Spelling for Grade 2 — List 21: 20 Must‑Know Words

List 21 — Grade 2 Spelling: Phonics Focus and WorksheetsSpelling List 21 for second graders is designed to build on phonics skills established in earlier lessons while introducing a few new patterns and high‑frequency words. This lesson focuses on targeted phonics patterns, offers classroom and at‑home activities, and provides printable worksheet ideas and assessment suggestions to help teachers and parents reinforce learning. Below is a complete guide you can use to teach, practice, and evaluate List 21 effectively.

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Objectives

• Develop automatic recognition and correct spelling of List 21 words.
• Reinforce the phonics pattern(s) highlighted in this list.
• Improve encoding (spelling) and decoding (reading) fluency.
• Provide varied practice: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and written.

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Typical word types in List 21

List 21 usually mixes high‑frequency sight words with words that share a phonics pattern. Common patterns for Grade 2 List 21 might include:

• Vowel teams (ea, ai, oa)
• R‑controlled vowels (ar, er, ir, or, ur)
• Digraphs (ch, sh, th, wh)
• Final blends (ld, st, nt)
  Teachers should adjust the exact selection to match students’ prior skills; below are example words you can use.

Example List 21 (20 words — adapt as needed)

• neat, train, float, paint, earth, party, bird, first, short, hurt, chop, ship, think, which, most, fast, print, lamp, help, again

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Phonics focus and teaching points

1. Vowel teams (ea, ai, oa)

   • Explain that two vowels together often make one sound (team up). Show examples: neat (ea = /ē/), train (ai = /ā/), float (oa = /ō/).
   • Contrast with irregular vowel combinations and discuss when pronunciation varies (head vs. bead).

2. R‑controlled vowels

   • r changes the vowel sound: ar in party, ir in bird, ur in hurt, or in short.
   • Practice listening for the “r‑colored” vowel and connecting spelling patterns.

3. Digraphs and consonant blends

   • Identify ch, sh, th, wh in chop, ship, think, which.
   • Teach how two letters can make a single sound (digraph) and how some blends keep their individual sounds (st, nt).

4. Syllable and stress patterns

   • Break multisyllabic words (a‑gain, train‑er) into syllables and mark stress to help with spelling and pronunciation.

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Lesson structure (45–60 minutes)

1. Warm‑up (5–10 minutes)

   • Quick review of previously learned patterns.
   • Speed read flashcards of List 21 for 1–2 minutes.

2. Teach (10–15 minutes)

   • Introduce the phonics focus with explicit explanation and examples.
   • Model writing words, underlining the target pattern (ea, ai, ar, etc.).

3. Guided practice (10–15 minutes)

   • Students practice in pairs: one reads a definition or sentence, the other spells aloud.
   • Mini whiteboard drills: teacher calls a word, students write and hold up answers.

4. Independent practice (10–15 minutes)

   • Worksheet activities (see ideas below).
   • Word sorts and sentence writing.

5. Assessment/Wrap‑up (5 minutes)

   • Quick oral quiz or exit ticket: write three words from memory; read two words.

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Worksheets and activities

Below are printable worksheet types and in‑class activities you can create for List 21. Each targets different skills: recognition, phonemic awareness, encoding, and application.

1. Word Sort (phonics focus)

   • Columns for ea, ai, oa, r‑controlled, digraphs, blends. Students cut and paste words into the correct column.

2. Fill‑in‑the‑blank sentences

   • Short sentences with missing words from the list. Contextualized practice helps with meaning and spelling.

3. Trace, write, and cover

   • Students trace each word, write it independently, then cover and spell from memory.

4. Word search and crossword

   • Reinforces visual recognition and spelling patterns in an engaging format.

5. Syllable split and mark stress

   • Provide multisyllabic words for students to divide into syllables and mark the stressed syllable.

6. Dictation passage

   • A short paragraph containing many List 21 words. Teacher reads aloud; students write.

7. Phonics pattern matching

   • Match words to pictures or to the phonics rule they illustrate (e.g., match neat → ea = long e).

8. Spelling scramble

   • Jumbled letters the student must reorder to form the correct word.

9. Mini quizzes

   • 10–12 word quiz with mixed formats: write, circle the correctly spelled word, and choose the word that matches the picture.

10. Homework packet

    • Small daily tasks for a week: three new words per day, one sentence, and a quick game (memory, flashcards).

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Differentiation strategies

• For students who need extra support:

  • Use multisensory approaches (sky writing, sand trays, finger tracing).
  • Reduce list length to 8–10 core words and include frequent review.
  • Provide word banks and sentence starters.

• For advanced learners:

  • Add challenge words that use the same patterns but are less common (e.g., negotiate vowel teams: oatmeal, portrayal).
  • Ask students to write a short story using at least ten List 21 words.

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Assessment and progress tracking

• Weekly spelling test: 10–15 words chosen from the list and previous lists.
• Running record of errors to identify patterns (phonics rule missed, silent letters, letter reversals).
• Use a simple rubric: spellings correct (automatic), near correct (phonetic but wrong pattern), incorrect (needs reteaching).
• Maintain a portfolio of student work samples for parent conferences and to show growth over time.

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Home connection: tips for parents

• Practice 5–10 minutes daily: read the words aloud and play quick games (memory, Hangman, or spelling bee).
• Encourage writing: ask children to use list words in notes, grocery lists, or short stories.
• Read together and point out List 21 patterns in books or signs.

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Sample 2‑week pacing plan

Week 1

• Day 1: Introduce list + teach vowel teams; word sort and trace/write.
• Day 2: Guided practice + fill‑in‑the‑blank sentences.
• Day 3: Digraphs and r‑controlled review; word search + dictation.
• Day 4: Syllable work + spelling scramble.
• Day 5: Mini quiz (5 words) + review games.

Week 2

• Day 6: Introduce challenge words + independent writing.
• Day 7: Worksheets and partner practice.
• Day 8: Longer dictation passage + crosswords.
• Day 9: Cumulative review of Lists 19–21.
• Day 10: Final spelling test (10–12 words) + assessment review.

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Example assessment items

1. Write these words: neat, train, bird, short, ship.
2. Choose the correctly spelled word: (neat / neatn / neet)
3. Fill in the blank: The ____ flew across the sky. (train/ship/bird)
4. Unscramble: tniar → ______
5. Dictation sentence: The bird sat on the lamp.

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Printable worksheet templates (text you can paste into a document)

Word Sort:

• Column headers: ea / ai / oa / r‑controlled / digraphs / blends
• Rows: neat, train, float, paint, earth, party, bird, first, short, hurt, chop, ship, think, which, most, fast, print, lamp, help, again

Fill‑in‑the‑blank (5 sentences):

1. The ____ sailed across the lake.
2. I ____ my picture on the wall.
3. The ____ sang loudly in the tree.
4. We will _____ to the store.
5. She used a ____ to read the book.

Trace, write, cover:

• neat — neat — neat
• train — train — train
  (etc.)

Crossword (sample clues): Across

1. Two vowels that make one sound in “neat” (answer: ea word neat)
2. A small lamp on a desk (answer: lamp)

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Tips for creating engagement

• Gamify practice with points, stickers, or small rewards for improvement.
• Use movement: spell while hopping or clapping syllables.
• Incorporate technology: simple spelling apps or digital flashcards for extra practice.

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Final notes

List 21 provides a focused opportunity to reinforce vowel teams, r‑controlled vowels, digraphs, and blends while maintaining exposure to high‑frequency words. Combining explicit phonics instruction with varied, multisensory practice and regular assessment helps children move from phonetic attempts to accurate, automatic spelling.