Free RL.2.2 Worksheets: Teaching Central Message the Fun Way
🧠 Get Students Thinking Beyond the Plot
Most young readers can tell you what happened in a story—but when you ask, “What was the message?” many freeze. That’s because understanding the central message or lesson requires more than recalling events—it takes reflection, inference, and text-based thinking.
In this post, you’ll learn how to teach RL.2.2, what it really means, and how to guide students toward finding the heart of the story through engaging strategies and meaningful practice.
📘 What Is RL.2.2?
Standard: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Key expectations:
Students can retell the main events in order
Students can identify the lesson or moral of the story
Students can explain how the characters, events, or choices help reveal that lesson
It’s not just about “what happened”—it’s about why it matters.
🧠 How Is This Different From Just Retelling?
While RL.2.1 focuses on recalling details, RL.2.2 builds on that by requiring students to:
Synthesize those details
Interpret the author’s purpose
Reflect on a bigger life lesson that applies beyond the story
Think of it this way:
RL.2.1: What did the character do?
RL.2.2: What did the character (and the reader) learn?
✏️ How to Teach Central Message (Step-by-Step)
1. Start With Fables and Short Folktales
Stories like The Tortoise and the Hare or The Empty Pot are excellent for this standard. They are short, direct, and come with an obvious moral.
2. Model, Model, Model
Use think-alouds to explain your reasoning:
“Hmm… the fox tricked the crow. I think the lesson is about being careful who you trust.”
3. Anchor the Vocabulary
Teach key phrases like:
“The story teaches…”
“The character learned…”
“A message we can learn is…”
4. Use Recounting First
Make sure students can retell the story in the correct sequence before asking them to analyze it. Use words like first, next, then, and finally.
5. Discuss Character Change
Ask: “How did the character change?” or “What did they learn?” This often leads directly to the central message.
💡 Examples of Central Messages in 2nd Grade Stories
The Empty Pot: Honesty is more important than success
How Chipmunk Got His Stripes: Think before you act
David and Goliath: Courage can come in small packages
The Good Samaritan: Kindness matters—even to strangers
🧠 Extension Ideas
Have students draw a scene from the story and write the message under it
Compare two stories with similar lessons
Turn the message into a “class motto” for the week
Create a story of their own that teaches the same lesson
🔁 Final Thought: Central Message Is at the Heart of Reading
When students identify a story’s lesson, they begin to see reading as something bigger than words on a page. RL.2.2 encourages reflection, empathy, and connection—and with the right stories and routines, even your youngest readers can uncover deep truths.
