What English skills should my child know by the end of year 2?

In year 2, children will learn English skills that range from reading phonics sounds and blending them together to form words, to composing sentences with basic punctuation and using simple present and past tense accurately. They will begin to identify and spell a wider variety of words including contractions and words with suffixes and prefixes. Spending some time at home practising the English skills that your child learns in school can help to boost their confidence with them. This collection of guides contains a huge variety of ideas to help you support your child on their learning journey. It includes clear flowcharts of what they will have learnt by the end of year 2 plus offers steps to follow and activities to try at home when learning each topic within the subject. 

The information in these guides is based on the national curriculum for England.

How can I help my child at home?

These guides have been designed to help you support your child’s English learning at home. Whether your child is only just beginning to explore their skills, or is comfortable with many aspects of English and wants to find out more, you will find a step that matches where your child is at, as well as some ideas for where to go next.

What is covered by the English national curriculum in year 2?

In the year 2 curriculum, children learn the key skills that form the basis of their English education, including reading, writing and spelling. Practising these skills at home can be a great way to boost your child’s confidence and complement what they learn in the classroom.