Summer Reading and Writing Pack

Second Grade

Reading Guide and Comprehension Questions

Reading Guide and Comprehension Questions

AGES 7-9

Second Grade

About this Book

In this heartwarming story, Ms. Alex asks the class to write an essay about their heroes. Unsurprisingly, classmates announce famous people as their subjects. Yasmin loves to write, but she can’t decide on a hero. While Yasmin is struggling to write her essay, her mother is cooking dinner, answering calls, finding lost pajamas, and offering comfort. It isn’t until her mother “saves” her from an empty stomach that Yasmin realizes who her hero is. Ms. Alex agrees: “Heroes don’t have to be famous people. Sometimes they are ones closest to us.”

We are excited to share a beginning chapter book, Yasmin The Writer, our Learning Without Tears Writing Journal, and our Building Writers student activity book with your second grader. Here are some strategies to encourage your student to reach for literacy success.

Tips for Reading to and with Your Young Reader

Dedicate 30 minutes for reading each day. Several studies indicate students’ reading abilities decline or stall during the summer because of a lack of exposure to literacy. However, students who read at least 30 minutes each day encounter more vocabulary and reinforce essential reading skills.

Pay Attention to Prefixes and Suffixes

When your learner uses a word with a prefix or suffix, occasionally stop to talk about it. Break down the word and say what the prefix or suffix and root word mean when they’re put together, and brainstorm other words that have the same suffix or prefix.

During Reading

Yasmin The Writer is one book in a wonderful series of beginning chapter books to share with your young reader. Beginning chapter books are stories that are long enough to be divided into chapters, but not as extensive or complicated as a novel. These chapter books still feature illustrations, but fewer than early readers’ picture books. While your young reader is doing some independent reading, it is still very important to continue to read aloud with them. Read-aloud time boosts their reading comprehension and build vocabulary.

Make a “W” Chart: While you and your learner read books together, make a chart filling out the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the book as you both discover them.

After Reading

This reading and writing pack also includes resources to help your learner practice foundational writing skills while responding to reading in fun and creative ways.

Commit to 10–15 minutes of writing, 3 times a week. All it takes is 30–45 minutes per week to help students improve letter and sentence formation.