The CBSE Class 2 English syllabus for the 2026-27 academic year is based on Mridang, the NCERT textbook introduced under NEP 2020 and NCF 2023. Class 2 is the year when children move from basic letter recognition to reading short stories, writing simple sentences, and speaking with more confidence. The syllabus is built around themes like friendship, imagination, travel, community, and harmony, all of which feel natural to seven and eight year old learners.
Parents searching for the Class 2 English syllabus usually want a clear picture of the chapters in Mridang, the grammar topics introduced, and the level of reading and writing expected through the year. This page brings together the full CBSE Class 2 English syllabus 2026-27 in one place, including all 13 chapters unit-wise, grammar topics, language skills, assessment pattern, and answers to common questions.
The Mridang textbook for Class 2 replaces the older Marigold and Raindrops combination with a single, activity-led coursebook. Each chapter combines a poem or story with speaking, reading, and writing exercises, so the four language skills are built together rather than in isolation. The curriculum also introduces empathy, safety, friendship, and national identity as gentle underlying themes.
CBSE Class 2 English Syllabus 2026-27: Quick Snapshot
Board: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Class: 2
Subject: English
Prescribed Textbook: Mridang (NCERT)
Curriculum Framework: NEP 2020 and NCF for Foundational Stage 2023
Medium: English
Academic Year: 2026-27
Total Units: 5
Total Chapters: 13
Assessment Style: Continuous, activity-based, no formal board exams
Unit-Wise CBSE Class 2 English Syllabus (Mridang 2026-27)
The Mridang textbook for Class 2 English is divided into five thematic units and a total of 13 chapters, combining poems, stories, and picture-based lessons. The table below shows the complete unit-wise Class 2 English syllabus for CBSE 2026-27.
| Unit | Theme | Chapters |
| Unit 1 | Fun with Friends | My Bicycle (Poem)Picture Reading |
| Unit 2 | Welcome to My World | It is Fun (Poem)Seeing without Seeing |
| Unit 3 | Going Places | Come Back SoonBetween Home and SchoolThis is My Town |
| Unit 4 | Life Around Us | A Show of CloudsMy NameThe CrowThe Smart Monkey |
| Unit 5 | Harmony | Little Drops of Water (Poem)We Are All Indians |
Class 2 English Chapters Explained (Mridang Textbook)
Unit 1: Fun with Friends
The first unit eases the child into Class 2 English through familiar themes of play, friendship, and everyday sights.
- My Bicycle: A lively poem about a red bicycle, introducing colour words, sound words, and the idea of safety through helmet use.
- Picture Reading: A picture-based chapter that encourages children to observe, describe, and write short sentences about what they see.
Unit 2: Welcome to My World
The second unit widens the child’s world and introduces imagination and empathy.
- It is Fun: A cheerful poem about imitating animals, including leaping like a lamb, climbing like a cat, and swimming like a fish. Great for action words and oral expression.
- Seeing without Seeing: A gentle story about a child named Onshangla and her mother Ava, introducing the experience of a differently-abled classmate and the value of friendship and empathy.
Unit 3: Going Places
This unit takes children beyond the classroom into travel, school, and the neighbourhood.
- Come Back Soon: A short story that builds vocabulary around travel, farewells, and reunions.
- Between Home and School: A chapter about the daily journey to school, with vocabulary for vehicles, roads, and places along the way.
- This is My Town: Introduces community vocabulary like market, park, hospital, and post office, helping children talk about where they live.
Unit 4: Life Around Us
The fourth and longest unit focuses on observation, identity, and classic animal tales.
- A Show of Clouds: A chapter about clouds and the sky, introducing weather vocabulary and descriptive language.
- My Name: A chapter that helps children talk about their own name, spelling, and identity.
- The Crow: A short story based on the well-known thirsty crow tale, teaching problem solving and cleverness.
- The Smart Monkey: Another classic-style fable that introduces wit and storytelling.
Unit 5: Harmony
The final unit gently introduces the idea of shared values and national belonging.
- Little Drops of Water: A well-loved poem that uses the metaphor of small drops forming a large ocean to teach teamwork and the value of small actions.
- We Are All Indians: A chapter celebrating India’s diversity, introducing vocabulary for states, languages, and cultures in a simple way.
Class 2 English Grammar Syllabus 2026-27
The Class 2 English grammar syllabus builds on what children learned in Class 1. It is still introduced through stories and activities rather than formal rules, but children are now expected to use these concepts in short sentences. The table below covers the core grammar topics for CBSE Class 2 English 2026-27.
| Grammar Topic | What It Covers |
| Nouns | Names of people, places, animals, and things, with an introduction to common and proper nouns. |
| Pronouns | Simple pronouns such as I, you, he, she, it, we, and they, used to replace nouns. |
| Verbs | Action words, including simple present tense forms like run, eat, sing, and jump. |
| Adjectives | Describing words for colour, size, shape, and feeling, such as big, small, red, and happy. |
| Articles (A, An, The) | Using a and an before words based on their first sound, and the for specific things. |
| Singular and Plural | Forming plurals by adding s or es, with common examples from everyday vocabulary. |
| This, That, These, Those | Pointing words for near and far objects, in singular and plural forms. |
| Prepositions | Simple position words like in, on, under, above, below, and beside. |
| Opposites and Rhyming Words | Pairs like big and small, hot and cold, along with rhyming words from poems. |
| Punctuation | Capital letters for names and sentence starts, full stops, and question marks. |
Language Skills Developed in Class 2 English
By Class 2, the four language skills start to build real fluency. Listening and speaking remain important, but reading short stories and writing short paragraphs become central. The table below summarises what your child will learn through the year.
| Skill | Learning Outcomes |
| Listening | Following longer instructions, understanding short stories and poems, and responding to spoken questions. |
| Speaking | Reciting poems, narrating short stories, describing pictures, and holding simple conversations. |
| Reading | Phonics, sight words, reading short passages aloud, and understanding simple stories. |
| Writing | Writing words, short sentences, small paragraphs, and simple answers to comprehension questions. |
| Vocabulary | Words for family, friends, travel, weather, animals, places, and community life. |
Class 2 English Assessment and Exam Pattern
CBSE does not conduct formal board examinations at the foundational stage. Class 2 English assessment is continuous and activity-based, with teachers observing children through daily classroom tasks, oral activities, and short written work. Common assessment formats are listed below.
| Assessment Area | Typical Activity Type |
| Oral Recitation | Reciting Mridang poems such as My Bicycle, It is Fun, and Little Drops of Water with correct rhythm. |
| Reading Aloud | Reading short paragraphs from stories like Seeing without Seeing or The Smart Monkey with fluency. |
| Picture Description | Looking at a picture and writing two or three simple sentences about it. |
| Writing Tasks | Short sentence writing, fill-in-the-blanks, match the following, and simple comprehension answers. |
| Listening Tasks | Listening to a story read aloud and answering who, what, where, and why questions. |
| Creative Activities | Role play, storytelling, simple dictation, and show and tell based on textbook themes. |
Schools may conduct periodic assessments through worksheets and short oral or written tasks. The focus remains on building reading fluency and writing confidence rather than marks.
Prescribed Textbook: Mridang by NCERT
The only prescribed textbook for CBSE Class 2 English under the 2026-27 curriculum is Mridang, published by NCERT. It is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for the Foundational Stage 2023. Mridang replaces the older Marigold and Raindrops combination with a single activity-led coursebook.
Key features of the Mridang textbook for Class 2 English:
- Five thematic units covering friendship, imagination, travel, observation, and harmony.
- Thirteen chapters that mix poems, stories, and picture-based lessons.
- Each chapter includes Let us speak, Let us read, and Let us write sections for balanced skill building.
- Sight word progression that supports phonics and decoding skills.
- Inclusive characters and situations that introduce empathy and safety naturally.
- Audio versions available through the NCERT CIET portal for pronunciation support.
How to Help Your Child Learn Class 2 English at Home
Class 2 English works best when school lessons are supported by short, consistent practice at home. A few simple habits that make a real difference:
- Read aloud from a short storybook or Mridang chapter every day for ten to fifteen minutes.
- Encourage your child to retell stories like The Crow or The Smart Monkey in their own words.
- Practise spelling and sight words using flashcards or simple word games.
- Ask your child to describe pictures in books or magazines in two or three sentences.
- Recite Mridang poems together and clap to the rhythm for better oral fluency.
- Introduce one or two new grammar topics a week through everyday examples rather than rules.
- Keep writing practice short. A few neat sentences a day is better than long, tired pages.
- Correct gently. At this stage, confidence and expression still matter more than perfect grammar.
Related CBSE Class 2 Resources
Parents and teachers looking for more Class 2 CBSE resources for the 2026-27 session often explore the following alongside the English syllabus:
FAQs on CBSE Class 2 English Syllabus 2026-27
1. What is the prescribed textbook for CBSE Class 2 English in 2026-27?
The prescribed textbook for CBSE Class 2 English for the 2026-27 academic year is Mridang, published by NCERT. It is the updated coursebook aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and replaces the older Marigold and Raindrops books for Class 2.
2. How many chapters are there in the Class 2 English Syllabus?
The Mridang textbook for Class 2 English has 13 chapters organised into five thematic units: Fun with Friends, Welcome to My World, Going Places, Life Around Us, and Harmony. The chapters include a mix of poems, stories, and picture-based activities.
3. What are the units in the CBSE Class 2 English syllabus 2026-27?
The Class 2 English syllabus is divided into five units. Unit 1 is Fun with Friends, Unit 2 is Welcome to My World, Unit 3 is Going Places, Unit 4 is Life Around Us, and Unit 5 is Harmony. Each unit contains two to four chapters.
4. What grammar topics are covered in CBSE Class 2 English?
Class 2 English grammar covers nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, articles (a, an, the), singular and plural, pointing words (this, that, these, those), simple prepositions, opposites, rhyming words, and basic punctuation. Grammar is introduced through examples in stories and activities rather than as formal rules.
5. Is the CBSE Class 2 English syllabus difficult for young children?
No. The syllabus is designed for seven and eight year olds. It builds gradually on what children learned in Class 1 and uses short stories, poems, and picture-based activities. The focus is on building reading fluency and writing confidence, not memorising rules.
6. Are there formal exams in CBSE Class 2 English?
No. CBSE follows a continuous and activity-based assessment approach at the foundational stage. Class 2 English is assessed through oral recitation, reading aloud, writing tasks, picture description, and short comprehension answers. There are no formal board exams.
7. What is the difference between Marigold, Raindrops, and Mridang?
Marigold and Raindrops were the older English textbooks used for Class 2 under the previous CBSE curriculum. Mridang is the updated single textbook introduced under NEP 2020 and NCF 2023. It combines the content of both earlier books into one thematic, activity-led coursebook.
8. How much writing is expected from a Class 2 English student?
By the end of Class 2, a child is expected to write simple sentences, short paragraphs of three to four sentences, picture descriptions, and brief answers to comprehension questions. Handwriting, spelling, and basic punctuation are also given attention.
9. How can parents support Class 2 English learning at home?
Parents can read aloud every day, encourage storytelling and picture description, practise spellings and sight words, recite poems together, and keep writing practice short and regular. Short, consistent sessions are much more effective than long study hours at this age.
10. Where can I download the CBSE Class 2 English syllabus PDF for 2026-27?
The CBSE Class 2 English syllabus is based entirely on the NCERT Mridang textbook, which is available as a free PDF on the official NCERT website. Audio versions are also available through the NCERT CIET portal. The unit and chapter list shown on this page reflects the same syllabus followed by all CBSE affiliated schools for 2026-27.
