The COVID-19 outbreak has shut down thousands of schools all over the nation. Now, millions of children are staying at home during the school year. This leaves parents to figure out how they can still make sure their child is getting an education even while at home.

Reading skills are especially vulnerable to falling behind during this time at home when many kids are spending more screen time instead of reading time. Creating a homeschool 2nd-grade reading list can help you maintain your child’s reading skills while also keeping things fun and less like a formal school schedule.

What should my 2nd grader be able to read?

In 2nd grade, your child is likely still learning to read fluently. Here are some major reading milestones your 2nd grader should reach by the end of the academic year:

• By the 2nd grade, your child is able to recognize many sight words. Your child should be able to recognize about 220 sight words by the end of 2nd grade. 
• They should be able to read more complex words such as two-syllable words. 
• They should be able to recognize common prefixes and suffixes to words such as pre-, re-, -able, -ed. 
• They should be reading a wide variety of genres such as fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. 
• They should also be able to understand the general structure of a story. 
• They should be able to recognize the main ideas of a text and be able to discuss them. 
• They should be able to make connections within a text and to prior knowledge. 
• They should be able to recognize their mistakes and re-read to correct their mistakes.

What is the ultimate homeschool 2nd grade reading list?

Now that your child is reading more complex materials, it is good to give them as much practice as possible. Your child is also likely to be able to read more independently by now. You can help foster their reading by giving them some of these classic 2nd grade-level books to read all throughout school closures.

1. Amelia Bedelia – This classic book series is about a housekeeper as she often gets herself into silly adventures. This book is a great transition book that will get your child to be reading at a more advanced level. The recommended starting age for this series is 6 years old but it is suitable for older children as well.
2. The Giving Tree – This classic book is a wonderful book to read with your children that not only enhances their reading skills but also teaches them generosity and empathy. 
3. A Light In The Attic – A Light In The Attic is a collection of poems by the same author of The Giving Tree, Shel Silverstein. This is a great book to introduce the genre of poetry to your child.
4. Charlotte’s Web – Another children’s book classic is Charlotte’s Web. This is a great book to read with your children to help them transition into chapter books. You can also read the book as a family then have a family movie night to watch the movie adaptation of the book.
5. Graded Readers – Graded Readers are books that are written for specific reading levels and the language is adjusted as the levels progress. These are great to have on hand so that your child can have versions of books that are adjusted for their reading level and also ones that are slightly above their reading level to challenge them.
6. E-reading apps – During the outbreak, many bookstores have closed so it might be difficult to supply your child with lots of books at home. Instead, turn to an e-reading app that provides books and stories digitally for your child whenever they need it. Readability Tutor is a great e-reading app that provides original content and is constantly being updated so your child is always able to access new stories to read. Readability also has the advantage of also acting as a private reading tutor for your child by providing real-time feedback to help your child learn to read.

How can I teach my child to read at home?

Homeschooling is now the only option for many families. However, not all parents are prepared to homeschool their children and might not know the best techniques to keep their children on track. With some careful planning and communication with your child’s teacher, you can create a successful homeschool reading program at home.

• Find out the curriculum – You can usually find your child’s school curriculum on their website. Finding out the curriculum for your child’s school can help you understand how they are learning and what they are learning.  
• Talk to your child’s teacher – The best person to get advice from is your child’s teacher. They know exactly how your child learns and what they need to work on. They also know what your child excels in which you can use when you are trying to teach them at home. 
• Take the extensive reading approach – Extensive reading is reading a lot and reading for enjoyment not necessarily to learn something. This helps your child to learn to read and learn new information by having fun. 
• Know what your child should know – Another key to helping your child learn to read at home is to understand your child’s reading level. The reading level will help you know what your child should be able to read and what other reading skills they should have by their grade level.

Reading is an important skill that many kids learn in elementary school. Reading is so integral for kids to learn because it is the main way that they learn information in the future. Being able to read means being able to understand instructions for assignments or being able to read information from textbooks. Providing ways to constantly be reading such as downloading Readability is a great way to keep them learning in an informal homeschooling environment.