Books & Materials
The books, supplies and printable references you'll use across the 36 weeks.
Reading list
Twelve hand-picked read-alouds, early chapter books and nonfiction titles for the year. Each week's plan also names the books it uses.
Open the 2nd grade reading listMaterials by quarter
What one child needs at home for the 36 weeks, organized by quarter and subject. Most lessons use everyday household items; buy only what you don't already have.
Everyday basics (used all year)
Stock up on these staples before the year starts. Tap Basket on anything you need, then open your basket to shop it all at once.
Quarter 1: Weeks 1–9
Materials needed for this quarter's lessons across all subjects.
Mathematics
13 items
- Base-Ten Blocks Set— Used daily for place value
- Place Value Mat— Hundreds, tens, ones columns
- Craft sticks— Bundling into tens and hundreds
- Rubber Bands (assorted)— For bundling craft sticks
- Mini Whiteboard— Quick practice & end-of-lesson checks
- Dry Erase Markers— For whiteboards
- Math Journals (composition)— Daily math reflections
- Digit Cards 0–9 (printable set)— Comparison games
- Number Cards 100–200— Number reading practice
- Place Value Bingo Cards— Friday review game
- Counters (or dried beans)— Bingo & counting activities
- Number Chart 1–1000— Skip-counting reference
- Hundred Chart (laminated)— Patterns & counting
English Language Arts
13 items
- Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel
- Writer's Notebook— Personal narratives
- Large paper or poster board— Big charts for the wall
- Leveled Readers Set (Level I-M)— Small group reading
- Sticky Notes (multi-pack)— Text annotations
- Reading Journals— Reading responses
- Magnetic letters— Word building activities
- Word Sort Cards (short/long vowels)— Phonics practice
- Decodable Readers Set— Phonics application
- Retelling Cards— Characters, setting, events
- Highlighters— Finding text evidence
- Chapter Books for Independent Reading (2nd grade)— Independent reading
- Feeling Words Poster— Character feelings
Science
9 items
- Science Journal— Observations & data
- Hand Lenses / Magnifying Glasses— Observing properties
- Mystery Bag Objects Kit— Rocks, fabric, blocks, clips
- Texture Samples Kit— Sandpaper, silk, foil, felt, etc.
- Sorting Mats— Multi-property sorting
- Data Recording Sheets Pad— Investigation data
- Thermometer— Heating/cooling experiments
- Art Supplies Kit— Diagrams & models
- Construction Paper (assorted)— Science posters
Social Studies
7 items
- What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick
- Rule cards (printable)— Safety, respect, responsibility
- Venn Diagram Templates (pad)— Comparing rules vs. laws
- Drawing Supplies (crayons, markers)— Illustrations
- Chart Paper (large pad)— Class posters
- Community Helpers Books Set— Read-aloud texts
- Graphic Organizers Pad— Sorting & comparing
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Helpful printables and references
Multiplication Chart (1–12)
Printable 2nd-grade multiplication chart that bridges skip counting and repeated addition.
2nd Grade Sight Words
Dolch and Fry sight word lists with a 36-week practice plan — printable.
Place Value Chart
Hundreds/tens/ones chart, blank and filled — for numbers to 1000.
2nd Grade Reading List
12 hand-picked second-grade books — read-alouds, early chapters, and nonfiction.
Addition & Subtraction Fact Families
Printable fact-family triangles for fluency within 20.
More free sites
GeneralDiploma.com ↗
Our parent site with curriculum resources for all grade levels.
Khan Academy — 2nd Grade ↗
Free math and reading practice aligned to Common Core standards.
Starfall Reading ↗
Phonics-based reading activities perfect for second graders.
National Geographic Kids ↗
Science and social studies exploration through videos, games, and articles.