Transform your 2nd grade ELA block with Rooted in Reading 2nd Grade (2nd Edition), a full-year reading comprehension curriculum that blends fiction and nonfiction texts, weekly read-alouds, and standards-aligned activities designed to build strong, confident readers.

Designed for busy 2nd grade teachers, this bundle provides an entire year of instruction built around high-quality read-aloud texts. Each week includes a fiction or nonfiction mentor text, student-friendly passages, comprehension tasks, vocabulary, grammar support, and interactive notebook pages to deepen understanding and spark a love of reading.

What's Included:

• Weekly plans built around a teacher read-aloud text (fiction or nonfiction)
• Reading passages with response questions to reinforce comprehension skills
• Interactive notebook printables and reading response activities
• Vocabulary cards and printables focused on rich, grade-appropriate words
• Grammar and mentor sentence activities integrated into comprehension lessons
• Comprehension assessments and quizzes to track mastery of key standards
• Alignment with 2nd grade Common Core and TEKS reading standards

Key Skills Covered:

• Identifying main idea and key details in fiction and nonfiction
• Comparing and contrasting texts
• Text features and nonfiction structure
• Character analysis, setting, and problem and solution
• Making inferences and drawing conclusions
• Vocabulary development through context
• Writing responses and reading discussions
• Grammar within the reading context, including mentor sentences and parts of speech

Why Teachers Love It:

• Everything in one bundle: reading, vocabulary, grammar, and written responses, saving hours of planning
• Both fiction and nonfiction texts, so you cover comprehension across genres
• Engaging interactive notebook tasks and hands-on activities
• Works for whole group instruction, small groups, guided reading, or literacy centers
• Flexible enough to be your core comprehension curriculum or a strong supplement

Supports the Science of Reading

Rooted in Reading aligns with Science of Reading principles by integrating language comprehension, vocabulary, background knowledge, and explicit strategy instruction. Students build strong reading foundations through rich texts, purposeful discussion, and structured comprehension routines.

Teacher Tip: Use the weekly read-aloud as the anchor for your lesson. After reading, follow up with the student passage, the interactive notebook activity, and then the vocabulary or grammar mini-lesson. This structure keeps your ELA block cohesive and helps students build deeper comprehension over time.

The Book List

Each month includes four weeks of lessons, with one read-aloud per week:

• August: My School Stinks! by Becky Scharnhorst; Rulers of the Playground by Joseph Kuefler; Home by Carson Ellis; The Barnabus Project by Terry Fan, Eric Fan, and Devin Fan
• September: One Green Apple by Eve Bunting; The Hundred-Year Barn by Patricia MacLachlan; The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant; The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes by Julia Finley Mosca
• October: The Poisoned Apple by Anne Lambelet; The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt; Slug and Cockroach by Elise Gravel; How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green
• November: The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming; Whooo Knew? by Annette Whipple; Pecan Pie Baby by Jacqueline Woodson; Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules
• December: Except Antarctica! by Todd Sturgell; Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant; Little Red Sleigh by Erin Guendelsberger; Digging for Words by Angela Burke Kunkel
• January: If Polar Bears Disappeared by Lily Williams; 10 Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper; Mornings with Monet by Barb Rosenstock; The Chinese New Year Dragon, Nian by Virginia Loh-Hagan
• February: Interstellar Cinderella by Deborah Underwood; Slugs in Love by Susan Pearson; John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith; Ticktock Banneker's Clock by Shana Keller
• March: The Green Frogs by Yumi Heo; The Quickest Kid in Clarksville by Pat Zietlow Miller; Birds of a Feather by Sita Singh; Pocket Full of Colors by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville
• April: A Beetle Is Shy by Dianna Hutts Aston; 10 Beautiful Things by Molly Beth Griffin; Harlem Grown by Tony Hillery; Song of the Wild by Nicola Davies
• May: Cat Problems by Jory John; Give Bees a Chance by Bethany Barton; Dinosaur Lady by Linda Skeers; Elephant in the Dark by Mina Javaherbin

Please Note: The picture books are not included and need to be purchased separately. We do our best to choose widely available titles, but we cannot guarantee a book's availability at any given time. We recommend checking Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Scholastic, ThriftBooks, BookOutlet, eBay, AbeBooks, Half Price Books, Better World Books, and your school or public library. You can also request titles through DonorsChoose.

Give your 2nd graders the tools to dive deep into texts, think critically, and grow as readers. Rooted in Reading is more than a curriculum. It's a reading routine your students will love.