Second Grade, Here I Come Book Companion Activities | Back to School Read Aloud
Second Grade, Here I Come Book Companion Activities | Back to School Read Aloud
Make your first weeks of second grade easier with this engaging Second Grade Here I Come book companion for the back-to-school season! Designed to pair with Second Grade Here I Come by D.J. Steinberg, this no-prep resource helps students build comprehension, make predictions, connect to the text, practice phonics skills, and reflect on what it means to be ready for second grade.
This resource is perfect for a first week of school read aloud, morning work, literacy centers, small groups, whole-group comprehension lessons, or a fun second grade welcome activity. Teachers will love the variety of print-and-go pages, and students will enjoy responding to the story through writing, drawing, sorting, graphing, and discussion.
What’s Included
First read plan: A simple lesson plan to help you introduce the book, activate background knowledge, guide student listening, and lead a meaningful read-aloud discussion.
Comprehension worksheets and response pages: Print-and-go pages that help students answer questions, recall important story details, share opinions, and show understanding through writing and drawing.
Story map activity: A structured graphic organizer for identifying characters, setting, key events, and important parts of the story.
Predicting activity: A student-friendly page that encourages learners to make predictions before or during the read aloud and explain their thinking.
Text-to-self connection page: A reflection activity where students connect the book to their own feelings, experiences, and hopes for second grade.
Compare and contrast activity: A literacy activity that helps students notice similarities and differences between ideas, characters, school experiences, or parts of the story.
Digraph practice: Skill-based phonics practice that gives students extra review with common digraphs in an easy back-to-school format.
Graphing activity: A classroom-friendly math connection where students can collect, organize, and discuss data related to the book or back-to-school topics.
Anchor charts: Ready-to-use visual supports for guiding lessons, reviewing key skills, and supporting student discussions during the unit.
Poem and companion activities: A themed poem with follow-up activities that extend the back-to-school learning and give students additional reading and response practice.
Why Teachers Love It
No-prep and easy to use: Just print the pages you need and pair them with your read aloud.
Perfect for back to school: Help students feel excited, confident, and ready for second grade.
Builds key literacy skills: Students practice comprehension, phonics, writing, vocabulary, and story elements.
Flexible for any schedule: Use one page a day, create a mini-unit, or add pages to literacy centers.
Supports meaningful discussion: Activities encourage students to connect personally with the story and share their thinking.
Great For
Back to school read aloud lessons
First week of second grade activities
Second grade book companion activities
Reading comprehension practice
Literacy centers or small groups
Morning work or early finisher activities
Sub plans during the first weeks of school