Stress and Mental Health Reading Comprehension Passages — Grade 2

About this resource

A party balloon pumped past comfortable is a gentle way into a talk about days that hold too much. These stress and mental health reading comprehension passages give Grade 2 readers ten short texts at F&P levels K–M with everyday words for that feeling, and they show that looking after your mind is something everyone does. The set builds Self-Management.

What students practice

• Noticing what stress feels like
• Spotting when there is too much at once
• Doing one thing at a time
• Knowing that rest helps after a hard day
• Telling a trusted grown-up when stress feels big

What’s inside

• 10 passages at F&P levels K–M, each in a different text type, from a fable to a school news feature
• 5 multiple-choice questions and 2 open-ended questions per passage
• A short takeaway at the end of every passage
• Multiple-choice answer key on the last page of the PDF
• 34 pages

A look inside

• Too Many Things on Monday: Lulu has show-and-tell, a library book and her class job on one day, so she tells Dad and does one thing at a time.
• How to Tell a Grown-Up You Feel Stressed: simple words to try, such as “I feel like there’s too much.” and “Can you help me?”
• Stress Looks Different on Everyone: during a very full week, Nyla gets very quiet while Omid gets wiggly and loud.
• Our New Puppy Made Everything Loud: Matias tells his family it’s too much, and they make a puppy plan so everyone gets quiet time.

How to use these stress and mental health reading passages in Grade 2

• Small-group reading, from the balloon fable at level K to the four level M passages
• Health time: “Why Stress Can Make You Tired” explains why a stressful day can leave the body worn out
• SEL lessons: read “The Too-Much Signal Card” and talk about quiet ways to show a teacher that something feels like too much
• Read-alouds, with the open-ended questions for discussion

Grade fit

Levels start at K and reach M, and the stress in these passages is second-grade sized: a busy Monday, a noisy new puppy, a grumpy day of packing for a family trip. Each of these reading passages with questions ends with a takeaway in plain words. At this age, coping skills for stress start with noticing the feeling and telling someone, and that is where the set keeps its focus.

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.

Good to know

The language stays gentle and everyday, with no clinical terms. The how-to guide and several open-ended questions give children words to use with a trusted grown-up, such as a parent, a teacher or a coach.

Pairs well with

For more talk about big feelings, try Stress and Mental Health Conversation Cards for morning meeting.