Kindergarten - ELA
1: Letters
Unit 1: A - A Is for Musk Ox
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to point to the title and to the names of the author and illustrator on the book cover, identifying printed words and their location. Students are asked why we have the alphabet, with an answer that it is a way to communicate written messages, connecting letters to written communication. Students practice with alphabet cards by counting letters and ordering them from A to Z and optionally placing number cards beneath letters to show sequential order.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice letter knowledge and letter formation: they sing the alphabet, practice the sound of the letter A ("a" as in apple), and trace and write uppercase A on a handwriting page. Students repeat letter sounds multiple times and use a tactile option (apple stickers on a die-cut A) to form the shape of the letter. The activities include pre-writing tasks and guidance to form letters from top to bottom and left to right.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sight word "you" on a card, told what it says, and practice saying it aloud and saying it independently while following the printed words with a finger. Students are asked to find marked words in the book, point to the first letter of each word and say the letter aloud, and locate pictures matching the written word. Students practice forming the lowercase letter "a" while reviewing its sound and use letter cards to name letters and say their sounds.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice mapping sounds to letters by circling the correct beginning letter for each picture and by cutting and gluing pictures under the correct letter in the "Letter Sounds: A" activities. Students practice forming/writing the target letter (or watch the teacher form it) and complete a "Beginning Letter Sounds" cut-and-paste task that matches pictures to labeled single letters. These tasks require students to attend to initial sounds and select the corresponding written letter.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Reading Workshop students are taught to use a finger to "trace" across the words from left to right and are asked to practice tracing the words in the A is for Musk Ox book independently. In Writing Workshop students dictate a story that an adult records and then the adult rereads what the child dictated, giving students an auditory-to-written match. The Getting Started review asks the child about the sound of the letter A and the sight card "you," which brings attention to letter/sight-word forms.
Unit 2: H - Hondo and Fabian
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to point to the title and locate the author/illustrator on the front cover, and the lesson lists a sight word for the unit ("he"), showing print that students can visually identify. The Questions to Explore include "How do written letters relate to audible sounds?", and adults are instructed to read the book aloud while students follow along. Activity instructions ask children to find number cards and point to each number as they say them, demonstrating print-pointing behavior that is also used with the book text.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to point to the letter H on the book cover while saying the name "Hondo," hear and produce the initial /h/ sound, and practice forming and writing the uppercase H (tracing, freehand, popsicle-stick formation) while the Hh card is added to a review file. During the Bingo activity students are guided to point to each letter (B-I-N-G-O) as they sing the song and are encouraged to substitute a clap for each letter, linking the spoken letters/sounds to the written letters in sequence. Tracing and writing tasks require students to reproduce the specific letter shapes that correspond to the spoken sounds they practice.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to look for the letter H at the beginning of Hondo's name and to point to it when they see it. Students are asked to identify the initial sounds of words like "home," "happy," and "hungry," linking sounds to the letter h. Students practice forming and tracing the lowercase h on a handwriting sheet and with playdough, reinforcing the visual letter form. Students are shown the sight word card "he," asked what letter it starts with, asked to say the word, and to point to and read that word in the book.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson asks the child what sound the letter H makes and prompts the child to think of words beginning with that sound, and it shows the sight word "he" for recognition. Activity 3 has students circle the correct beginning letter for pictures, practice writing the letter H, and cut out and paste letters under the correct picture. The student pages require matching images (heart, house, hand, hat, hammer, horse) to the correct beginning letter forms, reinforcing spoken-initial-sound to written-letter mapping.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students practice letter-sound correspondence by naming words that start with the "h" sound and drawing a capital H and lowercase h in the air. They see printed sight words "he" and "you" and are asked to remember them. Students move a finger left-to-right under the print of names (Hondo, Fabian) and are shown how their own name is written in print, then encouraged to try to write their name and dictate sentences while an adult models writing.
Unit 3: I - The Little Island
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to find the title on the cover and to find the names of the author and illustrator, which has them locate and attend to written words. A sight word for the unit ('little') and a vocabulary word ('island') are identified, giving students exposure to specific written words. The teacher is instructed to read the title to the child and discuss the cover, so students hear spoken words while seeing their written forms.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review sight word cards for "you" and "he" and look at letter cards (Aa and Hh), providing direct exposure to written words and letters. The Student Activity Page shows a small illustration of an igloo labeled "igloo," so students see a printed word paired with a spoken/visual referent. Students practice tracing and independently writing the uppercase I on dashed lines, reinforcing knowledge of letter forms within written text.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to practice reading the word "little" from a sight-word card shown in lowercase and to identify the same word on the book cover written in all capital letters. Students read the book title together while the adult points to each word, and then read the title again with the adult omitting the word "little" and asking the child to supply it when pointed to. The activity also has students practice letter formation (lowercase i) and letter-sound associations while producing the printed letter forms.
Lesson 4
Day 4
In Activity 3 students circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing that letter or watch the teacher form it. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, and the Student Activity Pages show images with letter choices (e.g., A H I) to select the matching beginning sound. These tasks require students to connect the spoken name of each picture to specific letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students review three letters (a, h, i) and their sounds and three sight words (you, he, little), providing exposure to written letter sequences and whole written words. Students look at the book cover and title page and are prompted to identify the title, author, and other print features, connecting spoken labels to printed words. During writing workshop, students dictate their ideas while an adult records them in complete sentences and then the student "reads" those written ideas back, showing a connection between spoken language and written sequences.
Unit 4: T - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists a Vocabulary Word (structure) with its written form and definition and specifies a Sight Word for the unit (this), so students are exposed to printed words paired with meanings. The reading directions tell the adult to preview the book with the child, noting the title and authors/illustrators, which directs attention to print features. The Student Activity Pages show animal illustrations with each animal name printed next to the picture, giving students examples of printed words labeling objects. Activities include drawing or writing numbers and handling labeled cards, so students encounter written labels in multiple contexts.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to find examples of the uppercase letter T on the book cover and told that the letter T often makes the "t" sound. Students say the word "tail," identify the initial /t/ sound, and are asked to practice forming the uppercase T while the sound is reviewed. Students also complete tracing and freehand practice of the letter T on a handwriting page, reinforcing the visual letter form tied to its sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sight-word card "this," asked to identify the omitted word in the book title, and then shown the same printed word in other places and asked to read it, requiring them to match a spoken word to its written letter sequence. Students practice letter recognition and letter-sound mapping by naming the T/t sound from a letter card and by forming/tracing the lowercase t through handwriting and tape activities.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to review the letter T and the sight word "this," make a letter T in the air, and name animals (linking spoken words to printable labels). Activity 3 directs students to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and to practice writing that letter, and to cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter. The Student Activity Pages include a Beginning Letter Sounds matching task (matching images like taxi, ambulance, hand, tree, island to letters) and a fill-in-the-blank animal page where students supply missing letters to complete animal names ending in T.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 has students dictate 1–3 facts and the adult writes them in complete sentences under the student's writing, so students see their spoken words represented in written form. Activity 3 also encourages students to attempt writing their facts, providing an opportunity to connect spoken language to letter strings. Activity 2 has students work independently with a book and identify the sequence of parts, giving them exposure to printed words and how text encodes information.
Unit 5: L - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson directs the child to look at and read the cover, title, and names of the author and illustrator, exposing students to printed words. The materials identify a unit sight word: "go," providing a specific written word for students to notice. The teacher-facing text points out the printed word "colorful" in the story (including its visual emphasis), drawing attention to a written representation of a spoken descriptor.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are guided to find the printed word tall on a page and say the phrase "a tall mountain," linking spoken words to a specific printed word. Students review letter sounds and sight words from previous units, reinforcing connections between speech and print. In Activity 2 students locate the uppercase L on the book cover, practice forming the letter while making the "L" sound, trace an uppercase L on a handwriting sheet, and add an Ll card to a file for review.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to point to the printed word "go" on the page while an adult reads it and then to read the line and point to the word while they read it. The plan directs showing a sight-word card for "go" and having the child say the word each time the printed word appears. The activities repeatedly align the spoken word with its written form through adult-child shared reading and word pointing.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 asks students to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and to practice writing that letter; the second page has students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture. The "Beginning Letter Sounds" page presents five letters (a, h, t, l, i) and asks students to match images (axe, hand, teepees, igloo, ice cream) to the corresponding beginning letters. The Student Activity Page focused on "Letter Sounds: L" includes pictures (leaf, ladder, etc.) with blanks for students to write the correct letter combinations, directing attention to letter-to-sound correspondences.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to use their finger to guide across the words and to read from left to right during the Reading Workshop, which draws attention to the printed words on the page. In Writing Workshop Option 2, students are prompted to identify objects, think of describing words, and write those words next to their pictures (e.g., "soft dog" or "big book"). In Writing Workshop Option 1, students are encouraged to write whatever they are able and to dictate their story while an adult records it, creating instances where spoken language is rendered in print.
Unit 6: F - Fireflies
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the cover and to read the book aloud with an adult, exposing them to printed text while hearing the corresponding spoken words. The materials explicitly list a Sight Word for the unit ('said') and a Vocabulary Word ('flicker') with its definition, and the reading questions quote specific printed phrases (e.g., 'Something flickered there, a moment...It flickered again...'). Activities prompt discussion about words and meanings from the story, which gives students opportunities to notice particular words in print.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students locate the uppercase letter F on the book cover and are told the letter makes the "f" sound in words like "fireflies" and "finger." Students practice forming the capital F in the air and on handwriting sheets while producing the /f/ sound. The handwriting/activity pages include the word "fish" and repeated F characters for tracing and writing, and Option 2 has students trace a large capital F with fingerprints.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The activity directs the child to read a new word card labeled "said" and then to find and read that same word in a sentence, prompting the child to match the spoken/read word to its written form. The reading instructions encourage the child to read aloud when encountering the word "said," reinforcing that the spoken word corresponds to that specific sequence of letters. The lowercase letter f handwriting and formation activities have the child produce a written letter shape while practicing its sound, linking spoken sounds to written letters.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students identify beginning sounds by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: F" page and by cutting and pasting picture boxes under the correct letter. Students practice letter formation by writing the letter F or watching it formed. The "Beginning Letter Sounds" page asks students to match pictured words (butter, head, flag, orange, ax) to labeled letters, reinforcing mapping between a spoken word's initial sound and a specific letter.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Writing Workshop, students are asked to draw a picture of a summer activity and write some words, ideas, or sentences, including some of the letters they are learning. The guidance says students may copy a sentence written by a parent and that they should practice holding a pencil and making writing lines on paper. The lesson allows students to attempt independent 'writing' in their journals and to dictate in addition to written attempts.
Unit 7: E - But No Elephants
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to find the uppercase letter E on the book cover and are told that the letter E makes the "e" sound in words like "elephant" and "egg." Students practice forming the capital E in the air while making the "e" sound and trace multiple outlined uppercase E's on a handwriting sheet. The lesson provides a letter Ee card to keep for review and an alternative activity using popsicle sticks to assemble and trace the shape of the letter E.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The review and read-aloud tasks have the child read a printed sight word (no) after the adult reads it and point to the word in the book so the child reads it aloud. During reading the adult points to the printed word no and prompts the child to read that word in context. The lowercase letter-writing activities have the child form the letter e and practice its sound, linking a spoken sound to a written letter form.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter–sound mapping in Activity 3 by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: E" page and by practicing writing the letter. They cut out pictures and glue each under the correct letter, requiring them to match an image (spoken word) to a written letter. A second activity page asks students to match five images (ear, hand, egg, lamp, ant) to the corresponding beginning letters (e, h, e, l, a).
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are instructed to move their finger left to right under each line and to trace words with their finger while "reading," which has them track printed words and visually follow letter sequences. In Writing Workshop, students are asked to write some words (real or invented), to dictate a sentence for an adult to write, and to copy a sentence if able, which has them produce written sequences that represent spoken language.
Unit 8: C - Millions of Cats
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to read the title and the book together, and a sight word for the unit ('pretty') and a vocabulary word ('quarrel') are introduced. The skills list explicitly includes that students 'Understand that words are separated by spaces in print.' The reading prompts have students look at print while discussing meaning, which involves exposure to written words.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to find the uppercase C on the book cover and are told that the letter C often makes the "k" sound in words like "cat" and "cake." Students practice forming the capital C in the air and then trace and write uppercase C letters on the handwriting sheet. The uppercase C worksheet includes an image of a cat with the printed word "cat" underneath, and letter C cards/file box or a die-cut C are used for additional review.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson has the child shown the sight word card "pretty" and asked to read it, and during reading the teacher is instructed to point to the word "pretty" and have the child read it. The child is asked to repeat a phrase each time it appears in the text, which reinforces matching spoken language to its occurrence in print. The lesson also has students trace and write lowercase c and manipulate coins into the shape of a lowercase c, which practices recognition of letter shapes and letter formation.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice identifying beginning letters by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures and by matching/pasting picture boxes beneath labeled letters (Activity 3 and the "Beginning Letter Sounds" page). Students practice forming and writing the letter C and watch the adult form letters, connecting spoken/visual words to written letter shapes. Students also unscramble letter sets and write the correct words on the "Letter Sounds: C" page, requiring them to assemble specific sequences of letters to represent spoken words.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to place a penny in each space between words and to follow lines from left to right while an adult points to the words as the sentences are read. The activity has students look at two written sentences and attend to the spacing and word-by-word pointing. The writing workshop invites students to draw and "write" or dictate a story about a cat, providing an opportunity to connect spoken language to written word units.
Unit 9: G - The Real Mother Goose
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students move their fingers along the lines as an adult reads and look at the picture, demonstrating print tracking. The teacher shows the printed sight word "saw" in the first line, has the child practice reading that printed word, and adds the word card to a file box. The reading activities ask the child to supply words at the ends of lines and to identify rhyming pairs, drawing attention to printed words in context.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students recite the months of the year while looking at a printed "Months of the Year" sheet that lists each month by name. Students practice forming, tracing, and writing the uppercase letter G (including dashed tracing) and say the "g" sound while viewing the Gg card and the example word "Goose." Students also trace or decorate words that begin with G (e.g., glue, green) and are prompted to note that those spoken words start with the letter g.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice the sound of the letter g while tracing and writing the lowercase g on a handwriting page and in a sensory bag activity, connecting an individual speech sound to its letter form. Students see printed words and lines of text when the poem is typed in large font on the computer and then work together to change specific words, so they view spoken rhyming words alongside their written forms. The student activity page also displays the letter g and the word "gorilla," giving students examples of letters and a printed word to look at while practicing the letter.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound correspondence with the "Letter Sounds — G" pages by circling the correct beginning letter for pictured words and by cutting and gluing boxes under the correct letter. Students practice forming and writing the letter G (or watch the teacher form it) and complete a "Beginning Letter Sounds" page that asks them to match pictures to initial letters (f, e, c, g, a). These activities require students to attend to sounds in spoken words and link those sounds to specific letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 asks the child to listen to poems on audio while following along with the printed poems and moving her finger from left to right as she listens and reads, which has the child match spoken language to printed text. Activity 3 has the child dictate a poem while the adult writes it down in the journal, and offers typing the child's words into a publishing program, which gives the child a visible written record of her spoken words.
Unit 10: O - Owl Babies
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students dictate facts about owls and have those facts written into the designated spaces on the owl picture, allowing them to see spoken language rendered as written text. Students practice forming and writing the uppercase letter O (tracing and writing on the handwriting sheet) while producing the "o" sound and see the Oo card added to a review file. Students are prompted to find the uppercase O on the book cover and to link the letter shape to example words such as "octopus."
Lesson 3
Day 3
The teacher shows the sight word card "want," names it, points to the word on the page, and has the child practice reading it. When reading Owl Babies, the child is asked to read Bill's line "I want my mommy!" while the adult points to the words on the page. The optional shape activity asks the child to move to a shape chosen by reading its name, requiring the child to connect the written name to a spoken prompt.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound correspondences by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: O" page and by matching pictures to labeled beginning letters on the "Beginning Letter Sounds" page. Students practice forming and writing the letter O (or watch it formed) and cut out letters to paste them under the correct heading. Students also read aloud lines from a Reader's Theatre script and review sight word cards, providing opportunities to connect spoken lines with printed text.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to write about owls in a journal and may dictate their story for an adult to record, attempt to write it themselves, or copy the information after an adult records it. The writing workshop explicitly provides opportunities for students to see spoken language turned into written text (adult recording dictated words) and to practice copying written words. The Reading Workshop asks students to think about clues in books, which involves noticing printed words and illustrations while distinguishing fiction and nonfiction.
Unit 11: S - Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists a sight word for the unit: "some," which exposes students to a specific written word. The reading activity instructs the child to look at the book cover and then read the book with the child, giving students opportunities to see printed words while hearing them spoken. The skills section includes using writing and dictating to compose texts, which could involve producing written words corresponding to spoken ideas.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice letter-sound correspondence (review letter sounds and sight cards; the instructor tells the child that the letter S makes the "s" sound and has the child practice making the sound while forming the capital S). Students practice writing and tracing the letter S on a handwriting sheet and see the example word "sun" printed near the uppercase S. Students have an opportunity to record words on the Weather Report chart by drawing, writing words, or dictating words to an adult.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sight word card "some," hear it read aloud, and are asked to read it back and read the same word in a sentence from The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree. Students are asked to read the book again and to look for and read the word "some" each time they see it. Students practice forming and writing the letter s (tracing and independent writing) and practice the sound of the letter s while writing or tracing it.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students circle the correct beginning letter for each picture on the "Letter Sounds: S" page and practice writing the letter S, showing they match spoken initial sounds to letter symbols. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter on the second page, practicing letter-to-sound matching and letter identification. The "Beginning Letter Sounds" activity asks students to match pictures to given letters (l, f, s, t, g), reinforcing correspondence between spoken word onsets and specific letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 directs the child to draw a picture of her favorite season and then "write or dictate some things she knows about that season." The dictation option explicitly has the child produce spoken language and (implicitly) have that language recorded in written form for review.
Unit 12: D - Dinosaurs Big and Small
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly lists a sight word for the unit: "big," which exposes students to a specific written word. Students are instructed to look at the cover of the book and identify the author and illustrator, which requires attending to printed words on the page. The skills section includes asking and answering questions about unknown words and determining meanings based on kindergarten reading and content, which engages students with written vocabulary.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and sight words and are asked to find the uppercase D on the book cover and hear that D makes the "d" sound as in "dinosaur." Students practice forming the capital D in the air while making the /d/ sound and trace and write uppercase D letters on the provided handwriting sheet. The Student Activity Page displays the printed word "dinosaur" next to a dinosaur illustration, giving students a visual connection between the spoken word and a written word that begins with D.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the word in all capital letters "BIG" and the same word in lowercase "big," are told both say "big," and are asked to practice reading that word. Students are prompted to search for and read the word "big" as it occurs while an adult reads the book, and a sight-word card for "big" is used and saved for review. Students are asked to point to words as they recite the poem and join in, and they practice letter formation and letter sounds for "d," linking sounds and letters at the letter- and word-level.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students dictate five facts about their chosen dinosaur while an adult records them beneath the drawing, so students hear spoken language and see it represented in written form. Students complete "Letter Sounds: D" pages where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture, write or watch formation of the letter, and cut and paste letters under the correct images. Students use a "Beginning Letter Sounds" page to match pictures (e.g., alligator, duck) with labeled letters, practicing mapping spoken words' initial sounds to specific letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 has students dictate or attempt to write factual sentences about dinosaurs, so students practice converting spoken language into written text. Activity 2 has students look through books and identify adjectives in the printed text, which requires noticing printed words that correspond to describing words they hear or think. These tasks give students opportunities to produce and attend to written words tied to spoken language.
Unit 13: P - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists a sight word for the unit ("made") and includes instructions to read the book to the child, so students will hear spoken words while being exposed to printed words. The lesson also lists vocabulary words in print (e.g., imagination) and includes a skill to recognize and name end punctuation, indicating attention to print features. Students are asked to look at the cover and answer questions about it, providing additional exposure to printed text and its features.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 2 has students find the uppercase letter P on a book cover, practice forming the capital P while saying the /p/ sound, trace dashed P letters on a handwriting sheet, and write P on primary lines or inside a die-cut P. Activity 1 asks students to cut out and glue the title "Phases of the Moon" and glue each phase label (full moon, half moon, crescent, sliver, new moon) with its corresponding picture in order. The lesson also includes a vocabulary review with printed words and definitions that students point to and discuss.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sight word card "made," told what it says, and asked to read that exact printed word repeatedly as it occurs in the story. Students review letter sounds and sight card words at the start of the lesson. Students practice forming and tracing the lowercase letter p (by tracing, freehand practice, or arranging pennies) and are prompted to practice the sound of p as they trace.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound correspondence in Activity 3: they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture on the "Letter Sounds: P" page and practice writing the letter. Students cut out picture boxes and paste each one under the correct letter, and they complete a "Beginning Letter Sounds" page matching images (s, p, d, t, l) to letters. These tasks require students to identify spoken-word initial sounds and associate those sounds with specific letters.
Unit 14: B - Blueberries for Sal
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists a sight word for the unit ('she') and asks the child to find the name of the illustrator on the cover, which requires locating printed words. The child is asked to flip through the book and attend to the print (e.g., finding the illustrator's name and noting that one name means one person wrote and illustrated the book). The teacher/parent is instructed to read the book aloud to the child, providing a context where spoken language and the page text appear together.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and sight word cards and are asked to find the uppercase B on the book cover. In Activity 2 they practice the 'b' sound while forming and tracing the capital letter B and add a Bb card to a review box. The Student Activity Page shows the word 'bear' labeled under a picture and provides tracing and independent writing of the letter B so students encounter a printed word with an initial B.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown a sight-word card for 'she' and are asked to read it back, linking the spoken word to its written form. The teacher opens the story page containing the sentence 'She picked three more berries and ate them.' and points to the word 'she,' asking the child to read it. During reading of Blueberries for Sal, students are asked to keep looking for the word 'she' and to read it as the adult points to it. Students also trace and write the lowercase letter 'b' and practice its sound, reinforcing letter-to-sound correspondence.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice linking spoken words to letters in Activity 3 by circling the correct beginning letter for each picture and practicing writing the letter B. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, and they draw lines from pictures to labeled letter boxes on the Beginning Letter Sounds page. These tasks require students to identify the letter that represents the initial sound of a spoken word and to produce the corresponding written letter.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 instructs an adult to "write down exactly what he says" when a child dictates, and then to discuss the child's composition and suggest adding words or punctuation. The activity also has the child practice writing (or dictating) his own words and encourages adding more descriptive words. These parts give students opportunities to see their spoken language rendered in written form.
Unit 15: R - Rain
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the book cover and notice the small printed words that all say "rain," which prompts them to connect the printed word to the spoken word. An adult is instructed to point to the words as they read the book aloud, and students are prompted to notice and discuss those words. The lesson also introduces a sight word for the unit ("on"), giving students exposure to a specific printed word.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 2 has students find the uppercase R on a book cover, hear that the letter R makes the "r" sound, practice forming the capital R while making the sound, and trace/write R on a handwriting sheet. The lesson includes adding an Rr card to a review file and an option to color inside a die-cut R while practicing the stroke sequence and sound. Activity 3 asks students to write or copy sentences beginning with "I see..." using color words and to complete a worksheet with blanks for specific color words.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to point to each word as the adult reads and to read the sight word card "on" back to the adult. Students are prompted to read the book back, point to words, and read words they recognize such as "rain" and "on." The lowercase letter writing activity has students trace and write the letter r and practice the sound of the letter while forming its strokes. The die-cut and ribbon activity has students place ribbon on the letter r die-cut while tracing from top to bottom and back up, reinforcing the written form of a letter.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and practice writing or watching the formation of the target letter in the "Letter Sounds — R" activity. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture and, on the "Beginning Letter Sounds" page, students match single letters (l, e, f, t, s) to the corresponding images (ladder, elephant, football, tennis ball, star).
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to write or dictate sentences or phrases that include color words (e.g., red car; The red car zoomed across the room), producing written forms of their spoken ideas. Students practice reading a book aloud and are encouraged to use the printed type (and its colors) as a guide, and to read the book they wrote about colors to others. These activities require students to produce and/or read printed words corresponding to spoken language.
Unit 16: N - Night in the Country
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to find the uppercase letter N on the book cover and told that N makes the "n" sound like "night." Students practice forming the capital N in the air while producing the letter sound and then trace and write uppercase N on the provided handwriting sheet. Students also have an option to form a large N by gluing newspaper squares and are shown an image labeled "newspaper" with the printed word, reinforcing the letter in printed text.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The child is shown the sight word card "there," is asked to read it aloud, and is prompted to read the word "there" whenever it appears on the page of Night in the Country. The child rereads the book and searches for the printed word "there," reading it when he finds it in sentences. The handwriting activity has the child form the lowercase letter n and practice the sound of the letter, linking letters and sounds at the letter level.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students review letter sounds and sight word cards and are asked to identify beginning sounds. In Activity 3 students circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and practice writing the letter N, and on a second page they cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter. The Beginning Letter Sounds activity has students sort objects into boxes labeled with letters (n, o, p, r), directly linking spoken initial sounds to specific letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3, students are asked to write whatever marks, letters, or words they can and the adult is instructed to add dictation of the student's ideas; after writing, students read their work and read the dictation out loud. Students also are asked to copy equations or trace them in Activity 1, which gives practice copying a specific sequence of written symbols to match a spoken number sentence. The reading workshop has students "read" the book and identify questions, providing additional opportunities to connect spoken language to written text.
Unit 17: M - Marshmallow
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the book cover and read the title Marshmallow, linking the spoken name to the printed title. A sight word for the unit (out) is identified, giving students an opportunity to see a whole printed word. The lesson points out the printed word hesitated on a page and asks the child if she knows what it means, connecting a spoken vocabulary word to its written form.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are guided to find the uppercase letter M on the book cover and told that the letter M makes the "m" sound like "marshmallow." Students practice forming and writing the capital M (finger in the air, tracing, handwriting sheet) and review the sound of M as they work. The Student Activity Page shows the printed word "monkey" beneath an illustration, giving a written example of a word that begins with M. An Mm card is added to a review file for later practice, reinforcing the letter–sound connection in print.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The teacher has the child point to the word "out" on the second page, show a matching word card, and have the child practice reading that specific written word. The teacher then has the child reread the book and read the word "out" as it occurs in context. The letter-writing activity has the child trace and form the lowercase "m," practice the sound, and trace the shape with a finger or marshmallows, providing letter-level print practice.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to identify and circle the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: M" page and to practice writing the letter M. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter, linking spoken object names to specific written letters. Students use a separate beginning-letter activity where they match five pictures (alligator, mushroom, house, leaf, drum) to the boxes labeled with single letters (a, m, h, l, d).
Unit 18: U - Umbrella
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice recognizing and forming the uppercase letter U by tracing dashed letters and writing freehand on the activity page, and by tracing a pipe cleaner U. The lesson explicitly has students practice the different sounds the letter U makes and shows a letter Uu card to review. The Student Activity Page includes an image of an umbrella with the printed word "umbrella" beneath it, linking a spoken word and an object to a written word form.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sentence on page 14 and the teacher points out the word "not," asks the child to say what it says, have him read it back, and to look for that same word in the story. Students practice the lowercase letter u by tracing, writing, and practicing the sound of the letter in multiple ways (handwriting sheet, die-cut tracing), linking spoken letter sounds to their written shape. Students copy Kanji characters and are asked to compare making English letters to copying characters, which prompts attention to how marks on a page represent words or ideas.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson begins with a review of letter sounds and sight words and Activity 3 directs children to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing that letter. The activity also has children cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter, and a separate student page asks children to match animals to squares labeled with initial lowercase letters. These tasks require children to identify and produce letters that correspond to spoken picture names (initial sounds).
Unit 19: J - Jump Frog Jump
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students hear the text read aloud and see printed words in the book during the read-aloud. The lesson includes a sight word for the unit ("how") and vocabulary word ("escape"), exposing students to specific printed words. Multiple student activity pages present short printed captions (e.g., "The frog was under the fly.") that students are asked to consult and order to match story events.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students locate the uppercase J on the book cover and are told that the letter J makes the "j" sound that begins the word "jump." Students practice forming and writing the capital J on a handwriting sheet that includes a picture of a jar labeled "jar," tracing dotted J's and writing independently. Students also manipulate a die-cut J (gluing jewels in the J shape and tracing it) while the teacher reviews the J sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The child is shown the sight word card "how" and is asked to read the word when the adult points to it in the book. On a second reading the child is asked to read the words "how" and the phrase "Jump, frog, jump!" when they appear in the text. The child practices the lowercase letter j by tracing, writing, and forming it with objects while practicing the letter sound.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to identify beginning sounds on the "Beginning Sounds: J" page by circling the correct beginning letter for each picture and practicing writing that letter. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter on a follow-up page, reinforcing mapping between an initial spoken sound and a written letter. Another activity page presents five pictures (pig, duck, octopus, goose, jet) with letter boxes (p, d, o, g, j) for students to match pictures to corresponding beginning letters.
Unit 20: K - Kindness
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the cover and the adult is instructed to read the printed title aloud, exposing students to the printed words 'Harry the Happy Mouse'. The lesson lists a vocabulary word ('grand') and a sight word ('so') in print alongside their meanings, giving students examples of specific letter sequences. The activity also asks students to read printed numbers on the counting page, which practices reading symbols in print.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to look at the title "Kindness Mouse" and help find the uppercase letter K, and they are told that K makes the "k" sound in "kindness." Students practice forming the capital K in the air while making the "k" sound and then trace and write dotted and freehand uppercase Ks on a handwriting sheet. Students also add a Kk card to a file box for review and sometimes form the letter with pipe cleaners while tracing, reinforcing letter-shape and sound mapping.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to find and read the sentence that contains the word "so" and to point out and read the word "so" in that sentence. Students are shown a word card for "so" and asked to read it, then asked to locate the same word on other pages and read those sentences. Students also review letter sounds and practice the lowercase k by tracing and writing the letter while practicing its sound.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and practice writing that letter on the "Letter Sounds: K" page, which links spoken picture names to letters. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture letter, and another activity asks students to spell words using provided letters, requiring them to arrange letters to form words. The Good Citizen activity has the child dictate ideas while an adult writes the list, so students see their spoken words rendered in written form.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to write or dictate a brief description of a book in their journal, linking their spoken description to written text. Students are instructed to read their writing aloud or have the teacher read back their dictation to them, enabling comparison between their spoken words and the printed words. Students are encouraged to look at books they have read and make a list or choose a favorite, exposing them to print that corresponds to words they know orally.
Unit 21: V - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are given a sight word for the unit ("now") and a vocabulary word ("solo"), and the activities ask the child to find the matching word "solo." Students are asked to look at the book cover and read the book with an adult, and Activity 1 has the child match instrument pictures with number cards and the printed ensemble labels.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to find the uppercase letter V on the book cover and are told that the letter V makes the "v" sound that begins the word "violin." Students practice forming the capital V in the air and then either trace/write the letter on a handwriting sheet or trace a large tape V on the floor. The activity page includes the printed word "violin" and the Vv card is added to a review file for later practice.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter sounds and sight word cards, which exposes them to written words paired with their spoken forms. During reading of Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin, students are asked to look for the written word now as it is read aloud, requiring them to match a spoken word to its written sequence. In handwriting activities students trace and write the lowercase v and practice the sound /v/, reinforcing the link between a letter shape, its sound, and how that letter appears in words.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter–sound matching by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures and by practicing writing the letter on the "Letter Sounds: V" pages. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter and sort picture cut-outs into boxes labeled with beginning letters (f, c, g, v, p). The lesson also includes review of letter sounds and sight word cards, reinforcing links between spoken words and written letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 2 students are asked to supply missing rhyming words after the adult reads lines with the last word omitted, which engages them in identifying spoken words that fit the printed text. The activity explicitly encourages students to look at the ends of lines and see if they notice words that are spelled similarly which rhyme. In Writing Workshop students write (or dictate) text and then read their writing back, providing practice connecting their spoken language to their own written words.
Unit 22: Y - Little Blue and Little Yellow
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are exposed to printed words when the teacher introduces the sight word "they" and the vocabulary word "row" with its written form and definitions. Students are asked to look at the front cover and specific pages of Little Blue and Little Yellow (for example, the sentence "In school they sit in neat rows"), and the book is read aloud with comprehension questions. Students are prompted to use the word "row" in sentences and to notice word meanings in context.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice forming and writing the letter Y (both tracing and independent writing) using the Uppercase Y handwriting sheet and the yarn activity. Students practice the sound of the letter Y while forming the letter and see a labeled example word ("yo-yo") next to the letter on the activity page. Students add a Yy card to a review file, providing repeated exposure to the letter and its associated sound and word.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The child is shown the sight word card "they," told what it says, and practices reading it in isolation, in sentences from Little Blue and Little Yellow, and as it appears in the story. The student is asked to read the word "they" in the sentences and during story reading, repeatedly connecting the spoken word to its written form. The lowercase-y handwriting activity has the student trace and write the letter y and practice its sound, linking a written letter shape to a spoken sound.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to identify and circle the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: Y" page and to cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter, which requires matching spoken/visual word referents to letters. The "Beginning Letter Sounds" page asks students to match five images (vacuum, pencil, hammer, cat, rainbow) to the corresponding beginning letters v, p, h, c, r. In the Paper Story activity, students choose a scene and write or dictate what is happening, which asks them to produce written language corresponding to their spoken description.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 2 students are asked to look at a page where a character speaks and are told that the quotation marks point out the exact words of a speaker; they are also asked to find other quoted speech and identify the speaker. In Activity 3 students are encouraged to draw and write about something they observed and may use words, phrases, or complete sentences or dictate for writing, which has them produce written forms of their ideas.
Unit 23: W - George Washington's Birthday
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson asks the child to try to write some letters using a quill pen (Activity 1), providing direct practice with forming written letters. A sight word for the unit ("went") is listed, and the text directs attention to specific printed words in the book (for example, pointing out the word "tyrant" on a page). The student activity page and book reading present printed words and headings that the child sees and could read.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students read and choose from cut‑out word boxes (including the title 'Symbols of the United States') and glue the correct printed names under each picture, directly connecting printed words to the pictured objects. Students review sight words and letter sounds and are prompted to find the uppercase letter W on the book cover and connect its shape to the /w/ sound in the spoken word "Washington." Students practice tracing and writing the uppercase W and label an illustrated wagon, reinforcing that spoken words map to specific written letters and letter patterns.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The student is shown a sight word card "went," told what it says, and asked to repeat it. The adult reads sentences while pointing to each word and has the student read the specific word "went." The student practices letter-sound correspondence and letter formation for lowercase w through tracing, finger-tracing, and handwriting activities.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to identify beginning letters for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: W" page by circling the correct initial letter and by cutting and pasting letters under the correct picture. Students are asked to practice writing the letter W or watch the teacher form the letters, reinforcing visual letter forms tied to sounds. On the "Beginning Letter Sounds" page students match pictures (key, globe, horse, hot dog, grapes) to boxes labeled with initial letters (k, w, d, h, g), explicitly connecting spoken object names to initial letter symbols.
Unit 24: Q - The Quilt Story
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and sight words at the start, and are asked to identify the letter that follows Q in the spoken word "Quilt" (u). Students are told that Q is always followed by U and that together they make the "kw" sound, and they practice forming and tracing the letter Q while saying the sound. Students practice writing/tracing Q on a handwriting sheet or in sand while the Q sound is reviewed aloud.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sight word card "under," are told what it says, and are asked to practice reading it. The teacher stops when reading the book and points out the printed word "under," prompting the child to read the spoken word from its specific sequence of letters in the text. Students practice forming and recognizing the lowercase letter q (tracing, writing, and painting) and are told that q is always followed by u, linking specific letter sequences to letter-sound knowledge.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students identify and circle the correct beginning letter for pictures on the 'Letter Sounds: Q' page and practice writing that letter. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter and match pictures to labeled letter squares on the 'Beginning Letter Sounds' page. Students also review letter sounds and sight words, reinforcing letter-sound correspondences.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Reading Workshop asks the child to spend time looking at the words and pictures in The Quilt Story and to point out expressions and explain what he learns from them. The Writing Workshop has the child compose and either write or dictate a few sentences about a personal item or holiday, then read back his writing and consider adding details. These activities require the child to engage with printed words and to produce print that corresponds to spoken ideas.
Unit 25: X - An Extraordinary Egg
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and sight words, which supports linking spoken sounds to letters. The teacher asks the child to find the lowercase x in the printed word "extraordinary" and writes the word "box," pointing to the x while emphasizing the /ks/ sound. Students practice making the /ks/ sound in several printed words (extraordinary, fox, ax, fix) and then form and trace the uppercase X on handwriting sheets.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sight word "look," are pointed to the word in the sentence "Look what I found!" and are asked to read it as the sentence is read aloud, directly linking the spoken word to its written form. Activity 3 has an adult read each word aloud, the student repeats the word, and then finds and circles the letter x in each written word, reinforcing the mapping between spoken words and their letter sequences. Activity 2 displays the word "next" and asks the student to find the letter x, and the lowercase x handwriting and tracing practice give students experience with the letters that make up words.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students complete a "Beginning Sounds" activity where they match five pictures (toy car, umbrella, refrigerator, drum, pirate) to the corresponding beginning letters (j, u, r, b, p). Students on the "Letter Sounds: X" page circle the correct beginning letter for each picture, practice writing that letter (or watch the teacher form it), and cut out letters to paste them under the correct picture. These tasks require students to identify which written letter corresponds to a spoken word's initial sound and to form that letter in print.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to point out the words that Jessica says and to notice the quotation marks around those words. An adult explains that the quotation marks show the exact words spoken by the character, and the adult reads aloud the words Jessica spoke. Students are prompted to independently look through the book for quotation marks that show a character is speaking and then point out those quoted words.
Unit 26: Z - Greedy Zebra
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson asks the child to look at the cover and tells him the title of the book, exposing students to printed words in context. The lesson lists a sight word for the unit ('new') and introduces a vocabulary word ('greedy'), providing specific written words for the child to see. The teacher is instructed to read the book to the child, so students hear spoken language while seeing print.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are shown the letter Z on the book cover and told that it makes the /z/ sound, and they practice forming the capital Z in the air while producing the sound. The lesson provides a Zz card and a handwriting sheet with a reference Z, dotted Zs to trace, blank guided lines for independent writing, and the word "zebra" next to an illustration. Optionally, students create a large taped letter Z to trace while saying the /z/ sound. The teacher prompts students to review the sound of the letter Z as they write or trace it.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The child is shown the sight word card "new," told what it says, and asked to practice reading it in isolation and in the sentence from Greedy Zebra; the child is also encouraged to read the word "new" as it occurs in the story. The handwriting activity has the child trace and write the lowercase letter z (or trace it in a sealed bag) and practice the sound of the letter z while forming it.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter–sound correspondence by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures and practicing writing that letter on the "Letter Sounds: Z" pages. They cut out letters and paste them under the correct heading, and on one activity page they are asked to write corrected words beneath pictures that currently show incorrect letter strings (e.g., KVZ under a zebra). The "Beginning Letter Sounds" page has students match provided letters (z, r, x, h, d) to images (zipper, rainbow, x-ray, heart, dolphin).
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked in the Writing Workshop to draw a scene and write some words, phrases, or sentences about the book, or to dictate ideas for an adult to record. Students are then asked to read their writing (or have it read to them) and identify one thing they like and one improvement, with a suggested focus such as capitalizing a word at the beginning of a sentence.
2: Holidays
Unit 27: Halloween
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter cards and sight word cards, which provides direct exposure to letters and whole written words. During reading, students are encouraged to join in at the ends of lines if they know the word that will follow, prompting them to connect spoken lines with specific printed words. In Activity 2, an adult writes the words "Boo!" and "Happy Halloween!" in pencil and students trace those exact letter sequences, and students also read and reproduce simple printed phrases in the greeting.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 2 students are asked to find rhyming word pairs and to look at what the two rhyming words have in common, with the teacher noting that they "often end the same way," which directs attention to letter sequences. In Activity 3 students either have a rhyming sentence written for them or are given a sentence frame and asked to fill in blanks by copying words from scrap paper, so students reproduce written word sequences that correspond to spoken phrases.
Unit 28: Thanksgiving
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students look at the cover of a book and participate in a read-aloud, giving them exposure to printed text and its connection to speech. Students are asked to summarize the story and discuss locations while the book is being read, so they hear spoken language paired with visible print and illustrations. In the Turkey Research activity, students dictate five facts and an adult records each fact on a separate feather, and those recorded facts are read aloud, providing an instance where a student's spoken words are represented in written form.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson explicitly directs review of letter sounds and sight words, which engages students with individual letters and familiar written words. The lesson has students re-read pages of the book Thanksgiving Is..., providing repeated exposure to print and opportunities to see words in context. The read-aloud segments and stopping at the end of pages for acting provide students with occasions to hear spoken words while print is present.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter cards and sight words learned so far, which gives them exposure to written letter sequences and whole written word forms. Students reread Thanksgiving Is... and discuss pages, providing repeated encounters with printed words in context. Students are asked to write (or draw) things for which they are thankful on die-cut foods, giving them opportunity to produce written representations of spoken ideas.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students review letter cards and sight words, which exposes them to written letter sequences. In the Thanksgiving Note activity, students are asked to write or dictate a note describing why they are thankful and to write their own name if possible, requiring them to produce written words that correspond to spoken ideas. The Lincoln Craft and instruction pages include printed words and step-by-step written directions that students read or follow.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 directs students to draw things they are grateful for and then "write words or sentences, or dictate them" about their pictures, which has students produce written forms of spoken ideas. Activity 2 asks students to spend time with a book "studying the illustrations and seeing how they help the author teach," and then to point out observations about the illustrations and words, giving students exposure to print accompanying speech. Activity 1 has students "read the number on the turkey's breast," showing an instance of reading printed symbols aloud.
Unit 29: Christmas
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 has students read The Christmas Wish and asks the child to notice when quotation marks indicate words spoken by a character, ask what the character's voice sounds like, and say the character's words aloud in that voice; the teacher is instructed to point out quotation marks each time a new character is speaking. Activity 3 asks the child to write or dictate a description or compose a letter to Santa, having the child produce written text that corresponds to their spoken ideas.
Unit 30: February Celebrations
Lesson 3
Day 3
In Activity 1, students are instructed to "see and hear 'I love you'" on the linked website, allowing them to hear the spoken phrase while viewing its written form. In Activity 2, students are asked to write a message on the body of the mouse, requiring them to produce written letter sequences to represent words. In Activity 3, students read each problem out loud from printed hearts, practicing reading spoken language that corresponds to written symbols.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to write or trace a title page that says "[Child's name] Has a Dream!" and to dictate or write 3–5 of their own dreams on cloud-shaped pages. The activities require students to produce written words or sentences (either by writing themselves or tracing letters) to represent their spoken ideas. The instruction to write or trace names and phrases provides direct practice with forming print to match spoken phrases.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The lesson has a dictation activity in which the child dictates her ideas while an adult records them, directly connecting spoken words to written text. The child is asked to write the message "I love you" on the front of a valentine and to write TO: _______________ and LOVE, _______________, filling in the recipient's name and her own name. The image example includes the printed word "You!", giving a visible instance of a spoken phrase represented in print.
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
The lesson's skill list explicitly states students should "show an understanding that the letters in a written word represent the sequence of sounds in a spoken word." In Activity 2 (Option 1) students use a page with missing first letters and are instructed to follow the sounds of each word with a finger as an adult pronounces them and then add the missing letters. Activity 4 has students trace and write words (bed, bath) and Activity 2 (Option 2) has students copy room labels after an adult writes them, and the skills include "attempt to read dictated text."
Lesson 2
What Is a Map?
Students are asked to sound out words as they write labels on map items (Activity 2, Option 1 and Option 2) and to spell words "the way it sounds." The scrambled-word worksheet and label-fill activities require students to place letters in the correct order to form words (Map of a House activity). Handwriting pages have students trace and write letters and practice whole words (map, mom, home, house), linking spoken words to their written forms.
Lesson 3
Guide to Animal Habitats
Students are asked to point to the title and to the author's name on the book cover and to identify letters they recognize in each ("Can you point to the title of the book? What letters do you recognize in the title?" and similar for the author). The skills list explicitly includes identifying the title, author's name, and illustrator's name, and the teacher reads the title or author aloud or lets the child attempt to read it, prompting a link between spoken words and their written forms. During read-alouds, students are asked to follow the book and may use it to complete ordering activities, which requires locating written elements in sequence on the page.
Lesson 4
Animals Live and Grow
Students are asked to write the names of living things they recognize on the Option 2 activity pages and may shorten labels (e.g., "water moccasin" → "snake"). Option 1 asks an adult to label drawings for the child, and activity pages include dotted lines and blank boxes for students to write or fill in words (e.g., 'Plants', 'Animals', 'Consumer', 'Energy Source'). Students cut out and paste or write the consumer and energy source names on the 'Food for Survival and Energy' pages, associating spoken/recognized organisms with written labels.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
The lesson lists the skill "Identify beginning letters and sounds in words" and asks students in Option 1 to add the first and last letter for each habitat and to attempt to read/sound out the word. Option 1 includes scrambled letter strings (e.g., ORES, CEA) that students must convert into correct habitat names, and Option 2 asks students to read habitat names from a word box and label pictures. Activity 4 has handwriting practice for the letter J and the words "jungle" and "Jeep," requiring students to trace and write specific letter sequences.
Lesson 6
Exploring Animal Habitats
Students dictate a story and are asked to "sound out the words in the story or to read it back to you," which has students match spoken language to written text. Students trace and copy letters Z/z and the words "zebra" and "zoo" on the handwriting page, practicing specific sequences of letters that form printed words. The fill-in and writing prompts in the story page (e.g., "I am a ______. I live in the ______.") require students to write words that correspond to spoken labels for animals and habitats.
Lesson 7
Tools in My Environment
Students practice handwriting the letter I and the words "it" and "inch" on the handwriting sheet. Students are asked to write or copy the names of tools, attempt to record at least the beginning letter, and to sound out words as an adult writes them. Students read the names of the tools while using a finger to point at the letters as the sounds are articulated.
Lesson 9
Animal Designs
The lesson's skills list includes "Begin to write words" and "Write beginning consonants of words," showing students will practice writing. In Option 2 students are encouraged to "write the name of each habitat," and in Activity 2 and Activity 4 students are asked to record reasons and to record a story on a separate sheet of paper. Several activities require students to produce written words corresponding to animals or habitats (e.g., filling blanks labeled "swims in the __", "flies in the __").
Lesson 11
Amazing Me
The Skills list includes "Recognize some words by sight" and "Read or attempt to read own story," indicating students are asked to interact with printed words. In Activity 2 (Option 1) adults are instructed to "review the words beneath each face, encouraging your child to read the words aloud," which has students match printed emotion words to spoken words. Activity 2 (Option 2) and Activity 3 ask students to "record the emotion" and to "record her ideas on paper" and then read those ideas aloud, so students practice producing written words and reading them back.
Final Project
Animal Research / My Environment
Option 2 asks students to write the animal's name on Page 1 and to complete headings and fill-in lines (e.g., "The _____", "What _____ Eats and Drinks", "_____ 's Habitat", "Interesting Facts About _____"). The materials instruct to "help your child label his pictures," which requires students to produce written labels for their drawings. The activity pages display printed words and headings (e.g., "Me", "WHAT I EAT AND DRINK") that students can view and copy or reference while completing their pages.
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 1
Reading the Skies
Students are asked to follow words with a finger while an adult reads the story aloud (Activity 1), which connects spoken language to printed text. In Activity 2 Option 1, students draw lines from printed weather words to pictures and dictate sentences using each vocabulary word, linking spoken words to their printed forms. In Activity 2 Option 2 (advanced), students select printed words from a word box and write the correct word beneath each picture (and the advanced option asks students to label pictures without the word box), giving practice producing the specific sequences of letters that represent spoken words.
Lesson 2
Types of Precipitation
Students are asked to read the printed word for each type of precipitation at the top of the activity page and then match or label pictures (Option 1 and Option 2), which requires recognizing printed letter sequences as words. The Option 2 page asks students to write the names of precipitation types in blank boxes, and Activity 6 has students trace and write the letter R and the words "rain" and "round," linking spoken words to specific written letter sequences. Multiple activities have students read, label, and write the same target words across pictures and pages, giving repeated practice with the written forms of spoken words.
Lesson 3
Measuring and Charting Weather
The Rain Acrostic activity asks students to write the word "RAIN" vertically and to think of a word or phrase that starts with each letter, with the option for the child to record her ideas herself. The Measuring Temperature activity asks students to record measured temperatures on a provided "Measuring Temperature" sheet, which requires the student to make written entries in labeled spaces.
Lesson 4
Simulating Weather
The Skills section explicitly lists 'Recognize that written words are separated by spaces' and 'Know the difference between individual letters and printed words.' In Activity 3 students are asked to read the words of the Weather Song aloud, find the word 'clouds' (with an initial-letter hint), find the word 'rain', count how many letters are in 'clouds', and follow along by pointing to each word as they sing. The lesson also prompts students to identify capital letters at the beginnings of lines, reinforcing print conventions.
Lesson 5
Fall
Students are asked to name three items in the picture, write the names, and circle the beginning letter of each word, linking spoken item names to written letters. Students dictate or hear sentences about fall that are written down and then copy those sentences, which has them match spoken language to written sequences. Students practice handwriting the letter F and write the words "fall" and "fun," tracing and composing those words as specific sequences of letters.
Lesson 6
Winter
Students dictate a winter story and either try to record their own words or have their words written, then attempt to read the printed story aloud. Students practice handwriting and copying the letter W and the words "wind" and "winter" by tracing and writing the printed letter and words. Students use the vocabulary bank (COLD, SNOW, FREEZE) in speech and writing and are asked to circle beginning letters and sound out words in the Snowflake Math activity.
Lesson 7
Spring
Students are asked to write their name in the blank in the first poem, which has them produce a written sequence of letters that represents their spoken name. Students are asked to attempt to read each poem and to identify and underline rhyming words, connecting spoken language to the printed text. The language arts extension invites students to dictate a spring poem while an adult records it, directly showing that spoken words can be represented in written form.
Lesson 8
Summer
Students fill in blanks in "A Summer Story" using picture-word prompts and either paste the whole words or write the beginning letter, and Option 2 explicitly lets students copy the full word into the blanks. The "Changes in Weather" activity asks students to write each season's name (or its beginning letter) beneath the appropriate temperature and to write season names into sentence blanks. Students are encouraged to read the completed story aloud, linking the spoken words to the written words they placed or copied.
Final Project
Weather Games
Students match written season and weather words with pictures in the "Weather Memory" activity, directly pairing printed words (e.g., "winter," "rain," "spring") with corresponding images. Students write or glue the names of the seasons above pictures in Activity 1, producing the written words that label spoken season names. Students are invited to read Whatever the Weather aloud and to record and read their own weather forecasts, linking spoken language to printed text.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
Students read the story and answer questions that require identifying place words, linking spoken references to written place names. In Activity 2 (Options 1 and 2) students select, copy, or record community vocabulary words to complete sentences, matching spoken sentence meaning to specific written words. In Activity 4 students trace and write the letter P and the words "park" and "people," practicing the particular sequences of letters that form those words. In Activity 3 students draw a place and write or dictate a sentence, converting spoken ideas into written word sequences.
Lesson 2
My Community Environment
Students are asked to label places on a poster and to write or dictate a brief description of each place, which requires them to produce written words for spoken place names. The lesson explicitly tells students to copy the title of each book when selecting three books with different communities. The activities also have students identify and name important places on a map, tracing paths and discussing the names of buildings (e.g., courthouse, library, grocery store).
Lesson 3
Jobs in the Community
Students are asked to read or help read the names of community helpers and to circle the first and last letters of each label while naming and sounding out each letter (Activity 1). Students are asked to write the names of community workers and then read through their list, putting tally marks when they see workers (Activity 2 Option 2). Students are asked to say sentences aloud about how workers help and attempt to write the words they can sound out (Activity 5). The Skills list also explicitly includes "Voice-print match," "Recognize and name upper- and lower-case letters," and "Recognize some words by sight," which point to activities mapping spoken language to written letters and words.
Lesson 4
Goods and Services in the Community
Students are asked to read the names of buildings, goods, and services on the activity sheet and to sound out words with help. For each word, students circle the beginning letter, and they cut out labeled cards and match the printed word labels to corresponding pictures/buildings. Activity pages include labeled pictures (e.g., Library, Grocery Store, Books) that require students to connect printed words to images and meanings.
Lesson 6
A Good Community Citizen
Students are asked to label pictures in Option 2 and to "label each picture as your child explains what is happening," which requires producing written words corresponding to spoken descriptions. In Activity 3 students draw or paste a picture of each family member and "write the name of the person beneath the picture," with the option to attempt to record observations independently. The Skills list includes "Listen responsibly to text read aloud," which supports exposure to spoken language that could be linked to writing.
Lesson 7
A Citizen with Character
Students practice reading printed statements in Activity 1 where they attempt to read scenarios and mark them R or D, directly connecting spoken language to printed words. Activity 7 has students practice handwriting the letter Kk and the words "kid" and "kind," requiring them to form specific sequences of letters for spoken words. In Activity 5 (Option 1) students write, dictate, or copy a sentence to accompany a drawing when retelling "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," practicing mapping spoken/dictated language into written letter sequences.
Lesson 8
Rules and Laws
The lesson lists the skill "Follow print word by word (LA)" and asks the child to read each sentence by herself or with assistance (Activity 1). Students also read or hear short written statements in Activity 2 and sort/cut-and-paste those written items into "Rule" or "Law." The activities ask the child to review posted written rules over days, reinforcing attention to the written words.
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
Students listen to the read-aloud story "When One Person Cares" while studying accompanying activity sheets, exposing them to printed text paired with spoken language. Activity 7 has students practice the letter C (uppercase and lowercase) and trace or write the words "citizen" and "care," including dotted letter examples and words to trace. Several student pages include printed words and sentences for copying, giving students practice forming specific letter sequences that make up words.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 1
Describe It
Students are asked to circle the first letter in each word and sound out the word (Activity 3, Option 1). Students copy or cut-and-paste words beneath pictures and are asked to write words from a word box beneath corresponding images (Activity 3, Options 1 and 2). Students are also prompted to write or copy a sentence describing an object (Activity 4), and to write beginning letters or words when comparing objects (Activity 2 extension).
Lesson 2
Animal Attributes
Students practice letter formation on the 'Aa' handwriting page and trace/copy the words 'animal' and 'ant'. Several activity pages include pictures labeled with printed words (e.g., Lizard, Box, Tree, Dog, Flower), and Option 2 of activities asks students to write the names of living and nonliving objects and to write animal names or body-part names into categories. Students also cut, sort, and list items by name, which requires producing written letter sequences that label spoken concepts.
Lesson 4
How Does It Feel?
The Skills list includes "Recognize and name letters," and Activity 1 (Option 1) directs students to help read each texture word, circle the beginning letter of each word, and either cut/paste the printed word beneath the picture or copy the texture words beneath each object. Activity 2 (Option 2) has students record two words from the provided word box for each picture, and Activity 3 asks students to write or copy a sentence: "______ feels _______." These tasks require students to read, copy, and write specific written words that label objects.
Lesson 5
How Old?
Students are asked to record names and at least the beginning letter of each name, practicing capital letters. Students are asked to attempt to read questions and are shown punctuation (question marks) at the ends of sentences. Students complete handwriting practice for the letter Oo and copy/write words such as "old" and "order."
Lesson 6
The Measure of Things
Students practice handwriting of the letter Ll and copy the words "length" and "long," which requires producing letter sequences for words. The Activity 1 page asks students to complete fill-in-the-blank sentences (e.g., "The ________ is longer than the ________.") and allows them to "draw pictures of the items or write out the word," prompting students to write words for spoken item names. Several student pages include spaces for recording words or tool names, which could require students to write words that represent spoken terms.
Lesson 7
More Attributes
Students practice handwriting of the letter V and the word Venn (Activity 5 and the Student Activity Page), tracing dotted uppercase and lowercase V and tracing/writing the word "Venn" multiple times. The student page includes examples of the printed word "Venn" and space for independent writing, so students produce the specific sequence of letters for that spoken word. Visuals of Venn diagrams are shown near the handwriting practice, linking the written word to the concept students are discussing.
Lesson 11
Using Earth Materials
The Water Log activity asks the child to "record" uses of water or to "dictate" them while an adult records, which involves creating written records of spoken events. The scavenger hunt/Uses of Rocks activity asks the child to "keep a list" of findings or take photos, implying that spoken or observed items could be listed in writing. The introduction asks the child to describe the three Earth materials she explored, an activity that could be linked to later written representation.
Final Project
Presenting Attributes
The lesson requires students to use new vocabulary in conversation and writing and to "use words that describe in speech and writing (LA)." In the Poster option students are asked to label images with words (for example labeling a picture of a rock "rough" and cotton balls "soft") and to include words and sentences on their poster. The instructions also ask adults to record the child's dictated ideas and to help with the writing that the child will include on the poster.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students are asked to find and read the book title and identify the author's initial, and to attempt to read My Five Senses by locating words in the text. Students copy each word from the "Senses Word List" three times on handwriting paper and are asked to write or copy a sentence such as "I smell with my nose." Students match pictured items or printed words to the appropriate sense in the Senses Web activities, reinforcing word–picture–print correspondences.
Lesson 2
Senses and Body Parts
Students practice letter formation and specific word forms in Activity 4 by tracing the letter S and the words "sense" and "see" on dotted lines and are asked to use each word in a sentence. The lesson also includes skills to identify the title and author and to listen to text read aloud, and students trace and write Ss and the highlighted words on the Student Activity Page.
Lesson 4
Hearing and Seeing
Students cut out and glue printed labels for parts of the eye and ear (Activities 2 and 6), which has them handle and place specific letter sequences next to corresponding diagrams. Students have their spoken descriptions recorded and are asked to read those descriptions aloud or attempt to read them to others (Activity 5), linking their spoken ideas to written text. Students practice writing the letter E and the words "eyes" and "ears" in sentences (Activity 8), producing written letter sequences that represent words they say or hear.
Lesson 5
Touch
Students trace and write the letter T and practice writing the words touch and taste in sentences on the handwriting page, producing written letter sequences for spoken words. On the Touch It pages students write opposites and choose or generate adjectives to record beneath pictured items, linking spoken descriptors to written words. On the Touch Chart students draw and label two of their own objects and check adjectives that apply, which requires putting object names and descriptive words into written form.
Lesson 6
Experimenting With Our Senses
Students attempt to read the printed names of spices on jars and copy the full names onto index cards in Activity 2, and are instructed to write at least the first letter when they cannot write the whole word. In Activity 3 an adult records the child's spoken story and the child is encouraged to read that recorded text aloud, linking speech to the written record. In Activity 4 students write or dictate and then copy a sentence about something they smelled or tasted, practicing mapping spoken language into written letter sequences. The lesson's skills list also explicitly includes "Recognize and write letters."
Lesson 8
Writing About Our Senses
The lesson's skills list includes "Write letters of the alphabet" and "Attempt to read written text," and Activity 4 has students write or dictate and copy a sentence describing the popcorn. In Activity 2 students are asked to attempt to write words in fill-in-the-blank sentences about popcorn and are allowed to record the first letter of a word before the adult finishes it. The introduction and wrap-up ask students to state and record sensing words and to attempt to read the report they produced.
Final Project
A Sensible Party
Students plan and write on the provided "Party Planner" sheets, recording ideas and supplies in labeled columns for each sense. Students make invitations that include place, date, and time, and they check off gathered supplies on a list, producing written words for spoken information. Students write details for games and guest lists, practicing writing words that correspond to their planning and verbal decisions.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Students are asked to attempt to read each question aloud and to sound out words for their answers, with explicit instruction to "write the letters he hears in yellow." The Skills list includes "Represent spoken language with phonetic spelling," and Activity 1 directs students to write words as they hear them. Activity 4 has students trace and write the letter Uu and the whole word "unique," providing practice linking spoken word to a written letter sequence.
Lesson 2
Physical Characteristics
Students are asked to write a sentence on handwriting paper in Activity 4: "I have _________," which requires producing written letters to represent words. In Activity 3 students dictate sentences for beginning, middle, and end and may record or have an adult record those sentences on the provided lines. The activities also include reading a short story aloud and asking students to retell it, which connects spoken language to a written text they hear and discuss.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Students are asked to attempt to sound out a list of personality words and, if they cannot read a word, to circle the first and last letters and tell the sounds those letters make, linking spoken sounds to letters. Students trace and practice the whole word "quiet" and the letter "q" in a handwriting activity, repeatedly seeing the printed sequence that corresponds to the spoken word. Students also write, cut out, paste, and circle personality words in webs and character activities, matching spoken descriptions of people to specific printed words.
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
In Activity 1 students are asked to dictate and then copy or write a few sentences describing a hobby, requiring them to put spoken words into written form. Activity 4 has students practice forming the letter Yy and write the words "you" and "yes," including using each word in a sentence, which links specific letter sequences to spoken words. Activity 3 asks students to read survey questions aloud and have responses recorded or write answers, reinforcing the connection between speech and print.
Lesson 5
Shapesville
Students are asked to point to the title of the story and to sound out the letters in the word (Activity 1). The skills list includes "Read or attempt to read own story or simple text," and students are asked to attempt to read their description aloud after dictating or recording it (Activity 2). Students also write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper describing an interest or trait (Activity 4), which gives practice producing written letter sequences for words.
Lesson 6
Different Families
The lesson includes handwriting practice where students trace the letters D/d and trace the printed word "different," and Activity 3 directs students to practice the letter Dd and the word different or use the word in a sentence. The Skills list explicitly names "Dictate ideas and responses" and "Attempt to write words and sentences using inventive spelling," which requires students to produce written letter sequences for spoken language. The lesson also asks children to complete sentences and connect information in text to personal experience, providing opportunities to pair spoken responses with written forms.
Lesson 7
Different Homes
Students are asked to read rows of printed words (big, bigger, biggest; small, smaller, smallest; etc.) and color or label pictures according to those words, requiring them to match spoken/visual concepts to specific written words. In Option 2 and the handwriting activity, students write the correct comparison word beneath each picture and write a sentence about their home, producing specific sequences of letters to represent words. Activity 2 also asks students to record country names above homes, which requires them to write conventional letter sequences for spoken place names.
Lesson 8
Different Holidays and Traditions
The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Represent spoken language with temporary spelling" and "Use new vocabulary in conversation and writing," which directs students to put spoken ideas into written form. In Activity 3 students are asked to write three sentences about a holiday or dictate sentences for an adult to record and then copy, giving practice in producing written words from speech. In Activity 5 students must write the name of each holiday and a sentence (or dictate and copy), providing additional opportunities to map spoken holiday names and sentences to letter sequences.
Lesson 9
Different Modes of Transportation
Students fill in missing letters for pictured words (e.g., __ar, __lane, __train, __icycle) and are asked in Option 1 to supply first letters for each label. In Option 2 and other activities students must write entire labels for modes of transportation and draw/write the best mode for scenarios, directly producing written letter sequences for spoken/visual words. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence about a mode of transportation, and Activity 3 has students tell a story and attempt to read it aloud, linking spoken language with written text.
Lesson 10
Wants and Needs
Students see pictures paired with printed words (e.g., car, computer, home, water, pool, meal) and are asked to label or categorize them, providing direct exposure to words as written labels for objects. Students practice handwriting the letter Nn and trace/write the word "need," connecting the spoken word/concept to a specific sequence of letters. Students also participate in read-aloud discussions of pages about wants and needs, hearing words while seeing associated written labels and vocabulary.
Lesson 11
Being Part of a Group
Students practice handwriting letters Gg and Xx and trace/copy the words "get," "group," and "extra," providing direct experience with specific letter sequences. Students are asked to complete a paragraph (by filling in blanks or dictating) and then encouraged to read the paragraph, and the skills list includes "Read or attempt to read own story or simple text (LA)." These activities require students to produce and read written words that correspond to spoken ideas.
Final Project
Differences Make the World Go 'Round
Students are asked to "write the sentences herself" and to complete sentence stems such as "I live in ___" and "I like to eat ___," which require putting spoken words into written form. Activity pages include blanks for names, locations, foods, hobbies, homes, clothing, transportation, and holidays, prompting students to produce written words for spoken concepts. Students are instructed to create a book with written sentences and to give the child from abroad a name, which involves writing specific word sequences (names and labels).
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 1
What Is a Pattern?
Students are asked to look at the cover of Busy Bugs and identify and read the title and author's name, and they are encouraged to follow along as the story is read aloud and then attempt to read it themselves. Students copy or write three sentences on handwriting paper to describe a pattern, which has them produce written words that correspond to spoken phrases. Several activities require students to read or trace print (e.g., labeling patterns with A and B, and tracing/colouring items marked A versus B).
Lesson 4
Extending a Pattern
Students read the words for each pattern in Option 2 and use those words to gather objects and create the given patterns, tying printed words to referents. Students can write the names of the objects they used for patterns on a separate sheet (Option 2 extension). Activity 4 asks students to copy or write a sentence about a pattern, giving them practice producing written words that correspond to spoken/descriptive language.
Lesson 5
Making Color Patterns
Activity 1 asks students to use the color word (or the first letter of the color word) to show a pattern with words or letters and gives the explicit example Y, R, Y, R. Activity 1 also prompts students to describe the patterns they create, linking spoken color labels to their written representations. Activity 3 requires students to write or copy a sentence describing something they created, providing additional practice producing written sequences of letters that correspond to spoken language.
Lesson 6
Shapes and Patterns
Students are asked in Activity 2 (Option 1) to circle the beginning letter of each word in the pattern and to sound out each word before creating the pattern with attribute blocks. In Option 2 students are asked to read the words that describe the pattern and then create the pattern with the shapes. Activity 3 and the "Words to Practice" section require students to write or copy a sentence about a pattern and to practice writing the words shape, color, and size.
Lesson 8
Creating and Writing About Patterns
Students are asked to write the first letter of each object in multiple pattern sections (AABB, ABAB, ABC) and to attempt to copy the words from a provided word list (eye, nose, mouth, apple, etc.). Students are instructed to write the words "first," "then," and "next" multiple times and to write or copy two or three sentences describing a pattern. Activities also offer that if a child cannot write full words, letters may be assigned to items, and students may be asked to complete words at the beginning of lines.
Final Project
Patterns Poster or Patterns Presentation
Students are asked to record the words they will use on a "Script for Presentation" page and to write descriptions of patterns (e.g., lines provided for writing out the details of a color pattern). The activity includes fill-in-the-blank lines such as "The third pattern I will show is a _________," which requires students to write the names of patterns they will say aloud. The instructions tell students to prepare and practice what they will say, linking spoken presentation content with written script.
Unit 2: Patterns in Sounds, Words, and Actions
Lesson 1
Word Patterns
Students hear and say example words (take, bake, rake) and are asked to identify the shared -ake ending, linking spoken rhyme to a written letter pattern. Students are asked to label pictures, write or copy words and sentences (e.g., labeling items, copying animal names, writing a sentence with two rhyming words), showing mapping from spoken words to specific written sequences. Several activities require circling the repeating part of printed words (e.g., -at in hat/bat/cat, -og in dog/frog), directly focusing attention on sequences of letters that represent the spoken parts.
Lesson 2
Making Word Patterns
The Skills list explicitly states that students will "understand that letter combinations make words" and "recognize that the sequence of letters represents the sequence of sounds in a word." In Activity 2 students read word lists, cut words apart, sort them into word-family groups, and label cards like "-un words," directly linking spelled sequences to spoken word groups. Option 2 has students use alphabet letters to try different beginning letters to complete patterns, requiring them to change letter sequences to make different spoken words. Activity 3 has students identify spelling patterns in books and note rhyming words that do or do not share spellings, reinforcing the relationship between sounds and specific letter sequences.
Lesson 3
Poetry Patterns
Students read poems and are prompted to listen for word patterns and identify words they hear, connecting the spoken rhyme to printed words. Students circle rhyming words in the poems and are asked to write rhyming words on a separate sheet or fill in missing words in the song, matching spoken words to specific letter sequences. Students record rhyming words and circle parts of words that follow the same letter patterns, with assistance provided for spelling and handwriting practice.
Lesson 5
Story Patterns
Students are asked to follow along during read-alouds and to identify events in a written story, which exposes them to printed text tied to spoken language. Students dictate a story to an adult and then are encouraged to attempt to read the story they produced, providing an experience of spoken language being put into writing. Students copy or write a sentence from their created story on handwriting paper, giving practice with writing letter sequences that form words.
Lesson 6
Sound Patterns
The Student Activity Page displays the words "Slap, Clap, Tap" next to illustrations and gives students space to write a pattern, with explicit instruction that the child may "copy the words at the top of the page, or use the first letters of each rhythm word." Activity 4 (Handwriting) directs the child to write about a sound pattern using a starter sentence ("I heard a pattern that went..."). The activities ask the child to record the number of times each sound was made and to "record the second pattern" on the page.
Lesson 7
Making Sound and Action Patterns
Students cut out sound words that are printed alongside pictures (smack, stomp, slap, clap, tap) and arrange those printed words to form repeating patterns (Option 1 and Option 2). Students are asked to perform or listen to the sound patterns that correspond to the printed words, linking the spoken/ performed sounds to the written labels. Students are also asked to write or copy a sentence describing a pattern, which has them produce a written sequence that corresponds to a spoken description.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 2
Patterns of Growth
Students are asked in Activity 2 to identify the initial letter of each plant part, to sound out the word, and to record the first letter on the diagram. Students copy modeled words and write each of the target words (plant, grow, part) five times in Activity 6 and write sentences describing plant growth on the Student Activity Page. The Student Activity Pages include a word box with highlighted first letters and lines for writing, and students draw and write to record observations over time.
Lesson 3
Night and Day
Students are instructed to write letters of the alphabet, record dominant consonant letters, and write from left to right (Skills). Students label three pictures (the Sun, the Moon, the Earth) with text boxes designated for labeling, directly practicing writing the printed words for those spoken labels. Students draw and then record or dictate a few sentences about activities During the Day and At Night, producing written text that corresponds to spoken descriptions.
Lesson 4
Daily Routines
Students see pictured activities that are labeled with words (e.g., "get dressed," "eat breakfast") and are asked to cut, order, and match those labeled pictures in Activity 1. In Activity 2 students dictate sentences for four steps and can write on the provided lines, and Activity 3 asks students to record activities in words or simple symbols with times. Activity 4 explicitly asks students to write or dictate and copy a sentence describing a routine on handwriting paper.
Lesson 5
Calendar Patterns
Students practice writing the names of days and months (Activity 5) by cutting, ordering, and gluing day and month word cards and are asked to review them until they can say them in order. Students practice writing target words repeatedly (Activity 6: day, month, year) and write dates with the day of week, month, and year each day (Activity 3). Students fill in the first letter of days of the week and dictate or record scheduled daily activities (Activity 1) and write number words in Activity 2, linking spoken number words to their written forms and tally representations.
Lesson 6
Seasonal Weather Patterns
Students are asked to write today's date and to practice handwriting by copying the months of the year, giving them opportunities to produce written letter sequences for spoken month names. Students fill in missing season names on the "Seasons and Months" activity page and record weather words beneath seasons on the "Weather Patterns" page, linking spoken labels to written words. Students also select and circle the weather on a laminated calendar and match words from a word box (cold, warm, cool, hot, Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) to pictures and months.
Lesson 7
Patterns at Home
The lesson includes a read-aloud of a Pattern book, which exposes students to spoken language paired with printed text. Activity 5 asks students to dictate and then copy a sentence on handwriting paper, giving students practice producing written words that correspond to spoken words. Several activities (copying shirt/plate patterns and coloring a quilt with shape names) require students to write or name shapes and patterns, providing additional opportunities to connect speech and print.
Final Project
Patterns All Around Lapbook
The lesson lists the skill "Understand that spoken words represent written language (LA)" and asks students to write labels and titles (e.g., write "Symmetrical Pattern" on the one-page book cover). Students are instructed to write "Pattern in Nature" on the matchbook, to write the days of the week on the fan book, and to label stages (baby/child/adult or seed/plant/flower) on the 3-flap book. The skills also include "Write capital and lowercase letters," which students practice when producing these written words.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 1
What Causes Change?
Students are asked to write and complete sentences on the "Write About a Change" page and then attempt to read the paragraph aloud. The skills list includes "Read or attempt to read own dictated story" and "Use naming words and action words," which require students to produce and read written words. Activity 2 invites students to write "F"/"S" or the words "fast" or "slow," requiring mapping of spoken labels to written forms.
Lesson 3
Changing Position
Students are asked to locate the words "gravity" and "inertia" in the book's index, record the page numbers, and write the sentence from the book that contains each word, giving practice matching a printed word form to its occurrence in text. The skills list explicitly includes "Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print," signaling attention to print features. Students are also asked to write the names of toys on labeled pages (Push, Pull, Push and Pull), which practices producing written letter sequences for spoken item names.
Lesson 4
Changes in the Environment
Students are asked to write two sentences about a time when weather caused them to change activities, which requires producing written words to represent ideas. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence about their favorite season on handwriting paper. Students are also prompted to read (or listen to) Part 2: Seasons Change and answer questions about the text, involving interaction with printed words.
Lesson 5
Changes in Location
Students are presented with a word box of prepositions and are asked to fill blanks on the 'Where Did He Go?' page, with encouragement to attempt writing those words or to cut and glue them from the box. Option 2 and several activities ask students to write entire prepositional phrases or simple sentences describing locations (Activity 2 Option 2, Activity 3). The teacher reads location sentences aloud while students move a cut-out mouse to the described position, and written directions are used for students to read and follow in the Wrapping Up section.
Lesson 6
Changes in the Sky
In Activity 1 students are asked to list adjectives and phrases to describe the Sun and Moon and may either write their ideas or dictate while an adult writes them. The Student Activity Pages include printed labels such as "SUN" and "MOON," providing visible written words that correspond to the concepts students discuss. Students also produce or view printed words when completing pages and model labels.
Lesson 7
Living Things Change
Students are asked to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper that describes how something changes in size (Activity 4), which has them produce sequences of letters to form words. In Activity 2 students are asked to circle the words that describe changes in each set of pictures, requiring them to locate and mark printed words on the page. The Student Activity Pages include printed instructions (e.g., "Color the rabbit brown in the summer") that students must follow, exposing them to written words linked to actions.
Lesson 8
Plants and Change
Students are asked to glue preprinted labels ("root," "stem," "leaf," "flower") onto a plant diagram (Option 1), which requires them to match written words with parts of the plant. In Option 2 and in the Wrapping Up task, students draw a plant and use a provided word box to label parts and then list the parts on handwriting paper, which has students produce written words for oral labels. The lesson also directs students to find a section titled "What Do Plants Need?" in the table of contents, requiring them to locate and read a specific sequence of printed words.
Lesson 9
Heat Causes Change
Students label pictures on the 'Ice, Water, Steam' activity page using a provided word box that contains the words "ice," "water," and "steam." Students draw and label the states (ice, water, steam) and are prompted to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper about observations from the experiments. In the candle activity students record measurements and write observations in the provided data pages.
Lesson 11
People Change the Environment
In Activity 1 an adult writes the titles "Positive Change" and "Negative Change" and records the child's ideas as she dictates them, so students hear words and see them written. The Student Activity Page labels the recycling bin with the printed word "RECYCLE," providing a visible sequence of letters tied to a common spoken word. Activities ask the child to describe illustrations (e.g., items to recycle), which involves producing spoken words while related printed labels or teacher-written phrases are present.
Final Project
Mobile of Change
Students are asked to write the word "CHANGES" in all capital letters on the hanger and to glue labeled before/after boxes to the mobile, providing instances where students produce written words. The skills list explicitly states that students will "Use new vocabulary in speech and writing" and "Write most letters and some words," indicating practice writing spoken vocabulary as print.
Unit 2: Characters Change
Lesson 1
What's in a Name
Students cut and trace one petal for each letter of their name, write one letter on each petal, and arrange the petals in order so they spell their name in the Name Craft activity. In the Capitalizing Names activity students rewrite sentences (e.g., "chrysanthemum loved her name.") and complete "My name is" lines, producing the written form of their spoken names. These tasks require students to produce specific sequences of letters that correspond to spoken names.
Lesson 2
Why Worry?
Students listen to the read-aloud of Wemberly Worried and are asked to combine spoken sentences orally using conjunctions (e.g., I had bacon for breakfast. I had eggs for breakfast. -> I had bacon and eggs for breakfast). Students write on the 'USING "AND"' activity page and on the 'Characters Change' page, providing written sentences and circling conjunctions in printed text. Students are asked at the end to use the conjunctions 'and' and 'but' in a sentence, linking spoken production with written response spaces.
Lesson 4
Comparing Characters
Students are asked to dictate two story summaries while an adult records them, so they hear their spoken sentences turned into written text. Students fill in Venn diagrams and activity pages by writing differences, similarities, short summaries, and answers to questions. Students complete a Cause and Effect matching activity that requires reading and matching written cause/effect phrases.
Lesson 5
The Raft
Students copy two sentences containing the word "I" and underline the word each time it occurs (Activity 1), which requires them to locate and reproduce a written word that corresponds to a spoken pronoun. In the vocabulary activity students read sentences and match them to definitions, requiring them to read written words in context. A classroom illustration shows a chalkboard with several single words ("my," "three," "cat," "to," "cut"), which prompts visual attention to printed words.
Lesson 6
Positive and Negative Change
Students are asked to cut apart and attempt to read written cause-and-effect statements on the Matching Cause and Effect activity sheets and then match and glue the statements in sequence (cause → effect). Students are also asked to write or dictate a sentence or two describing a change they experienced, which produces a written record corresponding to their spoken description.
Final Project
My Own Story
Students dictate their stories while an adult records them, and the adult then types the dictated text into the online storybook so students can hear and see their words in print. Student Activity Pages provide spaces where students write character traits, answers to questions, and problem/solution responses, requiring students to produce written words. The project includes reading the dictated story aloud and arranging typed text on book pages, giving students opportunities to view spoken language turned into written text.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 1
People and Families Change
Students are asked to write a sentence about how they have changed (Activity 3) or to dictate ideas while an adult records them before filling in the "Writing About Change" page (Activity 5). Students are prompted to label family members with names and ages and to read their ideas aloud (Activity 6). The Student Activity Page requires students to fill in sentence prompts and write or draw past and present descriptions, and the Skills list includes "Read or attempt to read a dictated story" and "Use words that name and words that tell action."
Lesson 3
Communities Change
Students are encouraged to read the book cover, including the title and author's name, which asks them to connect printed words to meaning. In Option 2 students read labels for events and match them with pictures, requiring them to recognize printed words and link them to the pictured concept. Activity 7 asks students to write a sentence about the story or copy a dictated sentence, giving practice with producing written sequences of letters that correspond to spoken language.
Lesson 4
Past and Present
Students are asked in Activity 8 to write a sentence (or dictate a sentence and then copy it) describing how life in the past was different, which requires producing written letter sequences for spoken language. Students cut out labeled images (e.g., "Ancient Rome," "Ancient Egypt") and place them on a timeline, exposing them to printed words paired with pictures. The lesson asks students to dictate stories while an adult records them and then to copy writing, creating opportunities to see a spoken sentence rendered as a sequence of written letters.
Lesson 5
Exploring the Past
Students are asked to "draw and write or dictate descriptions" of cultural elements and to "write one sentence" about each element when creating a Cultural Presentation book. Multiple activity pages provide lined areas and large blank boxes for students to record writing (Homes and Houses, Clothes and Fashion, Food and Eating, Travel and Transport). The timeline and dictation option involve students producing or supplying content that will be recorded in written form.
Lesson 6
Predicting Future Change
Students dictate a description of a personal change and then attempt to read the description they dictated (Activity 3). Students are asked to record their ideas in Activity 1 and to write a sentence describing positive and negative changes (Activity 2). Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence about a change, giving practice producing specific written letter sequences to represent spoken language.
Lesson 7
People of the Past
Students read simple biographies aloud and answer comprehension questions (Activity 1), exposing them to written words tied to spoken language. Students reread printed descriptions and point to or glue descriptions beneath each person's picture (Activity 2), matching printed text to referents. Students write a sentence about a historical person on handwriting paper (Activity 4), practicing composing words with letter sequences.
Final Project
My Past, Present and Future
Students are prompted to write or dictate sentences in multiple pages (e.g., "I was different because...", "Now my family is...", "In the past __________", "Today __________"). The materials instruct that students can "write or dictate the sentence" and include lined spaces and boxes for written responses on the activity pages. The directions note that help may be given when the child writes sentences, implying students will produce written representations of their spoken ideas.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
The skills list explicitly includes "Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters," and students are instructed to point to letters as they make their sounds (Activity 1.2) and to point to words while reading the Weekly Message (Activities 1.1 and 5.3). Students build and spell CVC words using letter cards and then sound them out in sequence (Activity 3.2 Building Words; Activities 4.2 and 5.1 word-family activities), demonstrating that spoken words correspond to ordered letters. Students write letters and words while saying sounds (Activities 4.1 and 5.2) and match beginning sounds to letters (Activity 2.3), reinforcing the mapping from speech to written letter sequences.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
The Skills list explicitly states that students will "Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters." Students point to each word as the adult reads the Weekly Message (Activity 1.1) and are asked to find letters and sight words in that message (Activities 1.2, 3.1). Students build and blend words by arranging letter cards in order (Activity 3.2, Activity 5.2) and write words as they say the sounds in them (Activity 5.1), making the spoken-to-written mapping concrete.
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
Students point to and read words in the Weekly Message while the adult reads, following words left to right and identifying punctuation (Activity 1.1). Students read the reader The Bug aloud while pointing to each word, and answer comprehension questions about the text (Activity 5.2). Students build three-letter words with letter cards, say each word slowly to pronounce each sound, and write the words on a laminated writing sheet (Activity 3.2 and 5.1). Students write missing words under pictures and complete word-family sorting and writing tasks, linking spoken words to specific sequences of letters (Activities 5.3, 2.2, 4.2).
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message while an adult reads it aloud, and to follow words from left to right and page to page. Students read and flip sight word cards, point to words as the adult names them, and read sight-word sentences while pointing to each word. Students build words from letter cards and read them aloud, and they write words under pictures after saying the sounds, connecting spoken words to sequences of letters.
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
Students use lowercase and uppercase letter cards to spell words aloud and to add letters (for example spelling 'cat' then adding 's' to make 'cats'), explicitly connecting spoken words to written letter sequences. Students build and sort word-family cards (an, ab, ag; ack, eck, ick, ock, uck) and cut, place, and glue words into columns, requiring them to match spoken word sounds to specific letter sequences. Students read and write sight words and complete activities where they trace and write letters and words, and they perform sentence dictation where they write words heard aloud using correct letter sequences and spacing.
Lesson 6
Open Syllables and Digraph th
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to read words as the adult writes them (Activity 1.1, 1.2). Students use lowercase letter cards to build, change, and read words (Activity 2.1, 2.2, 4.2) and to spell dictated words, showing the mapping from spoken words to specific letter sequences. Students write words, complete handwriting pages, and arrange word cards to form sentences (Activities 3.2, 5.1, 5.3), reinforcing that spoken words correspond to written sequences.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
The skill list explicitly states that students will "Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters." In Activity 1.1 students point to words in the Weekly Message and are asked to find digraphs while the teacher writes words they say, linking spoken words to their written forms. Activities 5.1 and 4.2 require students to write missing digraphs and to write/dictate whole words, and Activity 3.3 asks students to point to each word as they read, providing practice matching spoken words to specific letter sequences.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters." Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to point to each word as they read the reader, reinforcing that spoken words map to written words. Multiple activities require students to spell and build words with letter cards (word building, word chains), write words as they segment and say sounds (Writing Words, Fill in the Blanks), and complete sentence dictation, all of which have students produce specific letter sequences for spoken words.
Lesson 9
Blends with l
Students follow words from left to right and point to each word as they read the Weekly Message and Reader #9, practicing tracking print. Students build and spell words using lowercase letter cards and word-building cards (e.g., spell glob, glad, plugs), saying each letter sound as they assemble words. Students write missing initial blends on Fill-in-the-Blanks pages and write/dictate whole words (e.g., glad, clock, black), directly mapping spoken words to specific letter sequences.
Lesson 10
Blends with r
Students point to and read words in the Weekly Message and mark punctuation, sight words, digraphs, and blends, linking spoken words to their written forms. Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building activities to assemble specific words (e.g., crab, brush, drag), creating exact sequences of letters that match spoken words. Students say each word slowly, segment sounds, write the words beside pictures, copy and trace sight words, and complete sentence dictation, reinforcing the mapping from spoken words to specific letter sequences.
Lesson 11
Ending Blends
Students point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are asked to follow words left to right, top to bottom, and page by page. Students spell and build words using lowercase letter cards and blend/word-building cards (e.g., spelling sand, lamp, mint) and then write those words on corresponding 'nd', 'mp', 'lf', and 'nt' pages. Students are asked to underline blends in written words, say individual letter sounds and then the combined sounds, and write dictated sentences and sight words, linking spoken words to specific sequences of letters.
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
The skills list explicitly states that students will "recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters." Students spell spoken words using lowercase letter cards and word-building cards (Activities 1.2, 3.1, 4.1), pointing to cards that show endings and assembling letters to form words. In Activities 4.2 and 5.2 students create and write words from letters and write sentences from dictation, then read back and point to each written word as they hear or read it.
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
The skills list explicitly includes "Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters." Students point to and read the Weekly Message and readers, tracking words left to right and pointing to each word as they read. Students break spoken words into parts (/h/ + /ang/), build words with lowercase letter cards (adding ng or nk), and complete Fill-in-the-Blanks by writing the missing digraphs to match pictured words. Activities also require students to listen for endings and point to or sort the corresponding written endings (ng vs. nk).
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to sound out unfamiliar words (Activity 1.1). Students use lowercase letter cards and blend cards to spell and then read words aloud (e.g., scrap, scrub, strap, stress; quilt, quest; shrimp, shrub) in multiple activities (Activities 1.2, 2.3, 3.1). Students complete written tasks that require producing specific letter sequences for spoken words, including fill-in-the-blanks with missing blends, word-building tasks, and sentence dictation where they write sentences as they hear them (Activities 4.1, 4.2, 5.2).
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students are asked to point to and read words as the Weekly Message is read aloud and to point to words as they read (Activity 1.1, Day 5 reader), aligning spoken words with their written forms. Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to spell, change, and read words (e.g., changing "pat" to "pact," spelling left/raft/kept/slept) so they map spoken forms to specific letter sequences (Day 2, Day 3, Activity 2.2). Students sort words by their ending letter sequences, cut and glue them into columns, and read the sorted words aloud (Activity 3.2 and multiple Student Activity Pages). Students write sentences as they are dictated and complete handwriting/sight-word writing practice, converting spoken sentences and words into written sequences (Activity 5.1, Activity 4.1).
Lesson 16
R-Controlled Vowels (ar)
The Skills list explicitly includes the target: "Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters." Multiple activities require students to spell and read words using lowercase letter cards (Activity 1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 5.1), showing letters arranged to form words. Students write dictated sentences and complete fill-in-the-blank pages with missing blends, and they point to and read words in the Weekly Message and Reader, all requiring mapping spoken words to specific letter sequences.
Lesson 17
Semester Review
The lesson's Skills list explicitly lists "Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters." In Activity 1.2 (Word Building) students spell target words with lowercase letter and word-building cards and then read the spelled words aloud. In Activity 3.2 (Sentence Dictation) students write sentences as the teacher reads them aloud, emphasizing sounds, and in Activity 4.2 (My Own Reader) students compose and write a simple book using words they know, reinforcing mapping spoken words to written letter sequences.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Long Vowels a and i with Silent e
Students point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are asked to point to each word as they read (Activity 1.1, Day 5). Students point to lowercase letter cards to show which vowel sound is heard in spoken words and say vowel names versus vowel sounds (Activity 1.2). Students use lowercase letter cards to spell spoken words, add a silent e to change a spoken word (tap → tape; slid → slide), and build words from letters (Activities 2.2, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1). Students write words from dictation and on spelling tests, then read back what they wrote, linking spoken words to specific written letter sequences (Activities 4.2, Day 5 Sentence Dictation).
Lesson 2
Long Vowels o, u, and e with Silent e
Students use lowercase letter cards to spell words the teacher calls aloud (e.g., spell no, shock, rope; change rob to robe; cub to cube), directly mapping spoken words to sequences of letters. Students write words into columns, complete spelling tests, and write dictated sentences, requiring them to produce the specific letter order for each spoken word. Students point to and read printed words and sight-word cards and add or substitute letters (silent e) to change word pronunciations.
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students practice mapping sounds to letters through word-building activities using lowercase letter cards to spell words (e.g., clap, ice, race, cent, mice, price, lace, cave). Students write dictated sentences and complete a spelling test where they must produce the correct sequence of letters for spoken words (e.g., cent, race, cage, face, gem, give). Students highlight letters after c and g to determine pronunciation and sort/categorize words, and the skills list explicitly includes demonstrating one-to-one letter-sound correspondences and segmenting spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of sounds.
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to follow words from left to right, top to bottom, which practices tracking printed words while hearing them. Activities require students to spell spoken words using lowercase letter cards and word-building cards (e.g., spelling words as the teacher says them) and to write dictated sentences, linking spoken words to specific sequences of letters. Sight-word activities ask students to point to cards as the adult reads them and then read the words themselves, reinforcing that the spoken word corresponds to a particular written word.
Lesson 5
Long a Spellings ai, ay
Students are asked to identify which letters make the long a sound in words such as "may," "way," and "brain," and to underline the ai in words like mail, rain, and paint. Students build words using lowercase letter cards (putting a and y or a and i together) and then read the words aloud, directly linking spoken sounds to specific letter sequences. Students write words into labeled word-ending boxes (ake, ate, ace, etc.), complete fill-in-the-blank sentences with target words, and respond to dictated sentences, all requiring them to map spoken words to written letter sequences.
Lesson 6
Long e Spellings ee, ey, ea
Students point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are prompted to sound out unknown words, showing mapping from spoken words to written forms. Students cut out word cards and place them on Short e vs Long e pages after hearing/reading each word, then glue and read the sorted words. Students build and spell words with lowercase letter cards as words are called aloud, write dictated sentences and spelling words, and highlight letter sequences (ee, ea, ey) that represent the long e sound.
Lesson 7
Long i Spellings y, igh, ie
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to point to each sight word card as the adult says it (Activities 1.1 and 2.1), connecting spoken words to their written forms. Students spell words from oral prompts using lowercase letter cards (Activities 2.2, 3.2, 4.1), producing the specific sequences of letters that represent the spoken words. Students write sentences from dictation (Day 5 Sentence Dictation) and complete word-sorting and fill-in-the-blank activities that require matching spoken-word meanings to specific spellings.
Lesson 8
Long o Spellings ow, oa, oe
Students use lowercase letter cards to spell words aloud in Activity 2.2, directly matching spoken words to specific sequences of letters (e.g., spelling "rope," "coat," "toe"). Students write words that correspond to pictures in Activity 3.1 and complete a dictated spelling test in Activity 4.3, producing written letter sequences for spoken words. Students also highlight and sort letter combinations that represent the long o sound (Activity 2.1 and Day 4 word sorting), reinforcing that particular letter sequences (ow, oa, oe) correspond to the spoken long o.
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to spell dictated long u words (Activity 2.1, 3.1, 4.2). Students write words on a laminated sheet, complete a Fill in the Blanks using specific vocabulary, and take a spelling test where they must produce the correct sequence of letters for each spoken word (Activity 2.2, 4.3). Students read the Weekly Message and point to or read individual words, and they complete word-sorting activities that group words by their letter sequences (Activity 1.1, 4.1).
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students repeatedly map spoken words to written letter sequences by building and spelling words with lowercase letter cards and word-building cards (e.g., placing m + ild to form mild, k + ind to form kind). They point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are asked to sound out unknown words and to reread words while pointing (Activity 1.1). Students write words and sentences (dictation, spelling test, handwriting practice) and sort/cut-and-place words into columns based on their spellings, requiring attention to the specific letter sequences that represent each spoken word.
Lesson 11
Long Vowel Sounds Review
Students cut out spellings and match each spelling with example words (Activity 1.2), e.g., matching a_e with "bake," directly linking spoken long-vowel words to specific letter sequences. Students sort words into columns by vowel spelling (Activities 2.2, 4.2) and place sight-word cards while answering which have long vowel sounds (Activity 1.3), practicing recognition of letter sequences that represent sounds. Students reread readers and write or point to words with target vowel sounds (Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5), and Activity 4.1 asks students to identify which letters in a found word make the long e sound. The Life Application and word-scramble activities require students to spell words with letter cards, producing written sequences that correspond to spoken words.
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students spell words as they hear them using lowercase letter cards and word-building cards (Activity 3.2 and Activity 1.2), creating written letter sequences that correspond to spoken words. Students write words during a spelling test and write sentences from dictation (Activity 4.2 and Activity 5.2), producing the exact letter sequences for words they hear and then reading them back. Students cut out, sort, and glue printed words into columns by vowel spelling (Activity 2.2) and point to and read words in the Weekly Message (Activity 1.1), identifying where the oi/oy sequences occur within words.
Lesson 13
Other Vowel Sounds ou, ow
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to point to sight word cards as the adult says each word, linking spoken words to their written forms. Students identify pictures, say each pictured word slowly, and write the word on the line below its picture and later write words dictated by the adult, producing exact letter sequences for spoken words. Students use lowercase letter cards to build and spell words as they are called aloud and unscramble letters to form spoken words, and they complete fill-in-the-blank pages (ou/ow) that require inserting specific letter sequences to make the named words.
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to sound out unknown words, linking spoken words to their written forms. Students spell words as the teacher calls them aloud using lowercase letter cards (Activity 3.1) and complete a written spelling test from oral prompts (Activity 4.3), producing the specific letter sequences for each spoken word. Students read each word aloud while sorting them into aw/au/o columns and then glue them, explicitly examining the spelling of words they say (Activity 2.2). Students also point to the letters that make the vowel sound in given words during the Wrapping Up activity, isolating specific letter sequences that represent sounds.
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message while an adult reads aloud, and to sound out unknown words (Activity 1.1). Sight-word practice has students point to each printed sight word as the adult reads it and then read the card as the adult points (Activity 1.3). Word-building tasks require students to spell words with lowercase letter cards as the adult says the words aloud (Activity 2.2 and Day 4 word building). Sentence dictation has students write sentences as the adult reads them aloud, requiring mapping spoken words to specific letter sequences (Day 5 Activity 5.2).
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students build words with lowercase letter cards and word-building cards, spelling spoken words such as know, knit, knot, knob, and knack as the teacher calls them. Students read and point to words in the Weekly Message and readers, sound out unknown words, and write words on Writing Words pages after reading them. Students complete dictation and a spelling test by writing the words they hear and unscramble mixed letters to form specified words with silent beginnings.
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and read along as it is read aloud, linking spoken language to printed words. Students practice with sight-word cards ("only," "over") by pointing to and saying each word and later find those exact words in a Sight Word Search. In Alphabet Soup and word-building activities, students arrange letters/letter pairs to create words, write those words on handwriting paper, and read the words they created aloud.