First Grade - ELA
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 11
Amazing Me
The lesson's Skills list includes "Recognize some words by sight (LA)" and "Read or attempt to read own story (LA)," which indicates students are expected to practice sight word reading. In Activity 1 and Option 1 of Activity 2, students are asked to "read the words aloud" beneath each face and to "circle the face" corresponding to words/pictures, prompting students to identify and read short emotion words (e.g., happy, sad, scared). Students are also asked to read aloud ideas they dictate in Activity 3.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Recognize some words by sight," indicating sight-word work. In Activity 2 students read a list of community vocabulary (Restaurant, Park, School, Fire Station, Post Office, Library, Grocery Store) and fill in sentences, requiring them to recognize whole words in context. In Activity 4 students trace and write the words "People" and "Park," providing direct practice reading and reproducing the word "People," which is an irregularly spelled, grade-appropriate word.
Lesson 3
Jobs in the Community
Students are asked to "recognize some words by sight" as listed in the Skills section. Students are asked to read or attempt to read the names of community helpers in Activity 1 and to circle beginning and ending letters and to name and sound out letters. Students attempt to read their own written paragraph (Day 2) and say simple sentences aloud about each worker (Activity 5), with the teacher recording or supporting more challenging words.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 1
Describe It
Activity 3 asks students to circle the first letter and sound out words from a Word Box and then copy or paste them beneath pictures. The Word Box explicitly includes the word "rough," which is an irregularly spelled word. Activity 4 has students write or copy a sentence that could include words from these lists, and adults are instructed to assist with words the child cannot read.
Lesson 4
How Does It Feel?
Students are asked to read and use the texture word list (fluffy, sticky, gooey, wet, rough, soft, hard, cold) when circling beginning letters, cutting and pasting words, and filling blanks. The lesson has students read back the words they used to describe objects and write a sentence about an object's texture. The word list includes at least one irregularly spelled word form ("rough" with the -ough spelling).
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students are asked to "recognize some words by sight" in the Skills list and to review vocabulary words every day. In Activity 1 students copy each word from the Senses Word List three times, locate those words in the book My Five Senses, and refer to the word list when encountering words in the text. Activities 2 and 3 also require students to cut, sort, or write words from a provided word list and to write or copy sentences (e.g., "I smell with my nose").
Lesson 6
Experimenting With Our Senses
Activity 2 asks students to attempt to read the name of each spice on the jar labels and to copy the name onto index cards. Activity 3 has students tell a story about a favorite flavor that is recorded and then encouraged to be read aloud. Activity 4 has students write or dictate and copy a sentence about something they smelled or tasted.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Students trace and practice writing the word "unique" and the letter Uu on a handwriting worksheet (Activity 4). Students are asked to attempt to read each question aloud and to sound out words for their answers (Activity 1), providing some practice reading individual words in context. The unit repeatedly reviews the vocabulary word "unique," which students are expected to describe and use in a sentence.
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
Activity 4 explicitly directs students to practice the words "you" and "yes" and to use each word in a sentence, and the handwriting page shows those words at the top for student practice. Activity 3 asks students to read survey questions aloud, which gives students opportunities to read common words (including "you") in contextual sentences. Multiple activity pages require students to write responses to prompts, providing additional exposure to high-frequency words in print.
3: Patterns
Unit 2: Patterns in Sounds, Words, and Actions
Lesson 1
Word Patterns
Students are asked to identify and circle repeating word parts in multiple activities (Word Patterns activity pages) and to add new words that follow those patterns. In the Nursery Rhymes and Bear Hugs activities, students listen for and record rhyming words and are explicitly told that some words sound the same but are not spelled the same, with examples given (wait/date, paid/fade, mean/seen, pear/stare, blue/too). Students match and sort words by rhyme and spelling pattern in cut-and-paste and sorting activities.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
The lesson explicitly introduces the sight words "the," "and," and "a" and has students identify and say these words using sight-word cards. It defines sight words as high-frequency words that children should know without having to decode them and instructs students to turn cards over and read them, locate them in the Weekly Message, and count occurrences. Students also read the words in context during guided reading of the Tap and Pat reader and in multiple speaking/reading activities.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
Students are explicitly introduced to and practice sight words identified as weekly focus words: "of," "to," and "in," and the review set includes "the," "and," and "a." Activities require students to identify these words from sight using sight-word cards, turn the cards face down and recall them, and find and point to these words in the Weekly Message and reader. Multiple days include repeated practice (showing cards, mixing with prior sight words, and asking students to read them aloud or point as the teacher says them).
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
The Weekly Focus and Activity 1.3 explicitly introduce the sight words "is," "you," and "it" and instruct students to identify and read them using sight word cards. Activity 1.1 has students point to and read known high-frequency words in the Weekly Message (and, a, of, the, to) while Activity 4.3 has students flip sight word cards and read them aloud for review. Multiple activities require students to read the sight words in isolation and in context (cards, message, reader) until they can recognize them.
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
Students are asked to read and point to high-frequency sight words in the Weekly Message (you, and, a, of, the, to). Activity 1.3 explicitly introduces and has students practice the new sight words he, that, and was by reading cards in isolation and from a mixed stack. Activity 3.1 has students find and circle the words the, was, that, and in in sentences and then read those sentences aloud, and Activities 4.2 and 5.3 have students read all learned sight words and use sight word cards to build and complete sentences.
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
Students are introduced to and practice the sight words "she," "on," and "are" in Activity 1.3 and are asked to read them in isolation and in mixed order. In Activity 2.1 and other days students trace, write, and read sight words (pages include words like "you," "and," "she," "was," "of," "the," "are," "on"). Day 3 and Day 5 activities require students to quickly read all sight words and to read/write sentences that include irregular high-frequency words (e.g., "The hens are in the pot." and "A tub was on the dock."). The skills list explicitly states that students will "Read common high-frequency words by sight."
Lesson 6
Open Syllables and Digraph th
Students are explicitly taught and practice the lesson sight words "with," "his," "her," and "I" through card reading, matching, flipping, and sentence dictation (Activities 1.3, 3.1, 5.3). The lesson explicitly calls out that "do" and "to" do not follow the open-syllable rule and tells students these are sight words they must just know (Activity 2.2). Students read and use these words in context when forming and reading sentences (Activity 5.1, 5.3) and during reader practice.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
Students are introduced to the sight words "for" and "they" and asked to read sight word cards and use them in sentences (Activity 1.3). Students place all sight word cards face up and are asked to point to and read sight words that include the digraph th (the, that, with, they) and to read sight words in random order for practice. Students complete a Sight Words Search (Activity 5.2) with target words including "they," "with," "you," "her," "for," "she," "was," "that," "his," "and," and "are," and they must find and read each word aloud. Multiple activities (sorting, reading aloud, word searches, and sentence dictation) require students to recognize and read these grade-appropriate high-frequency/sight words.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
Students are given all sight word cards they have worked with (including "at," "be," and "this") and asked to read them as quickly as they can. Students are asked to underline sight words they find in the Weekly Message (you, to, and, are) and read the message aloud, pointing to words as they read. Students read and respond to dictated sentences that include sight words (e.g., "This is the spot for the desk.") and are prompted to re-read previous readers independently and aloud.
Lesson 9
Blends with l
Students are asked to read and use the sight word cards "have," "had," and "or" in Activity 1.3, including reading them aloud and using them in sentences. Day 3 Activity 3.3 has students flip over and read all sight word cards (including the new ones) one at a time. The Weekly Message activity asks students to underline known sight words (you, with, that, this, in, and, to) and the Skills list explicitly includes "Read common high-frequency words by sight."
Lesson 10
Blends with r
Students practice reading the sight words "one," "from," and "by" explicitly in Activity 1.3 where they point to each word as the teacher says them and answer questions about their features (e.g., which begins with an r blend, which has an open syllable). Students read and write the same sight words on the "Writing Sight Words" page (Activity 5.1), tracing and copying each word. Students also identify and underline common sight words (that, you, and, are, to, with, be, in) in the Weekly Message and read the message aloud, applying recognition of irregularly spelled words in connected text.
Lesson 11
Ending Blends
Activity 1.3 has students read the sight word cards "words," "but," and "not," copy "words," and write dictated sight words, giving students practice reading and producing those high-frequency words. Activity 3.3 requires the student to lay out sight word cards and quickly point to words described (including from, the, that, she, with, they, this, you, to), reinforcing rapid recognition of commonly irregular words. The Skills list explicitly includes "Read common high-frequency words by sight," tying multiple activities to automatic recognition of nondecodable words.
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
Students are given explicit sight-word practice with the cards for "what," "all," and "were" (Activity 1.3) where they read, say the words, and practice flipping and reading them from memory. The lesson includes multiple sight-word activities (underlining sight words in the Weekly Message, a Sight Word Search listing words such as what, all, were, have, one, this, with in Activity 5.1) that require students to locate and read these words in isolation and in sentences. Students also read and point to sight words in teacher-read sentences and in dictated sentences, practicing recognition in context.
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
The Weekly Focus names the sight words "we," "when," and "your," and Activity 1.3 gives the child sight word cards for those three words and asks the child to read them several times and write each word as the teacher says it. Activity 3.3 and Day 5 include additional review of all sight words, and the guide notes the child may need help specifically with "your." These directions require the child to read, reread, and write the listed sight words across multiple days.
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
Students are introduced to the sight-word cards "can," "said," and "there" and are asked to point to and read each word (Activity 1.3). Students practice reading these sight words in varied activities: turning mixed cards face up to read, rereading sight words on Day 5, and reading/writing sentences that include the words (Sentence Dictation and dictated sentences on Day 5). Students also encounter the words in connected text when reading the Weekly Message and the reader Spring Has Sprung!, where they are prompted to read them aloud and in context.
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students are given specific sight-word instruction in Activity 1.3 where they read sight word cards for "use," "an," and "each" and are asked to look and listen for the word "use" in a linked video. Activity 4.1 has students read and write sight words (including "said," "there," "when," "your," "what," "all," "were," and "words") on handwriting pages. Sentence dictation (Day 5) and reader practice require students to read sentences and a short text that include grade-level high-frequency words (for example, "An elk slept on the bed." and "Each kid can swim."). The Alphabet Soup and other activities include practice reading and producing common irregular high-frequency words such as "was," "we," and "are."
Lesson 16
R-Controlled Vowels (ar)
Students practice specific sight words ("which," "as," "do" and the question words "which/what/when") through repeated, focused activities: flash-card reading and repetition (Activity 1.3), underlining the question word in sentences, turning cards over to recall words, and reading the sight words in context in Reader #16 and dictated sentences (Day 5). The skills list explicitly includes "Read common high-frequency words by sight," and multiple days provide opportunities to read and reread these words (Activity 3.3, Activity 5.3, and the wrap-up revisiting the Weekly Message).
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students are introduced to the sight words "how," "their," and "if" (Activity 1.3) and practice reading them aloud and in sentences, including underlining "there" vs. "their." The materials require students to read all sight word cards (Activity 3.2) and to find and read many common sight/irregular words in a word-search (Activity 5.1 lists words such as their, said, which, from, there, when, were, they, how, what, have). The skills list also explicitly includes "Read common high-frequency words by sight."
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Long Vowels a and i with Silent e
Activity 1.3 directs the child to use sight word cards for "there" and "their," ask how each is pronounced, and point to the correct word in sentences. The child is asked to read a set of sight words ("will," "up," "make," "like") aloud, practice them quickly, and flip mixed cards to read them repeatedly. The lesson's skill list explicitly includes "Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words."
Lesson 2
Long Vowels o, u, and e with Silent e
Students practice reading and identifying sight words in Activity 1.3 where they point to and read the cards: "then," "them," "these," and "so." In Activity 4.2 students locate and read sight words in a word search that includes words such as "then," "them," "these," "said," and "their," and they are asked to show and read the words they find. The Spelling Test (Activity 4.3) asks students to write and then read aloud sight words and challenge words including "these" and "them."
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students are asked to learn and practice sight words (about, out, many) and to flip sight-word cards and read each word quickly (Activity 1.3). The materials instruct students to add exception words (get, give, gift, girl) to their sight-word deck and practice them regularly because they are exceptions to the soft-g rule (Activity 3.2). The spelling test and review activities require students to read and write words that the lesson flags as exceptions or irregular for the c/g rule (e.g., give, girl) and to read sight words aloud (Day 5 reader and review).
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
The Weekly Focus and introduction explicitly list the sight words other, more, some, and would. Activity 1.3 gives students sight word cards, asks them to point to and read each card, mix them face down and read again, and to find the new sight words in the Weekly Message. Activity 4.2 includes some sight words (more, some) on a spelling test and Activity 5/wrapping up asks students to read the sight words (about, out, many, some, would, rather, other, more) and use each word in a sentence.
Lesson 6
Long e Spellings ee, ey, ea
Students practice reading and rereading sight words in Activity 1.3 and Activity 4.1 where they read sight word cards (see, time, look, into, may, way, him, has, some, would, other, more). Activity 4.2 has students use Making Sentences cards (including said, there, see, green, eat) to build and read sentences aloud. Activity 4.3 asks students to write and then read a spelling list that contains sight words (see, more, these, out, some, then, many, like, way, has) and include challenge words, supporting recognition in isolation and in context in Day 5 reader practice.
Lesson 7
Long i Spellings y, igh, ie
Students are introduced to the week's sight words (my, could, than) and asked to point to and read each card, then reread the full set of collected sight words aloud (Activity 2.1). Students locate and read sight words in a Sight Words Search that includes irregular words such as could and would, and they repeatedly practice the cards until comfortable. The skills list explicitly includes "Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words," and multiple activities require students to read and identify those sight words in isolation and in text.
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
Students are introduced to the week's sight words "who," "water," and "been" and read each sight word card aloud, using the words in sentences. Students practice reading the sight words multiple times, point to those with the long u sound in the Weekly Message, and read them within the reader text. Students also complete a "Writing Sight Words" page where they read and write sight words (including "who") and reread the Weekly Message and the reader to locate and read these words in context.
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students are asked to identify and read "wild" long-vowel words (ild, ind, ost, old, olt) in the Weekly Message and to point to long-vowel words as the adult reads (Activity 1.1). Students build, read, write, and read aloud specific irregular words (mild, wild, child, gold, sold, colt, jolt, bolt, most, post, host, find, kind, blind, etc.) using word-building cards, laminated writing sheets, and reading passages (Activities 1.2, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1). Students sort those words by spelling pattern, complete fill-in-the-blank and Alphabet Soup word-creation tasks, take a spelling test with the target irregular words, and read a reader that contains several of the target words (Activity 4.2, Activity 4.3, Day 5 reader). The Skills list explicitly includes "Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words," and sight words including irregular spellings (most, two, people, does) are introduced and practiced (Activity 1.3, Activity 3.2).
Lesson 11
Long Vowel Sounds Review
Students practice reading and rereading sight words including 'called,' 'day,' 'find,' and 'its' (Activity 1.3 and repeated sight-word practice across days). The Skills list explicitly names 'Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words' and 'Read common high-frequency words by sight.' Students are prompted to read words from readers and word banks aloud, which gives them opportunities to encounter and read specific high-frequency words.
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students are asked to read words in the Weekly Message (Activity 1.1) that include irregularly spelled high-frequency words such as "you" and "I." Activity 3.1 (Sight Word Search) explicitly has students find and read sight words that include grade-appropriate irregular spellings (who, two, people, could, been). The lesson's skills list also explicitly names "Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words" and "Read common high-frequency words by sight."
Lesson 13
Other Vowel Sounds ou, ow
Students are explicitly introduced to this week's sight words (down, now, get, come) with sight-word cards and are asked to point to and read each word (Activity 1.3). Students are given dedicated practice time to read and practice these sight words across multiple days (Activity 3.3 and Day 5 review) and to point out them in connected text (Weekly Message #13 and reader #13). The materials direct students to read the sight-word cards after mixing them and to reread sight words in context, providing repeated opportunities to recognize and read these words by sight.
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words" and multiple activities require students to read and practice sight words (Activities 1.3, 3.3, 4.3). Students read, dictate, and write sight words ("made," "part," "very") and complete high-frequency word reading tasks (Weekly Message, reader #14). A few irregular-looking words (e.g., "was") appear in optional word lists for word-building activities.
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students read and practice the weekly sight words "after," "little," and "where" using sight-word cards: they point to each word as the adult reads it, read the cards aloud, use each word in a sentence, and write the words on a laminated sheet with a dry-erase marker. The Skills list explicitly includes "Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words," and multiple activities (reading, using in sentences, and writing) target the sight words across days.
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students are introduced to grade-level sight words that have irregular spellings (know, write, just) and are asked to read and write these words (Activity 3.3; Activity 4.2). Students read and decode lists of words with silent beginnings (kn, wr, gn), practice them in word-building and writing activities (Day 2 word building, Day 3 word building, Writing Words pages), and read the words aloud during sorting and the spelling test (Activity 4.1 sorting; Activity 4.3 spelling test). Students also reread sight word cards, sort words, and read a reader including a target word (Activity 1.3, Day 5 reader), providing repeated exposure and practice reading these irregular forms.
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students are asked to read sight-word cards for the week's sight words "only" and "over" (Activity 1.3) and to read previously learned sight words they struggle to recall. Students complete a Sight Word Search (Activity 4.1) that contains irregularly spelled words such as "know," "write," "where," "people," and "called," and they must find and read those words aloud. The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words," reinforcing that students will practice reading such words by sight.