Empathy Reading Comprehension Passages — Grade 2

About this resource

A swing sits empty, and someone notices. These empathy reading comprehension passages give Grade 2 readers ten short texts at F&P levels K–M, with elephants, a shoe hallway and a first-day story. The set builds Social Awareness, one of the five CASEL competencies, in kid language second graders can use.

What students practice

• Noticing a classmate who is alone
• Understanding why two people feel differently in the same situation
• Showing care without words
• Making it right after a mistake
• Not judging why some kids cry more easily

What’s inside

• 10 passages at F&P levels K–M, in a mix of how-to guides, science texts and real-world features
• 5 multiple-choice questions per passage
• 2 open-ended questions per passage for written answers or discussion
• Teacher’s Copy (11 pages) with each empathy passage beside its questions and the correct answers marked
• 33-page student file with an overview of all 10 passages, their levels and SEL focus

A look inside

• The Lonely Swing: a student notices a classmate sitting alone at recess and does something.
• How Elephants Help Each Other: how elephants comfort an upset herd member.
• Meet Mia: A Friend Who Notices: she checks in when someone goes quiet.
• The Art Project Mix-Up: a student accidentally ruins an art project and chooses to make it right.
• The Shoes We Don’t See: a hallway of shoes, each telling what its owner is quietly going through.

How to use these empathy reading passages

• Small-group reading at levels K–M, with the feelings named after each passage
• Partner reading with the open-ended questions as a talk about how each character might feel
• SEL reading comprehension: read How to Show You Care Without Words and talk about ways to show care
• Morning work or homework, checked with the Teacher’s Copy

Grade fit

Written for Grade 2 readers, with levels from K to M. They are reading passages with questions about recess, first days and art projects, with feelings shown through simple scenes.

Digital version

With the interactive digital version, you share one link and students read each passage and answer the questions on any device, with no student logins. At the end they download an answer sheet to hand in.

Pairs well with

For more empathy activities, try Empathy Conversation Cards — Morning Meeting Questions for morning meeting or Empathy Task Cards for short written prompts.