Second Grade Skills Checklist

Second Grade: Ready or Not?

Is your child ready for second grade? Every child is special and unique and develops at their own pace, but certain skills and knowledge sets are essential for social and academic growth, development and achievement in school. This checklist is designed to help you prepare your child for second grade. As you explore it, remember:
Success in second grade requires a child to be a much more independent learner than he/she was in first grade.
You are your child's first and most important teacher and role model.
Every day your child is learning as you talk, play and work together.
Readiness is a combination of age, individual growth and experiences.
Your child will develop at his/her own rate; however, your involvement strongly promotes readiness.
Your child will learn by doing.
Play is an essential part of learning.
Your child learns best when he/she is involved in activities that are interesting and fun.

Second Grade Readiness Checklists
Social & Emotional | Reading & Language Arts | Math | Social Studies | Science
Social & Emotional Development
Appears comfortable and confident with him/herself
Respects others and the rights of others
Follows classroom rules and routines
Accepts responsibility for behavior and actions
Uses materials appropriately and respectfully
Makes independent choices of materials and activities
Sustains attention to work over a period of time
Works, plays and shares with others
Interacts easily with adults
Participates in group activities
Shows empathy and caring for others
Uses words to reason and resolve conflicts
Seeks help when unable to resolve conflicts
Uses words appropriately
Completes tasks

Tips for parents to help children become socially and emotionally ready for second grade:
Be a role model at all times, especially when you are in a conflict or faced with a difficult decision. Describe out loud the thought process you go through as you choose your decision as to how to react to a situation.
Praise your child for positive behaviors and making smart decisions, point out small successes. ("That was a good decision to share the cupcake so you both got a little bit.")
Give your child the opportunity to make choices; when your child is having a difficult moment, offer up two suggestions with consequences ("You can either leave your toys on the floor and choose to give up tonight's bedtime story, or you can pick up your toys and earn an extra ten minutes of storytime.") and abide by these consequences.
Organize brief “family study” periods every night; make this habit a part of your family life so that it becomes something your child looks forward to as “together time.” Have plenty of study materials for your child so that this time is spent reading, writing or focusing, not on looking for something to do.
When other adults are present, ask your child a question or two that you know they can answer and enjoy discussing (their favorite toy or the family pet). Listen to your child’s responses and ask further questions to encourage attention to detail (“What kind of ice cream did Francis drop on the floor?”)

Social & Emotional | Language Arts | Listening & Speaking | Math | Social Studies | Science

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