Houghton Mifflin 2nd Grade

Personal Focus Walls

Mrs. Saoud Primary Graffiti

Houghton Mifflin 2nd Grade

Personal Focus Walls

Houghton Mifflin 2nd Grade

Focus walls are recommended to lend support to students during instruction and work time. This resource is posted on a bulletin board for students to reference through the week. Included on the wall is the theme topic, selection title and author, anthology picture, genre poster, comprehension strategy and skill posters, phonics words, spelling rule and words, vocabulary, vocabulary skills, high frequency words, grammar, writing skills, AND phonics library titles. To access focus walls or vocabulary picture cards, click the linked title or aligned vocabulary cards.

Personal Focus Walls

HM 2nd Grade Theme One Silly Stories

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 1: Silly Stories

silly: To be funny in a cute way.

Selection 1: Dragon Gets By By: Dav Pilkey Genre: Fantasy

a story with fictional events and talking characters

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize tell a story in your own words

Comprehension Skill: Story Structure

Beginning

Middle

End

Phonics: Short Vowels (a, i); Base Word and Endings Spelling
bag win big an am his ran dig picnic scratch has if sat was is

apple

iguana

High Frequency
bought kitchen gone began very front until their thought roll goes begun there

Vocabulary Skills: Homophones

Words that sound alike, have different spellings, and mean different things.

Grammar Skills: What is a sentence?

mail

male

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 1: Silly Stories

silly: To be funny in a cute way.

Selection 2: Julius Author: Angela Johnson Illustrator: Dav Pilkey Genre: Fantasy
a story with fictional events and talking characters

Comprehension Skill: Fantasy and Reality

Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Clarify

Fantasy

Reality

Phonics: Short Vowel (o, u, e); VCCV Pattern Spelling

fox wet nut job leg fun went mop block every any of red hug from

octopus

umbrella

elephant

High Frequency
brought reason special again animal every give live love

Vocabulary Skills: Synonyms

Words that have the same or similar meanings.

Grammar Skills:
Naming Parts of a Sentence

Who or What
chef cook

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 1: Silly Stories

silly: To be funny in a cute way.

Selection 3: Mrs. Brown Went to Town By: Wong Herbet Yee

Genre: Fantasy
a story with fictional events and talking characters

Comprehension Skill: Predicting Outcomes

use schema (know and read) to predict what will happen next.

Comprehension Strategy: Predict and Infer

use schema (know and read) to identify more than the author tells the reader.

Phonics: CVCE

(a and i)
l a t b i t

Spelling
late bite size made ate side have fine write shake hide line give same bite

High Frequency
different letter eight four two floor poor enough second move word first three

Vocabulary Skills: Multiple Meanings

Words that have more than one meaning.

Grammar Skills:
Action parts of a sentence

whats
bat bat

happening

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 1: Silly Stories

silly: To be funny in a cute way.

Focus on: Poetry

Genre: Poetry
describes something, paints a picture, tells a story, and expresses a feeling

Comprehension Skill: Understanding Poetry

Rhyme Rhythm Stanza Imagine Describe

Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Clarify

Phonics: short and long vowels Spelling

pal bump tape pile huge skip yet wipe gave whisk just dime wide like

High Frequency
climb long some wall fly morning thought morning know right long want

Vocabulary Skills: Sound Words

Onomatopoeia

Grammar Skills:
Correcting Run-on Sentences

Words that sound.

describe

more than one naming and action part

hoot oink

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 1: Silly Stories

silly: To be funny in a cute way.

Progress Monitoring George and Martha: The Surprise Ranger Rick: Hippos

Genre: Fantasy
a story with fictional events and talking characters

Comprehension Skill: Review

Comprehension Strategy: Review

Phonics: Spelling Review

am nut late fun made mop size dig leg ran wet ate hug his fox hide job bite sat went

Challenge Review
scratch every write block shake

High Frequency Review

surprise brought kitchen letter together special bought until floor before reason front roll word different poor else edge more

Vocabulary Skills: Review

Grammar Skills:
Review

HM 2nd Grade Theme Two Nature Walk

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 2: Nature Walk

a walk on a nature trail, especially with an experienced guide.

Selection 1: Henry and Mudge: Starry Night

By: Cynthia Rylant

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Skill: Compare and Contrast

Comprehension Strategy: Question

Question parts of the story you dont understand.

Phonics: CVCE

(o, u and e); 2 Sounds for G

n o t c u t

Spelling
bone robe rope cute use hope have those close these mule note one home nose

High Frequency
beautiful straight already always year laugh mother ready father quiet saw sure even

Vocabulary Skills: Compound Words

Words made up smaller words. of two

Grammar Skills:
telling sentences and questions

Earth

worm

tells what someone or something does or is

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 2: Nature Walk

a walk on a nature trail, especially with an experienced guide.

Selection 2: Exploring Parks with Ranger Dockett By: Alice Flanagan

Genre: Non-Fiction
facts about real things, people, or events.

Comprehension Skill: Fact and Opinion

Frogs are...

Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate

To determine if what your reading is informative or entertaining.

amphibian

cute

Phonics: Consonant Clusters (r,l,s); 2 Sounds for C Spelling

trip swim step brave stone nest club slip storm space next glad lost frog

High Frequency
important touch already always laugh later young mother father busy saw sure ready

Vocabulary Skills: Antonyms

Words that mean the opposite.

Grammar Skills: Commands

Wicked Witch

Good Witch

tells someone or something what to do

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 2: Nature Walk

a walk on a nature trail, especially with an experienced guide.

Selection 3: Around the Pond with Ranger Dockett By: Lindsay Barrett George

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Skill:
Categorize and Classify

Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Clarify

dairy

vegetables

fruit

Phonics: Double Consonants; VCV Pattern Spelling

bell off all mess egg add shell skill grass across will well hill kiss

High Frequency
across around found because caught found great brother front water

Vocabulary Skills: Multiple Meanings

Words that have more than one meaning.

Grammar Skills: Exclamations

bat

bat

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 5: Family Time

Focus on: Chapter Books

Genre: Fables
A short story that teaches a lesson using animals as people. A moral is learned.

Comprehension Skill: Understanding Fables

Comprehension Strategy: Predict and Infer

use schema (know and read) to identify more than the author tells the reader.

Fable Lesson Moral

Phonics: Final /k/ Spelled k and ck Spelling

ask lake sick neck lick pack lock poke wreck package woke kick take make
Chick Bike

High Frequency
enough hungry little people hear laugh people water idea learn more

Vocabulary Skills: Exact Words

Verbs

Grammar Skills:
Revising Stringy Sentences

A word that describes an exact action.

too many ands

She is paddling down the river She is not moving down the river.

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 2: Nature Walk

a walk on a nature trail, especially with an experienced guide.

Progress Monitoring Owl Moon (Realistic Fiction) Owls (Non Fiction)

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Skill: Review

Comprehension Strategy: Review

Phonics: Spelling Review

these glad club bone cute next brave swim mess hope trip lost stone grass use all add egg off hill

Challenge Review
drove mule space storm across

High Frequency Review

beautiful important young different brought straight touch later brother special quiet reason across stand surprise even year busy great move

Vocabulary Skills: Review

Grammar Skills:
Review

HM 2nd Grade Theme Three Around Town

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 3: Around Town

a town is larger than a village and smaller than a city.

Selection 1: Chinatown By: William Low

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize tell a story in your own words

Comprehension Skill: Making Judgments He is brave!

Phonics: consonant diagraphs (th, sh, ch, wh) Spelling

whistle sheep lunch catch which than dish teach teeth chase wash then both then when

High Frequency
during heard shoes kitchen lion until watch winter find hold move

Vocabulary Skills:
ABC Order through 3rd Letter

Grammar Skills: Naming Words (nouns)

person, place, or thing

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 3: Around Town

a town is larger than a village and smaller than a city.

Selection 2: A Trip to the Firehouse By: Wendy Lewison

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Strategy: Question

Question parts of the story you dont understand.

Comprehension Skill: Topic and Main Idea

Phonics: Vowel Pairs (ay, ai); Compound Words Spelling

train tray mail play trail pay sail hay great subway rain they stay day nail

Play

High Frequency
clothes brought different special order touch poor work guess roll wear

Vocabulary Skills: Dictionary

Beginning, Middle, End

Grammar Skills:
Special or Proper Nouns

a specific person, place, or thing

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 3: Around Town

a town is larger than a village and smaller than a city.

Selection 3: The Big Bushy Mustache By: Gary Soto

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Strategy: Predict and Infer

use schema (know and read) to identify more than the author tells the reader.

Comprehension Skill: Problem Solving

Umbrella Boots

Rainy and Wet

Phonics: Vowel Pairs (ou, ow); Suffixes (ly, ful) Spelling

cow how now house clown brown sour found out frown towel mouse around could should

High Frequency
behind children family straight soldier kind school floor story eyes very

Vocabulary Skills:
Using Context
(synonym, example, definition, contrast, inference)

Grammar Skills: One and More than One (singular, plural)

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 3: Around Town

a town is larger than a village and smaller than a city.

Selection 4: Jamaica Louise James By: Amy Hest

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate

To determine if what your reading is informative or entertaining.

Comprehension Skill: Making Inferences

Fishing

Rainy

Phonics:

Vowel Pairs (ee, ea); Common Syllables (tiom, ture)

Spelling
clean tree feel the he keep please read be stream eat mean we people steep

High Frequency
believe beautiful reason surprise lady people quiet later whole girl idea

Vocabulary Skills:
Dictionary: guide words

Grammar Skills: Plural Nouns

Child

Children

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 3: Around Town

a town is larger than a village and smaller than a city.

Progress Monitoring Grandpas Corner Store Barrio

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Skill: Review

Comprehension Strategy: Review

Phonics: Spelling Review

which teach wash tray frown when teeth sheep found chase train mouse please lunch we eat be tree than play

Challenge Review
lunch whistle around snail sheep

High Frequency Review

during clothes believe across surprise heard behind lady beautiful important winter soldier whole special guess lion story year order

Vocabulary Skills: Review

Grammar Skills:
Review

HM 2nd Grade Theme Four Amazing Animals

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 4: Amazing Animals

Selection 1: Officer Buckle and Gloria By: Peggy Rathman

Genre: Fantasy
a story with fictional events and talking characters

Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Clarify

Comprehension Skill: Drawing Conclusions

Use what you know and what youve read to determine a conclusion.

Phonics: r controlled (ar) Spelling

hard warm smart department carpet party smart part farm barn car arm are yard park

High Frequency
board bought important letter listen never stand word told hear story

Vocabulary Skills:
Dictionary: Entry Words

Grammar Skills: Pronouns

Words for Nouns

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 4: Amazing Animals

Selection 2: Ant By: Rebecca Stefoff

Genre: Non-Fiction
facts about real things, people, or events.

Comprehension Strategy: Question

Question parts of the story you dont understand.

Comprehension Skill: Text Organization

Phonics: words that end in ng, nd, nk Spelling

king thank hand sing grand think bring sign thing young bang end send long and

High Frequency
between carry World head weigh piece pull care climb busy

Vocabulary Skills:
Thesaurus

Grammar Skills:
Singular Possessive Nouns

shows ownership

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 4: Amazing Animals

Selection 3: The Great Ball Game By: Joseph Bruchac

Genre: Folktale
stories passed down for generations that passes on a truth or lessons

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize tell a story in your own words

Comprehension Skill: Cause and Effect

Phonics: Long o and Vowel Pair oa/ow Spelling

boat cold road blow rainbow gold old load snow show hold most toe so goal

High Frequency
ago half behind during field across great once war more most soon

Vocabulary Skills:
Parts of a Dictionary

Grammar Skills:
Plural Possessive Nouns

shows ownership more than one

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 4: Amazing Animals

Focus on: Biography

Genre: Biography
A true story about someones life. Biographies give facts and events about a persons life.

Comprehension Skill:
Understanding Biographies
biography champion event facts information president

Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate

To determine if what your reading is informative or entertaining.

Phonics: R Controlled: or Spelling

born sport morning snore forest core short sort four forty horn torn fork fort store

Sport

High Frequency
about afraid believe watch friend beautiful surprise write years near

Vocabulary Skills: Abbreviations

A short way to say or write a word.

Grammar Skills:
Nouns and Pronouns

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 4: Amazing Animals

Progress Monitoring Little Grunt and the Big Egg Mighty Dinosaurs

Genre: Fantasy and Non-Fiction

Comprehension Strategy:

Comprehension Skill:

Phonics: Spelling Review

load party cold road think most hand snow blow farm smart thing bring send sing boat park thank hold yard

Challenge Review
rainbow grand department goal young

High Frequency Review

board weigh half told between war listen field care ago

Vocabulary Skills:

Grammar Skills:

HM 2nd Grade Theme Five Family Time

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 5: Family Time

Selection 1: Brothers and Sisters By: Ellen B. Senisi

Genre: Non-Fiction
facts about real things, people, or events.

Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate

To determine if what your reading is informative or entertaining.

Comprehension Skill: Drawing Conclusions

Use what you know and what youve read to determine a conclusion.

Phonics: two syllable words ending with er Spelling

flower water under after center better father sister brother mother other over

High Frequency
middle clothes friend listen trouble brother guess thought uncle young

Vocabulary Skills: Word Families

Grammar Skills: Verbs

Cat, Hat, Sat

Action Words

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 5: Family Time

Selection 2: Jalapeno Bagels By: Natasha Wing

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Strategy: Question

Question parts of the story you dont understand.

Comprehension Skill: Follow Directions

Phonics: Contractions Spelling

Ill weve youll youre wouldnt isnt didnt cant theyre its well Ive Im

High Frequency
Early Bought Care Weigh instead care hungry whole hair roll war order

Vocabulary Skills:
Dictionary: Word Meaning

Grammar Skills:
Verbs that tell about now

Anna sweeps the floor.

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 5: Family Time

Selection 3: Carousel By: Pat Cummings

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Strategy: Predict and Infer

use schema (know and read) to identify more than the author tells the reader.

Comprehension Skill: Making Judgments He is brave!

Phonics: The Sound of Y at the End Spelling

puppy baby lucky silly cookie very lady funny furry many only happy angry

High Frequency
aunt believe field ago million between lion pair even told

Vocabulary Skills: Homophones

Words that sound alike, have different spellings, and mean different things.

Grammar Skills:
Verbs that tell about the past

mail

male

Tim hiked the mountain.

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 5: Family Time

Selection 4: Thunder Cake By: Patricia Polacco

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Skill: Sequence of Events

Comprehension Strategy: Monitor and Clarify

Beginning

Middle

End

Phonics: -ed and i ng endings Spelling

batted running clapped hugging getting shopping stepped pinned sitting stopped
Cli ck I ma ge

High Frequency
air hour only heard child afraid warm winter heavy early half

Vocabulary Skills:
Dictionary: Word with Ending

Grammar Skills:
Verbs

is/are

was/were

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 5: Family Time

Focus On: Chapter Books

Genre: Chapter Books

Chapter books divide stories into different parts.

Comprehension Skill: Understanding Chapters

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize tell a story in your own words

Phonics: -Homophones Spelling

tail sail two four tale sale hole threw plane plain to too whole for through

High Frequency
already door move together began front special could great other

Vocabulary Skills:
Puns: uses different meanings of the same word and are often meant to be funny.

Grammar Skills:
Words that tell how

What do you call a sleeping bull? A bull dozer

Loudly, quickly

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 5: Family Time

Progress Monitoring A Curve in the River and Slippery Siblings

Genre: Realistic Fiction And Non Fiction

Comprehension Skill:

Comprehension Strategy:

Phonics: Spelling Review

hugging better stopped mother brother sitting isnt sister happy getting clapped silly youre Im lady baby Ill its Ive

Challenge Review
jogging wouldnt theyre other angry

High Frequency Review

middle early million heavy uncle instead air trouble aunt child hair pair hour

Vocabulary Skills:

Grammar Skills:

HM 2nd Grade Theme Six Talent Show

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 6: Talent Show

To have a skill or ability to do something well

Selection 1: The Art Lesson By: Tomie dePaola

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Strategy: Evaluate

To determine if what your reading is informative or entertaining.

Comprehension Skill: Authors Viewpoint

Authors Viewpoint is what the author thinks or feels about the topic. The reader can figure out what the author thinks or feels by paying attention to details.

Phonics: different sounds of oo Spelling

zoo moon took foot tooth book good you hook soon room who

High Frequency
fair aunt lady trouble gold color learn uncle woman hair pair

Vocabulary Skills: Word Families

Grammar Skills: Other Irregular Verbs

Cat, Hat, Sat

do/did, go/went

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 6: Talent Show

To have a skill or ability to do something well

Selection 2: Moses Goes to a Concert By: Isaac Millman

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Strategy: Summarize tell a story in your own words

Comprehension Skill: Noting Details

Details in stories and illustrations

Phonics: long I patterns Spelling

sky find night high fly try light dry right mind eye buy

High Frequency
heart air middle soldier alphabet instead million important mind fair hour

Vocabulary Skills: Multiple Meanings

Words that have more than one meaning.

Grammar Skills: Adjectives

bat

bat

The red telephone rang.

 Cheryl Saoud

Theme 6: Talent Show

To have a skill or ability to do something well

Selection 3: The School Mural By: Sarah Vasquez

Genre: Realistic Fiction

fictional characters but events could really happen.

Comprehension Strategy: Question

Question parts of the story you dont understand.

Comprehension Skill: Problem Solving

Umbrella Boots

Rainy and Wet

Phonics: -ed and i ng endings (drop final e) Spelling

liked hoping baked using chased making closed teasing hiding named riding decided

Cli ck I

ma ge

High Frequency
below should neighbor trouble alphabet board child woman heart heavy mind

Vocabulary Skills: Using Context

Using clues in the text to determine a phrase or a word.

Grammar Skills: Comparing Adjectives

adding er or est

Thank You for Downloading my Personal Focus Walls Acknowledgements (click image to link)

I provided this file as a free resource to assist parents and students with HM content. Please do not distribute copies. Visit my blog at www.primarygraffiti.blogspot.com If you are interested in matching classroom posters of skills and strategies, theyre available in my store.