Kindergarten - ELA
1: Letters
Unit 1: A - A Is for Musk Ox
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly labels a Vocabulary Word ("herd") and provides a definition, and it lists a sight word ("you"). The skills include that students, with prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. The reading section directs adults to ask the child specific post-reading questions and to point out title, author, and illustrator.
Lesson 3
Day 3
While reading, students are asked specifically about the word "herd": the teacher prompt says, "Ask your child what 'herd' means." The text directs the adult to explain that "herd" is the vocabulary word, to note the two meanings of "heard/herd," and to read the definition ("a large group of animals that live together") aloud. Students are also prompted to discuss why that definition fits the context of the book.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The review directs an adult to "Ask your child what a herd is," which prompts the child to answer a question about a word. Activity 1 introduces vocabulary related to musk ox habitats (e.g., tundra, qiviut) and instructs an adult to "discuss what the environment is like," encouraging verbal explanation of terms. The sight word and letter-sound activities ask children to identify and name words and sounds, which involves saying and recognizing word forms aloud.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Getting Started review explicitly asks the child, "Ask him what a herd is," which requires the child to answer a question about a word. The review also includes practicing the sound of the letter A and the sight card "you," which has students attend to word elements. The Reading Workshop has the child use the A is for Musk Ox book and spend time tracing words and exploring illustrations, providing time interacting with text.
Unit 2: H - Hondo and Fabian
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "character" with a definition and lists a sight word, giving students direct word-focused instruction. The teacher asks the child to point to and read the title and then asks what the words "Hondo" and "Fabian" mean, prompting students to ask about unknown words on the book cover. The lesson also asks students to find the author/illustrator name and discuss what those words mean in context, providing occasions for students to answer questions about word meanings.
Unit 3: I - The Little Island
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly teaches the vocabulary word "island" and tells students to find out if they know what an island is, then teaches the definition. Question #1 asks "What is an island?" with the expected answer, prompting students to answer the word meaning from the text and cover illustration. Activity 2 directs students to discuss the definition and look at a world map to compare island and continent, reinforcing the word meaning with visual and contextual references.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The review section directs an adult to "Ask your child to tell you the definition of an island," which requires the child to answer a question about a word encountered in the text. Activity 2 has the child act out directional words such as "around," "over," "on," "under," "beside," and "behind," which practices demonstrating and responding about word meanings in relation to the story. The teacher also reads the first lines of the story aloud, providing a text context in which those vocabulary words appear.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Getting Started review explicitly asks the child to tell the definition of an island, which asks the student to produce the meaning of a specific word. The lesson also has the child look through the book (cover, title page) and spend time with the text, creating opportunities to encounter vocabulary during reading. The writing prompts ask about features (animals, season) that could elicit use of vocabulary related to the text.
Unit 4: T - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "structure" and provides a definition for it. Students are asked Question #1 to name parts of animal structures they learned in the book, and the reading guide directs adults to preview the book, refer to pictures, and discuss what was learned. The lesson also includes a sight word and several activities that focus attention on parts of animals and their names.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to explain vocabulary words (herd, character, island) during the review, which requires them to answer questions about word meanings. The plan prompts a discussion of the word "structure" with the question "What does it mean?" and directs students to look at pages in the book What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? and talk about parts of animals, which involves talking about words in a text.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sight word "this," asked to identify it in the book title, shown the word in other places, and asked to practice reading it. Students hear the terms "fiction" and "nonfiction" and receive an explanation that nonfiction means the book's purpose is to share information. Students read the book and answer comprehension questions about whether it is make-believe or true and what information they learned.
Unit 5: L - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson directs the adult to introduce the term "adjective" and explains it as a word that describes how something looks, smells, feels, tastes, or sounds. It points students to the word "colorful" in the text, notes that it describes the leaves, and asks the child to name other adjectives that might describe leaves (brown, crunchy, soft, etc.). The reading prompts also instruct the adult to ask the child questions about the cover and clues in the book, engaging the child in discussion of words and descriptions.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson introduces a new sight word "go," has students point to it in the text, and asks them to say the word each time it appears. The teacher and child also "look together for adjectives in the story" and the teacher asks the child, "what word the author uses to describe the forest," prompting the child to identify and repeat "dark." These activities require students to locate and verbalize specific words from the text.
Unit 6: F - Fireflies
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "flicker" with a definition ("to move back-and-forth or flash on-and-off"). Question #1 directs the adult to ask the child "What is flickering?" and to ask if the child knows what the word means, then provides examples and prompts the child to think of other things that flicker. The reading-and-questions section has the child look back in the text to locate the word in context ("Look back at the third page...").
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to identify a synonym for the phrase "blinking on, blinking off" (flickering) from the middle page of the book. Students are asked to explain what the word "soaring" means and to use the words around it to give clues about its meaning. The prompts direct students to ask and answer questions about those unknown or challenging words in the text.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The review prompts the adult to "Ask your child if he remembers what 'flicker' means," which has the child answer a question about a word from the text. The teacher script directs the adult to point out the word "said" on the page and "encourage your child to read the word" when it appears in the story. Activity 3 asks the child to find pairs of opposite words in a passage and to think of and act out other opposites, engaging the child in answering questions about word meanings.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The Review explicitly tells the child: "Ask your child if she remembers what 'flicker' means," which prompts the child to answer a question about a word's meaning. The Review also asks the child to tell the opposite of 'mean' (nice), which requires the child to identify and respond about word meaning. These items directly involve students answering questions about words.
Unit 7: E - But No Elephants
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "predicament" with a definition: "predicament -- a difficult, perplexing, or trying situation." After reading, the teacher is directed to "Explain that a predicament is... Ask your child to name some of the predicaments Grandma Tildy faced during the story," and the activity asks the child to identify and describe those examples from the text.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson directs an adult to review vocabulary with the child and to ask the child to explain what each word means and give an example (e.g., herd, character, island, structure, adjective, flicker). It explicitly asks the child to recall the meaning of the word "predicament" and to name one predicament Grandma Tildy faced in the story But No Elephants. Activity 1 has the child use position words (in, on, under, beside, behind, etc.) to describe animals in the book's illustrations, requiring the child to produce and apply word meanings in context.
Unit 8: C - Millions of Cats
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists a vocabulary word 'quarrel' with a definition and explicitly instructs an adult to 'Introduce the word "quarrel" to your child. It means to argue angrily.' Question #4 then asks why the cats were quarreling, prompting the child to use the new word in context. The reading and question sequence requires the child to answer a question about the meaning of an unfamiliar word in the text.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson explicitly instructs an adult to "Ask your child if she knows what it means to quarrel," which directs a student to respond about an unknown word from the text. The activities also prompt students to "talk about different physical features of the Earth" and to "review the concept of island," which asks students to use and discuss vocabulary from the text.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson directs the adult to show the sight word card "pretty" and ask the child how the word was used in the book. During reading, the adult is instructed to point to the word "pretty" and have the child read it aloud and repeat key phrases from the text. Activity 3 prompts exploration of the word "cat" in other languages and in ASL, providing additional explicit vocabulary attention.
Unit 9: G - The Real Mother Goose
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson names a vocabulary word (rhyme) and gives its definition, and it identifies a sight word (saw) which students are shown and asked to practice reading and add to a word card file. Adults are directed to explain who Mother Goose is (an imaginary character) when looking at the cover and to talk about poem meanings while reading. The lesson also asks the child to supply missing end words when a poem is read aloud with the last words omitted.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 1 asks the child to identify shapes, explains and names the new vocabulary word "sphere," and prompts the child to use the word in sentences (e.g., "the sphere is on top of the shelf"). The lesson instructs adults and children to read poems that describe spherical objects and to "talk about the poems together and identify the spherical objects described." Activity 2 has the child listen to and follow along with poems in the book, which exposes the child to words in text while tracking print.
Unit 10: O - Owl Babies
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly provides vocabulary definitions under "Facts and Definitions," defining fiction as "an imaginary or made-up story" and non-fiction as "something true and factual," and it identifies the sight word "want." The reading script instructs an explanation to name true facts in the book and to explain that because the author's purpose was to tell a story the book is fiction, which models giving word/genre meaning. The activity prompts and questions ask the child to label the book as a story or factual text and to list facts, reinforcing the taught vocabulary meanings.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review a list of vocabulary words and are asked to explain what each word means in their own words, providing direct practice with word meanings. During the read-aloud of Baby Owl, students look at the cover, discuss features (photograph vs. drawing), and predict whether the book is nonfiction, which prompts discussion about content words related to owls. In Activity 2, students discuss letter-sound relationships for O and the "ow" combination in the word "owl," including pronunciation distinctions.
Unit 11: S - Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are given an explicit vocabulary entry for the word "season" with a one-sentence definition and a sight word ("some") identified for the unit. Students are directed to look at the book cover, describe pictures, and then read the book with prompting questions about content (e.g., naming the four seasons). The materials include one explicit vocabulary teaching moment that presents word meaning directly to the child.
Unit 12: D - Dinosaurs Big and Small
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly lists the skill: "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text," and also lists "Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content." The lesson provides a vocabulary entry for the word characteristic with a simple definition and instructs an adult to "Explain that a characteristic is something about the dinosaur that helps to identify it." Students are directed to look at the cover, read the book, and discuss questions about content and vocabulary.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson explicitly prompts the child to ask and answer the meaning of the unknown word "sprawl" on page 27 and asks the child how he can guess the meaning. It directs the child to use the sentence contrast (dinosaurs walked tall BUT they did not sprawl) and the picture of a lizard and crocodile as clues to infer meaning. The lesson also has the child locate and read the repeated word "big," and prompts the child to identify descriptive words (adjectives) in a poem and in book pictures, which practices attending to word meanings in context.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 asks the child to be on the lookout for adjectives while an adult reads pg. 13 of Dinosaurs Big and Small and provides example adjectives (gigantic, longer, thick, sturdy, heaviest, tallest). The activity also has the child look through supplemental books to locate adjectives in the text or to think of describing words for pictures, and then share the adjectives found or thought about.
Unit 13: P - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly lists a vocabulary word "imagination" with a definition and asks the child if she knows what imagination is, then has the child recall how Harold used imagination to solve problems. The Skills list includes "Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content" and "Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately." The Questions to Explore include "How can the same word mean different things depending on its context?", which prompts attention to word meaning in context.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The Word Play activity asks the child to explain the meaning of "trim" in context and to determine the meaning of "drew" in two different sentences, prompting discussion of unknown words as they appear in the story. The teacher prompts the child to read and identify the sight word "made" on pages where it occurs, having the child answer about that word in the text. The activity gives additional practice by asking the child to think of other familiar words with multiple meanings (duck, mouse, ball, bat), reinforcing asking and answering about word meanings.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked directly, "what an imagination means," and the text provides a definition of imagination, prompting a discussion of that vocabulary word in relation to Harold and the Purple Crayon. Students are also prompted to name and assign labels to buildings and places on a neighborhood map (some stores are left blank so the child can assign them), which involves using and discussing community-place vocabulary.
Unit 14: B - Blueberries for Sal
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists a Vocabulary Word (hustle -- to move energetically and rapidly) and a Sight Word (she) under Facts and Definitions, providing an explicit word and its definition for students. The Reading and Questions section includes teacher prompts for discussing the book cover and finding the illustrator, which involves oral discussion of elements of the text and illustrations.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 3 asks the child to describe what the word "hustle" must mean based on the picture of Little Bear and then provides the definition (to move energetically and rapidly). The activity also has the child page through the book, read verbs of movement in context, and act out those movements, reinforcing meaning from text and illustrations.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The review section directs an adult to "Ask your child what it means to hustle," which has the child answer a question about a word's meaning. The reading activity has the child read and identify the sight word "she" in the text, showing attention to word-level reading during the story.
Unit 15: R - Rain
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "downpour" and provides a child-friendly definition ("a time of sudden and heavy rain"). Students are prompted to notice and talk about words on the book cover and a sight word for the unit (on). The read-aloud discussion asks students to talk about different words for rain (sprinkling, drizzling, pouring, downpour) and to discuss their own experiences with those words.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson asks the child to name what falls from the sky and to label it as water, then explains and asks the child to describe the terms "liquid" and "solid." The lesson introduces and defines vocabulary words related to precipitation (snow, sleet, hail) and prompts the child to describe their senses and use describing words. The activity also prompts the child to find the uppercase R on a book cover and to review the sound of R while writing, which involves attending to words and letters.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The review prompt explicitly asks the child to name another word for "downpour," which asks the child to consider the meaning of an (potentially) unknown word. The activity narrative introduces and uses vocabulary such as "evaporate" and "condense," and asks the child "What happens?" and "Why?", prompting short verbal responses about those concepts. The lesson also has students identify where water is found on Earth, which asks them to label or name related vocabulary.
Unit 16: N - Night in the Country
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "country" with a definition and two meanings. It directs the adult to ask the child what "country" means, elicit that one meaning is a nation, and then explain the second meaning (an area far from a city), using a world map and discussion to clarify. The Skills section specifically lists determining or clarifying the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and exploring word relationships with adult guidance.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to review a list of vocabulary words and explain each word in their own words, practicing word meanings (e.g., flicker, predicament, quarrel, fiction, season, characteristic, imagination, hustle, downpour). Students are asked to describe two different meanings for the word "country," which practices recognizing multiple meanings of a word. Students connect letters to word sounds by identifying the letter N and saying it makes the "n" sound as in "night."
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 explicitly tells the child that good readers ask questions as they read and gives the example that readers might wonder what a word means. The child is asked to spend time independently with the book, look at the pictures, and identify a question or two he'd like to know more about after reading. The child is then instructed to share his questions and talk about them, doing some research to find the answers if appropriate.
Unit 17: M - Marshmallow
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists the vocabulary word "hesitated" with a student-friendly definition and explicitly directs the adult to ask the child if she knows what the word means. In Reading Question #4 the child is shown the page where the word appears and is asked to explain the meaning (and the teacher is told to define it if the child doesn't know). The follow-up question asks why Oliver hesitated, requiring the child to use the word's meaning in context.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The Getting Started review explicitly tells the adult to 'Ask your child what it means to hesitate,' which asks the child to explain a word's meaning. The lesson also directs review of letter sounds and sight words and tells the child that the letter M makes the "m" sound like "marshmallow," which engages word-level meaning and sound awareness. Activity 3 has the adult omit words from a poem and ask the child to supply them, prompting the child to produce or recognize specific words in text.
Unit 18: U - Umbrella
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly prompts a child to identify the meaning of the word "unfortunately" on page 6 and provides a teacher-led explanation that it means "unluckily" or "unhappily." The lesson directs the child to identify the prefix "un" and to use it to infer meanings of related words (unlucky, unable, unhappy). The Skills section lists "Use the most frequently occurring inflections and affixes as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word," and Activity 2 has students practice "un-" words and apply the prefix to other vocabulary items.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson directs the adult to show the sentence with the word "not," tell the child what it says, and have the child read it back. The child is asked to help look for the word "not" in the story. The child is asked to retell the story using pictures, which may prompt attention to words in context.
Unit 19: J - Jump Frog Jump
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "escape" with the definition "to get away." An adult is directed to tell the child that "another word for 'get away' is escape" and then ask the child to look back through the book to identify which animals the frog escaped. Several activity pages and questions use the word "escaped/escaped many situations" in context, prompting the child to answer questions using that word.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to review vocabulary and to define each word in their own words, with a list of specific words and brief definitions included. The directions explicitly ask the child, "Ask your child what it means to escape," requiring the student to answer a question about a word's meaning. Students are guided to review word sounds (e.g., J -> "jump") and to explain meanings aloud.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to read a nonfiction text or website about the life cycle of a frog and to "talk about what a life cycle is," which introduces and explains the term. Students construct a four-part diagram and label each quadrant "eggs," "tadpole," "froglet," and "frog," actively using and practicing vocabulary from the text.
Unit 20: K - Kindness
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "grand" and provides the definition "very good or excellent." In Question #2 students are asked whether they know what the word "grand" means and are prompted to answer or have the meaning explained to them. Students are also asked to produce examples of things that make them feel "grand," which requires them to use and demonstrate understanding of the word in context.
Unit 21: V - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are given an explicit vocabulary entry for the word "solo" with the definition "something done by one person alone." In Activity 1 students match instrument pictures from the book to ensemble names and are prompted to "Talk about this word" and answer "What does it mean to do something 'solo'?" The pre- and post-reading questions ask students to identify instruments that were new to them, encouraging attention to unfamiliar words in the text.
Unit 22: Y - Little Blue and Little Yellow
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to look at the page that says, "In school they sit in neat rows," and are asked if they know what "row" means; an explicit meaning is provided (a number of people or things in a straight line). Students are then asked to think of another meaning (to move a boat with oars) and to produce a sentence using "row" twice with different meanings. The skills list also explicitly includes identifying new meanings for familiar words and applying them accurately.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to review vocabulary from previous units and "define each term in her own words," giving practice in explaining word meanings. The lesson explicitly asks the child to "describe two meanings of the word 'row,'" prompting discussion of multiple meanings. The activities also prompt the child to name related words (e.g., yo-yo for Y) and to practice the sound of Y while forming letters.
Unit 23: W - George Washington's Birthday
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Skills list explicitly includes "Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text." During reading, students are asked to identify and define the word "tyrant," to discuss whether George's brother fits that meaning, and to talk about the word "myth." The front matter labels "arithmetic" with a definition and Activity 2 asks students to recall and use that meaning while examining George Washington's work.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 2 directs the adult to read pages with the child and ask whether the child can deduce the meaning of italicized words by using sentence context and the book illustration. The activity explicitly prompts discussion of multiple meanings (example: talk about the two meanings of "mind"). The child is then asked to demonstrate understanding by acting out the sentence and the action described by the italicized word.
Unit 24: Q - The Quilt Story
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to identify and discuss vocabulary when asked what a quilt is from the book cover and given an explicit explanation of a quilt. The lesson labels "shavings" as a vocabulary word, asks the child if he knows any familiar meanings, and then provides the meaning that in the story the shavings are thin slices of wood. The materials also list a sight word (under) and include teacher prompts that require the child to answer questions about word meaning in context.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson explicitly prompts the child with a vocabulary question: "Ask your child what wood shavings are." It also asks the child to identify words/concepts from the text (ways the family used natural resources such as wood, tea, beeswax, bayberries, animal fats) and to identify landform words shown in the story (hills, prairie, river). The uppercase Q activity reinforces phonics for the word "quilt," linking letter/sound knowledge to a word in the text.
Unit 25: X - An Extraordinary Egg
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked about the cover word "extraordinary" and prompted to say whether they know what it means. Students are told that extraordinary means "unusually amazing" and given example uses (sunrise, home run, picture). Students are then asked to decide whether several situations are examples of "extraordinary" and to explain their reasoning.
Unit 26: Z - Greedy Zebra
Lesson 1
Day 1
The text instructs adults to "Talk about the word 'greedy.' If your child does not know what it means, explain that to be greedy..." and to "Give some examples of greediness... and ask your child if he can think of some examples." It also directs asking the child to predict how the zebra will be greedy and, after reading, to ask him to explain how the zebra was greedy and what happened because of his greediness. The lesson identifies a vocabulary word ('greedy') and a sight word ('new') for explicit discussion.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review a list of vocabulary words and are asked to define each term in their own words. A set of target words with provided definitions (e.g., downpour, hesitated, swift, extraordinary) gives students opportunities to answer what those words mean. Students are prompted to give an example of 'being greedy,' applying word meaning to a real-world example.
2: Holidays
Unit 27: Halloween
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are given the vocabulary word 'lagoon' with an explicit definition ('a shallow body of water') before reading. Students are asked to listen for the word 'lagoon' during the read-aloud and to notice which definition is used in context. Students are directed to turn back to a specific page, examine the picture and text, and decide whether the lagoon is salt water connected to the ocean or a shallow area of dirty water, then provide an answer.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The Getting Started section asks the child to explain what a lagoon is and a goon, which prompts the child to answer questions about specific words. During reading, the child is encouraged to join in at the ends of lines if he knows the word that will follow, which has the child identify and produce words in text. The Activities include tracing and writing words such as "Boo!" and "Happy Halloween!", giving the child additional exposure to written words.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The Review section explicitly asks the child to think of a word that could be used instead of "lagoon" and provides exemplar answers (pond, puddle), so students practice identifying and supplying a meaning-based substitute for a specific word. The lesson also includes discussion prompts about bats (e.g., asking what a bat eats), which require students to answer questions about content vocabulary introduced in the video, although these prompts do not target unknown word strategies directly.
Unit 28: Thanksgiving
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly lists a vocabulary word with a synonym: "Vocabulary Word: grateful -- thankful," and directs discussion: "Talk about what it means to be grateful: to be thankful for things we have." It asks the child to state things she is grateful for, which prompts the student to use and respond to that specific word. The skills also include with prompting and support, asking and answering questions about key details in a text, which shows practice with oral question-and-answer behaviors.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson explicitly prompts students to explain the meaning of a word when it asks the child "what it means to be grateful." The lesson also asks students to generate words that describe Abraham Lincoln and explain why he is celebrated, which requires students to think about word meanings in context. The Thanksgiving card activity asks students to write or dictate a note describing why they are thankful, which gives students a chance to use and discuss vocabulary related to gratitude.
Unit 29: Christmas
Lesson 1
Day 1
The text defines the word evergreen ("Evergreens are plants that do not lose their leaves in the winter…") and provides the pronunciation of the name Anja (An-ya), giving explicit word-level help. Activity 1 asks the child to name shapes, identify features, and talk about the number of sides and shape names, which has students label and discuss word meanings. The Conifers link activity asks the child to state three things learned about real Christmas trees, which could involve using new vocabulary (cones, needles) in responses.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 1 presents and explains the term "aurora borealis," explicitly saying these lights are called the aurora borealis, or "northern lights," and describes how they are caused. Activity 3 asks the child to note animals encountered in the book (cardinal, musk ox, polar bear, reindeer) and asks questions about the reindeer (e.g., "What does it look like? Can a reindeer really fly?"). The lesson includes links to informational resources (e.g., "Reindeer information") that could provide word/ concept explanations.
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
Students are prompted to identify and fill in missing initial letters on the "Exploring My Home" sheets and to sound out labels as the adult reads them slowly, discussing which letters are missing. The lesson instructs daily vocabulary review so students can describe vocabulary words and use them correctly in a sentence. Activity 4 has students trace and write specific words (e.g., bed, bath), and activities ask students to circle items and name them, linking words to pictured referents.
Lesson 3
Guide to Animal Habitats
The lesson includes explicit vocabulary instruction: the Facts and Definitions state ‘‘A habitat is the environment where plants and animals live and grow'' and list types of habitats. The Introduction directs an adult to "Review the definition of the word 'environment' with your child" and to introduce the idea of "habitat." During reading the child is prompted to point to words (title, author) and to discuss what the book is about, which brings attention to words in the text.
Lesson 4
Animals Live and Grow
During Day 2 reading, students are asked specific vocabulary/meaning questions about the text (for example QUESTION #4: "What is 'Nana's rain'?" with the answer identifying it as the garden hose Nana is spraying). The lesson also includes explicit definitions of terms (e.g., "A consumer is an organism…," "A living thing that is eaten is called an energy source") that students are prompted to discuss and use in Activity 2 when identifying consumers and energy sources in habitats.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
The lesson has students attempt to read/sound out habitat words and fill in first and last letters (Activity 1, Option 1) and to read and label habitat names from a word box (Activity 1, Option 2). The materials include a vocabulary list (ocean, polar, desert, forest, savanna, rainforest) and an explicit explanation that scientists use the word "aquatic" to refer to habitats under the water. Activity 4 asks students to use "j" words in their own sentences, which practices using words in context.
Lesson 8
Animal Care
The Facts and Definitions section explicitly defines the term "domestic animals," giving students a direct meaning to use. The Introduction prompts an adult to explain what domestic animals are and to ask the child questions about caring for pets. Activities include reading The Salamander Room with follow-up oral questions and a Skills list that names "Answer questions about a text (LA)," indicating some text-based questioning practice.
Lesson 10
Amazing Animals
The lesson provides an explicit definition for the vocabulary word "camouflage" in the Facts and Definitions section. The Skills list includes "Listen critically to text read aloud" and "Respond to critical questions about a text," and Activity 1 has students listen/read informational text about animals. Activities ask and answer questions about animal situations (Activity 2) and encourage students to read texts and locate books/websites about chosen animals.
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 8
Summer
Students are given picture-word prompts (beach, hot, trip, swim, pool) and asked to decide which word fits each blank in a short story, using context clues and illustrations. Students can cut and paste words or write the beginning letter in blanks, and are encouraged to read the completed story aloud. Skills list includes "Use new vocabulary in speech and writing," and activities ask students to describe pictures and choose words that fit context.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
Students practice vocabulary recognition and use: the Skills list includes "Use vocabulary in speech and writing (LA)" and the introduction instructs reviewing vocabulary words every day so the child can describe and use each word. In Activity 2 students read sentences and fill in community vocabulary words (or select pictures and copy words) which has them identify word meanings in context. Activity 4 has students trace and write the words "park" and "people," reinforcing word recognition and use in writing.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 10
Earth Materials: Rocks, Soil, and Water
The lesson directs students to Activity 2 where they turn to the back of the book and view the glossary, explains that a glossary defines important (bolded) words, and has students read glossary entries about animals. The Skills list explicitly includes "Know and use various text features (e.g., ... glossaries) to locate key facts or information in a text," which asks students to use the glossary to find word meanings. Students are encouraged to find each animal described in the illustrations after reading the glossary entries.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students are asked to read through a Senses Word List, copy each word three times, and refer to that list when they encounter the words in the book. The lesson directs students to attempt to read the text, identify beginning letters of words, and to review vocabulary words daily so they can describe each word and use it in a sentence. The activities include matching pictured/word items to senses, which gives students repeated exposure to target words in context.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Students are prompted to review vocabulary words daily and to describe each vocabulary word and use it correctly in a sentence. The introduction defines the word "unique" and Activity 4 asks students to trace and write the word "unique." Activity 1 encourages students to attempt to read questions aloud and to sound out words and write them using phonetic spelling.
Lesson 2
Physical Characteristics
The Facts and Definitions section explicitly defines the term "physical characteristics" and provides examples, so students are introduced to a word's meaning. Multiple activities ask students to describe physical traits of themselves, family members, and story characters (e.g., discussing the physical characteristics of Susan and Casey and completing cut-and-paste or drawing tasks). Activity 4 prompts students to produce a sentence completing "I have _________," encouraging use of vocabulary related to appearance.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Students read a list of personality words and attempt to sound out unknown words. When they cannot read a word, students are asked to circle the first and last letters and say the letter sounds. Students are prompted to explain the meaning of each word and to use new vocabulary in conversation and writing.
Lesson 7
Different Homes
Students are asked to identify and describe different homes from pages 26–35 and to look at the materials used to make the homes. The guidance tells the adult to let the child identify materials he is familiar with and to "tell him more about the materials he does not know about." The text also directs the adult to "Ask him if he remembers what a natural resource is," prompting recall and discussion of a vocabulary term from the text.
3: Patterns
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 8
Symmetrical Patterns
The lesson gives an explicit definition: "A symmetrical pattern is one where you can fold something in half and the two halves line up." The Introduction and Wrapping Up prompt the child to describe the pattern and answer questions such as "what it means for something to have a symmetrical pattern." Activity 4 asks the child to write a sentence using the phrase "lines of symmetry," and several activities require students to identify and label symmetry (e.g., drawing lines of symmetry on shapes and letters).
Lesson 11
Patterns in Graphs
The text introduces the vocabulary word "data" and tells the child that data is the information used to create a graph. Students are instructed to read the title and labels aloud, circle titles and labels, and have the caregiver explain what each label means and the purpose of the graph. Activities ask students to interpret chart markings (e.g., "G" and "R") and color-code labels, which requires identifying and responding to label meanings.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 3
Changing Position
The Skills section includes 'Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases,' which directs students to work with word meanings. In Activity 1 students locate the words 'gravity' and 'inertia' in the index, go to the indicated pages, and copy the sentences that contain those words. Activity 6 has students perform experiments with dropping and tossing objects and uses the word 'gravity,' giving students repeated exposure to that term in context.
Lesson 6
Changes in the Sky
Students are asked to list adjectives and phrases to describe the Sun and the Moon, which requires them to identify and use words related to the topic. The lesson explicitly introduces the term "illuminates (or lights up)" and explains that the Moon does not produce its own light, giving a direct definition for an unfamiliar word. Parents are instructed to discuss meanings (for example, why the Sun is important and how sunlight affects plants), and videos linked include titles such as "How Does the Moon Shine?" that likely contain vocabulary explanation.
Lesson 7
Living Things Change
Students are given an explicit definition of the word "camouflage" and are asked to apply that meaning when coloring and discussing lizards and rabbits. Students practice meaning-associated gestures for words like water, food, shelter, space, and clothing. Students are asked to circle words that describe types of change (number, size, shape, place) and label changes as fast or slow, which requires recognizing and using those vocabulary words.
Unit 2: Characters Change
Lesson 1
What's in a Name
In Activity 4 (Vocabulary) students listen to the story, pause after target words, and are asked to guess what each word means based on its use in the text, then match their guesses to the correct definitions. The activity directs students to underline and discuss the suffixes "-less" and "-ful" as clues to word meaning. The Skills section explicitly lists determining or clarifying the meaning of unknown words and using affixes as strategies.
Lesson 3
Is It a Problem?
The lesson defines figurative language terms (personification and idioms) and gives examples, including explaining that the phrase "tackle the problem" means to start solving it. The Skills section explicitly notes that, with guidance, students will demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. During Activity 1 students are directed to look through the book, discuss how the author represents the problem, and identify pages containing the quoted text for the activity page.
Lesson 5
The Raft
Students complete a Vocabulary matching activity (Activity 2) where they read sentences from the text and use clues in the sentences to select definitions, practicing using context to determine word meaning. In Activity 6 students discuss idiomatic phrases (e.g., "She had eyes in the back of her head") and answer questions about what the author means, interpreting nonliteral language. The skills list also specifies determining or clarifying the meaning of unknown words and demonstrating understanding of word meanings with guidance.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 3
Communities Change
The lesson explicitly defines vocabulary: it tells the child that "chronological order is events arranged according to their time" and that "artifacts are discovered objects that people used in the past," and asks the child to repeat the phrase about chronological order. Activity 6 asks the child to identify artifacts in the book (arrowhead, china cup) and to draw artifacts from illustrations, which requires recognizing and labeling that vocabulary. The Skills list includes "Use pictures to support written and spoken language," and multiple activities prompt the child to point out and describe pictures and labels.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
The lesson includes adult prompts for word-solving such as "Give it another try. What's the first sound?" and "Does that word make sense here?", which require students to answer questions about words they cannot read. Activities ask students to point to and identify sight words in the Weekly Message and to use pictures and letter-sound knowledge to figure out unknown words in the reader (Tap and Pat). The Guess My Word activity gives spoken clues and asks students to write and say the target words, prompting them to answer questions about word identity and sounds.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
Students are asked to locate and read words in texts and materials (e.g., Activity 3.1 asks them to find sight words in the Weekly Message and Activity 5.3 has students read The Pig Can and answer questions). The materials direct the adult to "define any words that she's not familiar with" when students read word-family pages (Activity 4.2 gives the example of explaining what a "bin" is). The lesson also prompts students to answer teacher questions about letter sounds and word examples (e.g., Activity 1.2 asks, "What sound does short i make?" and "What words did the video show that have short i?").
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
Multiple activities instruct the adult to define words the child does not know (Activities 3.2, 3.3, 4.2) and to explain meanings when a child "spells a word but doesn't know its meaning." Activity 1.1 invites the child to point to words he knows and to ask about punctuation (the colon) if he wonders, and Activity 5.2 directs the adult to help the child sound out or explain words he struggles with while reading The Bug. Several tasks prompt the child to identify or name words (sight word cards, pointing to known words, reading word-family lists) and to respond when asked which card says a given word.
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
The reader activity asks the child to read Ducks Are Fun, and it tells the adult to explain that the word "don" means to wear something or to ask the child to look at the picture on page 2 and try to figure out what "don" means on his own. Several word-family and word-building activities instruct the adult to "explain the meanings of the words as needed" and to help the child sound out words and correct mistakes. Activity 5.2 (Guess My Word) gives spoken clues and requires the child to write and say the target words, reinforcing use of clues to identify unknown words.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
Students are asked to point to words they know in the Weekly Message and to read along, and they are prompted to notice features of words (for example, "What do you notice about the beginning of 'they'?"). The materials direct an adult to explain meanings of unknown words when they occur (for example, to explain 'whim') and to make sure the child knows what each picture is showing before completing fill-in-the-blank activities. Students are also asked to read a short reader and to point to each word as they read, which provides opportunities to encounter unknown words in context.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
Students are asked to name pictures and say the correct words for images (Activity 2.1), and the teacher is instructed to "explain any words she's not familiar with." Activity 5.1 and other activities also prompt the child to identify pictures and have unfamiliar terms explained. In Activity 4.1 (Guess My Word) students use spoken clues to identify and write target words, practicing accessing word meanings from clues.
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
In Activity 4.2 (Alphabet Soup) students create words from letters and are asked to read the words they created; the teacher is instructed to "point out any words that are nonsense words, and ask if she can come up with real words to replace them." Activity 4.2 also asks students to read created words aloud, which gives students practice noticing unfamiliar or nonword forms. In Activity 4.3 students read a short reader aloud and then answer questions about the text, showing opportunities to discuss words encountered during reading.
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
Students read word lists and word-family pages and are prompted to have meanings explained as needed (e.g., Activity 2.2 and Activity 3.2 instruct the adult to "explain the meanings of the words as needed"). Activities ask the child to identify pictures and ensure he "knows what each picture is showing" before filling in digraphs (Activity 4.1). The sight-word activity notes that the child "may need help with ‘your,'" and the teacher is directed to provide support and model sounds for glued digraphs (Day 2 and Day 3).
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
The materials repeatedly instruct the child to try reading words she doesn't know and to sound them out (Introduction; Activity 1.1). Activities ask the child to read newly spelled words aloud (e.g., scrap, shred, quiz, quilt) and to identify beginning sounds and blends (Activity 1.2, 2.1, 3.1). The fill-in-the-blanks and word-sort pages require the child to match pictures to words and spell words using blends, and directions note to "explain word meanings as needed" (Activity 4.1, Activity 4.2).
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students are told to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1) and to read along as the teacher points to words, which prompts them to identify unfamiliar words. Multiple activities instruct students to read words and have meanings explained to them (Activity 2.1 spells 'pact' and explains its meaning; Activity 3.1 and 3.2 note 'explain the words as needed'). Students are asked to read a short reader and answer comprehension questions (Activity 5.2), and several activities ask students to point to ending blends when a word is spoken, which requires attending to unfamiliar word endings.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Long Vowels a and i with Silent e
Students are prompted to point to and read words they know and to sound out words they do not know (Activity 1.1). The teacher asks the child how sight words are pronounced and explains distinctions in meaning for words such as "there" and "their" (Activity 1.3). The child is asked to name pictures before writing words and the parent is instructed to explain word meanings as needed during word-building and writing activities (Activity 3.3 and Day 3/4 notes). The child is also asked to identify nonsense words and propose real-word replacements (Activity 4.1).
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are encouraged to sound out words they do not know (Activity 1.1). Students answer teacher questions about how r changes vowel pronunciation and about the role of silent e when reading and spelling words (Activity 1.2, Activity 4.1). The lesson also directs teachers to "explain the meanings of the words as needed" when students read r-controlled words (Activity 3.1) and the Skills list includes using context to confirm or self-correct word recognition.
Lesson 6
Long e Spellings ee, ey, ea
Students are prompted to read words they know and to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1 and Sight Words instructions). The teacher explicitly explains word meanings for a minimal set of homophones by saying "'see' means to look... 'sea' is another word for 'ocean'" and asks the child to notice the difference (Activity 2.1). The program asks comprehension questions about the reader (Activity 5.1: "What does the worm eat?" and "How many beans...?") and asks students to identify nonsense words and replace them with real words (Activity 3.1).
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
Students are asked to explain word meanings aloud (Activity 3.1 asks the child to explain the meanings of "blue" and "blew" in her own words). In Activity 2.2 students must choose words from a word bank to complete sentences, using sentence context to determine which word fits. Activity 5.1 prompts students to read the reader and answer questions about words in the text (e.g., teacher explains "hue" if needed and then asks comprehension questions about the story).
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students are prompted to identify and read unknown or unusual words (Activity 1.1 asks them to point to and read words they know and to notice words that are unusual). Students answer teacher questions about word identity and meaning (Activity 1.2 has them read ild words and hear/answer "What do all of these words have in common?" and Activity 3.1 asks "What's the word?" for ghost). Students use words in context and answer meaning-related prompts (Activity 3.3 Fill in the Blanks requires selecting words to make sentences make sense, and Day 5 asks comprehension questions after reading the reader).
Lesson 11
Long Vowel Sounds Review
Students are asked to sound out words they do not know and are prompted to point to and read words in the weekly message, encouraging identification of unfamiliar words. Several activities instruct the adult to "explain word meanings as needed" (for example during word sorting and when helping with 'pies' in the word bank), indicating teacher-student discussion about word meanings. Fill-in-the-blank and choice questions prompt students to select which word makes the most sense in context, and students are asked to identify which words have long vowel sounds and which letters make those sounds.
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students are prompted to sound out words they do not know (Activity 1.1) and to read words aloud so the adult can "explain word meanings as needed" (Activities 2.2, 3.2, 3.3). The guide asks children to identify and point to words with particular sounds and to read words from texts and word lists (Weekly Message activity, Day 2 word columns, Day 5 reader). Some prompts ask students to produce or identify word sounds (e.g., "Can you guess what that sound is?", Day 2.1) and to answer simple comprehension questions about the reader (Day 5.1).
Lesson 13
Other Vowel Sounds ou, ow
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are encouraged to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1). Parents are directed to read each word to the child and "explain meanings as needed" during the sorting activities (Activity 2.1) and to help correctly pronounce and read unfamiliar words during sorting and building activities (Activities 2.2, 3.1). The skills list also includes using context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, and Day 5 asks students to point to words with the /ou/ sound and explain spelling choices in their own words.
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
Students read and sort printed words while the teacher reads each word and explains meanings as needed (Activity 2.1). Students are asked to explain their groupings and to read words they created, with the teacher prompting them to replace nonsense words with real words (Activity 3.2/4.2). The teacher asks the student what the word "saw" means and discusses multiple meanings, and the skills list explicitly includes using context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding.
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are explicitly encouraged to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1). Multiple activities direct students to read word lists aloud while the adult corrects pronunciation and "explain[s] word meanings as needed" (Activity 2.1, Activity 3.2). The Skills list also includes using context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, indicating attention to strategies for dealing with unknown words.
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are encouraged to sound out words they do not know. In Activities 1.2, 2.1, and 3.1 students are asked questions such as "How do you think we say this word?" and to make pronunciation guesses for gnome, know, and write, then read the words aloud and notice silent beginnings. Students read The Gnats and answer follow-up questions about the story, and adults provide word meanings for specific words (e.g., gnat, gnaw, gnu, gnash) as students read them aloud.
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students are prompted to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1) and to use decoding strategies when encountering unknown words. Activity 1.3 asks students a direct question about word sounds ("What sound do both of these words begin with?") and Activity 3.1 asks students to identify nonsense words and suggest real-word replacements. The skills list also instructs students to use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding.