Oral language, vocabulary, reading habits and, in the early grades, phonics, spelling, fluency and handwriting: the building blocks of reading and writing.
2.1 Foundational skills: oral language — listening, talking and group discussion
2.1A Listen actively, pose pertinent questions that clarify information, and respond to questions in multi-word answers
2.1B Follow, restate and give spoken instructions made of a short, linked series of actions
2.1C Share information and ideas focused on the topic being discussed, speaking clearly at a suitable pace with proper language conventions
2.1D Collaborate by following agreed discussion rules: listen to others, speak when recognized, contribute appropriately, and build on others' ideas
2.1E Build social communication, such as telling apart asking and telling
2.2 Foundational skills: beginning reading and writing — sounds in words, print concepts, phonics and word parts for decoding and spelling
2.2A Show phonological awareness: produce a string of rhymes, tell long vowel sounds from short ones in one-syllable and multisyllabic words, notice how a spoken word changes when a phoneme is added, swapped or dropped, and manipulate phonemes within base words
2.2B Decode short, long and variant vowels, trigraphs, blends and silent letters; multisyllabic words with closed, open, VCe, vowel-team (digraphs, diphthongs), r-controlled and final stable syllables; compound words, contractions, common abbreviations; syllable division (for example, VCCV); prefixes un-, re-, dis- and endings -s, -es, -ed, -ing, -er, -est; and research-backed high-frequency words
2.2C Spell words of one or more syllables with closed, open, VCe, vowel-team (digraphs, diphthongs), r-controlled and final stable syllables; silent letters, such as knife; compound words, contractions, common abbreviations; multisyllabic words with several sound-spelling patterns; syllable division, including middle double consonants; prefixes un-, re-, dis- and endings -s, -es, -ed, -ing, -er, -est
2.2D Arrange words alphabetically, then look words up in a dictionary or glossary
2.2E Develop handwriting by forming every cursive letter correctly with proper strokes when joining letters
2.3 Foundational skills: vocabulary — use newly learned words expressively
2.3A Consult print or digital resources to learn how to say unfamiliar words and what they mean
2.3B Work out unfamiliar word meanings from context found inside and outside the sentence
2.3C Determine meanings of, and use, words built with -ion/tion/sion, -ly, un-, re-, and -er/-est (comparative and superlative)
2.3D Recognize, use and explain homographs, idioms, synonyms and antonyms in context
2.4 Foundational skills: fluency — read texts at grade level smoothly and with understanding, using suitable rate, accuracy and prosody
2.4A Read grade-level text with suitable rate, accuracy and prosody
2.5 Foundational skills: self-sustained reading — pick texts and read on your own over an extended time
2.5A Pick texts and read on one's own for an extended time
Comprehension Skills
Using reading strategies to understand, summarize and make sense of what students read and hear.
2.6 Comprehension: use metacognitive strategies to build and deepen understanding of increasingly complex texts
2.6A Decide why to read texts that are assigned or self-chosen
2.6B Pose questions about text at every stage of reading (before, during, after) to build understanding and gather information
2.6C Make predictions, then correct or confirm them using text features, genre traits and structures
2.6D Form mental pictures to deepen understanding
2.6E Connect text to personal experiences, other texts and society
2.6F Make inferences and back them with evidence
2.6G Weigh the details read to decide on key ideas
2.6H Combine information to build new understanding
2.6I Monitor comprehension and adjust when understanding breaks down, for example by re-reading, drawing on background knowledge, checking visuals or asking questions
Response Skills
Responding to texts in speaking and writing, with evidence and personal connections.
2.7 Response: react to an increasingly challenging range of texts and sources read, heard or viewed
2.7A Describe how various sources connect to oneself personally
2.7B Write short comments about literary or informational texts that show understanding of the text
2.7C Back up a fitting response with evidence from the text
2.7D Retell and paraphrase texts while keeping meaning and logical order
2.7E Interact meaningfully with sources, for instance by illustrating or writing
2.7F Respond using newly learned vocabulary where fitting
Multiple Genres
Reading and analyzing fiction, poetry, drama, informational texts and media, and what makes each genre work.
2.8 Multiple genres: literary elements — recognize and analyze story elements within and across ever more complex traditional, contemporary, classic and diverse literary texts
2.8A Discuss topics and identify theme with evidence from the text, with adult assistance
2.8B Describe a main character's internal and external traits
2.8C Describe and make sense of plot elements, including the central events, the conflict and its resolution, in texts that are read aloud and read independently
2.8D Describe why the setting matters
2.9 Multiple genres: genre traits — recognize and analyze features, structures and purposes inside and between ever more complex traditional, contemporary, classic and diverse texts
2.9A Show knowledge of what sets familiar kids' literature apart, for example fairy tales, fables and folktales
2.9B Explain the visual patterns and structures found across varied poems
2.9C Talk about drama elements, for example characters, dialogue and setting
2.9D Recognize informational text features, including central idea and evidence (with adult help), features and graphics for finding information, and patterns like chronology and explicit cause and effect
2.9E Recognize persuasive text traits, including saying what the author wants readers to think or do and telling fact from opinion
2.9F Recognize features of multimodal and digital texts
Author's Purpose and Craft
How authors choose words, structure and techniques to inform, persuade and entertain.
2.10 Author's purpose and craft: analyze authors' choices and how they shape meaning, then apply craft deliberately in one's own products and performances
2.10A Discuss why an author wrote a text
2.10B Discuss how text structure supports the author's purpose
2.10C Discuss how an author uses print and graphic features for specific purposes
2.10D Talk about how descriptive, literal and figurative language is used
2.10E Identify whether a text uses first or third person
2.10F Identify and explain how repetition is used
Composition and Writing
Writing process, genres of writing, and the conventions of grammar, usage, punctuation and spelling.
2.11 Composition: writing process — use the process recursively to compose multiple legible texts with suitable conventions
2.11A Plan an opening draft by coming up with ideas, for example through drawing and brainstorming
2.11B Shape drafts into a focused piece by organizing with structure and building an idea with specific, relevant details
2.11C Revise by adding, removing or reordering words, phrases or sentences
2.11D Edit drafts: complete sentences with agreeing subjects and verbs; past, present and future tense; adverbs of time and place; prepositional phrases; coordinating conjunctions for compound subjects and predicates; capitals for months, weekdays, letter greetings and closings; end marks, contraction apostrophes, commas in series and dates; plus grade 1's nouns, adjectives, pronoun cases and spelling
2.11E Publish and share writing
2.12 Composition: genres — use genre traits and craft to compose multiple meaningful texts
2.12A Compose literary works, including personal narratives and poetry
2.12B Compose informational works, including procedural texts and reports
2.12C Compose correspondence, for example thank-you notes or letters
Inquiry and Research
Asking questions, finding and evaluating sources, and presenting what was learned.
2.13 Inquiry and research: engage in brief and extended recursive inquiry for varied purposes
2.13A Come up with questions for both formal and informal inquiry, with an adult's help
2.13B Create and carry out a research plan, with an adult's help
2.13C Locate relevant sources and the information within them that answers the questions
2.13D Identify primary and secondary sources
2.13E Show understanding of the information collected
2.13F Cite sources appropriately
2.13G Present results in a suitable delivery mode: written, oral or multimodal
There are 62 2nd Grade TEKS ELAR Standards on this page, in 7 strands: Foundational Language Skills, Comprehension Skills, Response Skills, Multiple Genres, Author's Purpose and Craft, Composition and Writing, and Inquiry and Research.
How do I write an assessment for a 2nd Grade TEKS ELAR standard?
Pick a standard on this page and choose Make a quiz. AssessmentWiz opens the generator with the standard's code and text filled in, so every question targets that standard.
What does a code like 2.1A mean?
TEKS ELAR codes read grade, knowledge and skills statement, student expectation. In 2.1A, the first number is the grade (K for kindergarten), the next number is the knowledge and skills statement, and the letter is the student expectation under it.