts and feelings.
I can understand how an author's purpose and point of view shape a story.
I can explain why an author writes stories.
Why do authors write stories?
What is the purpose of this story? Why do you think the author wrote it?
What does dialogue add to the story?
What are the characters saying, and what does it tell you about them?
How is the story told? Is it a character telling the story, or someone else?
Why do you think authors write stories?
Unit 6: Expository Writing
I can write a text that gives information about a topic.
I can use facts and definitions to teach others about my topic.
I can introduce my topic and write a concluding sentence or section.
I can use technology to publish my writing.
I can participate in research projects with others.
What is the purpose of expository writing?
What is the purpose of expository writing?
What topic are you writing about?
What facts did you learn about your topic?
How did you get information for your writing?
Did you work with a friend on your research project?
How did you use technology to help with your writing?
Unit 7: Expository Reading For Understanding
I can ask and answer "who, what, where, when, why, and how" questions to show I understand the key details in a nonfiction text.
I can use text features like captions, bold print, and subheadings to find information quickly.
I can use illustrations, diagrams, and other images to help me understand the text.
I can use what I already know to help me understand what I am reading.
Why do you read nonfiction?
How do I use my life to make myself a better reader?
How readers "read between the lines"?
Why do we read nonfiction books?
What is the main topic of this book?
Can you show me a text feature in this book, like a subheading or caption?
How did the pictures or diagrams help you understand the text better?
How did something you've learned in your life help you understand this book?
What can you infer from this text that the author doesn't say directly?
Unit 8: Opinion/ Persuasive Writing
I can write an opinion piece about a topic or a book.
I can state my opinion and give reasons to support it.
I can use linking words like "because," "and," and "also" to connect my opinion and reasons.
I can provide a concluding statement to my writing.
I can use technology to publish my writing with help from adults.
What is the purpose of opinion writing?
What is the purpose of opinion writing?
What is your opinion about the book or topic you are writing about?
What reasons do you have to support your opinion?
Can you show me a linking word you used in your writing?
How did you end your opinion piece?
How can you use a computer to publish your writing?
Unit 9: Expository Reading Connect & Synthesize
I can identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text.
I can describe the connection between a series of events, scientific ideas, or steps in a technical procedure.
I can describe how the reasons an author provides support their specific points.
I can compare and contrast the most important points in two texts on the same topic.
I can become an expert on a topic by reading different books about it.
How do you become an expert on a topic?
What is the main topic of this book?
What are the most important points from the text?
How are the points in this text similar to or different from another text we read on the same topic?
How did the author support their main points with reasons?
What steps or events did the author describe? How are they connected?
What have you learned about this topic by reading a few books about it?
Unit 10: Expository Reading Authors Purpose & Point of View
I can figure out the meaning of words and phrases in a nonfiction text.
I can identify the main purpose of a text, like if the author wants to answer a question, explain something, or describe something.
I can understand why authors write nonfiction books.
Why do you read nonfiction?
Why do authors write nonfiction?
Why do authors write nonfiction?
What is the author's purpose in this book? Are they trying to answer a question or explain something?
How can you tell what the author's purpose is?
What does the author want to answer, explain, or describe in this book?
Can you find a new word in the text and figure out what it means?
Suggested books to read at home:
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
Grandad's Island by Benji Davies
Drawn Together by Minh Lê
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition) by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
National Geographic Kids: Volcanoes by Kathy Furgang
Look Up! The Science of Stargazing by DK
A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder by Walter Wick
What Do You Do With a Problem? by Kobi Yamada