Reading Detectives: Mastering Comprehension Strategies for 2nd Graders

Reading Detectives is a comprehensive 16-week course designed to help 2nd graders develop strong reading comprehension skills across both fiction and nonfiction texts. The curriculum is aligned with grade-level standards and focuses on building the essential skills young readers need to understand, analyze, and enjoy various types of texts.

The course is divided into four units:

Unit 1: Building Reading Detective Skills (Weeks 1-4)

Students will develop foundational comprehension strategies including making predictions using text features, asking and answering questions about texts, retelling stories with beginning, middle, and end, and identifying central messages or lessons. Activities include prediction journals, text feature scavenger hunts, and story mapping exercises.

Unit 2: Cracking the Fiction Code (Weeks 5-8)

Young detectives will analyze fiction by identifying setting, characters, problems, and solutions. They'll explore character traits and motivations, compare different versions of stories, and understand how perspective changes a story. Students will create character maps, use graphic organizers, and participate in reader's theater to explore different perspectives.

Unit 3: Navigating Nonfiction Clues (Weeks 9-12)

Students will discover how to use text features like headings, captions, and bold words to locate information in nonfiction texts. They'll identify main ideas and supporting details, interpret graphs and charts, and build vocabulary through word study. Activities include text feature hunts, graphic organizers, and vocabulary building games.

Unit 4: Solving Nonfiction Mysteries (Weeks 13-16)

Our reading detectives will analyze how nonfiction texts are organized, distinguish between fiction and nonfiction, identify sensory details, and compare information across different texts. Students will create sequence timelines, problem-solution maps, and participate in compare and contrast activities.

Each 45-minute class session includes:
•	Interactive mini-lessons with visual supports
•	Guided practice with grade-appropriate texts
•	Collaborative activities and discussions
•	Independent application of skills
•	Reflection and sharing time

Our teachers are energetic and supportive with a focus on building confidence. Students will have plenty of opportunities to interact with the teacher and their peers through discussions and small group work. We use a variety of teaching methods including direct instruction, modeling, guided practice, games, and digital tools to keep students engaged and motivated.

Schedule:

Week of May 05, 2025: Unit 1: Using Text Features to Make Predictions
Week of May 12, 2025: Unit 1: Asking and Answering Questions About Texts
Week of May 19, 2025: Unit 1: Retelling Stories (Beginning, Middle, End)
Week of May 26, 2025: Unit 1: Identifying Central Messages and Lessons
Week of June 02, 2025: Unit 2: Identifying Story Elements (Setting, Characters, Plot)
Week of June 09, 2025: Unit 2: Character Traits, Motivations, and Feelings
Week of June 16, 2025: Unit 2: Comparing Different Versions of Stories
Week of June 23, 2025: Unit 2: Understanding Point of View in Stories
Week of June 30, 2025: Unit 3: Main Ideas and Supporting Details
Week of July 07, 2025: Unit 3: Using Text Features to Find Information
Week of July 14, 2025: Unit 3: Understanding Graphic Features (Charts, Diagrams)
Week of July 21, 2025: Unit 3: Building Vocabulary Through Context Clues
Week of July 28, 2025: Unit 4: Distinguishing Fiction from Nonfiction
Week of August 04, 2025: Unit 4: Identifying Sequence of Events in Nonfiction
Week of August 11, 2025: Unit 4: Problem and Solution Text Structures
Week of August 18, 2025: Unit 4: Comparing Information Across Texts