2nd grade · Kindergarten to Grade 5

What Should a 2nd Grader Know?

Nobody can tell you what every 2nd grade student knows; students differ, and so do states. What we can tell you exactly is what we teach. Below is the whole 2nd grade list: 61 topics in eight subjects, in the order we teach them, each with the standard it addresses. It is a plan, not a test and not a legal standard — if your student is ahead in one subject and behind in another, that is ordinary.

61 topics8 subjects6800 questions

Math comes in two tracks. The list above is the Common Core track; Math (Singapore MOE syllabus) covers the same grade as Primary 2 with 8 topics of its own.

The four language courses are optional and are taught in level bands rather than single grades: 2nd grade sits in Level 2 · Grades 2–3.

Math

8 topics440 questionsSubject page

  1. Fact fluency and arraysAdd and subtract within 20; odd and even; arrays2.OA
  2. Place value to 1,000Hundreds, tens and ones; skip count by 5s, 10s, 100s2.NBT.A
  3. Adding and subtracting within 1,000Regrouping with place-value strategies2.NBT.B
  4. Measuring in standard unitsInches, feet, centimeters, meters2.MD.A
  5. Time and moneyTime to 5 minutes; coins and bills2.MD.C
  6. Picture and bar graphsCollect data and answer questions2.MD.D
  7. Shapes and partitionsHalves, thirds, fourths of shapes2.G
  8. Length problems and number linesAdd and subtract lengths within 100 and show the jumps on a number line2.MD.B

Reading

8 topics960 questionsSubject page

  1. Vowel teams and two-syllable wordsRead vowel teams and decode two-syllable words with long vowelsRF.2.3
  2. Fluent reading and self-checkingRead with accuracy, good pace and expression; use context to check and fix wordsRF.2.4
  3. Fables and their moralsRecount a fable or folktale and find its central message, lesson or moralRL.2.2
  4. How characters respondDescribe how characters respond to major events and challengesRL.2.3
  5. Beginning, middle and endDescribe how a story's beginning introduces it and its ending concludes the actionRL.2.5
  6. Main topic of each paragraphIdentify the main topic of a multiparagraph text and the focus of each paragraphRI.2.2
  7. Finding facts with text featuresUse captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes and icons to locate factsRI.2.5
  8. Answering who, what, where, when, why and howAsk and answer who, what, where, when, why and how questions to show understanding of key detailsRI.2.1

English & Writing

8 topics960 questionsSubject page

  1. Irregular plural nounsForm and use plurals like feet, children, teeth, mice and fishL.2.1b
  2. Irregular past tense verbsForm and use common irregular past tense verbs like sat, hid and toldL.2.1d
  3. Adjectives and adverbsUse adjectives to describe nouns and adverbs to describe verbs, and choose the right oneL.2.1e
  4. Apostrophes in contractions and possessivesUse an apostrophe to form contractions and common possessivesL.2.2c
  5. Figuring out compound wordsUse the meaning of each small word to predict what a compound word meansL.2.4d
  6. Opinion writing with reasons and linking wordsState an opinion, give reasons joined with because, and, also, and write a conclusionW.2.1
  7. Narratives with details and feelingsRecount a short sequence of events with actions, thoughts, feelings, time words and an endingW.2.3
  8. Informative writing with facts and definitionsIntroduce a topic, develop it with facts and definitions, and finish with a concluding statementW.2.2

Science

8 topics960 questionsSubject page

  1. Sorting materials by propertiesDescribe and classify materials by color, texture, hardness, flexibility and whether they float2-PS1-1
  2. Heating and cooling changesSome changes from heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot2-PS1-4
  3. What plants need to growPlan and run a test to see whether plants need sunlight and water to grow2-LS2-1
  4. How animals help plantsModel how animals spread seeds and move pollen2-LS2-2
  5. Life in different habitatsCompare the variety of plants and animals living in different habitats2-LS4-1
  6. Fast and slow Earth changesEarth events can happen quickly, like a landslide, or slowly, like a canyon wearing away2-ESS1-1
  7. Mapping land and waterMake a model map showing the shapes and kinds of land and bodies of water in an area2-ESS2-2
  8. Comparing two designs with a testTest two objects built for the same job and use the data to compare their strengths and weaknessesK-2-ETS1-3

History & Social Studies

8 topics960 questionsSubject page

  1. How local government serves the communityDescribe how a town's leaders and residents work together for parks, roads, libraries and safetyD2.Civ.6.K-2
  2. Making our community betterDescribe ways people have worked to improve their communities over timeD2.Civ.14.K-2
  3. Weather, climate and how people liveExplain how weather and climate shape homes, clothing, food and activitiesD2.Geo.4.K-2
  4. How people and goods moveExplain why and how people, goods and ideas travel from place to placeD2.Geo.7.K-2
  5. Native nations long ago and todayCompare how some Native nations lived long ago with how their communities live todayD2.His.2.K-2
  6. Producers and their skillsDescribe the skills, knowledge and resources needed to produce goods and servicesD2.Eco.3.K-2
  7. Choices, costs and benefitsIdentify the benefits and costs of personal choices about spending, saving and timeD2.Eco.2.K-2
  8. Kinds of historical sourcesIdentify photographs, letters, objects, maps, newspapers and interviews as sources and tell what each shows about the pastD2.His.9.K-2

Life Skills

7 topics840 questionsSubject page

  1. Fire and home safetyStop, drop and roll, know two ways out, and stay safe around stoves, outlets and medicineNHES 7
  2. Sleep, exercise and my bodyExplain why sleep, water and moving every day keep my body healthyNHES 7
  3. Being a good friend and kindnessJoin in, include others, share and show kindness in everyday waysCASEL Relationship Skills
  4. Solving conflicts with wordsUse I-statements, listen, and find fair solutions instead of fightingCASEL Relationship Skills
  5. Making good choices and consequencesThink before acting, predict consequences and choose the safe, kind and fair choiceCASEL Responsible Decision-Making
  6. Counting money and making changeCount coins and bills and solve simple buying problems with change2.MD.C.8
  7. Telling time and using a calendarTell time to five minutes and use a calendar to plan days, weeks and months2.MD.C.7

Entrepreneurship & Business Thinking

7 topics840 questionsSubject page

  1. Who is my customer?Pick who a product is for and what they need or likeCEE Standard 14
  2. Benefits and costs of choicesWeigh what you gain and what you give up when you chooseD2.Eco.2.K-2
  3. Money in, money out: profitSubtract costs from sales to find profit with simple numbersCEE Standard 14
  4. Signs, ads and getting noticedDesign a clear sign or poster that tells customers what you sellCEE Standard 14
  5. Resources: natural, human and capitalSort resources into natural, human and capital and see how they make productsCEE Standard 1
  6. Fixing mistakes and trying againLearn from what went wrong and improve the next tryCEE Standard 14
  7. Planning a kid business dayMake a simple plan with steps, supplies and a schedule for a business dayCEE Standard 14

Psychology for Kids

7 topics840 questionsSubject page

  1. My amazing memory: tricks to rememberUse chunking, pictures and rhymes to remember moreCASEL Self-Management
  2. My feeling brain and thinking brainLearn that strong feelings can take over and how to calm down so I can thinkCASEL Self-Awareness
  3. Motivation: why we do thingsExplain inside and outside reasons for doing thingsCASEL Self-Management
  4. How kindness changes moodsSee how kind acts change how we and others feelCASEL Relationship Skills
  5. Fair and unfair: how we decideThink about fairness when making choicesCASEL Responsible Decision-Making
  6. Gratitude and happy thoughtsPractice noticing good things and saying thank youCASEL Self-Awareness
  7. Self-talk: what I say to myselfChange unhelpful self-talk into helpful self-talkCASEL Self-Awareness

Optional language courses

What one lesson contains

Every topic in every subject follows the same five steps, then an answer key. Nothing changes between subjects, so a student always knows what comes next.

  1. Quick CheckQuestions before you teach, to show what the student already knows. A high score means you can move faster.
  2. Learn ItKey words, step-by-step teaching with lines you can read aloud, worked examples, and the mistakes to watch for.
  3. We Do It TogetherQuestions you work through side by side. The answer and the reason it is the answer are printed right after each question.
  4. You TryThe student works alone. Do a page a day, or as many as the student needs.
  5. Show What You KnowNew questions at the end. Compare the score with the Quick Check to see the change.
  6. Answer KeyEvery question has its answer and a short explanation, at the end of each topic, so a student can work without peeking.

Other grades

More

Questions parents ask

Is this list what 2nd grade legally has to cover?

No. This is our teaching plan, nothing more. Requirements are set by your state and district, they differ, and they change. UpOnly Learning is a private educational publisher, not a school. We award no grades, credits or diplomas, we are not accredited, and nothing we publish satisfies a legal requirement on its own.

What if a student is behind on some of it?

Then start where the student actually is, not where the grade label says. Each topic opens with a Quick Check whose only job is to show what the student already knows, so you can skip or slow down with something to go on.

How many questions is that in total?

6800 across the eight 2nd grade workbooks, with an answer key and a short explanation for every one.

Do you go above grade 5?

UpOnly Learning publishes kindergarten through grade 5. Nothing above grade 5 is available.