times, teachers prompt and facilitate small group and large group discussions, guiding children to stay
on topic and to request clarification from one another, as needed.
Like all human beings, young children have opinions about ideas and issues that may be different
from those of their peers. They learn how to listen respectfully to diverse viewpoints and how to
articulate their own points of view. Teachers ensure that all children feel comfortable contributing to
discussions and that they have opportunities to do so.
In grade two, children learn to recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or
information presented orally or through other media (SL.2.2). They also learn to give and follow more
complex three- and four-step directions (SL.2.2a).
Presenting
Throughout the years of schooling, children have many opportunities to give presentations.
Prior to grade two, children’s presentations largely involved show-and-tell experiences and recitation
of memorized poems, rhymes, and songs. Grade two marks the point at which children plan and
deliver a formal narrative presentation that recounts a well-elaborated event that includes details,
reflects a logical sequence, and provides a conclusion (SL.2.4a). In addition, children add drawings or
other visual displays to enhance their presentations and, beginning in grade two, they create audio
recordings of stories or poems. These more permanent presentations may be shared with a range of
audiences over time.
Using Language Conventions
Children in grade two continue to learn and apply language conventions in order to communicate
effectively in speaking and writing. See figure 4.15 for the conventions addressed in grade two
(L.2.1–2). Children experience these conventions through teacher modeling, read alouds, and books
read collaboratively or independently, and they are taught to apply them in their writing and speaking
in rich and meaningful contexts. They learn that the purpose of conventions is to communicate
messages in ways that can be best understood.
Figure 4.15. Language Conventions in Grade TwoLanguage Standard 1
(conventional grammar and usage in
speaking and writing)Language Standard 2
(conventional capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling in writing)a. Use collective nouns.
b. Form and use frequently occurring
irregular plural nouns.
c. Use reflexive pronouns.
d. Form and use the past tense of frequently
occurring irregular verbs.
e. Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose
between them depending on what is to be
modified.
f. Produce, expand, and rearrange complete
simple and compound sentences.
g. Create readable documents with legible
print.a. Capitalize holidays, product names, and
geographic names.
b. Use commas in greetings and closings of
letters.
c. Use an apostrophe to form contractions
and frequently occurring possessives.
d. Generalize learned spelling patterns when
writing words.
e. Consult reference materials, including
beginning dictionaries, as needed to check
and correct spellings.324 | Chapter 4 Grade 2