Second Grade

Looking at Writing: Second Grade

Second graders are polishing a wide range of basic writing skills, including writing legibly, using capitalization and punctuation correctly (most of the time!), and moving from invented spelling to more accurate spelling. For most, handwriting becomes automatic, so they can concentrate more on the content of their writing rather than on the mechanics.

Second graders can organize their writing to include a beginning, middle, and end. They can write a simple essay with a title and introductory sentence, provide examples and details that support their main concept, and write a concluding sentence.

Select the writing sample links at left to view real examples of second grade writing at different skill levels.

Featured video

Watch a lesson on sentence expansion (whole class)

In this writing lesson, Maria Bailey, a literacy support teacher at Riverside Elementary School in Toledo, Ohio, works with students on sentence expansion — adding details to make sentences more interesting and informative. Students answer the question “why?” with some help from the word “because” to elaborate on a simple idea. The lesson begins with the whole group, then students work in partners, and finally they write expanded sentences independently. In writing longer sentences, students build their understanding of sentence structure. (From our sister project Reading Universe (opens in a new window))

The videos below were developed by Great Schools (opens in a new window) and used with permission.

What does 2nd grade writing look like?

Can your 2nd grader write a short informational essay?

Can your 2nd grader research and discuss a topic?

Classroom strategies

three elementary students working on writing together

Classroom Strategy

Framed Paragraphs

Focus:

Writing

illustration of layers of a hamburger

Classroom Strategy

Paragraph Hamburger

Focus:

Writing

row of elementary students concentrating on writing in class

Classroom Strategy

RAFT

Focus:

Writing

elementary teacher helping student revise his writing

Classroom Strategy

Revising

Focus:

Writing

Elementary student concentrating on his writing in class

Classroom Strategy

Transition Words

Focus:

Writing

elementary teacher working one-on-one with student on her writing

Classroom Strategy

Writing Conferences

Focus:

Writing

Explore all of our writing strategies (opens in a new window)

Graphic organizers and other downloadables

Graphic organizers

Writing review checklists

Informal assessment

young red-headed boy outside writing in a notebook

Writing

Writing Assessment

Guides and Toolkits

6+1 Trait® Writing Rubrics Grades K-2

illustration of young boy starting to write on paper

Writing

Student Checklist

Two elementary students writing and talking in class

Writing

Peer Editing

Learn more about writing in second grade

Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers

Guides and Toolkits

Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers

Elementary student in class thinking pensively about the lesson

Shanahan on Literacy

Writing as a Response to Reading

elementary teacher in lively conversation with students who have hands raised

Shanahan on Literacy

How Should We Combine Reading and Writing?

young red-headed boy outside writing in a notebook

Writing

Differentiated Instruction for Writing

Assistive Technology for Writing

Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology for Writing

Supporting Informational Writing in the Elementary Grades

Common Core Standards

Supporting Informational Writing in the Elementary Grades

young red-headed boy outside writing in a notebook

Writing

A Range of Writing Across the Content Areas

Graphic Organizers to Help Kids With Writing

Writing

Graphic Organizers to Help Kids With Writing

mother and daughter reading books together with stuffed animals

Sound It Out

Putting reading and writing skills to work

young red-headed boy outside writing in a notebook

Writing

Writing Disabilities: An Overview

Teaching Writing to Diverse Student Populations

Writing

Teaching Writing to Diverse Student Populations

Explore all of our writing resources

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