Unit 1: Workbook
Unit 1: Workbook
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Unit 1
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Unit 1
Workbook
Skills Strand
GRADE 2
Core Knowledge Language Arts®
New York Edition
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-
NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
This workbook contains worksheets that accompany many of the lessons from the
Teacher Guide for Unit 1. Some of the worksheets in this book do not include written
instructions for the student because the instructions would have contained undecodable
words. The expectation is that teachers will explain these worksheets to the students
orally, using the guidelines in the Teacher Guide. The workbook is a student component,
which means each student should have a workbook.
Name 1.1
Kate Visits Nan
I’m Kate Skipp·er and last summ·er, when I was nine, my
mom and dad took me to vis·it my Nan. Nan is my mom’s mom.
She is an art·ist and she has a cab·in out in the West.
At the start of my vis·it with Nan, I was sad. It seemed like it
would be a dull summ·er. But in the end, I had a lot of fun.
I was sitt·ing in the kitch·en, patt·ing the cat that was sitt·ing
on my lap, when Nan came in.
“I just spoke with Jake,” she said. “He made us an off·er.”
“What sort of off·er?”
“He asked if we would like to camp with him and Max.”
“Who is Max?”
“Max is a kid. He’s nine, like you. Jake is his grand·dad.”
“What would we do?” I asked.
“Well, we would hike, look at
rocks, cook lunch and dinn·er
out·side, look at the stars, and sleep
in a tent.”
“Gee,” I said, “that sounds like
fun! When can we start?”
“To·morr·ow morn·ing!” Nan said.
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Name 1.2
Kate Visits Nan
1. What is the story about?
A. The story is about Kate visiting Mom and Dad.
B. The story is about Kate visiting her granddad.
C. The story is about Kate visiting Nan.
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Name 1.3
Dear Family Member,
It is exciting to start the school year—a warm welcome to you and
your child!
The purpose of this letter is to tell you about the reading program
your child will be using this year. The program, called Core Knowledge
Language Arts (CKLA), is an innovative set of instructional materials developed by the
Core Knowledge Foundation. If your child attended our school in either Kindergarten
or First Grade, he or she probably used CKLA for reading instruction in those grades.
CKLA consists of two types of instruction every day. The 60-minute Listening &
Learning Strand builds general knowledge, vocabulary, and other language skills.
The Skills Strand, also 60 minutes, uses a phonics-based approach to teach the
mechanics of reading and spelling. Students will also receive grammar and writing
instruction during this Strand.
During the early weeks of school, we will review the skills taught in First Grade.
This review period will also give us the opportunity to get to know your child better
so we can identify his or her particular areas of strength and weakness in reading and
writing. It is important that we determine exactly what level of instruction is most
appropriate for your child.
This week your child will bring home copies of a story we have read together in
class. We hope you will encourage your child to reread the stories aloud and discuss
them with you at home. However, if your child has difficulty reading the stories and
appears frustrated, please read the stories aloud to him or her. We will be observing
and assessing your child during these first few weeks to be sure that he or she is placed
in the appropriate level of instruction. Your child will be placed in the instructional
materials most appropriate for his or her learning needs. You will soon begin to see
more examples of class work, as well as homework, on a regular basis.
It is important that parents become involved in the education of their child. If you
would like information on ways to help your child at home, please do not hesitate to
contact me. You will continue to receive periodic family-member letters that will give
you tips and activities to do with your child. I look forward to teaching your child this
year as we continue using CKLA in our Second-Grade classes.
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Name 2.1
The Campsite
Jake came and picked us up in his jeep. We drove to a
camp·site in the Bad·lands.
“Nan,” I said, “what’s up with that name—the Bad·lands?”
“Well,” said Nan, “leg·end has it that a long time back, farm·ers
came out here look·ing for farm·land. When they saw all of the rocks
and sand and stone, they said, ‘This is bad land! We can’t plant crops
here!’ And the name Bad·lands just sort of stuck.”
“It’s bad land for farm·ing,” said Jake. “But it’s good land for
camp·ing!”
When we got to the camp·site, we had to un·pack sleep·ing bags,
tents, lan·terns, match·es, and lots of food. We lugged it all to the
camp·site.
Jake chose a spot to set up camp. Max and I helped set up the
tents. It took us a long time.
For dinn·er we had hot dogs. We stuck them on sticks and held
them in the fire. My hot dog got all black be·cause I left it in there
too long. Max gave
me one of his.
That was when
I said to my·self,
“This Max kid is
O.K.!”
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Name 2.2
The Campsite
1. Who drove the jeep to the campsite?
A. Nan drove the jeep to the campsite.
B. Kate drove the jeep to the campsite.
C. Jake drove the jeep to the campsite.
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Name 3.1
The Hike
The next morn·ing, we went on a hike. Af·ter a bit, we stopped
for lunch.
When Max fin·ished his lunch, he asked, “Can Kate and I look
for rocks by our·selves?”
Jake said O.K.
“Kate,” Max said to me, “bring your fork. We can use it to dig up rocks.”
I grabbed my fork and we went off to look for rocks.
Max point·ed at a bump on the side of a cliff and said, “Let’s dig that rock
out!”
The rock did not look all that large. But when we start·ed digg·ing, we soon
saw that it was larg·er than it had seemed.
Af·ter a bit, Max said, “Gee! It must be two feet long! We’ve got to keep
scratch·ing.”
We went on scratch·ing with
our forks.
“Let’s tug on it!” Max said.
We grabbed it and gave a big
tug.
It popped out. But so did a big
cloud of sand and dust. Max and I
fell down.
Once the dust and sand had
drift·ed off, I saw Max stand·ing
there with the thing in his hands.
“It’s not a rock!” he yelled. “It’s
a bone!”
It was the bigg·est bone I had
ev·er seen. It was three feet long!
Jake and Nan came runn·ing.
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“Good·ness!” said Nan. “That is one large bone! Where did you get it?”
Max point·ed to the spot where we found it.
Jake set the bone on the ground. Then he took a pic·ture of the bone and
said, “We need to get an ex·pert to look at this bone and tell us what sort of
bone it is.”
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Name 3.2
The Hike
1. What did Kate and Max want to look for?
A. Kate and Max wanted to look for lunch.
B. Kate and Max wanted to look for forks.
C. Kate and Max wanted to look for rocks.
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Name 4.1
The Bone Man
The next morn·ing, Jake said, “I just had a chat
with a man from State Coll·ege. His name is Ron Fitch
and he is an ex·pert on bones.
He has writt·en lots of books.
If we bring him the bone, he
can tell us what sort of bone
it is.”
We got in·to the jeep.
Jake said that I was in charge
of the bone. I wrapped it up
and set it on my lap.
When we got to the
coll·ege, we gave the bone
man the bone. When he saw
it, he broke in·to a big grin.
The bone man bent down
and said, “Kids, I could
be wrong, but it looks like
you’ve found some·thing big
here! I have to do some tests,
but I’ll bet this is a bone of a
T. rex.”
“What’s a T. rex?” I
asked.
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“Kate!” Max said, “T. rex is like the cool·est, big·gest, badd·est
rep·tile of all time!”
The next week, Nan said, “I just spoke with Ron Fitch, the
bone man. I have three nice things to tell you. One nice thing is
that you and Max found a T. rex bone!”
“Yip·pee!” I shout·ed. “Max will be so thrilled that he has a T.
rex bone!”
“The next nice thing is that you found the bone in a state park
and there is a law that says if you dig up bones you can’t keep them
for your·self.”
“Who keeps it?” I asked.
“The state will keep it and Mister Fitch and his helpers will dig
up the rest of the bones, too. And that brings me to the last nice
thing. They would like for you and Max to vis·it them at the cliff.
They would like for the two of you to pick out a name for the T.
rex you found.”
“So cool!” I said.
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Name 4.2
The Bone Man
1. Where were Jake, Kate, and Max going in this story?
A. They were going to State College.
B. They were going swimming.
C. They were going to the store.
4. What was one of the three nice things Nan had to tell Kate?
A. Nan said that forks were on sale.
B. Nan said that Kate and Max did get a T. rex bone.
C. Nan said that Kate and Max could get a pet reptile.
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Name 5.1
The Big Dig
When we went back to the cliff, the bone man was there with
some help·ers. They had scraped the side of the cliff to ex·pose a lot
of the T. rex.
“So, will you dig out all of the bones here on site?” asked Nan.
“No,” said the bone man. “The next step will be to cut this cliff up in·to
large blocks of rock. Then we will wrap the blocks up in plast·er. The plast·er
will keep the bones from crack·ing. Then we will use a large crane to set the
blocks on trucks. Then the trucks will take them to my lab. Once the blocks are
there, we will start digg·ing the bones out of the blocks.”
“What sort of tools do you use for that?” asked Nan.
“We use tools a lot like the ones den·tists use on teeth—brush·es and sharp
picks.”
“Kate and I used forks!” said Max.
“How long will it take to get all of the bones out of the rocks?” Jake asked.
“Well,” said the bone man. “We’ve got a lot to do. It will take some time.”
“Will you be fin·ished by the end
of the summ·er?” I asked.
“No,” said the bone man. “You
and Max will have to vis·it next
summ·er and per·haps the summ·er
af·ter that.”
“So,” said the bone man, “have
you kids picked out a name for this T.
rex?”
“Yes, I’ve picked one,” I said.
All of the digg·ers stopped
digg·ing and looked at me.
I said, “This T. rex will be named
Max, or if you like, T. Max!”
All of the men cheered.
Max and Kate smiled.
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Name 5.2
The Big Dig
1. Why did Nan, Kate, and Max go to the cliff?
A. They went to the cliff to have lunch.
B. They went to the cliff to swim.
C. They went to see the bone man and his helpers.
4. When did the bone man say he would finish the T. rex job?
A. The bone man said, “I will finish today.”
B. The bone man said, “I will finish in June.”
C. The bone man said, “Next summer and perhaps the summer after
that.”
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Name 6.1
Snacks
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Name 6.2
Snacks
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5. Which kid had milk?
A. Sam
B. Beth
C. Jill
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Directions: Have students choose the correct word from the word box and write it in the blanks to make a compound word. Cut
out the compound word box and glue it under the correct picture on the next workbook page.
Name
pack
bug
bed_______
lady_______
back_______
shine
corn
time
sun_______
pan_______
pop_______
cake
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Name 6.4
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Name 7.1
Prince Vincent
Once there was a prince named Vincent. Vincent came from
France. He was a proud man with a loud voice.
“Ouch!” said Vincent, grabbing his cheek. “What bee has stung
me? What bee would dare to sting me?”
Vincent ran after the bee. He shouted in his loudest voice, “You
will not escape from me, bee! I will ride after you on my horse!”
Vincent got his helmet and his lance. He got up on his horse.
Then he rode off on his quest for the bee.
Vincent rode north and south. He rode past rivers and lakes. He
looked for the bee in houses. He looked for the bee on farms. He
looked for the bee up in trees and down in holes.
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5. What sound did the bee make?
A. whoosh
B. hum
C. buzz
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Name
Directions: Have students look at the picture and write about what is happening on the lines below. Ask students to write at least
7.3
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5 sentences.
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Name 7.4
I like to eat _____________________
Directions: Have students draw their favorite things to eat and write about them on the lines provided below the picture.
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Name 7.5
Word Reading Test Record Sheet
Cumulative
Words Words
Correct Correct
1. cat hot run jet wax
CVC words w/
single-letter 2. zip kid bad fog hum
3. man vet fig yes lip /15 /15
9. the to a of was
10. you said they would are
Tricky Words
11. have who one from there
12. were two your their any /20 /60
Spelling alt.
16. whip cent honk germ dance
for consonant
sounds 17. large knot rinse serve itch /10 /85
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Name 8.1
The Beach
Last Sunday David and Eve went to
the beach.
It was a sunny day. It got hotter and
hotter. At last it was ninety-five degrees.
Eve laid out a blanket. Then she got out her sunscreen. She
rubbed the white cream on her back. She rubbed it on her arms and
her legs. She rubbed it on her nose and her cheeks. She even rubbed
it on her elbows and her toes.
“David,” she said, “would you like some sunscreen?”
“No, thanks,” said David. “I’ll be okay without it.” Then he ran
off to play soccer.
David played soccer. He tossed a Frisbee. He ran a relay race. He
rowed a boat. He swam. He splashed in the waves. He went diving
for shells. He made a scarf out of seaweed. Then he lay down and
took a nap.
All this time the sun was shining brightly. Rays of sunlight were
landing on David’s arms and legs.
At last the daylight faded. David was set to go home. But when
he got up, he felt some pain on his legs. He looked down. His body
was as red as a lobster. His thighs looked like two roasted hams. His
toes looked like ten bright red pigs running on the sand.
“EEK!” cried David. “I’m fried! I should have used Eve’s
sunscreen!”
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Name 8.2
The Beach
1. Where did this story take place?
A. at the beach
B. at the pool
C. at the lake
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5. What did David use to make a scarf?
A. sand
B. sunscreen
C. seaweed
6. What did David’s toes look like at the end of the day?
A. ten green frogs
B. ten red pigs
C. ten sandy logs
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Name 8.3
1. Draw black hair.
2. Draw a smile and make it red.
3. Draw a nose.
4. Draw a shirt.
5. Make the shirt green.
6. Draw pants and make them black.
7. Draw a dog.
8. Make the dog black.
9. Draw a sun and make it big.
10. Draw three birds.
11. Draw grass and make it green.
Directions: Have students follow the directions to complete the picture below.
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Directions: Tell students to read and cut out each of the word boxes below. Ask students to find that picture on Worksheet 8.5 and
paste it in the space below the picture it identifies.
Name
girl
bird
spoon
cake
sock
slide
car
sheep
house
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Name 8.5
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Name 9.1
Sink or Float
It was the first Thursday of summer vacation. It was hot. Joey Jenkins and
his younger brother Pete were sitting by the pool trying to stay cool. Pete had
his ankles and toes in the water.
“Hey Pete,” Joey shouted at his little brother, “let’s play sink or float.”
“How do you play?” asked Pete.
“First I go and find something,” explained Joey. “Then I ask you if you
think it will sink or float. Then I throw it in the pool and we find out if you
were right or wrong.”
“Okay,” replied Pete.
Joey ran to the garage and got a brass key.
“That must be pretty heavy,” said Pete. “I say it’s going to sink for sure!”
Joey tossed the key in the pool. It sank below the surface in an instant.
“Okay, little brother,” said Joey, “you won that one. Do you want to play
again?”
Pete nodded his head.
Joey sprinted up to the house and got an apple from the boys’ mom.
“I predict that will float,” said Pete.
Joey tossed the apple in the pool and, sure enough, it bobbed and floated
on top of the water.
Joey ran over to the woods and picked up an acorn that was lying beneath a
towering old oak tree.
“Gee,” said Pete. “That’s a tough one. An acorn might sink, but then again,
it might float.”
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“Sink or float?” said Joey. “I need a decision now!”
“Um, I guess it will sink,” Pete said.
Joey tossed the acorn in the pool. It bobbed and floated on top of the water
right next to the apple.
“Ha, ha! You lose!” Joey cried.
Joey ran into the house and got a plastic model airplane he had built.
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Name 9.2
Sink or Float
1. When does the story take place?
A. winter
B. summer
C. fall
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5. Which boy guesses whether the things will sink or float?
A. Joey
B. Pete
C. They take turns
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Name 9.3
Kate had a fun time at the park. The sun was hot. The
park had lots of trees. She got on the swings and slide.
Directions: Have students read the paragraph and illustrate what is happening. Remind students to pay close attention to
She saw her pals Meg and Dan. It was fun to have hot
dogs and chips when it was time for lunch.
everything mentioned in the paragraph.
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1. Directions: Talk about the compound word “pancake” and why it is called a “pancake.” Have students look at the first picture
and tell students this will be a very “silly” word we can call a nonsense word. Ask students to guess what the word might be by
Name
foxcake
bootcake
57
_____cake
_____cake
_____cake
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Name 10.1
Best Pals
Directions: Students should draw and color a self-portrait with a “best pal” and write a short story about things they do together.
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Dan got a dog at the pet shop. It was a big black dog.
Dan got the dog three bones. He gave the dog a name. It
Directions: Ask students to read the paragraph and draw a picture in the box. Remind students to include everything in the
was Duke. Duke had a dog bed in the yard. The dog bed
was red. Duke had fun when Dan pitched a stick to him.
Dan likes his dog.
picture that he or she read about in the story.
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Name 10.2
Shake my hand.
Directions: Have students illustrate the phrases in the boxes beside the phrases.
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Brush the dog.
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Name 11.1
Spelling Words
1. bandit
2. shelf
3. sprang
4. munch
5. picnic
6. think
7. wish
8. drift
9. box
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Name 11.2
Dear Family Member,
Each week, your child will receive a new list of spelling words. The
purpose of having weekly spelling words is to help students become
strong spellers and allow them to practice at home the skills learned
during Core Knowledge Language Arts.
Your child will receive the spelling words at the beginning of the week and will be
assessed on the words at the end of the week. The spelling words come from stories
your child reads in class. By reading the stories and practicing the spelling words at
home each night, your child should be well prepared for the spelling test on Friday.
There are 10 words each week. The words cover only the spellings that have been
reviewed and taught in class, meaning your child will only work with and be tested
on familiar spellings. Spelling word number 10 is a Tricky Word and is marked in a
special way. A Tricky Word does not follow the expected spelling rules. This means
Tricky Words cannot be reliably sounded out and spelled, so its spelling must be
memorized. Tricky Words are also taught and reviewed in class.
I encourage you to work with your child each night to review the spelling words for
5–10 minutes. The activities can be fun and need to involve having your child write
the word. Here are a few activity ideas:
• Say a sentence with the spelling word, but leave the spelling word out. For
example, you might say, “The broke into my house.” Your child should
guess the word “bandit” and then write the word.
• Create spelling word flash cards. After reading the word on a flash card, your
child can turn over the card and write the word from memory on the back.
• Have a spelling bee at home, asking your child to both spell the words to you
orally and write them.
• Ask your child to write each word in a short sentence, or write a story with the
words.
• Act out or draw a picture of the words; have your child guess the word and then
write it down.
The spelling words for this week are on Worksheet 11.1. Again, please note word
number 10 is a Tricky Word, so we have marked it in a special way.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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Name 12.1
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Name 12.2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Name 12.3
Dear Family Member,
Have your child read the story to you and decide which Tricky Word
should be used to fill in the blank. After the Tricky Words are all filled
in, have your child read the story to you once more.
the a he she be
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Directions: Have students complete the chart by adding the suffix –ing and doubling the last consonant spelling if it is one
syllable, has a short vowel sound, and ends in a single consonant.
Name
sit
sip
rub
run
dab
win
chat
drift
hum
shop
chop
swim
munch
rubbing
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Name 13.2
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Directions: Have students look in the story “The Chicken Nugget” to find one- and two-syllable words to write in the chart. For
the words below the box, have students rewrite each word adding the suffix –ing to each.
Name
run
nap
hop
think
munch
1
2
The Chicken Nugget
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Name 13.4
Dear Family Member,
This is a story your child has read at school. Encourage your child
to read the story to you. Then talk about it together.
Such a smell!
He got up on a bench.
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Name
Directions: Have students circle the ‘g’ in each word. Next, have students read each sentence and write the word with the tricky
14.1
/g/ /j/
got
g gem
1 2
gum tragic
spelling ‘g’ under the heading “got” if the tricky spelling is pronounced /g/ or “gem” if it is pronounced /j/.
big legend
/g/ /j/
got gem
1. He did a magic trick.
magic
2. This fish has gills.
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Name 15.1
Spelling Test
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________
5. ___________________________________
6. ___________________________________
7. ___________________________________
8. ___________________________________
9. ___________________________________
10. ___________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
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Name 15.2
/k/ /s/
Directions: Have students circle the ‘c’ in each word. Then, read each sentence and write the word with the tricky spelling ‘c’
can
c cent
1 2
cap citrus
cot cell
under the heading “can” if the tricky spelling is pronounced /k/ or “cent” if it is pronounced /s/.
/k/ /s/
can cent
1. The king got the
princess a kitten. princess
2. We slept in a cabin.
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Spelling Words
1. snacking
2. mixing
3. smelling
4. running
5. kissing
6. buzzing
7. hitting
8. until
9. problem
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Directions: For each picture, have students circle the letters that spell the name of the depicted item. Students should then write
the name of the item on the line.
Name
k
k
n
w
kn
qu
wr
kn
wr i
wr i
qu a
r u
i
i
a
e
a
o
o
ee
t
l
s
i
t
s
t
t
p
t
s
ck
ed
t
ck
d
wrap
91
f e ch
v i sh
d w e ss
b r a z
ch i ck
th u n
p o s
b u n
f e ll
b i d
kn a d
m o t
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/j/ /v/
jumping vast
Directions: Have students read and circle the spelling in each word that stands for the sound printed above.
magic twelve
plunge shelves
lunge having
jacket visit
jet solve
legend vet
hinge elves
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Name 17.2
Dear Family Member,
This is a story your child has read at school. Encourage your child
to read the story to you. Then talk about it together.
The Ham
Mom left a pink ham sitting in a big black
pan.
It was ham!
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The cat bandit ran to the closet and got a
belt.
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Tricky Words
Family Member Instructions: Have your child read the words in the box and then use them to fill in the blanks. After all the
/s/ /ch/
pockets itch
Directions: Have students read and circle the spelling in each word that stands for the sound printed above.
tense catchy
miss batch
chance rematch
sudden stretching
cell butcher
cent pitcher
prince stitch
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Name 18.2
Dear Family Member,
This is a story your child has read at school. Encourage your child
to read the story to you. Then talk about it together.
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He sat a bit, thinking up a plan.
boxes.
He set up a box.
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Name 19.1
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Name 19.2
The Milk
1. Where did Beth set the glass of milk?
Directions: Have students circle the correct answer for 1 and 2, and write complete sentences for questions 3 and 4.
A. in the sink
B. on the box
C. on the deck
3. What did the cat bandit do when he jumped off the shed?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4. What 3 things did the cat bandit knock off the string?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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Name 20.1
Spelling Test
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________
5. ___________________________________
6. ___________________________________
7. ___________________________________
8. ___________________________________
9. ___________________________________
10. ___________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
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Directions: Have students circle the ‘s’ in each word. Then, have students read each sentence and write the word with the tricky
spelling ‘s’ under the heading “cats” if the tricky spelling is pronounced /s/ or “dogs” if it is pronounced /z/.
Name
6.
4.
1.
pig.
/s/
dust.
sun
cats
dots
basket.
3. Will he visit?
1
5. He did it himself.
The cat got in the
is
his
/z/
/z/
dogs
runs
dogs
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Spelling Words
1. sand
2. sang
3. sank
4. hunt
5. hung
6. hunk
7. thin
8. thing
9. think
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Dear Family Member,
Once again this week, your child has a new list of spelling words.
The purpose of having weekly spelling words is to help students
become strong spellers and allow them to practice at home the skills
learned during Core Knowledge Language Arts.
Your child will receive the spelling words at the beginning of the week and will be
tested on the words on Friday. By reading stories and practicing the spelling words at
home each night, your child should be well prepared for the spelling test.
I encourage you to work with your child each night to review the spelling words for
5–10 minutes. If you would like, you can practice spelling words in the same way that
students take the spelling test. I read each word once, say it in a sentence, and then
say the word once more. Next, I go back through and say each word one last time so
the children can review their spellings. I also call out a phrase that uses words students
can sound out on their own. The children do not know this phrase in advance. They
will write this phrase on the test. Finally, students correct their own papers as I write
the correct spellings on the board. Students correct their papers by writing the correct
spelling above the word. It is okay for students to make mistakes; the important thing
is that students learn from their mistakes.
The spelling words for this week are on Worksheet 21.1. Again, please note that
number 10, should, is a Tricky Word, so we have marked it in a special way.
Later this week, your child will bring home another story we have read in class. We
will continue this practice throughout the year. Please have your child read the story
to you and then talk about it together. Remember any practice and guidance you can
provide will help your child become a better reader and speller.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
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Name 21.3
The Chips
Once Mom left a big bag of chips on the top shelf in
the kitchen.
“The cat will not get them up there,” she said.
But it was not long until the cat bandit was up to his tricks.
He got a log, a plank, and a big rock.
He set the rock on the bench.
He set the log on the rug next to the bench.
He set the plank on top of the log.
Then the bandit sat on one end of the plank.
He slid the rock off the bench.
The rock fell and landed on one end of the plank.
Smack!
The end of the plank the rock fell on went down fast.
But the end of the plank the cat bandit was sitting on shot up,
and the cat bandit shot up with it.
Whiz!
The cat bandit went zipping up.
The cat bandit did a flip and landed on top of the shelf.
Slash! The bandit cut a big gash in the bag.
Then—crunch, crunch, crunch—that was the end of the chips.
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Name 21.4
The Chips
1. Where did Mom set the chips?
A. on the deck
B. on the bench in the kitchen
C. on the top shelf in the kitchen
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
5. Where did the cat bandit end up?
A. on the top shelf
B. in the den
C. on the bed
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The Catfish
1. What did Dad do with the catfish?
A. left the catfish in a pond
B. left the catfish in a bucket
C. left the catfish on the shelf
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
5. What did the cat bandit hitch to the shed?
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
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Name 22.2
1. scratches scratched scratching scathing
2. Run ___
7. Jump ___
1. mix ________________________
2. smell ________________________
3. puff ________________________
4. run ________________________
5. sit ________________________
6. trim ________________________
7. kiss ________________________
8. tug ________________________
9. snack ________________________
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Name 22.5
Spelling Test
1. ___________________________________
2. ___________________________________
3. ___________________________________
4. ___________________________________
5. ___________________________________
6. ___________________________________
7. ___________________________________
8. ___________________________________
9. ___________________________________
10. ___________________________________
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
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Name
Directions: Have students count the sounds in each word, circle the spellings, and write the number of sounds in the box. Then
PP1
1. chip 3 ____________________
chip
2. shell ____________________
3. bath ____________________
4. rung
have students copy the word on the line.
____________________
5. smash ____________________
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6. champ 4 champ
____________________
7. thick ____________________
8. bang ____________________
9. smell ____________________
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Name PP2
1. chimp 11. brick
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Name PP3
1. bathtub
Directions: Have students write each word under its matching picture.
2. magnet
3. insect
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4. picnic
5. rocket
6. tennis
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Name
Directions: Have students circle the ‘g’ in each word. Then, have students read each sentence and write the word with the tricky
PP4
/g/ /j/
get
g legend
1 2
gum logic
spelling ‘g’ under the heading “get” if the tricky spelling is pronounced /g/ or “legend” if it is pronounced /j/.
big digit
/g/ /j/
get legend
1. Was it a trick, or was it
magic? magic
2. Drink from a glass.
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Name
Directions: Have students circle the ‘c’ in each word. Then have students read each sentence and write the word with the tricky
PP5
/k/ /s/
can
c dances
1 2
cap citrus
spelling ‘c’ under the heading “can” if the tricky spelling is pronounced /k/ or “dances” if it is pronounced /s/.
cop princess
/k/ /s/
can dances
1. It cost ten cents.
cents
2. We slept in a log
cabin.
3. Don yelled and got a
cab.
4. The bad man was
locked up in a cell.
5. On his left leg he has
a cast.
6. She was a nun in the
convent.
7. His best pal is Francis.
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Directions: Have students write the words with the tricky spelling ‘c’ pronounced /k/ under “can” and the words with the tricky
spelling ‘c’ pronounced /s/ under “cent.”
Name
scan
panic
credit
process
/k/
can
cell
cram
dances
princess
/s/
cent
process
cab
cop
clap
camp
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Name PP7
Directions: Have students circle the ‘s’ in each word. Then, have students read each sentence and write the word with the tricky
/s/ /z/
set
s his
1 2
sit has
sap pigs
spelling ‘s’ under the heading “set” if the tricky spelling is pronounced /s/ or “his” if it is pronounced /z/.
/s/ /z/
set his
1. The robin flapped its
wings.
wings
2. Get a pen from the
desk.
3. Ring the bells.
is
still
just
jobs
/s/
set
last
legs
best
such
is
/z/
his
has
sun
this
hands
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Name PP9
fringe
12
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shells lettuce pulse
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Directions: Have students write each word under its matching picture. There will be words that will not be used.
Name
patch
hatch
match
scratch
itch
catch
pitch
stretch
switch
kitchen
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knob knot wrist knapsack wrapping
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Name PP11
1. yuck
________________________________________________
8. mom
________________________________________________
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CORE KNOWLEDGE LANGUAGE ARTS
SERIES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
E. D. Hirsch, Jr.
PRESIDENT
Linda Bevilacqua
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
These materials are the result of the work, advice, and encouragement of numerous individuals over many years. Some of those singled out here already
know the depth of our gratitude; others may be surprised to find themselves thanked publicly for help they gave quietly and generously for the sake of
the enterprise alone. To helpers named and unnamed we are deeply grateful.
We would like to extend special recognition to Program Directors Matthew Davis and Souzanne Wright who were instrumental to the early
development of this program.
SCHOOLS
We are truly grateful to the teachers, students, and administrators of the following schools for their willingness to field test these materials and for
their invaluable advice: Capitol View Elementary, Challenge Foundation Academy (IN), Community Academy Public Charter School, Lake Lure Classical
Academy, Lepanto Elementary School, New Holland Core Knowledge Academy, Paramount School of Excellence, Pioneer Challenge Foundation
Academy, New York City PS 26R (The Carteret School), PS 30X (Wilton School), PS 50X (Clara Barton School), PS 96Q, PS 102X (Joseph O. Loretan),
PS 104Q (The Bays Water), PS 214K (Michael Friedsam), PS 223Q (Lyndon B. Johnson School), PS 308K (Clara Cardwell), PS 333Q (Goldie Maple Academy),
Sequoyah Elementary School, South Shore Charter Public School, Spartanburg Charter School, Steed Elementary School, Thomas Jefferson Classical
Academy, Three Oaks Elementary, West Manor Elementary.
And a special thanks to the CKLA Pilot Coordinators Anita Henderson, Yasmin Lugo-Hernandez, and Susan Smith, whose suggestions and day-to-day
support to teachers using these materials in their classrooms was critical.
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CREDITS
Every effort has been taken to trace and acknowledge copyrights. The editors tender their apologies for any accidental infringement where
copyright has proved untraceable. They would be pleased to insert the appropriate acknowledgment in any subsequent edition of this
publication. Trademarks and trade names are shown in this publication for illustrative purposes only and are the property of their respective
owners. The references to trademarks and trade names given herein do not affect their validity.
All photographs are used under license from Shutterstock, Inc. unless otherwise noted.
Regarding the Shutterstock items listed above, please note: No person or entity shall falsely represent, expressly or by way of reasonable
implication, that the content herein was created by that person or entity, or any person other than the copyright holder(s) of that content.
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Workbook
Skills Strand
grade 2