Second Grade Phonics Tips: Read in the Wild

Expanding reading beyond books and into the world is exciting for children and shows them that reading is a practical and meaningful life skill. As they encounter more complex language while out and about, remind them to use their decoding and word meaning skills to help them make sense of what they’re reading.

For example, while in the car, point out a complex word like interstate. Challenge your child to break down the word into parts. Help them recognize that the prefix inter- means between. Guide your child to use this knowledge to understand that interstate is a synonym for highway and means between states.

Try this at the grocery store too! Your child can decode the three letter blend str- in strawberry or the -tion ending in nutrition. Remind them of their growing toolbox they can use to read words anywhere they go.