Kindergarten - ELA
1: Letters
Unit 1: A - A Is for Musk Ox
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to draw a picture of a musk ox and then write about him on the lines of their journal, providing practice with writing and naming the topic. Students are asked to tell a story that an adult will record (dictation) and then reread what was dictated, linking drawing, dictation, and writing. Students keep an ongoing journal so they repeatedly practice drawing and attempting independent or pretend writing over time.
Unit 2: H - Hondo and Fabian
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to compare cats and dogs and to record characteristics in the 'Cats', 'Dogs', and 'Both' sections of a Venn diagram, which requires naming the topics and supplying information about each. The Student Activity Page is described as allowing students to write characteristics in the corresponding sections, indicating students practice writing informational details about each animal. The instructions explicitly have students think of and say characteristics (e.g., "make a purring sound," "have four legs") and have those characteristics recorded on the chart.
Lesson 3
Day 3
In Activity 4 students are asked to identify the characters, have the animal's name written across the die-cut, and use words or phrases to describe each character, with the adult recording the child's ideas. The optional extension has students (or the adult) write the child's name on a person cut-out and record the child's descriptive words or phrases about himself. The instruction to "record your child's ideas" and to write the animal's name shows students practice naming a topic and supplying information about it through spoken responses that are written down.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students paint a picture of an activity they like to do with a friend, providing a drawing as part of composition. Students are prompted to tell (dictate) a sentence about their painting and an adult writes that sentence down and attaches it to the painting. The teacher prompts students with questions about who the friend is and what they like to do, guiding students to name the topic (friend/activity) and give information about it.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to draw a picture of themselves in the journal and to write about themselves on the lines, providing an explicit drawing-plus-writing task. Students are encouraged to try to write their name and to discuss why it was chosen, which directs them to name what they are writing about. Students dictate two statements about themselves to an adult while the adult models writing those sentences, providing explicit dictation and a model for composing informative statements.
Unit 3: I - The Little Island
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students create a pictured island by drawing a large circle, coloring the surrounding water, and gluing labeled parts (one rock, seven trees, fireflies, bushes) in Activity 1. Students may add other creatures by drawing them or finding/printing pictures as an optional extension, and they count and place each item on the island. In Activity 2 students discuss and identify what an island is and compare islands to continents while looking at a world map.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students imagine a visit to the little island, draw a picture of what they would see and do on the left page, and then "write" some thoughts about their trip in whatever form is comfortable. Students are prompted with specific questions (e.g., What season was it? What animals did you see? Did you see anything unusual?) to supply information about the topic. Students dictate ideas if needed and then read their ideas aloud while an adult writes complete sentences on the right page, providing a model of informative writing.
Unit 4: T - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Lesson 2
Day 2
In Activity 3, students design a new tail and are asked to explain the tail they created, which prompts them to name the tail and describe its purpose. In Activity 1, students talk about each animal's tail and think about what the animal might need or use a tail for, practicing supplying information about the topic. In Activity 2, students say the word "tail" aloud while practicing the letter T, reinforcing the topic vocabulary.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to choose an animal they do not know much about and locate information online or in library books about that animal, discussing the animal's body parts, habitat, and diet. The activity directs students to discuss findings, which provides an opportunity for oral reporting of information. An optional extension invites students to draw a picture of the animal or create a craft related to it.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3, students draw a picture of an animal body part they researched and are encouraged to write 1–3 facts they learned about that part. Students then dictate these facts to the teacher, who writes them in complete sentences under the student's writing.
Unit 5: L - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students construct a simple map by drawing a sequence of locations (mountain, maple tree, dark forest, waterfall, pond, etc.) and use arrows to show the route. Students are invited in an optional extension to include a legend that matches drawn symbols with place names, which involves naming map features. Students identify and repeat descriptive phrases from the story (for example, saying "dark forest"), supplying descriptive information about locations.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3, Option 2 has students identify five things they like, draw a picture of each, and think of a describing word for each object. The activity instructs students that if they are able they can write the describing words next to their pictures (e.g., "soft dog" or "big book") and alternatively allows them to dictate those words to the teacher to record. Activity 3, Option 1 also asks students to draw an adventure and dictate a story to be recorded, providing additional practice with drawing and dictation.
Unit 6: F - Fireflies
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students build and paint a model firefly and review insect features (three body parts, exoskeleton, antennae, wings, legs) while assembling the craft. Students look at an "Insects" page and are asked to determine for each picture whether the creature is an insect and to explain the clues they used. Students go outside to collect bugs and are prompted to talk about whether the bugs are insects and how they know.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 instructs students to draw a picture of their favorite summer activity in their journal and to write some words, ideas, or sentences describing that activity. The activity explicitly allows students to dictate in addition to writing and to copy a sentence written by a parent, supporting a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing. The prompt asks children what their favorite summer activity is, which prompts them to name the topic they are writing about.
Unit 7: E - But No Elephants
Lesson 3
Day 3
After reading, students are asked to explain what happened in the story, prompting them to name events and provide information about the plot. In Activity 1, students generate an animal idea, act it out, and are asked how that animal would help Grandma Tildy, requiring them to name the animal and describe its role. The teacher models an example by acting as a horse and explaining how the horse helps, which demonstrates providing information about a topic orally.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Writing Workshop directs the child to draw a picture of a house full of different kinds of animals and then "write some of the things that might happen," which combines drawing and writing. It also instructs the child to dictate something for the teacher to write on the opposite page and to copy a written sentence if able, providing explicit dictation and writing practice. These activities ask the child to produce pictorial and written/dictated content about a single topic (a house full of animals).
Unit 8: C - Millions of Cats
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students decorate die-cut cats with stripes or spots (drawing) and use those features to sort and describe groups in Activity 1. In Activity 2 students construct a large Venn diagram, name the two categories ("Fabian" and "Millions of Cats"), and write or list characteristics in the shared and separate sections (informational listing). The Skills section also indicates students will participate in shared research and writing projects, implying guided group writing.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to choose a pet, consult informational sources about pet care, and "communicate to others what she has learned about caring for this pet." Students can "design a poster explaining how to care for the pet by drawing pictures (and including words, if desired)" which requires drawing and optionally writing to explain the topic. Students can also give a "pet talk" using a stuffed animal to explain what they have learned, which implements dictation/oral explanation.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 (Writing Workshop) asks children to "draw and write something about a cat" and offers options to "write some facts about cats" or "dictate a story about cats," which gives students opportunities to draw, write, and dictate about a single topic. Activity 2 (Reading Workshop) has students track words left to right and notice spaces between words, which supports students' ability to write recognizable words and separate them when composing text.
Unit 9: G - The Real Mother Goose
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students color, cut out, and glue month boxes onto card stock and are prompted to talk about what happens in January and what the weather is like. Students can draw their own pictures or find and cut out magazine pictures that represent each month. The activity invites students to include a note about family birthdays, which could involve writing a short label or caption.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students continue to work on a "Months of the Year" book, adding a name for each month and creating a title page. Students add symbols and pictures about the weather, activities, and special events for each month. Students line up holes and bind the book, producing a multi-page piece that names topics (months) and provides information about each.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3, students dictate a poem or nursery rhyme while an adult writes it in their journal, and then students create an illustration to accompany their text, which shows practice combining dictation, writing, and drawing. In Activity 1, students identify and name a ball as a "sphere," describe how it is like or different from a circle, and explain where it is located relative to other objects, which has students naming a topic (sphere) and supplying descriptive/location information orally.
Unit 10: O - Owl Babies
Lesson 2
Day 2
In Activity 1 (Owl Research) students look through a non-fiction book and a video about owls and then are asked to dictate or write facts they learned onto the empty spaces on the owl picture. The Student Activity Page is explicitly designed for researching owls and provides designated spaces for students to fill in information gathered during research. The optional extension has students create a small poster with pictures and various facts about owls and present it to others.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3 students are asked to draw a baby owl in their journal and use the step-by-step drawing guide, providing a drawing component. Students are then asked to "write about owls," recording factual (non-fiction) information on one page and a brief fictional story on the other, which requires composing expository information that names the topic. The activity explicitly allows students to dictate the information for an adult to record, attempt to write it themselves, or copy after it is recorded, showing use of dictation and writing in combination with drawing.
Unit 11: S - Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Skills section explicitly lists the standard: "Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose informative/explanatory texts...". The Reading and Questions prompt students to describe the book cover and to answer content questions (e.g., name the four seasons; describe Arnold's activities; state favorite activities in each season), which requires naming topics and supplying information orally. Activity 2 has students explain seasons using a globe demonstration, engaging them in describing causes and differences between seasons.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students use the 'Weather Report' chart to record daily observations (date, sky conditions, wind, temperature) and are instructed that they can draw pictures, write words, or dictate words to an adult. Students are prompted to talk about and name the current season and the four seasons during the review, connecting their recordings to the topic of weather/seasons.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 3 asks students to name seasons based on adjectives and to come up with other adjectives to describe each season, which has students supply descriptive information about the topic. The reading/questions section asks a comprehension question (What gift did the tree give Arnold in each season?) that requires students to state information about seasons. The optional extension suggests recording the child's poem, which would capture a spoken (dictated) version of descriptive language.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students paint a picture of a season while listening to Vivaldi, using drawing to represent a topic and sensory details. Students are asked to describe how each family member contributed to making the apple pie and why they worked together, which elicits spoken explanation (dictating). Students practice letter formation and writing of the letter S on activity pages, showing a writing component.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 instructs students to draw a picture of their favorite season and then write or dictate things they know about that season, directly requiring a combination of drawing and dictating/writing about a topic. Activity 2 has students identify seasons and clues in books, which engages students in naming seasons and gathering information they can use in their writing.
Unit 12: D - Dinosaurs Big and Small
Lesson 2
Day 2
During Review, students are asked to show a dinosaur from the book and name one interesting characteristic of that dinosaur, which has them name a topic and supply a spoken fact. The Student Activity Page shows an illustration labeled "dinosaur" and students practice the letter D and the printed word while completing handwriting tracing and writing activities.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students choose a dinosaur and thereby name the topic they will write about. Students make a drawing of the dinosaur to represent their topic visually. Students dictate five facts about the dinosaur while an adult records them beneath the drawing, and they share this information with others.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3 students cut out and paste realistic pictures of dinosaurs into a journal and are asked to dictate or attempt to write factual sentences about dinosaurs, explicitly prompting nonfiction information. Activity 2 has students identify and generate descriptive words (adjectives) about dinosaurs, supporting language used in informative descriptions.
Unit 13: P - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Lesson 1
Day 1
Activity 1 asks students to offer solutions verbally for Harold's predicaments, prompting them to explain how he could use his imagination to solve problems. The optional extension asks students to draw the way Harold solved a predicament using a purple crayon, giving students a direct drawing task. The reading questions prompt students to answer questions about Harold's adventure, which elicits spoken responses about the story.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students cut out and assemble a titled diagram called "Phases of the Moon," gluing the title and labeled picture boxes (full moon, half moon, crescent, sliver, new moon) in order around a circle. Students are asked to make a diagram that shows how the moon looks on different nights and to observe the moon each night to note how its shape changes. The student pages include labeled phase illustrations that students place next to their labels.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students create a neighborhood map by choosing a place for their home, placing buildings, and drawing simple roadways, which can include assigning blank stores as familiar places. The student activity pages include labeled community buildings (e.g., Bank, Hospital, Fire Station) that students can use or reference when constructing their map. Students practice writing letters in the "Letter Sounds — P" activity, which gives experience forming letters and matching beginning sounds.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 asks the child to draw a picture and then "write or dictate a description or story about the picture," which requires combining drawing with dictation or writing. Activity 2 has the child trace sentences and identify periods, and the teacher circles periods in the dictated writing, reinforcing sentence-level writing mechanics.
Unit 14: B - Blueberries for Sal
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to create a two-column chart labeled "Fiction" and "Non-Fiction" and to list fictional elements and scientifically accurate facts about bears from Blueberries for Sal and an informational website. Students draw the chart on paper and write facts in the non-fiction column (for example: "bears eat fruit," "mother bears protect their cubs"). The activity directs students to name elements of fiction and non-fiction about bears, which requires them to identify and record information about the topic.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 asks students to write or dictate about any topic and describes how an adult should write down exactly what the child says if the child is dictating. The same activity directs adults to identify strengths in the child's composition (creative ideas, interesting words, good descriptions) and to encourage the child to add more detail or a clarifying idea. The activity also models giving one or two specific compliments and one age-appropriate suggestion (such as adding more details or a period).
Unit 15: R - Rain
Lesson 2
Day 2
In Activity 3 (Making a Rainbow Book) students are instructed to write a sentence beginning with "I see..." on each page that names an object and a color and to draw a picture of the object. The lesson specifies that teachers may write the words for students to copy and that students who are not yet writing can dictate an ending, supporting dictation. In Activity 1 (Rain and Ice) students use their five senses to generate descriptive information about water and ice that can serve as content for informational sentences or dictation.
Lesson 3
Day 3
In Activity 3, students arrange and glue die-cuts to create a rain scene and are asked to point to each object and use its describing word (for example, "purple flowers") to tell about the scene. During Reading and Questions, students are asked to read the book back, point to words they know, and use color cues and sight words (such as "on") to give clues while reading aloud. These parts require students to name objects/topics and provide descriptive information orally while interacting with visual materials.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 instructs the child to name 3–5 of her favorite things and to write or dictate a sentence or phrase about each thing using a color word to describe it, and then illustrate those sentences using corresponding colors. The activity explicitly includes options to draw (illustrate), dictate, and write. Activity 2 references a book the child wrote about colors, which the child can read aloud to others.
Unit 16: N - Night in the Country
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 1 asks students to brainstorm and name examples of natural resources and to explain how people ought to treat them. The activity also asks students to hunt for pictures and small objects and make a collage of natural resources. Activity 3 asks students to practice writing the letter N on pages that require circling and copying letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 asks students to create a two-page journal entry drawing the sun on one page and the moon on the other, and to write about what they do in the day and at night. The activity explicitly encourages students to write marks, letters, or words and to add dictation of their ideas, then to read their work and read the dictation aloud. The teacher prompts students to add one more thing about what they do and to name their favorite part of their writing.
Unit 17: M - Marshmallow
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students work with an adult to list household rules on butcher paper using words and/or pictures, which has them name the topic (household rules). Students are asked why the rules are important and how they help the family to function, prompting them to supply information about the topic. The activity involves the child in writing up the rules, and the teacher prompt to involve the child suggests the child contributes content (words or pictures) to the displayed text.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to explain the number 14 in their own words, encouraging an explanation in terms of ten and four, which elicits an explanatory verbal response. Students are prompted to talk about how Owen and Mzee's friendship was similar to and different from another pair, and an optional extension asks students to create a Venn diagram comparing the two pairs. Students are instructed to draw a picture of a favorite animal using charcoal/chalk, providing a drawing activity as a mode of expression.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students draw a picture of a chosen pet and then dictate responses that are recorded on a two-page journal spread. Students fill in blanks that name the animal (e.g., "A Cat Poem," "A ____ Story") and supply descriptive information in the poem blanks (e.g., "Cats like to sleep and play") and in the story blanks about what happened to the pet. Students practice combining drawing, dictating, and teacher-recorded writing as part of the activity.
Unit 18: U - Umbrella
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3 students are asked to think about a special birthday gift and draw a picture of the gift or themselves receiving/enjoying it, providing explicit drawing practice. They are instructed to write their name and to "write or dictate his thoughts about his special birthday gift," which requires composing text by writing or dictation. Students are also asked to read or be read their thoughts and point out capital letters used, reinforcing written composition and reading of their explanatory content.
Unit 19: J - Jump Frog Jump
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students read a nonfiction account of a frog's life cycle and talk about what a life cycle is. Students construct a diagram of the life cycle on a paper plate, draw and glue pieces to represent each stage, and label the quadrants "eggs," "tadpole," "froglet," and "frog." The provided image and instructions include the title "The Life Cycle of a Frog," showing the product is an informative diagram that names the topic and shows stages.
Unit 20: K - Kindness
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 3 (Animals in Fiction) asks students to name something each animal does and to have that idea recorded in the chart under "Animal Actions" or "Human Actions." The Student Activity Page provides rows for Mouse, Frog, Mole, and Bat with spaces for students to fill in actions, which requires students to name the animal (topic) and supply information about it. The instructions also direct the teacher to ask students to name actions and to record those ideas on the chart.
Lesson 4
Day 4
In Activity 1 students create a titled piece: "I Am a Good Citizen!" and make a list underneath. The instructions say to make the list as the child dictates it, to encourage her to come up with 4–6 ideas, and to let the child add illustrations to the list. Students are asked to name rules they follow (examples given) and to post the illustrated list for display.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 directs the child to choose a favorite book and either write or dictate a brief description of the book, and to state reasons he likes the book. The activity also encourages the child to draw a picture of a favorite scene and to read back his writing or dictation and add one more detail. The combination of drawing plus writing or dictation and supplying descriptive information functions as composing a short informative/explanatory book report.
Unit 21: V - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Lesson 4
Day 4
On the Senses Web activity students draw the instrument in the central circle labeled "Instrument Name" and thereby name the topic they are writing about. They are prompted to draw, write, or dictate observations in the five surrounding circles labeled with sensory prompts (It looks, It sounds, It feels, It smells, It tastes). The instructions explicitly ask students to use drawing, writing, or dictation to record information about the instrument.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 asks the child to take a journal and either write about a topic inspired by music or dictate her thoughts, and then read the writing back. The instructions include having the adult point out a noteworthy feature (word choice, idea, or punctuation) and make one suggestion for improvement. The activity explicitly supports composing by dictating and writing and by practicing reading and revision.
Unit 22: Y - Little Blue and Little Yellow
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students create a "My Color Book" by painting two colors, showing the resulting mixed color, and are encouraged to write or trace the name of each color and label the mixed color. Students design a cover and thus produce a titled booklet that names the topic. Students write the equation 14 = 10 + 4 when composing number decompositions, demonstrating writing that supplies information about a numeric topic. Students retell and act out the story using Play-doh, which invites them to put story events into their own words (oral composition).
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students tear construction paper to make characters and arrange a scene, then choose one scene to glue onto paper. Students are instructed to "write or dictate to you what is happening in that scene," combining a visual (torn paper/glue) with spoken or written language. In the Colors in Nature activity, students sketch items into color-labeled boxes when items are too large to collect, producing drawings tied to specific categories.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 (Writing Workshop) instructs the child to draw a picture and write about something he saw or found on his nature walk. It explicitly allows the child to use drawing, words, phrases, complete sentences, or to dictate what he would like to write, showing use of multiple modes (drawing, dictating, writing).
Unit 23: W - George Washington's Birthday
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students cut out and glue a title box labeled "Symbols of the United States" at the top of a piece of construction paper and glue three pictures of national symbols with the correct name beneath each. Students are asked to count the 50 stars and 13 stripes on the flag and to answer why there are 50 stars, providing verbal information about the topic. Students also hear and can repeat brief explanations about why the bald eagle and Statue of Liberty are U.S. symbols.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 directs students to draw a picture showing how they celebrate their birthday and then write or dictate words, phrases, or sentences about how they celebrate. The activity explicitly combines drawing with writing or dictation and asks students to read back their work and consider adding a more descriptive word. The prompt focuses students on the topic of their birthday celebration and on supplying information about that topic.
Unit 24: Q - The Quilt Story
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to compare and contrast the setting and characters at the beginning and end of The Quilt Story using a "Then and Now" Venn diagram and to record their ideas on the page. The Venn diagram is labeled "LONG AGO," "MUCH LATER," and "BOTH," prompting students to name categories and list informational details. Students are also prompted to tell the story back in their own words, providing content they can record.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3 students are asked to draw a picture of an item or a holiday celebration and then "compose and write or dictate a few sentences" about it. The prompts ask students to supply information (e.g., where they got the item, what it looks like, how it makes them feel; how a holiday is celebrated). Students are also asked to read back their writing and add one detail to make their writing more detailed.
Unit 25: X - An Extraordinary Egg
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to page back through the book, find examples of how frogs act like real frogs and how they are fictional, and record each idea on a separate index card. Students dictate their lists and the directions specify making two title cards labeled "Facts about Frogs" and "Fictional Frogs," which names the topic. Students then go back through the cards and decide where to place each card, thereby supplying information about the topic.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to observe and describe a chicken egg using guided prompts (color, size, shape, weight, texture, flexibility, magnetism, float/sink) and to crack the egg and observe its contents, which requires them to supply information about the topic. Students are instructed to make an "extraordinary egg" and to "start thinking about the story behind his extraordinary egg," linking the hands-on artifact to a forthcoming writing activity. The activity prompts students to name the object they are describing (the egg/alligator/chicken distinctions are discussed) and to describe attributes and differences between birds and reptiles.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 directs students to draw the extraordinary egg in their journal and to write or dictate a creative story about the egg and what is inside, which requires drawing and using dictation/writing. The activity also asks students to reread their story and consider adding another detail or a describing word, prompting students to supply additional information about the topic.
Unit 26: Z - Greedy Zebra
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to do online research using the provided zebra facts link and to use the titled 'Zebra Research' graphic organizer with labeled sections (Appearance, Predators, Diet, Habitat) to record information. The optional extension explicitly asks students to draw a picture and/or dictate a "report" about zebras and to use the Zebra Research page to organize that report. The activity also directs students to share their report with family or friends, indicating an intended composed informative product.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3 students are asked to draw a picture of a scene from their favorite book and to "write some words, phrases, or sentences," or to dictate ideas for the teacher to record. Students are prompted to think about characters, the setting, and events as they produce their drawing and writing/dictation. Students then read their writing aloud and identify one thing they like and one idea for improvement, which practices composing and revising their text.
2: Holidays
Unit 27: Halloween
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3, students are asked to draw the two objects in a rhyming pair (or a picture of a room containing them) and produce a written sentence such as "Good night __________ and good night, __________," either by copying the words or by having an adult write the sentence for them. The activity explicitly has students name the two items they are writing about and either copy those words into blanks or have the sentence written for them.
Unit 28: Thanksgiving
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to research turkeys, find five facts, dictate each fact to an adult, and have each fact recorded on a separate feather (Activity 1). Students construct a turkey with those fact-feathers attached and then read the turkey facts aloud. Students are also guided to summarize why Thanksgiving is celebrated, verbally naming the topic and supplying explanatory information.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to offer something they learned about the very first American Thanksgiving, which elicits verbal description. Students are instructed to write or draw pictures on die-cut foods for a cornucopia of thanks, thereby using drawing and writing to record items. Students read about Pocahontas and discuss how her help differed from other Native Americans, which prompts students to talk about informational differences.
Lesson 4
Day 4
In Activity 3 students are asked to write or dictate a note describing why they are thankful for a person, which requires composing an explanatory text. The activity also directs students to decorate the inside with drawings (including a handprint turkey) and to write their own name if possible, allowing for drawing, dictation, and writing. The instructions explicitly tell students to describe why they are thankful, which asks them to supply information about the topic of the note.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 directs students to draw things for which they are grateful and then "write words or sentences, or dictate them, about her pictures," which requires combining drawing with writing or dictation. The task asks the child to sum up her gratitude, which identifies the topic (things for which she is grateful) and prompts her to provide information about those items through words or sentences.
Unit 29: Christmas
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students read informational text about conifers and are asked to tell (oral) three things they learned about real Christmas trees. Students are instructed to draw a picture of a real Christmas tree. The reading and questions about The Christmas Wish prompt students to notice and predict content and discuss the illustrations.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 Option 1 asks the child to draw a picture of his favorite part of celebrating Christmas and then write or dictate a description of how he likes to celebrate, which asks for naming the topic and supplying information about it. Activity 3 Option 2 asks the child to compose a letter to Santa and draw a complementary picture, combining drawing with written composition. Both options explicitly prompt students to produce drawings paired with either writing or dictation.
Unit 30: February Celebrations
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 directs students to create a titled book page using one cloud as the title page with the phrase "[Child's name] Has a Dream!" and to write (or trace) that title. The same activity instructs students to dictate or write 3–5 dreams on remaining clouds, with example sentences such as "I have a dream that all children would have plenty of food to eat." Earlier activities prompt students to discuss why education is important and how Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life showed love and cooperation, providing topical information students can refer to.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 1, students discuss what they would say to the President, dictate their thoughts while an adult records them, and use a website to help organize the letter; they also address and mail the letter. In Activity 2, students create Valentine cards, write TO: _______________ and LOVE, _______________, and write the recipient's name and their own name on the card. Both activities require students to produce written/dictated messages that name a recipient and include some content.
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
Students complete a prompted writing page ('The most important room') that asks them to name the room and write sentences about what it is used for and why it is important. Students are asked to draw a picture of the room on the same page and may dictate their ideas while an adult records them. In Activities 1 and 2 students label rooms and objects, circle items that meet basic needs, and practice handwriting and copying words (option to write or copy after an adult models).
Lesson 2
What Is a Map?
Students draw a map of their room (Activity 3) by drawing the room outline, choosing important objects, and placing or drawing those items in correct locations. Students label map items in Activity 2 (Option 1 and 2) by filling in scrambled words, sounding out words, or writing labels next to pictured objects. Students practice writing relevant words (map, mom, home, house) and may copy or write a sentence using those words in the handwriting activity (Activity 4).
Lesson 3
Guide to Animal Habitats
Students are asked in Activity 5 to choose a habitat and either draw a picture of the habitat or tell a story about visiting it, with specific prompts (What do you see? What would it feel like? Which animals would you see?) that elicit informational responses. In Sorting Plants, Animals, and Insects (Option 2) students can draw and label three plants, animals, and insects, which requires naming items in writing. Activity 4 and the habitat discussions require students to identify and describe what habitats provide, giving opportunities to supply information about the topic orally or visually.
Lesson 4
Animals Live and Grow
Students fill graphic organizers titled by topic (WETLANDS, WOODLANDS, GRASSLANDS, DRYLANDS, and PLANTS) by drawing or writing plants and animals and by listing consumers and energy sources. Students complete the "Plants can... / Plants are... / Plants have..." page where their responses are recorded, which asks them to name the topic (Plants) and supply informational ideas. Option 2 explicitly asks students to write the names of living things they recognize, and Activity 2 asks students to label or paste examples of consumers and their energy sources, combining labeling/writing with cut-and-paste drawing work.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
Students are asked to draw a picture of their favorite animal habitat and add pictures that show what the animals eat and drink, then label the animals and their food and water sources (Activity 3). In Activity 5 (Option 2) students are asked to draw an appropriate habitat surrounding each animal and label each habitat. In several activities (Options 1 and 2 of Identifying Habitats) students write habitat names, add first and last letters, and label pictures of habitats and animals.
Lesson 6
Exploring Animal Habitats
Students draw and label an observed habitat on the 'An Animal Habitat' page, documenting plants, animals, insects, water, and land and answering guided questions about what they see. Students choose an animal, draw or attach its picture, and dictate a written piece on the 'A Day in the ___: A ___' page while an adult records their words. The 'A Day in the ___' page includes sentence starters such as "I am a ___; I live in the ___" and prompts about what the animal eats, drinks, and does, prompting students to name their topic and supply information.
Lesson 7
Tools in My Environment
Students are asked to record the tools they choose on the "Measuring Tools" sheet, and to write or copy the names of those tools, attempting beginning letters and sounding out words as they write. Students answer questions about each tool such as "What is the tool used for?" and "How does the tool work?" during the sorting activity. Students measure three tools, place them beneath rulers, and record the length in inches, thereby supplying factual information about each item.
Lesson 9
Animal Designs
Students are asked in Option 2 to write the name of each habitat and to draw or paste a picture of an animal that lives there, giving practice writing and drawing about a topic. In Activity 2 students analyze habitats, explain why certain animals do not belong, and have their reasons recorded on a separate sheet, which provides dictation of explanatory information. Activity 4 asks students to tell a story that gets recorded and then draw pictures of the animal in correct and wrong habitats, showing use of dictation plus drawing.
Lesson 10
Amazing Animals
Activity 3 explicitly asks students to draw in missing body parts on the math page, providing direct practice with drawing as a mode of expression. Activity 2 asks students to pretend to be animals and explain what they would do in given situations, providing practice with oral explanation/dictation. Activity 1 has students select an animal to learn more about and locate books or websites, which engages students in gathering information about a topic.
Lesson 11
Amazing Me
Activity 3 asks students to think of a time they changed because of their environment, dictate those ideas while an adult records them, and then illustrate the ideas on the same sheet, which gives students practice with dictating and drawing. Option 2 asks students to record emotion words for faces and label four boxes with emotions before drawing corresponding pictures, which gives students a chance to write single words and to draw to convey meaning. The listed skills include "Illustrate a story" and "Read or attempt to read own story," indicating students will produce and read back a personal account.
Final Project
Animal Research / My Environment
Students are directed to draw a picture of the animal and write its name on Page 1, and to "complete the descriptions at the top of each page" for Option 2. Students are asked to shade regions on the globe and fill in the line "The ______ is found in ______," and to provide "What _____ Eats and Drinks," "_____ 's Habitat," and "Interesting Facts about _____," which require students to supply information about the topic. Option 1 and the activity pages prompt students to draw and match illustrations to labeled page headings (e.g., "Me," "What I Eat and Drink").
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 1
Reading the Skies
Students draw pictures for the Weather Calendar and record daily temperatures and sky conditions (Activity 4). Students dictate sentences using each vocabulary word and can write words beneath pictures or match words to pictures (Activity 2, Option 2). Students illustrate or dictate a short explanation about their favorite kind of weather and explain why they like it (Activity 3).
Lesson 2
Types of Precipitation
Students are asked to draw outside scenes of what a child might be doing in each type of precipitation (Activity 2, Option 2) and to label pictures with the correct precipitation words or letters (Activity 2, Option 1 and Option 2). Students practice writing the words rain and round and can write their own sentences or copy sentences containing those words (Activity 6). Students are also asked to record a prediction about the rain experiment (Activity 4), which requires them to put an idea into words.
Lesson 3
Measuring and Charting Weather
Students are asked to write "RAIN" vertically and generate a word or phrase for each letter, with the option for the adult to record (dictate) or let the child write the ideas, which connects to composing text about rain. Students record measured temperatures on the "Measuring Temperature" sheet and mark degrees with a crayon, which practices writing/numeric recording. The wrap-up prompts ask students to give examples of how weather can be measured and how weather helps plants and animals, which elicits informational responses that can be spoken or recorded.
Lesson 4
Simulating Weather
Students are asked to explain orally what happens in the sky to cause rain and to describe how clouds form, which has them name the topic (rain/clouds) and supply information. The wrapping-up prompt asks the child to explain the process, and the extension invites the child to make up his own song about the weather. Students are also asked to follow along and point to words while singing, reinforcing recognition of written words.
Lesson 5
Fall
Students are asked to circle three favorite items in a fall picture, write the names of those items, and use each word in a sentence (Activity 1). The materials allow recording dictated sentences about fall if a child cannot copy them, and students can copy or independently write the sentences provided. Handwriting practice asks students to write the words "fall" and "fun" and to write or copy sentences using those words (Activity 4). The wrap-up asks students to explain what happens to the weather in fall, prompting spoken explanation that can be recorded.
Lesson 6
Winter
Students are asked to dictate a story about something they like to do in the winter and the teacher/parent writes the story at the bottom of the "Let It Snow" page. Students are prompted to illustrate the story in the large box and to attempt to read the story aloud. The student sheet includes the sentence starter "In the winter I _______" and a vocabulary list (cold, snow, freeze) which students are encouraged to use in speech and writing.
Lesson 7
Spring
The lesson asks students to draw illustrations for each poem (Activity 1, both options) and to write their name in a blank in the first poem, providing opportunities for drawing and writing. Option 2 explicitly invites students to write their own spring poem or to dictate a poem while the adult records it, which provides a dictation/writing opportunity. Wrapping up and life-application prompts ask students to describe what seeds need and what happens in spring, supporting oral explanatory responses.
Lesson 8
Summer
Students are prompted to describe summer orally in the introduction, answering questions about the season and activities (dictating/describing). In Activity 2 (Option 2) students fill in blanks in a short passage about a summer trip, may copy words or write initial letters, and are asked to illustrate the completed story (writing + drawing). In Activity 3 students write season names or beginning letters under temperature labels and complete factual sentences such as "______ is the warmest season," supplying informational statements about seasons.
Final Project
Weather Games
Students prepare a three-day "Weather Forecast" in which they answer specific questions (sky, precipitation, temperature, clothing, activities) and record their answers on the Weather Forecast page. Students practice giving the forecast orally to the family and may use prompts to dictate answers while an adult records them. The lesson's skills list includes "Use new vocabulary in speech and writing" and "Make oral presentations," and Activity 1 has students write season names above pictures, showing practice with writing about weather topics.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
Students are asked in Activity 3 to draw a new page for the book showing a unique place in their community and then write or dictate a sentence or two about Charlie visiting that place, combining drawing with writing/dictation. The Life Application directs students to take notes or draw pictures when visiting community places, prompting them to record information about topics they visit. Activity 2 and the handwriting activity give additional practice writing community vocabulary and sentences that name places in the community.
Lesson 2
My Community Environment
In Activity 2 (My Community Poster) students take pictures or use images, label the places on a poster, and are instructed to write or dictate a brief description of how each place serves the community. In Activity 3 students copy the title of each selected book and draw a simple illustration of the community found in each story. Activity 4 has students prepare interview questions, take notes or record a short interview about what people do at a community place, and then discuss those notes.
Lesson 3
Jobs in the Community
Students are prompted to compose a paragraph in Activity 4 ("When I Grow Up") where they complete sentence prompts that begin with naming the topic (e.g., "When I grow up I could be ____") and fill in information about how they would help and what might be hard. The activity explicitly allows students to dictate ideas for an adult to record or to attempt to write their own ideas, and provides a drawing box for students to draw themselves in the role. Activity 5 directs students to record one simple sentence about how each worker helps, encouraging them to say sentences aloud and attempt to write words they can sound out.
Lesson 4
Goods and Services in the Community
Students are asked to name important places in the community and explain how each place helps people, prompting oral naming of a topic and supplying information. Students cut out cards, match buildings to goods or services, glue the pairs on construction paper, and title the sheet "Community Services," which has them label the topic and show connections between topic and facts. Students are prompted at wrap-up to describe goods and services offered and to explain why people have jobs and what they do with money, eliciting explanatory responses.
Lesson 5
Resources
Students are asked to draw one natural resource and one manmade resource (Activity 1), which provides a drawing component of composition. In Activity 3 students gather three natural and three manmade resources and are asked to explain how each resource is used, where it is found, and/or write a sentence about the resources, which invites dictating and writing informative/explanatory content. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to explain the difference between natural and manmade resources, and the counting activities require students to label items as "N" or "M" and write numbers, providing additional opportunities to name topics and record information.
Lesson 6
A Good Community Citizen
Students are asked in Activity 3 to draw or paste pictures of each family member, write the name beneath each picture, and then describe examples of good citizenship beneath the name; they may dictate observations while an adult records them. Activity 2 (Option 2) asks students to draw three things family members do in a good environment and three things in a not-good environment and to label each picture as they explain what is happening. Activity 1 prompts students to explain how they decided whether actions demonstrate good citizenship, eliciting spoken explanatory language tied to the drawings and labels.
Lesson 7
A Citizen with Character
Students draw and then write or dictate a sentence for the beginning, middle, and end of The Boy Who Cried Wolf (Option 1 and Option 2), combining drawing with writing or dictation. Students fold paper and record actions and corresponding consequences, writing descriptions and drawing arrows to show cause and effect (Activity 6). Students complete prompts such as "I am respectful when I __" and list jobs with spaces to write or draw completion and quality (Activity 1 and Activity 2), naming the topic (respect/responsibility) and supplying information about it.
Lesson 8
Rules and Laws
Students are asked to record six household rules on sentence strips and paste them on a poster, which requires them to produce written items about a topic (Activity 1). Students are asked to justify which rule is most important and to number/order the rules, prompting them to supply reasons for their choices. Students are asked to make a list of 3–5 rules that would make the house better and to discuss those rules with family members (Activity 3).
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
Activity 3 asks students to identify three things that make their community happy and healthy and allows them to take pictures, draw pictures, or make a video and then share and explain why they chose these items, which provides opportunities for drawing and oral explanation (dictating). Activity 7 has students practice writing the letter C and copy sentences containing words like "care" and "citizen," giving explicit handwriting and writing practice. Activity 5 asks students to draw a picture to say "thank you" and Activity 6 asks students to write a song encouraging helping, both of which engage composing with pictures or words.
Final Project
I Can Make A Difference
The activity page provides a large drawing box, explicit sentence starters for writing ("I am planning to __," "The first thing I will do is __," etc.), and instructions that students can dictate ideas while an adult records them. Students are directed to write about their experience at the bottom of the plan sheet and to complete reflection sentence starters such as "I helped __ with __" and "I made my community a better place because __." Students also check off steps as they carry out the plan, producing a sequence of informational steps.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 1
Describe It
Activity 3 (Option 2) directs students to write descriptive words beneath pictures and to add two additional words, which has students produce written descriptions. Activity 2 extension asks students to write the words (or beginning letters) that describe how objects are similar and different, prompting students to record information about a named topic. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence that describes something that was in the bag, which requires naming an object and supplying descriptive information in a written sentence.
Lesson 2
Animal Attributes
Students practice writing names of living and nonliving objects in the Living and Nonliving Option 2 activity and add two additional names to each list. In Animal Parts Option 2 students write the name of the body part that helps each animal move, and in Body Coverings Option 2 students write animal names into labeled categories and add examples. Students also draw missing legs in Animal Parts Option 1 and are invited to draw an additional animal for each body-covering category as an extension.
Lesson 3
Size, Shape, and Color
Students are asked to draw or write an example object for each shape on the 'The Shape of Things' activity page, providing space to name or depict items. Students are prompted to describe an object's size, shape, and color when comparing two spoons, which elicits verbal description (dictation). Students are asked at the end to describe what they learned about mixing colors and to name and describe the shapes they examined, supporting explanatory talk about a topic.
Lesson 4
How Does It Feel?
Students orally describe objects while an adult records the words they use (Intro), which provides an instance of dictation. Activity 3 asks students to write or copy a sentence about an object's texture: "______ feels ________", which requires them to name the object and supply information about it. The student activity pages have students copy or paste texture words beneath pictures and, in the advanced option, record two words and generate a new describing word for each object, showing practice with writing descriptive information.
Lesson 5
How Old?
Students are asked to draw and label each animal on an index card and write its average life span (Activity 3), which requires drawing and writing to record information about a topic. In Activity 2 (Option 2) students are asked to paste age numbers beside pictures and write a question for each person, and in Option 1 students are asked to record names and questions for pictured people and connect ages to pictures. The handwriting activity and practice with words like "old" and "order" provide additional opportunities for students to write about the unit vocabulary.
Lesson 6
The Measure of Things
Students are prompted to complete fill-in-the-blank sentences such as "The ___ is longer than the ___" and "The longest item is the ___," which require naming objects and stating information about length. The Activity 1 page explicitly allows students to draw pictures of the items or write the word for the sentences, showing use of drawing and writing. Students record estimates and actual measurements on the length and capacity pages and answer questions (e.g., which glass is longest, order from heaviest to lightest) that require supplying information about measured attributes.
Lesson 8
Amazing Attributes
Students are asked to record predictions and results for objects on the "Magnetic or Not?" activity page, filling in the Prediction and Results columns. Students label a sheet "sink" and "float," place or write objects on the appropriate side, and compare those records to photos taken of their arrangements. The Skills section explicitly lists that students should "use words that describe in speech and writing," indicating opportunities for verbal and written description of observations.
Lesson 9
Solids and Liquids
Students are asked to write the definitions for "Solid" and "Liquid" on the Solid or Liquid page, directly naming what they are writing about. Students sort and paste pictures into columns labeled "Definition" and "Examples," producing labeled informational organizers. The Student Activity Page explicitly prompts students to provide definitions and examples for each topic, and students label construction paper "Solids" and "Liquids" when classifying items.
Lesson 10
Earth Materials: Rocks, Soil, and Water
Activity 7 has students create an "Earth Materials" book with three two-page spreads titled Dirt, Rocks, and Water; students are instructed to write properties of dirt and water, label rock types, glue names and images, and draw three places water can be found. Day 3 also asks students to "record his ideas on paper" about places water is found, and earlier activities ask students to describe how dirt looks, feels, and smells and to compare two soil samples. The cover and spreads require students to name the topic areas (Dirt, Rocks, Water) and add an author/illustrator name.
Lesson 11
Using Earth Materials
Students are asked to keep a Water Log and they may "record them, or she can dictate them while you record them," which gives explicit practice with dictation and recording. Students are asked to "keep a list of what you find" during a rock scavenger hunt and to take photos and "make a collage," which provides opportunities to create visual records and simple written lists.
Final Project
Presenting Attributes
Students are asked to create a poster that includes drawings or pictures of Earth materials and to use words and sentences on the poster; the instructions explicitly allow students to dictate their ideas for recording. The project requires students to select at least five attributes and to explain how those attributes help find similarities and differences, and students practice presenting their explanations aloud. The demonstration option has students decide what they will say about each attribute, record those ideas, and practice presenting them to an audience.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students are asked in Activity 3 (Option 2) to dictate four sentences describing a sensing experience and how they used the primary sense and sense organ; the teacher records these sentences and students illustrate the experience and label the sense and sense organ. Activity 3 (Option 1) has students write the name of their favorite sense and draw themselves using that sense. Activity 4 requires students to write or copy a sentence about a sense and sense organ (example: "I smell with my nose.").
Lesson 3
Smelling and Tasting
Students illustrate or record foods by taste when they fold construction paper into four columns and label them sweet, bitter, sour, and salty (Activity 3), providing a drawing/writing connection. Students collect survey data on the activity page, recording Y/N responses and totaling likes and dislikes for each flavor (Activity 2), which requires them to write information about taste preferences. Students are asked to write a sentence about the survey results on handwriting paper (Activity 4) and to give oral responses that an adult records during smell/taste guessing (Activity 1), showing opportunities for writing and dictation tied to the topic.
Lesson 4
Hearing and Seeing
Students are asked to describe experiences and have their thoughts recorded after the blindfold walking activity (Activity 4), which demonstrates dictation of their explanatory ideas. Students choose a noisy place, tell a description emphasizing sounds, and have those ideas recorded and read back (Activity 5), showing they generate informative descriptions about a topic. Students practice writing words and sentences with 'eyes' and 'ears' (Activity 8), indicating some independent writing of topic-related information.
Lesson 5
Touch
Students draw and label two of their own objects on the Touch Chart and check adjectives that apply, which requires naming items and recording descriptive information. In Activity 3 students create a sensory painting, are asked to describe their painting, and give it a title (an opportunity for dictating or verbal explanation). In Activity 5 students practice writing the words touch and taste and write each word in a sentence, which practices writing connected text.
Lesson 6
Experimenting With Our Senses
Students are asked to record descriptions of each drink on index cards before and after the blindfolded taste test (Activity 1), which has them name the drink being described and supply sensory information. Activity 3 has students tell a story about a time they ate or drank their favorite flavor while an adult records (dictation), and Activity 4 explicitly instructs students to write or dictate and copy a sentence about something they smelled or tasted today. The Skills section also lists using descriptive words in speech and writing, supporting the practice of composing informational text about sensory experiences.
Lesson 7
Using All of Our Senses
Students are asked to record observations on the Nature Walk chart by drawing, writing, or dictating what they hear, see, smell, and feel. Activity 4 directs students to write or copy a sentence about something they observed on the nature walk. The activities also prompt students to answer aloud (e.g., "If someone asked you what you found on your walk, what would you say?"), supporting spoken-to-written composition.
Lesson 8
Writing About Our Senses
Students are asked to write a report about popcorn with fill-in-the-blank sentences that name the topic (popcorn) and supply sensory information (felt before/after, sounded, smells, tastes). Students draw the popcorn before and after popping in labeled boxes, providing a drawing component to their report. Activity 4 instructs students to write or dictate and copy a sentence describing the popcorn, and Activity 3 has students illustrate an event and write a sensing word, phrase, or sentence for each sense.
Final Project
A Sensible Party
Students use the Party Planner sheets to record ideas in a table labeled by the five senses, writing 'Ideas' and 'Supplies' for each sense. Students are instructed to plan three games with lines for writing details and to check off gathered supplies, which requires them to compose written lists and descriptions. Students can make invitations that include the place, date, and time, which requires naming the event and supplying logistical information. The wrap-up questions prompt students to explain what they learned about their senses, which could be answered in writing or orally.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Students answer guided questions on the "You Are Special" page and write their responses (e.g., name, where they live, hair/eye color, things that make them happy or sad). Students complete a fill-in-the-blank paragraph using their answers, read their story aloud, and share it with others. In the numbers activity some students are asked to write full sentences with numbers (e.g., "I am six years old."), and handwriting practice asks students to write the word "unique."
Lesson 2
Physical Characteristics
Students draw or add missing physical characteristics on Activity 1 (cutting, coloring, or drawing features) and on Option 2 are prompted to draw eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hands, and feet. In Activity 3 students dictate a three-part story and illustrate the beginning, middle, and end, with the teacher recording one sentence per part. In Activity 4 students write a sentence on handwriting paper that describes one of their physical characteristics ("I have _________").
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Students draw self-portraits and write their names in the center of a web and then write or paste personality words that describe themselves and a friend (Activity 2). Students record and illustrate main characters from a movie or cartoon and write two words to describe each character's personality (Activity 3). Students circle and explain vocabulary words that describe personality and answer prompts about what they like most about their personality (Activity 1).
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
Students are asked in Activity 1 to select a hobby and "dictate and then copy or to write a few sentences that describe her hobby to someone who is not familiar with it," which requires naming the topic and supplying information. In Activity 2 students complete the "My Interest" sheet by recording their interest on the first blank line and answering prompts about what they already know, what they learned, and questions they have, with the teacher writing dictated answers if needed. In Activity 3 students interview three people using the "Hobby Survey" questions and record responses, practicing informative description about others' hobbies.
Lesson 5
Shapesville
Students draw and color a chosen shape and draw their face or paste a picture on the shape (Activity 2 and 3). Students dictate a short description of their personality and interests and are encouraged to record those ideas on the ‘What Is Your Shape?' page, which includes lines for name, shape, color, physical characteristic, personality trait, hobby, and interest. Students are asked to write or copy a sentence describing an interest or personality trait (Activity 4) and to share or read their descriptions aloud to family members.
Lesson 6
Different Families
Students are prompted to complete sentence stems such as "My family is similar to a family from _______ because we both _______" and "My family is different from a family from _______ because we _______, but they _______." Students are asked to draw a picture of their family and draw a picture of a family from another country in the same activity page, and the Venn diagram option asks students to list similarities and differences and illustrate them. The lesson's listed skills include "Dictate ideas and responses," "Complete sentences," and "Attempt to write words and sentences using inventive spelling," which indicates students will use dictation and writing alongside drawing.
Lesson 7
Different Homes
Students sketch a "dream home" (Activity 3) and may construct it with materials, which provides a drawing component. Students are asked to "write a sentence about his home" in Activity 4, providing an opportunity to produce written text that names or describes a home. In Activity 2 students record country names above homes and add visual details, which has students label and add informational details to drawings.
Lesson 8
Different Holidays and Traditions
Activity 3 asks students to draw themselves celebrating a favorite holiday and to write three sentences explaining what they enjoy about the holiday, with an option to dictate sentences for an adult to record and then copy. Activity 5 directs students to create a Book of Holidays where each page must include the name of the holiday, month/date, and a sentence about the holiday; students may draw pictures, dictate sentences, or attempt to write them. The lesson provides sentence stems (e.g., "On ___ we celebrate by ___" and "___ is important because ___") that guide students to supply information about the topic.
Lesson 9
Different Modes of Transportation
Students draw a picture of themselves taking a mode of transportation and then tell a story about the trip while an adult records the story (Activity 3), providing drawing plus dictation. Students are prompted to write or copy a sentence about a mode of transportation they have taken (Activity 4). Option 2 of Activity 2 asks students to draw and write the mode of transportation for travel scenarios, and Activity 1 has students label modes and talk about where they went, reinforcing naming the topic and supplying simple information.
Lesson 10
Wants and Needs
Students draw and label items in Activity 5 (Meeting Needs), providing pictures of water, shelter, food, clothing, education, love/care, and health. Students take a Wants and Needs survey in Activity 4, drawing or writing items named by four people and placing them on webs that are labeled "wants" and "needs." Students are asked in Activity 2 to write (or dictate while the adult records) how it felt to give away toys and clothes, and in Activity 3 to make lists of wants and needs and explain which is more important.
Lesson 11
Being Part of a Group
Students are asked to draw a picture of members of a group in a large box and then complete a prompted paragraph with items such as "One group I belong to is ________________." and "The group does ________________." The activity explicitly allows students to dictate their ideas to an adult to record or to attempt to fill in the blanks themselves. Students are encouraged to read the paragraph when finished, linking drawing, dictation, writing, and reading into a single task.
Final Project
Differences Make the World Go 'Round
Students are asked to create a book comparing themselves and a child from another country, with a cover that names the two children ('A story about (name) and (name)'). Student Activity Pages provide sentence stems ('I live in...', 'I like to eat ____', 'My hobby is ____') and large boxes for drawing or writing. The instructions explicitly encourage the child to write the sentences herself and to illustrate pages by drawing or pasting pictures, and the pages prompt students to supply information about location, food, hobbies, homes, clothing, transportation, holidays, and similarities.
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 1
What Is a Pattern?
Students are asked to draw their own bug patterns (Activity 2) and to use the "Drawing Bugs" page to guide their pictures, providing explicit drawing practice. Activity 7 asks students to write or copy three sentences that describe a pattern using sentence frames: "First, there is _____. Next there is _______. Then there is _______." Activity 4 and Option 2 prompt students to name objects in a pattern in order and to describe patterns using sequence language ("First..., Next...") which supports composing explanatory descriptions.
Lesson 3
What Comes Next?
Students are asked to draw radiating patterns (Activity 2) and to illustrate what would come next in Bug Patterns (Activity 3), which provides practice using drawing to show understanding. Students cut, glue, and label pattern pieces with A, B, or C (Option 1 & 2), which involves writing labels and copying symbols. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence question about patterns, giving direct handwriting/writing practice.
Lesson 4
Extending a Pattern
Students are asked in Activity 4 to copy or write a sentence on handwriting paper about a pattern they made, which requires composing a written statement about a topic. Option 2 invites students to write the names of the objects they used for patterns on a separate sheet of paper, which has students label and name elements of their work. Option 1 and the student pages have prompts that require students to complete sentences or fill in blanks about the pattern sequences, guiding them to identify pattern elements in written form.
Lesson 5
Making Color Patterns
Students are asked to describe the patterns they create verbally (Activity 1) and to represent patterns with color words or first letters (e.g., Y, R, Y, R) on a separate sheet. Students cut/trace leaves and create visual patterns with stickers and beads, providing opportunities to produce drawings or physical representations of their work. Activity 3 asks students to write or copy a sentence that describes something they created today.
Lesson 6
Shapes and Patterns
Students are asked to "write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper about a pattern he found today" (Activity 3). Multiple activities require students to describe patterns aloud, label shapes with A, B, or C, and explain the order of shapes (Activities 1, 2, 4). Students also trace and color shapes and practice writing the words "shape, color, and size," which provide opportunities for drawing and written labeling.
Lesson 8
Creating and Writing About Patterns
Students are prompted to illustrate patterns (drawing) and write the first letters or whole words for pattern elements in Activity 1 (AABB, ABAB, ABC sections). Activity 5 provides sentence frames that ask students to compose explanations: "This pattern is made up of ____, ____ and ____," fill First–Eighth, and prompts like "This is a ____ pattern." Activity 7 asks students to write or copy two or three sentences that describe a pattern they made, and Activity 3 has students practice sequence words (first, then, next).
Final Project
Patterns Poster or Patterns Presentation
Students are asked to label sections with the type of pattern and to record the materials that will be used beside each pattern, which requires naming the topic and supplying information about materials. The Script for Presentation provides lines for students to write the words they will use and to describe each pattern (e.g., a prompt to describe a color pattern and blanks for the third–seventh patterns). Students are prompted to discuss each pattern and to make a presentation or poster that demonstrates and explains the seven pattern types.
Unit 2: Patterns in Sounds, Words, and Actions
Lesson 1
Word Patterns
Students are asked to copy or dictate the names of animals from the text and to identify the habitat where each animal lives (Activity 4), which has them write or dictate labels and factual associations. Students can draw habitat pictures and draw the animals (Activity 4 extension) and record rhyming words or write a sentence on handwriting paper (Activity 2 and Activity 5), providing opportunities to use drawing, dictating, and writing. Several activities require students to label, record, or sort information about animals and words, linking names to factual details.
Lesson 2
Making Word Patterns
Students are asked to create a book of rhyming sentences: they complete sentences, fold and glue pages, put a title "It's Time to Rhyme," and name themselves as the author. Students are asked to come up with two of their own sentences that contain rhyming words and to cut/paste word families onto index cards, practicing writing and organizing word lists. Students are also asked to identify and record rhyming words from picture books and to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper that contains two rhyming words.
Lesson 4
Sentence Patterns
Students construct sentences by selecting nouns and verbs from word lists and filling sentence starters (Making Sentences activities), then read the sentences aloud. Students dictate sentences that an adult writes and copy sentences onto handwriting paper, and they underline the noun and circle the verb (Acting Out Sentence Patterns, Handwriting). Students complete sentence-pattern worksheets by choosing or writing appropriate nouns and verbs and identify nouns and verbs in sentences from books (Completing a Sentence Pattern, Sentences in Books).
Lesson 5
Story Patterns
Students are asked to describe and write or illustrate their morning routine, selecting the 3–4 most important activities, which asks them to name a topic and supply information about it. In Activity 2 (both options) students illustrate beginning/middle/end boxes and are asked to write or dictate a sentence for each part. Activity 3 and Activity 4 prompt students to dictate a story, illustrate story boxes, and copy or write a sentence from their created story, combining drawing, dictation, and writing.
Lesson 6
Sound Patterns
Students are asked to record sound patterns on the Student Activity Page (Pattern/Repeat sections) and to create their own pattern, providing explicit space for writing. Activity 4 directs students to write on handwriting paper about a sound pattern using a starter sentence: "I heard a pattern that went...". Activity 2 requires students to record the number of times each sound repeats in a pattern, which involves writing information about the topic.
Lesson 7
Making Sound and Action Patterns
Activity 4 directs the child to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper that describes a pattern she made today, which requires students to produce written text about a topic. Option pages present sound words and pictures that students cut out and arrange to form patterns, providing practice with topic-related vocabulary and words describing the patterns. The wrap-up asks the child to explain what a sound pattern and an action pattern are and to demonstrate examples, which prompts verbal explanation about the topic.
Final Project
Patterns Video
Students are asked to write or dictate a script on four "Video Script" pages where they record the type of pattern, where they found or made it, the parts of the pattern, and how the parts create the pattern. The activity pages prompt students to name the pattern ("This is a __ pattern") and supply information about its elements and sequence ("It is made of..., First comes..., Then..."). Students practice explaining each pattern aloud and recording a video, and the skills list includes using props and pictures to support spoken messages.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 1
Patterns in Nature
Students identify and describe the pattern in each picture after a read-aloud of Pattern (Activity 1), answering questions about patterns they have or have not seen. Students cut and paste pattern samples onto animals or draw patterns directly on animal illustrations (Activity 2), and students draw 3–5 favorite nature patterns and label them (Activity 3). Students practice writing by copying or writing a sentence from the reading on handwriting paper (Activity 4).
Lesson 2
Patterns of Growth
Students draw a plant in three labeled observation boxes and are instructed to "draw the plant every few days and write a sentence to record its growth," providing opportunities to combine drawing with sentence writing. The Student Activity Page includes space for drawings and four lines under each drawing for students to write sentences that describe how the plant is changing. Activity 4 asks students to cut, order, and illustrate stages of growth for a plant, person, and animal, which asks students to represent and explain growth sequences in pictures and captions.
Lesson 3
Night and Day
Activity 3 instructs students to draw a picture of something they do during the day and then record or dictate a few sentences that explain the activity; a parallel "At Night" page asks for the same combination of drawing and sentences. The Student Activity Pages provide space for a drawing and three lines for text, supporting students in producing both illustrations and written/dictated explanations. The Skills section lists writing-related skills (write letters, record dominant consonant letters, write from left to right), which supports students practicing written composition.
Lesson 4
Daily Routines
Students are asked in Activity 2 to fill in a title for a routine and to break the routine into four steps, dictating a sentence about each step or writing on the lines and illustrating each step. Activity 4 asks students to write or dictate and copy a sentence that describes one of their routines. Activity 3 asks students to record activities in words or simple symbols and to write the time when each activity occurs, and Activity 1 provides a blank space for students to add (draw or write) something from their own morning routine.
Lesson 5
Calendar Patterns
In Activity 1, students fill in days and then dictate or record their scheduled daily activities, practicing dictation and writing to describe what happens on each day. In Activity 4, students record family activities on a calendar and may draw symbols to represent events, then identify patterns (weekly, biweekly, monthly). In Activity 3, students practice writing the date with day of week, month, and year repeatedly.
Lesson 6
Seasonal Weather Patterns
Students write today's date and select/circle the weather on a laminated calendar, and they copy the months on handwriting paper. Students cut apart and order the seasons, fill in missing season names on the activity sheet, and complete pattern sequences. Students record weather words beneath the season that each month describes on the "Weather Patterns" sheet, matching months to seasons and labeling weather (cold, warm, cool, hot).
Lesson 7
Patterns at Home
Students are asked to describe patterns they find in Activity 1 after reading the Pattern book, which engages them in spoken description or dictation. Activity 4 has students draw shirt and plate patterns, giving them a drawing component to represent a topic. Activity 5 asks students to write or dictate and then copy a sentence that describes a pattern found in their closet, prompting them to name what they are writing about and supply information about that pattern.
Lesson 8
Symmetrical Patterns
Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence about a symmetrical figure: "________ has _________ lines of symmetry," which requires naming a topic and supplying information. Activity 2 and Activity 3 have students draw lines of symmetry, fold shapes, and create symmetrical art so students produce drawings that relate to the topic. The Introduction and Wrapping Up prompt students to describe patterns and give examples verbally, which provides opportunities for dictation or oral explanation.
Lesson 9
Counting Patterns
Activity 4 asks students to "write or dictate and then copy a sentence on handwriting paper about the clowns in the car," and directs students to identify the subject and verb in that sentence. Activity 3 has students tell their own story about clowns (oral composition) and record the numbers as the story continues. The student activity pages and cut-and-place clown materials give students a pictured topic to name and refer to when composing and dictating their sentence.
Lesson 10
Tracing Patterns
Students are asked to write or copy a sentence about their favorite holiday (Activity 4). Students trace and draw shapes for holiday patterns and are asked to identify the holiday associated with each pattern (Activity 2). Students are prompted to explain verbally how a pattern can be used in art and to explain how to use a traced pattern or a stencil (Wrapping Up and Activity 3). Students are encouraged to tell a story about objects they create with attribute blocks (Activity 1), providing opportunities for oral composition.
Lesson 11
Patterns in Graphs
Students are asked in Activity 4 to write a sentence on handwriting paper that describes whether an object was able to sink or float, which requires naming the object and stating information about it (sink or float). In Activity 2 students record sink/float results on a chart (writing S or F or words) and could write in their own object, giving brief explanatory information. Activities 1 and 3 ask students to describe patterns in graphs and charts (e.g., identify ABAB, AABB), which requires them to state what the graph or chart is about and supply information about its pattern.
Final Project
Patterns All Around Lapbook
Students create six mini-books in which they draw and write titles (e.g., writing "Symmetrical Pattern" on the one-page book and "Pattern in Nature" on the matchbook). In the 3-flap book students label and show stages of growth (baby/child/adult or seed/plant/flower), and in the wheel and fan books students illustrate and label the four seasons and days of the week. The Skills list explicitly includes "Record or dictate knowledge on a topic," and instructions ask students to draw, paste, or copy examples and to label pages, combining drawing, writing, and (implicitly) dictation.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 1
What Causes Change?
Students draw a picture of an item before it changed and after it changed in Activity 3 using the two labeled "before" and "after" boxes. Students complete sentence prompts such as "Once I saw ______ change," "______ changed because ______," and "The change happened over a ______ amount of time," which require naming the topic and supplying explanatory information. The Skills section and Activity 3 instruct students to read or attempt to read their own dictated story and to express ideas through writing and conversation, indicating use of dictation alongside drawing and writing.
Lesson 2
What Changed?
Students are asked to "record a sentence" to describe examples after Activity 2, giving them an opportunity to write about changes. The wrapping up asks students to explain different ways change can happen and give an example of each type, providing an oral explanatory opportunity. The extension asks students to describe the cause of a change and whether it is positive or negative, which prompts explanatory description.
Lesson 3
Changing Position
Students label pages "Push," "Pull," and "Push and Pull" and are asked to draw or write toy names on each sheet (Activity 4), which requires them to use drawing and writing to represent topic-related information. Students record ideas and make lists of non-human causes of movement (Activity 5) and locate words in the index and copy sentences from the book (Activity 1), giving additional opportunities to write about force-related topics. Students sort pictures of actions into push and pull categories (Activity 2), practicing categorization and linking examples to topic labels.
Lesson 4
Changes in the Environment
Students are asked to illustrate or write two sentences about a time when weather caused them to change an activity (Activity 1), which requires drawing and writing about an environmental topic. Students are asked to write or copy a sentence about their favorite season (Activity 4), giving them a chance to produce a written statement about a topic. Students are asked to describe and explain changes in the natural environment and how those changes affect people's activities during the Wrapping Up, which prompts explanatory responses.
Lesson 5
Changes in Location
Students complete sentence frames such as "The cat is ___ the door" and Option 2 of Activity 1 requires students to write an entire prepositional phrase after the subject. Activity 2 (Option 2) prompts students to move the mouse and then "write simple sentence[s] describing the mouse's location." Activity 3 asks students to record three or four sentences that describe relationships of objects (for example, "The bush is beside the tree").
Lesson 6
Changes in the Sky
Students are prompted to list adjectives and phrases inside labeled images of the Sun and the Moon, either by writing or dictating while an adult records their words. The student activity pages provide space for drawing and adding content about the Sun and Moon. In Wrapping Up, students are asked to describe how objects in the sky change positions, naming Earth rotation and Moon/Earth revolutions.
Lesson 7
Living Things Change
Students draw or paste pictures to show a living thing before and after a change (Activity 3 instructs folding paper into four boxes and illustrating or cutting pictures of changes). Students observe pictures and describe changes, circle words that describe the change, and decide whether changes are fast or slow (Activity 2). Students write or copy a sentence that describes how something changes in size (Activity 4).
Lesson 8
Plants and Change
Students are asked in Option 2 to draw and label a plant, using a word box for spelling (drawing plus writing labels). Students are asked at the end to list the parts of a plant on handwriting paper and to describe what plants need in order to grow and change (writing informational statements). Students record predictions for the plant experiment and later compare observations, which requires them to write explanatory notes about expected and observed outcomes.
Lesson 9
Heat Causes Change
Students draw the three states of water on the "Ice, Water, Steam" activity page and label each picture "ice," "water," and "steam," which names the topic. Students record measurements and observations about the burning candle over time and are asked to write or copy a sentence about something they observed (Activity 4). Students are prompted orally to explain how heat caused changes during wrap-up and life application discussions, providing opportunities for spoken explanation.
Lesson 11
People Change the Environment
Activity 1 asks the child to brainstorm positive and negative ways humans change the environment and to dictate ideas while an adult records them on a page titled "Positive Change" and "Negative Change," which gives students practice in dictating ideas and naming the topic. Activity 3 requires students to describe what is happening in each illustration, explain how it is changing the environment, and decide whether the change is positive, negative, or neutral, which asks students to supply explanatory information. The recycling sorting activity asks students to classify items into recycle or trash bins, reinforcing informational choices about materials.
Final Project
Mobile of Change
Students are asked to write the word "CHANGES" on the construction-paper hanger and to draw or paste examples of change in paired "before" and "after" boxes, which names the topic and provides information visually. Student activity pages include grids labeled by category (Animal Change, Plant Change, Physical Change, Chemical Change) with space for students to write or draw observations, supporting informative content creation. The wrapping-up directions ask students to explain their mobile to family members and to explain how each part is an example of change, which elicits oral explanatory practice.
Unit 2: Characters Change
Lesson 1
What's in a Name
Students are asked to identify three characteristics of Chrysanthemum early and three at the end and to "write a few short sentences about how the character changed," which requires composing explanatory sentences about a named topic. Students complete "My name is" on the Capitalizing Names page and place letters of their own name on petals in the Name Craft, which has them write and spell their name. Students interpret feeling phrases and then illustrate Chrysanthemum's face, providing drawing evidence tied to understanding the topic.
Lesson 2
Why Worry?
Students complete a "Characters Change" activity page that asks them to write how Wemberly was at the beginning and at the end, fill in "Before Wemberly was ____, but now she is ____," and answer "Wemberly changed because...," providing written information about the topic. The activity pages provide lines and bullet-point space for students to write descriptions and reasons, and the wrap-up asks students to state which story they preferred and explain why, prompting explanatory writing. Students also combine sentences with conjunctions, practicing writing coherent sentences that convey information.
Lesson 3
Is It a Problem?
Students are prompted to illustrate the problem at different points in the story (Activity 1 "The Problem"), providing a drawing task. In Activity 2 "Tackling a Problem" students complete labeled sections such as "My Problem," "Why does the problem worry me?", "What is within my control?", and "What steps can I take to tackle my problem?", and are encouraged to "write it down" while receiving assistance as needed. Additional pages (Using 'Or', Characters Change) require students to write or fill in descriptive phrases, reinforcing written expression about a named topic.
Lesson 4
Comparing Characters
Students are asked to dictate two story summaries (one-sentence beginning, one-sentence middle, one-sentence end) into the "Two Stories, Same Problem" activity page, and the page is labeled with the specific story names for each summary. Multiple activity pages ask students to write lines in Venn diagrams and cause-and-effect matching, showing students supply information about characters and events. The "My Favorite Story" and "I Change" pages require students to draw a picture and write sentences ("Think Write 3 complete sentences" and lines for reasons), combining drawing and written explanation.
Lesson 5
The Raft
Students complete the "Characters Change" page where they write words or phrases describing how the boy was at the beginning and end and answer "The boy changed because __," which requires naming the topic (the boy) and supplying information about the change. Students complete the "Story Elements" activity by gluing titles and supplying the character, setting, problem, and solution for each story, which has them identify and record informational details about a topic. Students also decorate their rafts by drawing three symbols that should signify something important about themselves so that someone finding the raft would learn about them, showing use of drawing to convey factual/personal information.
Lesson 6
Positive and Negative Change
In Activity 3 students are asked to illustrate a personal situation (drawing the cause and effect of a change) and then to "write or dictate a sentence or two to describe the change, whether it was positive or negative, and what choices he made". In Activity 2 students dictate an ending for the rat story and have that ending recorded and read aloud while discussing how and why the rat changed. The lesson also prompts students to use "interesting words" to describe feelings and events, supporting informative/explanatory language use.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 1
People and Families Change
Students are asked to write a sentence about one way they have changed or to dictate that sentence and then copy it (Activity 3), which requires writing or dictating information about a topic. In Activity 5 students dictate ideas about how the family has changed while an adult records them, then fill in the "Writing About Change" sheet and illustrate the changes in the provided boxes. The Student Activity Page prompts (e.g., "My family used to look very different. In the past my family ________," "The biggest change I see is ________," "Now my family is ________") require students to name the topic (my family) and supply information about how it changed. The activities explicitly allow students to use drawing, dictating, and writing (illustrations in boxes, dictated ideas recorded, and written responses).
Lesson 2
Understanding Time
Students complete the 'Yesterday I / Today I / Tomorrow I will' boxes by writing or drawing about events, which requires them to name the topic (yesterday/today/tomorrow) and supply information about each. The lesson asks students to record today's, yesterday's, and tomorrow's dates on a sheet of paper and to complete sentences about things they did, are doing, or will do. The introduction and activities prompt students to talk about past, present, and future events, connecting spoken ideas to written or drawn responses.
Lesson 3
Communities Change
Students are asked in Activity 7 to write a sentence about The House on Maple Street or to dictate a sentence for copying, which provides direct practice in writing and dictation. Activity 5 asks students to draw themselves in a historical time period and to draw two objects they would have used, giving practice with drawing to represent information. The lesson skills also note using pictures to support written and spoken language and collecting/organizing information, which aligns with composing using multiple modes.
Lesson 4
Past and Present
Students draw themselves living in a chosen past time period and then dictate a story about an adventure in that time period (Activity 2). Students complete compare/contrast pages by drawing a historical child and themselves and dictate responses to prompts such as "One thing the young person did is" and "One way the young person is different from me is" (Activity 4). Students dictate five clues about a time period to describe it to others (Activity 7) and are asked to write (or dictate and then copy) a sentence describing how life in the past was different than today (Activity 8).
Lesson 5
Exploring the Past
Students are instructed in Activity 1 to "draw and write or dictate descriptions" about elements of culture after examining pages on homes, clothes, food, and transport. In Activity 4 students are asked to "write one sentence about each element of culture" for a chosen culture, draw an illustration for each sentence, assemble the pages into a book, and give a presentation. The provided student activity pages include lined areas and large blank rectangles for writing/drawing, supporting composing informative text with illustrations.
Lesson 6
Predicting Future Change
Students are prompted to dictate a description of a personal change on the "A Change in Me" page and to draw a before-and-after picture, providing explicit opportunities to use drawing and dictation together. Students are asked to write or copy a sentence about a change in their life in the Handwriting activity and to record sentences that describe one positive change and one negative change and their results in Activity 2. Multiple student activity pages provide lines and prompts for students to name the change in given scenarios and to explain how that change will affect people or things in the future.
Lesson 7
People of the Past
Activity 4 asks the child to write a sentence on handwriting paper about a historical person she learned about, which requires composing a written statement naming a person and giving some information. Activity 1 prompts students to answer questions about what the historical person did to make a positive change, eliciting informative content. Activity 3 asks the child to write down ideas for making a positive change, providing another instance of writing to record information.
Final Project
My Past, Present and Future
Students are prompted to create a book or comparison pages where they draw and either write or dictate sentences about past, present, and future (e.g., prompts: "I was different because", "Now I am", "In the future I will be", "My family was different in the past because..."). The directions explicitly tell students they can "write or dictate the sentence 'In the past __________'" and to illustrate each side, and the activity pages provide spaces for drawings alongside lines for writing. The guidance also notes that photographs or drawings may be used and that help is available when the student writes sentences, supporting a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
Students write sentences from dictation (Activity 5.2) and are asked to write a model sentence with a subject and predicate (Activity 4.1: "The bugs buzz."). Students also make up and write sentences using sight words (Activity 1.3) and write words that match pictures (Activity 3.2), showing practice with writing to convey simple ideas.
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students are asked to create "My Own Reader" where they write a title, their name, plan characters, and write on lined pages and may add pictures; planning pages prompt students to list "Characters" and "What Characters Do." Several student pages provide a large drawing box with dashed writing lines underneath, giving students space to draw and then write sentences about their picture. Activity instructions tell students to write their ideas on the planning page and then write in the book, and to share the completed book with others.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students write dictated sentences in Activity 5.3 (they copy sentences such as "The red gem is huge." and "Many mice are in the cage."). In Activity 3.3 students write words from a word bank into labeled boxes (Hard c, Soft c, Hard g, Soft g), producing categorized written responses. Multiple activities (2.2, 3.2, Day 4 scrambling and spelling test) require students to spell and write words independently.
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Activity 2.2 (Sentence Writing) asks students to look at pictures and write one or two sentences about each, with example sentences such as "The ducks are on the dock" and "The clouds are in the sky." The sentence-writing pages include lined space and dotted handwriting guides for students to compose and then read their sentences aloud. Several activity pages prompt students to produce written responses tied to pictured content (soccer scene, dock with ducks).