- Skills covered are correlated to national language arts standards for 2nd-grade level- Implements standards set forth by the No Child Left Behind Act's reading initiative including: - Vocabulary development- Fluency- Comprehension (both nonfiction and fiction texts)- Subject matter is correlated to social studies and science topics taught nationwide at the 3rd grade level for effective interdisciplinary approach- Many activities include a Challenge section that serves as an extension activity for the featured skill- Carefully selected images are closely correlated to content and are appropriate for 2nd-grade reading level- Contains a variety of photographs paired with activities for a real world approach