Help second grade students strengthen reading comprehension while exploring everyday social-emotional skills.
This Grade 2 SEL reading resource includes 10 short fiction stories featuring Emma and her curious orange cat, Whiskers. Each story places students in an age-appropriate situation involving friendship, feelings, choices, problem solving, or positive character development.
Students do more than simply answer reading questions. Each story is followed by comprehension practice, vocabulary work, and SEL reflection prompts that encourage students to connect what they read with situations they may experience themselves.
Skills and topics explored include:
- Sharing
- Patience and taking turns
- Responsibility
- Helping others
- Perseverance
- Using kind words
- Empathy
- Self-control and calming strategies
- Inclusion and welcoming others
- Honesty
The stories include situations such as sharing a new toy, waiting for a swing, apologizing after a mistake, helping someone who needs support, trying again after failure, managing frustration with deep breathing, welcoming a new friend, and telling the truth.
For example, one story has Emma and Whiskers taking turns with a new red ball, helping students connect the reading with the idea that sharing can make an activity more enjoyable. BK185-G2-Emma and Wisky
What Students Practice
Each story includes:
- A short Grade 2 fiction reading passage
- 5 multiple-choice reading comprehension questions
- 3 vocabulary questions
- 2 SEL reflection questions
- Opportunities to identify character feelings and actions
- Real-life connections to positive social behavior
The complete resource contains 10 reading passages, comprehension questions, vocabulary activities, SEL reflections, and answer keys. BK185-G2-Emma and Wisky
Great For
- 2nd Grade reading centers
- SEL lessons
- Morning work
- Independent reading practice
- Small-group instruction
- Early finishers
- Homeschool reading practice
- Character education
- Substitute teacher activities
Teacher Support Included
A teacher guide provides ideas for before-reading, during-reading, and after-reading discussion, along with extension activities such as drawing a favorite scene, writing a new ending, role-playing, and creating classroom SEL posters. BK185-G2-Emma and Wisky
What’s Included
45-page PDF resource
- 10 illustrated reading passages
- 50 reading comprehension questions
- 30 vocabulary questions
- 20 SEL reflection prompts
- Answer keys
- Teacher guide
- Extension activity suggestions