2nd Grade Family Guide to Iowa Academic Standards

This guide helps families understand the Iowa Academic Standards and shows what students will learn by the end of second grade. Published by the Iowa Department of Education, December 2025.

---

English/Language Arts

In grade 2, students will gain more skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. They will continue to learn and practice rules for letter/sound combinations to use during reading and writing. They will expand their knowledge of words to prefixes and suffixes and use this knowledge to understand the meanings of words. As students are immersed in text, they will gain increased vocabulary knowledge. Students' writing will include longer sentences and phrases. Students will start to understand the difference between speaking in an informal and formal manner.

What Will My Student Learn?

In connection to the standards:

• Students will continue to develop reading foundational skills with more complex phonics patterns and common prefixes and suffixes.
• Students will be asked to work on reading fluently, including accuracy, rate and expression.
• Students will be asked to pay closer attention to the details when reading a text.
• Students will read from many text types, also known as genres.
• Students will expand their understanding of texts by participating in collaborative discussions and writing about their reading.
• Students' vocabulary will continue to be enhanced through reading stories and informational text.
• Students will be introduced to the writing process and use it to support writing in various formats, including simple research.

In the classroom:

• Your student will be using detail, including illustrations and graphics, from the text to answer questions related to who, what, where, when, why and how.
• Your student will use these details to determine if there is a lesson to learn from a story.
• Your student will learn how to use various features in text to locate information with ease.
• Your student will write in a variety of formats, including short research.
• Your student will take part in conversations in which his or her comments or questions add to the conversation or are used to gather additional information or deepen understanding of the topic.
• Your student will continue to expand their vocabulary, including adding prefixes and suffixes to words.

How Can I Help at Home?

• Read at home every day and assist your student by reading every other paragraph if needed. Encourage your student to read to younger siblings, cousins, or other individuals you know.
• Support your student in sounding out unfamiliar words using their phonics skills.
• Encourage your student to explain what he or she has just read.
• Help your student figure out the meaning of new words by using prefixes, suffixes or text surrounding the word.
• Help your student explore their world and ask questions in which they use books to find the answers.
• Encourage your student to write for a variety of reasons. One example is writing a thank-you note or letter to family members or friends.
• Ask your librarian to suggest books about people or places that are important to your student or family that you can read together.

Questions for My Student

• What did you learn from that book? Can you show me specific parts of the book that helped you learn that?
• Where might we find the answer to that question?
• Can you use your phonics skills to figure out how to spell that word?
• Can you read that book again to your sibling, stuffed animal, or pet?
• What is a new word that you learned today?

Questions for the Teacher

• May I see a sample of my student's work?
• Is this piece of work satisfactory? How could it be better?
• Is my student on track with their reading and writing skills?
• How can I help my student improve or excel in reading and writing?
• If my student needs extra support, are there resources I can use at home?

---

Mathematics

Second grade is an exciting year when students expand their understanding of mathematics concepts, strengthen their problem-solving skills and apply what they've learned to more complex situations. This year builds on foundational skills while encouraging independence and critical thinking. Your involvement is key to helping your student succeed and fostering a love for learning that will last a lifetime.

What Will My Student Learn?

In connection to the standards:

• Numbers and Operations: Understand numbers up to 1,000; skip-count by twos, fives, 10s and 100s; and compare and order numbers.
• Addition and Subtraction: Fluently adding and subtracting within 100 and solving two-step word problems.
• Place Value: Understanding hundreds, tens and ones; using place value strategies to add and subtract.
• Measurement and Data: Measuring lengths with standard units, understanding concepts of time and money and interpreting data from graphs.
• Geometry: Recognizing, drawing and partitioning shapes into equal parts; understanding fractions as parts of a whole.

In the classroom:

• Building number sense by working with larger numbers and solving more complex problems.
• Practicing addition and subtraction fluency to solve everyday math challenges.
• Exploring real-world applications of measurement, time and money.
• Developing an understanding of basic fractions through hands-on activities with shapes and objects.
• Strengthening their ability to explain their thinking and justify their answers.

How Can I Help at Home?

• Practice skip counting and simple addition/subtraction facts during daily routines (e.g., counting coins or steps).
• Play math games that involve strategy, patterns, or problem-solving.
• Use cooking or baking to introduce fractions and measurements in a fun way.
• Encourage your student to solve word problems and explain how they reached their answers.
• Explore time-telling and money concepts using clocks and real currency.

Questions for My Student

• What math problems did you solve today?
• Can you explain how you solved this problem?
• What's the biggest number you worked with today?
• Can you show me how to count by 5s (or 10s)?
• What shapes or fractions did you learn about this week?

Questions for the Teacher

• What are the main math skills my student is working on this month?
• What are my student's strengths in math and where do they need more support?
• Are there specific activities or tools I can use at home to reinforce their learning?
• What should I focus on to help my student prepare for future math topics?

---

Science

The Iowa Academic Standards for Science empower teachers to provide all students in second grade with engaging science instruction that emphasizes data analysis and interpretation, critical thinking, problem solving and interdisciplinary connections — all while maintaining high expectations for academic achievement.

The science standards work in harmony with English/Language Arts and mathematics standards, allowing classroom instruction to better reflect real-world problem-solving, which often draws on multiple disciplines.

What Will My Student Learn?

• Properties of materials
• Heating and cooling materials
• Growth of plants from seeds
• How water and wind change landforms

How Can I Help at Home?

• Encourage your student to begin to make sense of the world around them by asking questions and making observations. Ask them what they notice and what they wonder about the world around them.
• Extend classroom experiences at home by encouraging your student to explore, using their own language to describe lived experiences.
• Use the information in this guide to ask your student's teacher meaningful, informed questions.

Questions for My Student

• How does land change and what are some things that cause it to change? What are some design solutions that could slow or prevent changes to the land?
• How do the properties of the materials relate to their use?
• What do plants need to grow?
• How many types of living things live in a place?

Questions for the Teacher

• What kinds of phenomena is my student going to be making sense of this year?
• How is my student going to be engaging with the practices of science?