Spelling List 19 — Grade 2: Worksheets and Activities

Spelling for Grade 2 — List 19: 20 Essential WordsTeaching spelling to second graders is about more than memorizing lists — it’s about building confidence, improving reading fluency, and strengthening the connections between sounds and letters. This lesson centered on Spelling for Grade 2 — List 19: 20 Essential Words gives teachers and parents a complete plan: the word list, explanations of tricky patterns, engaging activities, assessment ideas, and simple worksheets you can copy or adapt.

Word list — List 19 (20 words)

1. about
2. again
3. always
4. because
5. both
6. buy
7. clothes
8. every
9. friend
10. grocery
11. know
12. laugh
13. night
14. people
15. place
16. pretty
17. school
18. their
19. until
20. together

Why these words?

These 20 words combine high-frequency sight words (because, their, every), words with tricky letter patterns (know, laugh), and words that reinforce syllable and spelling conventions (together, clothes). They help second graders:

• Recognize common irregular spellings (their/they’re/there distinctions come later, but their is essential now).
• Practice consonant blends and digraphs (night, friend, laugh).
• Learn vowel patterns and unstressed syllables (together, about, again).

Key teaching points and common errors

• Know: the silent k before n — pronounce the n only.
• Laugh: the “gh” makes an /f/ sound in this word; explain other words with -gh (e.g., tough) as comparisons.
• Clothes: the consonant cluster /ðz/ at the end can be hard to say — practice slowly.
• Their: an irregular pronoun spelling; contrast with they’re and there in later lessons.
• Grocery: watch the vowel sound /oʊ/ spelled with “o” followed by a consonant + vowel; some kids write “grossery.”
• Together/until/about/again: unstressed syllables often cause dropped letters — use clapping to mark syllables.

Phonics and pattern focus

• Silent letters: know, knight (comparison).
• Digraphs and blends: laugh (gh→/f/), friend (fr blend), both (th digraph).
• Vowel teams and schwa: together, again, about — introduce the idea that some vowels in unstressed syllables have a “schwa” /ə/ sound.
• Plurals/possessives awareness: clothes looks plural; discuss how some words are already plural-like.

Activities (classroom or at home)

1. Syllable Clap: Students clap each syllable of every word to feel rhythm (to-geth-er = 3 claps).
2. Rainbow Writing: Write each word three times with different colored pencils to reinforce letter order.
3. Word Sort: Sort words by patterns — silent letters, digraphs, unstressed syllables, irregular.
4. Memory Match: Create cards with words and pictures; play matching pairs.
5. Sentence Challenge: Write a sentence using three words from the list. Example: “My friend and I go to school together.”
6. Spelling Bee: Short in-class bee using only List 19 words.
7. Dictation: Read short sentences aloud for students to write, including one List 19 word per sentence.
8. Multisensory Tracing: Students trace words in sand, shaving cream, or with finger on textured surfaces.

3 Mini-lessons (5–10 minutes each)

1. Silent K and Other Silent Letters: Show words like know and kneel. Explain and practice with a quick list.
2. The “gh” Sound: Show laugh and tough; practice making /f/ and compare to words where gh is silent (though).
3. Schwa and Unstressed Syllables: Clap out syllables of together, about, again. Highlight the unstressed vowel sound.

Mini-assessment ideas

• Quick quiz: Dictate 10 words from the list; choose five for spelling and five for multiple choice.
• Fill-in-the-blank worksheet: Short paragraph with blanks for 8–10 List 19 words.
• Oral check: One-on-one rapid spelling check for each student (3–5 words each lesson).

Sample practice sentences (copyable)

• About: “Tell me about your favorite game.”
• Again: “Can you say that again?”
• Always: “I always brush my teeth.”
• Because: “I like the park because it has swings.”
• Both: “Both dogs are friendly.”
• Buy: “We will buy apples at the store.”
• Clothes: “Please hang your clothes up.”
• Every: “Every student has a pencil.”
• Friend: “My friend helped me with my homework.”
• Grocery: “We go to the grocery on Saturday.”
• Know: “Do you know the answer?”
• Laugh: “The joke made her laugh.”
• Night: “Stars shine at night.”
• People: “Many people walked by the park.”
• Place: “That is a lovely place to read.”
• Pretty: “The flower looks pretty.”
• School: “School starts at nine.”
• Their: “Their cat is very playful.”
• Until: “Play quietly until dinner.”
• Together: “We finished the puzzle together.”

Printable worksheet ideas

• Word-search with all 20 words hidden horizontally and vertically.
• Crosswords using 10–12 of the words as answers.
• Missing-letter practice: remove 1–2 letters from each word for students to fill in (e.g., k_ow → know).
• Sentence unscramble: scramble words in a sentence and have students reorder them.

Differentiation suggestions

• Struggling spellers: focus on 8–10 priority words (their, know, friend, school, about, buy, night, laugh). Use more multisensory practice and shorter lists.
• Advanced learners: ask for sentences using three or more List 19 words, or have them write a short story that includes at least five words from the list.
• English learners: pair words with pictures and native-language glosses; emphasize pronunciation and syllable stress.

Progress tracking

• Create a simple chart listing each student with the 20 words; check off words they spell correctly in weekly checks.
• Use quick warm-ups (1–2 minutes) to revisit previous lists and track retention over time.

Tips for parents

• Read aloud and point to words in books that match List 19.
• Turn practice into play — quick games in the car or at the grocery store using words like grocery, buy, and clothes.
• Praise effort: progress in spelling comes from repeated, varied exposure.

Closing note

This List 19 set balances sight words, irregular spellings, and useful vocabulary for everyday life. Use short, varied activities and frequent review to help Grade 2 students internalize these 20 essential words.