First Grade - ELA
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
Students are asked to read a paragraph aloud in Activity 3, providing a direct prose-reading task with support. Activity 2 asks students to sound out and fill missing letters in room labels and to copy words after an adult models them, which practices supported reading of written words. The Wrapping Up section provides a short song/poem with lyrics that students are encouraged to memorize and perform, offering a poetry-reading/speaking opportunity. The Skills list also includes "Attempt to read dictated text," indicating guided reading practice is expected.
Lesson 3
Guide to Animal Habitats
Students are read Crinkleroot's Guide to Animal Habitats aloud (Activity 1) and are asked to listen and answer questions about the text, which addresses comprehension of prose read orally. The introduction prompts students to identify the title and author's name and to recognize letters in those elements, offering opportunities to attempt reading words. The lesson includes a short song (The Habitat Song) that students sing, providing practice with a simple poem or lyric.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
Students are asked to read the names of the six habitats from a word box (Option 2) and to attempt to read/sound out scrambled habitat names and fill in first and last letters (Option 1). Students are prompted to read captions on the linked National Geographic slideshow and to identify animals from picture labels; they also practice the words "Jeep" and "Jungle" and may copy or use those words in sentences during handwriting practice. Students read and label short habitat names on activity pages and read axis labels and category names when they create and interpret the pictorial/bar graph.
Lesson 6
Exploring Animal Habitats
Activity 2 asks students to dictate a short narrative using scaffolded sentence stems and then "read the story with him and encourage him to sound out the words in the story or to read it back to you," providing supported practice reading prose. The Skills section lists "Demonstrate a sense of story (beginning, middle, and end)," which guides students to engage with narrative structure while producing and reading their own text. The lesson also directs adults to locate more information in a book or online and share it with the child, which can expose students to additional prose content.
Lesson 8
Animal Care
Activity 2 instructs an adult to read the prose story The Salamander Room to the child and then asks the child a series of comprehension questions about the story (e.g., what kind of animal, where found, what environment it needs). The lesson skills list includes "Answer questions about a text (LA)" and "Connect literature to prior knowledge or experience (LA)," which prompt student listening and discussion about the prose. The introduction and wrapping-up sections ask the child to discuss and draw connections to habitats after hearing the story.
Lesson 10
Amazing Animals
Students are asked to read along or listen as an adult reads informational pages (e.g., the "Amazing Changes" descriptions) and to listen critically to text read aloud. Students read or hear word problems aloud on the "Amazing Animal Math" pages and use manipulatives to support comprehension. Students respond to comprehension questions and present dramatic interpretations, which involve engaging with prose content and answering questions about it.
Lesson 11
Amazing Me
The lesson includes literacy objectives such as "Recognize some words by sight" and "Read or attempt to read own story," and Activity 2 instructs the child to review words beneath each face and read the words aloud. Activity 3 asks the child to read the ideas she dictated or have them read back to her, which provides supported practice with reading connected text. The introduction and activities also include short teacher-read prose prompts that the child responds to aloud.
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 1
Reading the Skies
Students are asked to look at the cover and read the story "Whatever the Weather," with the option to read independently or to have an adult read slowly while the student follows the words with a finger. The skills and activities prompt students to listen critically and respond to text read aloud, make predictions about a story, and dictate or write sentences using vocabulary from the text. Follow-up tasks (dictating sentences, discussing feelings about weather, and the weather calendar) require students to demonstrate comprehension of the prose content.
Lesson 2
Types of Precipitation
Students listen to an adult read Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today? and Whatever the Weather and answer comprehension questions about pages and pictures. Students are asked to read single words for each type of precipitation on the "Falling From the Sky" activity pages and to label pictures or write the names of precipitation. Students practice reading/copying simple sentences or words in the handwriting activity (e.g., writing rain, round, or copying sentences).
Lesson 3
Measuring and Charting Weather
Students are asked to "Look at the book, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats" with an adult, which involves reading a prose book about habitats. Students are invited to "spend some time reading about the cactus online," and they interact with several Student Activity Pages (Measuring Temperature sheet, craft directions) that contain written instructions and short informational text for students to read and follow.
Lesson 4
Simulating Weather
Students are asked to read the Weather Song aloud and to follow along by pointing to each word as they sing, providing supported practice reading poetry. The instructions prompt students to find specific words (e.g., "clouds", "rain"), identify capital letters, and count letters, which gives guided word-level reading practice. The Skills section explicitly lists recognizing that written words are separated by spaces and knowing the difference between letters and printed words, indicating attention to basic print conventions.
Lesson 5
Fall
The lesson asks the child to read directions aloud (Activity 2) and to recite or review the months of the year in the Introduction, giving opportunities for supported oral reading. Students are asked to read or copy sentences they create in Activity 1 and to practice reading and writing target words (e.g., "fall," "fun") in Activity 4, which provides practice with short written text.
Lesson 6
Winter
Students are asked to locate winter pages in the picture book Whatever the Weather and describe what they see, engaging with prose in a book. Students dictate a winter story, have it written (or write it themselves), and then are encouraged to attempt to read that story aloud with help: "You can help him sound out words as needed." Students practice word-level reading through handwriting/tracing of the words "winter" and "wind."
Lesson 7
Spring
Students are asked to attempt to read each short poem with assistance ("Provide her with assistance as needed") and to explain what each poem was about, which practices reading and comprehension of poetry. Students identify and underline rhyming words in each poem, supporting phonological and poetic awareness. An extension invites students to write or dictate their own spring poem, giving additional practice engaging with poetic text.
Lesson 8
Summer
Students are asked to read or read-along with the short prose passage "A Summer Story," using picture/word prompts and fill-in-the-blank practice (Option 1) or copying/filling words and reading the completed text aloud (Option 2). The materials instruct students to read the completed story aloud with assistance and to use the word bank to decode and place words in context. Students are also asked to learn and sing the Season Song, providing practice with a short poem set to music.
Final Project
Weather Games
The lesson asks the child to look through and read aloud the book Whatever the Weather (Activity 3) and to reread pages 8–15 of Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today? (Activity 4). The lesson provides a written forecast example for the child to read and rehearse and instructs caregivers to prompt and assist during the child's reading and reporting. The Weather Memory activity asks the child to match written season/weather words with pictures, providing practice with reading and word recognition.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
Students are asked to read community vocabulary words and to read each sentence and fill in words in Activity 2 (Option 2), which explicitly encourages the child to read words and sentences. In Option 1 students read sentences (or hear them) and select pictures or copy the word to complete each sentence, practicing word recognition in context. The book On the Town is presented and discussed after it is read, and students answer comprehension questions about the story and places Charlie visited.
Lesson 2
My Community Environment
Students are exposed to prose when an adult reads Me on the Map aloud and when they look through books in Activity 3 to describe communities in illustrations. Students select three books, copy the title of each, and draw a simple illustration of the community found in each story, which requires recognizing and referencing book titles and story content. Students discuss similarities and differences among communities found in the books, engaging with story content and comprehension.
Lesson 3
Jobs in the Community
Students are asked to read or attempt to read the names of community helpers on activity sheets and to read through lists of workers (Activity 1 and 2). Students read an example paragraph and are encouraged to attempt to read aloud the paragraph they dictate or write about 'When I Grow Up' (Activity 4 and 5). Students are directed to look for and read books about community workers at the library and to read or have books read to them if an in-person observation cannot be arranged (Introduction and Activity 6).
Lesson 7
A Citizen with Character
Students are asked to attempt to read short statements on the "Respect" activity page with assistance as needed, marking R or D for each scenario and writing a response. Students are directed to read (or hear and then discuss) the short prose passage "A Lesson in Honesty" and to predict outcomes and answer comprehension questions. Students hear or read the prose fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," then retell or sequence beginning, middle, and end and produce accompanying sentences or dictation.
Lesson 8
Rules and Laws
Students are asked to read each sentence on the rule strips by herself or with assistance in Activity 1, and to number and order those sentences. The Skills section includes "Follow print word by word (LA)," indicating practice with printed text. The lesson provides a short prose story, "The House with No Rules," which is read aloud with follow-up comprehension questions for the child.
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
The teacher reads the story "When One Person Cares" while the child studies the activity sheet, and the child is asked comprehension questions about beginning, middle, and end. An extension asks the child to look through a variety of picture books and discuss settings, which involves engaging with prose in picture-book form. Handwriting and copying sentences with target vocabulary (care, citizen) gives the child practice with printed words tied to the story.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 4
How Does It Feel?
Students are asked to read and identify texture words on the "Describing Texture" page and an adult is instructed to "help your child read each word." The activity asks students to have words read back to them (record and read back the words the child used) and to read example sentences such as "We jumped in the lake" and "We jumped in the icy, cold lake and got wet." Students also write or copy a sentence about an object's texture, which requires decoding and reading of a simple sentence structure.
Lesson 5
How Old?
Students are asked to read or attempt to read the questions on the "Guessing Ages" activity page, with the option that the child reads each question or the adult reads them aloud. The materials instruct students to reread the questions or attempt to read them independently and to notice punctuation such as question marks and capitalization. The skills list explicitly includes "Attempt to read written text (LA)," and student pages contain short sentences and questions for students to read.
Lesson 10
Earth Materials: Rocks, Soil, and Water
The lesson directs an adult to read Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and Over and Under the Pond with the child and asks the child comprehension and comparison questions about those books. It explicitly instructs the child to read the first sentence on the title page ("Let him read the first sentence") and includes sentence-level reading tasks in the preposition activity pages. The lesson also has students complete fill-in-the-blank sentences and discuss text features, requiring them to engage with the written prose.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students are asked to attempt to read the picture book My Five Senses by Aliki, find and read the title, and identify the author's name. Students use a provided "Senses Word List" to locate and copy sight words and are prompted to identify beginning letters in sentences and important words as they read. Students also practice reading-related skills by copying words three times, writing or dictating sentences about sensing experiences, and reading back their sentences with an adult.
Lesson 2
Senses and Body Parts
Students are asked to listen as an adult reads the short story "Jackie's Day at the Pet Store" twice and to respond by picking up and gluing sense organs when Jackie uses a sense. The lesson lists skills including "Determine a purpose for listening to text read aloud," "Listen responsively to text read aloud," and "Identify the title and author of a book." Option 2 has students tell a made-up story aloud about Jackie, pausing to glue sense organs as the story uses senses.
Lesson 4
Hearing and Seeing
The lesson's skills list includes 'Attempt to read written text' and 'Listen responsively to text read aloud.' In Activity 1 an adult reads The Magic School Bus to the child and asks comprehension questions, giving the child exposure to prose. Activity 5 asks the child to attempt to read his own sound-description aloud (with assistance), and Activity 4 asks the child to read his recorded thoughts about the blindfold experience.
Lesson 6
Experimenting With Our Senses
Students attempt to read the names of spices on jar labels and copy those names onto index cards (Activity 2). Students tell a story about a favorite flavor that is recorded and then are encouraged to read that story aloud (Activity 3). Students write or dictate and copy a sentence about something they smelled or tasted (Activity 4) and practice letter recognition and beginning consonant sounds (Skills).
Lesson 7
Using All of Our Senses
Students listen while an adult reads pages 21–end of My Five Senses and are asked which senses the character used. Students are prompted to listen to stories and interact with the reader (skills list includes "Listen to stories and text read aloud" and "Interact with reader when text is read aloud"). Students look through books such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See and Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear to identify how characters use their senses.
Lesson 8
Writing About Our Senses
Students are prompted to read the short clues in the "Sensing Logic" activity or have them read aloud, giving practice with decoding simple sentences. In Activity 2, students are asked to attempt to read the sentences in their own "A Sensible Report" after filling in blanks, with assistance provided as needed. Activity 4 asks students to write or dictate and then copy a sentence about the popcorn, which they can then attempt to read aloud.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Students are asked to attempt to read each question aloud on the "You Are Special" activity and to sound out words for their answers, providing direct practice decoding simple sentences. Students complete a fill-in-the-blank paragraph using their answers and then read and share that personal story aloud. In Activity 2 (Option 1) students read each sentence on the "Your Numbers" page and in Activity 3 they practice reading numbers encountered in books and the environment.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Students are asked to read through the list of personality words and attempt to sound out words, with guidance to circle first and last letters and say their sounds. Students practice reading and singing a short song (set to the tune of "This Old Man") and are instructed to substitute personality words into the song. Students trace and practice writing the word "quiet" and individual letters "q/Q," which involves reading that word in context and in isolation.
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
Students are asked to go to the library and find books about an interest (Activity 2), which requires reading prose to gather information. Students are encouraged to read the Hobby Survey questions aloud when interviewing three people (Activity 3). The handwriting page has students practice and recognize simple words (you, yes), supporting early reading skills.
Lesson 5
Shapesville
Students are presented with the picture book Shapesville: they are asked to look at the cover, point to the title, sound out letters, and identify the shapes on the cover. Students listen as an adult reads the story and identify each character's shape, count sides and angles, and describe physical characteristics while the story is read. Students are asked to attempt to read their own short descriptions and, if able, are encouraged to read the book aloud to family members with assistance and prompting.
Lesson 6
Different Families
Students are asked to read specified pages of the book A Life Like Mine (pages 6-13, 18-23, 26-31 and selected child profiles) with an adult and discuss the content as they read. Students describe pictures, compare families, and complete follow-up written or drawn responses (e.g., Basic Needs graphic organizer, Families Around the World worksheet) based on the prose they read. The skills list explicitly includes connecting information in text to personal experience, completing sentences, and dictating ideas, indicating guided reading and supported comprehension activities.
Lesson 7
Different Homes
Students are exposed to pages 26–35 of A Life Like Mine where an adult reads and asks them to identify and describe different homes, prompting comprehension of a prose text. Students will read the three words in each row on the "Big, Bigger, Biggest" activity page and may record the correct word beneath pictures, providing practice with word reading. Students write a sentence about their home in the handwriting activity, connecting reading-related vocabulary to writing.
Lesson 8
Different Holidays and Traditions
Students are asked to "read about the holidays in encyclopedias or on websites" and to "look online for pictures and descriptions of holidays and traditions around the world," which requires reading informational prose with adult support. Students review a calendar and find dates for holidays, which requires reading month and date labels, and they create a "Book of Holidays" in which each page must include a sentence about the holiday that the student can dictate, copy, or write. Activity instructions prompt discussion and question-answering about texts and web content, indicating supported reading and comprehension practice of informational prose.
Lesson 9
Different Modes of Transportation
Students are asked to look through books and websites (for example, A Life Like Mine) to find examples of transportation, which requires reading picture book pages and captions. Students complete word-label activities (filling in missing letters or writing labels) on the "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" pages, which practices decoding and recognizing simple transportation words. Students dictate a story about a transportation trip and are asked to attempt to read it aloud, and they copy or write a sentence about a mode of transportation on handwriting paper.
Lesson 10
Wants and Needs
The introduction directs an adult and child to "Read pages 46-51," "Read pages 56-61," and "Read pages 66-71" and to discuss those readings, which prompts reading and comprehension of connected prose. Multiple student activity pages present labeled pictures and words (e.g., car, computer, water, meal) that students are asked to identify or categorize, requiring them to read simple vocabulary. Survey and web activities ask students to draw or write items named by people they interview, involving reading and writing of short words and phrases.
Lesson 11
Being Part of a Group
The Skills list explicitly includes "Read or attempt to read own story or simple text (LA)." The Introduction directs students to read pages 98–113 of A Life Like Mine and discuss identity, nationality, and religion. Activity 2 asks students to complete a paragraph about a group and then encourages them to read the paragraph with assistance.
Final Project
Differences Make the World Go 'Round
The lesson instructs the child to "Read about it in a book or on the Internet" and to "Read about the food, clothing, activities, transportation, and environment" of the chosen country, which requires reading informational prose. The activity asks the child to complete and write simple comparative sentences (e.g., "I live in..." and "I like to eat...") and to create a book, which involves reading and producing short prose passages. The lesson also prompts a discussion of the difference between fiction and nonfiction, which engages students with different kinds of prose texts.
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 1
What Is a Pattern?
Students are asked to look at the cover of the story Busy Bugs, identify the title and author, and follow along as an adult reads the story aloud. The second reading asks students to attempt to read the story aloud themselves with assistance as needed. Students are prompted to read pages 6-11 and 12-25, answer questions about the text, and explain patterns they see in the prose.
Lesson 2
Recognizing Types of Patterns
The lesson instructs the child to "Reread the book, Busy Bugs" and to point out ABAB and AABB patterns in the book, which requires students to read prose. The lesson also directs the child to "write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper about the book, Busy Bugs," which has students engage with a prose sentence and connect reading to writing.
Unit 2: Patterns in Sounds, Words, and Actions
Lesson 1
Word Patterns
Students are asked to read and/or listen to nursery rhymes and to identify the rhyming words in each one. The text directs an adult to read the poems in Bear Hugs to the child and also tells the adult to "reread the Bear Hugs story or encourage your child to read it," and then have the child copy or dictate animal names from the text. Activities require students to pick a favorite nursery rhyme, act out or illustrate it, record rhyming words from texts, and find pairs of rhyming words in the book, all of which engage students with prose and poetry.
Lesson 2
Making Word Patterns
Students are asked to read each sentence on the "It's Time to Rhyme" sheet after completing the rhymes (Activity 1). Students practice reading words aloud when they sort and use word-family cards (Option 1 and Option 2), and are instructed to use those words to practice reading. Students are given a variety of picture books that rhyme and are prompted to identify and record words from the text with adult help (Activity 3), and the instructions explicitly note providing assistance as needed.
Lesson 3
Poetry Patterns
Students are asked to read the poems on the "Patterns in Poetry" sheet aloud (Activity 1), with instructions to read each poem at least twice and to receive assistance as needed. The lesson has students sing and complete verses of the rhyming song, write another verse, and fill in blanks on the "A Rhyming Song" page (Activity 2), requiring them to read and produce poetic text with prompting. The Skills list explicitly includes "Read or attempt to read simple text," and the instructions direct adults to read poems aloud from books and ask the child to identify patterns and rhymes.
Lesson 4
Sentence Patterns
Students are prompted to read each sentence they form aloud in the "Making Sentences" activities and to read sentences from the "Completing a Sentence Pattern" pages aloud. Students read through simple picture books (Activity 4), point to sentence beginnings and periods, identify nouns and verbs in those sentences, and copy a few simple sentences from books. Students act out and read sentences with their name as subject (Activity 2) and read or dictate sentences to be written on handwriting paper.
Lesson 5
Story Patterns
Students are prompted to read short prose: Activity 2 (Option 2) asks the child to read the short story twice with guidance and then complete beginning/middle/end boxes. Activity 3 has students compose a short story and then attempt to read their own story with assistance. Activity 4 has students copy or write a sentence from the story they created, and Activity 1 encourages students to read a book and identify events while answering beginning/middle/end questions.
Final Project
Patterns Video
The materials state: "For the word/rhyming and book patterns, he can read the words from a book or poem and explain the pattern," directing students to read poetry or book text aloud and describe its pattern. Students are asked to write or dictate a script for each pattern and to practice multiple times before recording, indicating repeated reading practice with caregiver support. Student activity pages labeled "Rhyming Pattern" and "Story Pattern" prompt students to identify text elements and sequence lines (First comes, Then...), which requires reading and oral explanation of prose/poetry excerpts.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 1
Patterns in Nature
The lesson lists the skill "Practice reading simple texts (LA)" and directs an adult to "Read aloud pp. 1-11 of Pattern by Henry Pluckrose," which exposes students to a short prose text and asks them to identify and describe patterns from the pages. Activity 4 asks the child to write or copy a sentence from today's reading, requiring the student to read and process a sentence from the text.
Lesson 4
Daily Routines
Students encounter labeled pictures in Activity 1 (e.g., "get dressed," "eat breakfast," "brush teeth") that present single-word and short-phrase text. Activity 2 provides an example prose sequence ("Set the table. Put food on the table. Sit in my chair. Serve my plate and eat.") that students can read or reference. Activity 3's sample daily routine lists times with short written activity labels (e.g., "7:00 am: Wake up," "12:00 pm: Lunch") that present brief prose statements for students to read.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 1
What Causes Change?
The lesson explicitly lists the skill "Read or attempt to read own dictated story (LA)" and instructs students to complete a written paragraph about a change and then "attempt to read it aloud." Activity 3 has students draw before/after pictures, fill in sentences, and read their completed paragraph aloud with assistance. Several activities require students to record words (writing "fast" or "slow" or an "F"/"S"), which involves decoding and producing simple text in context.
Lesson 2
What Changed?
Activity 1 directs the child to read (or be read to) "Part 1: Things Change" (pp. 3-26) in the book Changes Happen All Around You and to answer comprehension questions about the text. The skills list explicitly includes "Listen when someone is reading aloud" and "Demonstrate a sense of story," and the activity instructs providing assistance as needed while the child reads. Students are asked specific text-based questions (e.g., identifying physical vs. chemical changes) that require reading or listening comprehension.
Lesson 4
Changes in the Environment
Students are asked to read "Part 2: Seasons Change" (pp. 27-44) in the book Changes Happen All Around You with assistance as needed, and to answer questions about the changes in the book. The Skills list explicitly includes "Listen responsively to text read aloud (LA)," and the directions allow the child to read or to have the text read aloud while responding. Students are also asked to write or illustrate two sentences about weather-related changes and to copy a sentence about their favorite season, which connects reading with comprehension and written response.
Lesson 5
Changes in Location
Students are asked in Activity 2 (Option 2) to cut out the mouse, read each sentence, and move the mouse to the location described, with assistance provided as needed. Several pages present short, complete sentences (e.g., "The mouse is on top of the couch.") and fill-in-the-blank sentences (e.g., "The cat is ___ the door.") that students can read or complete. The Wrapping Up suggestions include having the child read written directions and follow them, and switching roles so the child describes locations aloud.
Lesson 8
Plants and Change
Students are directed to reread pages 33 and 40-42 of Changes Happen All Around You and to read multiple page ranges in National Geographic Readers: Seed to Plant (pages 4-7, 8-11, 10-13, 14-15, 18-25). Adults are instructed to ask the child comprehension questions after reading and to prompt the child to locate a section using the table of contents. The plan includes repeated reading (e.g., reread, watch videos multiple times and sing along) and follow-up questions that support comprehension with adult guidance.
Lesson 9
Heat Causes Change
Students are asked to review pages 14-15 and 18-19 in the book Changes Happen All Around You, which requires them to engage with grade-level prose with prompting. Students use the activity page word box to identify and label the words "ice," "water," and "steam," demonstrating word recognition. Students are also prompted to describe observations and answer comprehension questions about experiments, which involves oral comprehension of the reviewed text.
Unit 2: Characters Change
Lesson 1
What's in a Name
Students listen to the story read aloud via the provided link and are prompted to attend to illustrations while the narrator reads. Students read and interpret short text segments on activity pages: they rewrite and correct sentences on the Capitalizing Names page, read and respond to phrases on the Feeling Phrases page, and read vocabulary words to guess and then match definitions. Students complete character-analysis and vocabulary activities that require reading and interpreting short prose phrases from the story.
Lesson 3
Is It a Problem?
Students are directed to read What Do You Do With a Problem? and answer specific comprehension questions about the text, showing engagement with grade-appropriate prose. Students are asked to look through the pages and examine how the illustrations and text represent the problem, and to complete multiple activity pages based on the story. Students practice oral language by combining sentences using the conjunction "or" and identify beginning, middle, and end of the story, all tied to the prose read.
Lesson 5
The Raft
The plan instructs an adult to read portions aloud and to have the child continue reading the story across three days (e.g., "Read the 'Author's Note'… read through the page where the boy discovers the raft," "Pick up where you left off reading yesterday," and "Finish reading the story today"). Students are asked to read and copy sentences containing the word "I" and to "read each sentence on the 'Vocabulary' page" to match definitions. Several activities require the child to reread text passages (idioms, figurative language) and answer comprehension questions with prompting.
Lesson 6
Positive and Negative Change
Students attempt to read short cause-and-effect sentences on the matching activity pages and match causes with effects with adult assistance. Students are asked to read or listen to a short prose passage about the rat twice and then produce and dictate an ending that demonstrates comprehension and narrative response. Students discuss and reflect on previously read stories and write or dictate sentences describing causes, effects, and character changes from those prose texts.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 1
People and Families Change
The lesson's skills list includes "Use listening skills when being read to (LA)" and "Read or attempt to read a dictated story (LA)," which directly involve student reading or reading-related practice. Multiple activities ask students to read their own ideas aloud (Activity 5 and Activity 6) and to read or have their writing read back to them after dictation. Students are prompted to write sentences about change (Activity 3) and then read those sentences aloud, providing opportunities to practice decoding and oral reading.
Lesson 2
Understanding Time
Activity 2 instructs an adult and child to read pages 6–13 (and the last three pages) of the book Telling Time: How to Tell Time on Digital and Analog Clocks and to review units of time during that reading. The introduction and activities prompt the child to answer guided questions about past, present, and future and to connect text information to personal experiences, indicating supported reading and discussion of prose.
Lesson 3
Communities Change
Students are asked to read The House on Maple Street aloud or listen as it is read, and they are prompted to read the title and author's name. Option 2 requires students to read event labels and match them to pictures, and Day 2 asks students to read the story again focusing on details. Activities prompt students to write a sentence about the book, reinforcing engagement with the prose text.
Lesson 4
Past and Present
The lesson directs an adult to read specified prose pages from The Usborne Time Traveler to the child (pages listed for Ancient Egypt, Rome, and the Middle Ages) and asks the child to look through the book and select time periods. Students are asked to predict story content from a cover image, identify sequence of events in a story, and read the clues they dictate to family members (Activity 7). The lesson includes guided question-and-answer discussion prompts about the readings and asks students to write or dictate sentences describing differences between past and present (Activity 8).
Lesson 5
Exploring the Past
The lesson instructs students to "skim or read" specified pages of The Usborne Time Traveler and provides page ranges for Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, and Medieval Europe, indicating students will engage with prose content. Students are prompted to use information from those pages to draw, write or dictate descriptions, complete culture charts, put culture pictures in chronological order, and assemble a short book for a presentation. Adult prompting is implied throughout (help with cutting, ordering, and discussion), supporting guided interaction with the prose.
Lesson 6
Predicting Future Change
Students are asked to "read each example of change" on the two "What Will Happen?" sheets and answer questions about those short prose scenarios (Activity 1). Students are directed to "reread each situation" along with their predictions and to decide whether outcomes are positive or negative (Activity 2). Students dictate a personal-change description and are asked to "attempt to read the description he dictated" (Activity 3), and students write or copy a sentence about a change (Activity 4).
Lesson 7
People of the Past
Students are prompted to select and read a simple biography with adult help, with explicit instructions to read the book and answer comprehension questions. Students read and interact with the "People in History" activity page by reading short prose descriptions, cutting them apart, ordering them chronologically, and pointing to the individuals described. The lesson states the goal to "Demonstrate familiarity with a variety of texts (LA)," and asks the child to reread descriptions and to read more about chosen individuals online with adult support.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud while pointing to each word, practicing left-to-right and top-to-bottom tracking. Students read the decodable reader "Tap and Pat," with modeling, prompted rereading, and teacher prompts to sound out words, use pictures, and self-correct. The lesson provides explicit prompting strategies (e.g., ask for first sound, sound it out, skip and come back) that support students while they read prose.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
Students are asked to read reader #2 "The Pig Can": read the title, describe the cover, begin on the first page, point to each word as they read, and read the book twice (Activity 5.3). Students read and re-read short prose passages such as the "Weekly Message #2" while pointing to each word and identifying punctuation (Activity 1.1). Skills listings and activities require students to follow words left to right, decode CVC words, and build/blend words, which support reading simple prose with prompting and support.
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud while pointing to each word and to identify punctuation (Activity 1.1). Students are instructed to read the decodable reader The Bug aloud, point to each word as they read, and re-read the previous reader (The Pig Can) as practice (Activity 5.2 and Getting Started). Multiple activities require students to read sight words, read and write simple sentences, and read word lists aloud (Activities 3.2, 4.3, 5.1).
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
Students read the Weekly Message by pointing to words and reading along, identifying sentence end marks and counting sentences. Students read sight-word sentences aloud while pointing to each word (Activity 3.1) and practice reading and rereading a short reader, The Cat, the Pig, the Dog, and the Fox, first silently and then aloud to an adult (Activity 5.2). Students also read individual sight word cards and short words built from letter cards throughout the week.
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
Students are prompted to read short prose: Activity 4.3 has students read the reader "Ducks Are Fun" on their own and then read it aloud to an adult. Activity 1.1 asks students to point to and read the Weekly Message with adult modeling and to identify sentence-final punctuation. Multiple activities (sight word practice, sentence dictation, re-reading earlier readers) require students to read sight words and simple sentences aloud with prompting and support.
Lesson 6
Open Syllables and Digraph th
Students are asked to read a short reader (Reader #6 — This Is...) on their own and then aloud, with guidance to point to each word and read with appropriate expression. The lesson also asks students to re-read the previous lesson's reader (Ducks Are Fun) and includes multiple read-aloud and sentence-reading activities (forming sentences, sentence dictation) that provide prompting and support while reading prose.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
Students are asked to read the short reader "They Get Wet" on their own and then read it aloud, with prompts to point to each word and answer comprehension questions. Students read the Weekly Message aloud with support, pointing to words they know and identifying digraphs in the text. Students also practice reading sight words in the word search and read lists and columns of words aloud during sorting and dictation activities.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult and point to words as they read, and to re-read the previous lesson's reader. Activity 4.3 directs students to read the decodable reader "Meg and Dan and the Sled" on their own and then aloud to an adult, encouraging them to point to each word. Sight-word practice and short sentence dictation provide additional opportunities for students to read connected prose with prompting and support.
Lesson 9
Blends with l
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with support, pointing to words as they follow along and identifying punctuation and sight words. Students are instructed to read Reader #9 — The Club on their own first and then aloud, pointing to each word and answering comprehension questions about the text. Multiple activities (sight word practice, sentence dictation, and making sentences) require students to read and produce connected prose-level sentences with adult prompting.
Lesson 10
Blends with r
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud and read along as able (Activity 1.1), pointing to words as they read. Activity 4.2 directs students to read the reader One Can on their own before reading it aloud and to point to each word as they read. The lessons also include repeated reading practice (re-reading the previous lesson's reader) and multiple oral reading opportunities through dictated sentences and reader questions.
Lesson 11
Ending Blends
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud and point to any words they know while the adult reads aloud and the child reads along as able. Students will read the reader At Camp on their own and then read it aloud to the adult, with encouragement to point to each word and take their time. Students are encouraged to reread previous readers (for example, One Can) and receive modeling, prompting, and assistance during reading and word-level activities.
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with support and to point to words as they read. Students are directed to read Reader #12 (Huff and Puff) on their own and then aloud to the adult, with follow-up comprehension questions. Students also read and write sentences (dictation and sentence writing), read sight words in a word search, and read words they build from the Alphabet Soup and word-family pages.
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
Students read Reader #13 — King Hank on their own and then aloud to an adult, pointing to each word as they read and answering comprehension questions. Students re-read the previous lesson's reader (Huff and Puff) and the Weekly Message #13 aloud with an adult, and they practice sight words and word lists by reading cards and word-family pages. Students also read and write dictated sentences and use Making Sentences cards to construct and read sentences, providing prompting and support while reading connected prose.
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with support, pointing to words and re-reading along as they are able. Students are directed to read Reader #14 (Spring Has Sprung!) on their own and then aloud to an adult, with prompts to point to each word and answer comprehension questions. Sentence dictation and repeated sight-word practice require students to read and then read back sentences such as "The shrimp swim in the tank."
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students are asked to read The Raft Trip (Activity 5.2) on their own and then aloud while pointing to each word, and to answer comprehension questions about the book. Students read the Weekly Message (Activity 1.1) aloud with an adult, point to words as they read, and practice syllable clapping and highlighting multisyllabic words. Students also read and write dictated sentences (Activity 5.1) and read words they build or sort throughout the week.
Lesson 16
R-Controlled Vowels (ar)
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message #16 aloud with support and to point to and read any words they know (Activity 1.1). Students are also instructed to read Reader #16 — Which? When? What? on their own before reading it aloud and to answer comprehension questions after reading (Activity 4.2). Multiple activities require students to read words, sentences, and dictated sentences aloud while pointing to words (Activity 5.3 and various word-read-aloud tasks).
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students reread and read aloud multiple short readers (The Club, At Camp, King Hank, Spring Has Sprung!, The Raft Trip) and answer comprehension prompts about characters and events. Students are prompted to read the Weekly Message aloud and to point to and read words they know, with the adult reading along as support. Students review pages from their Word Collection and are asked to read pages and selected words (aiming for 10+ pages) with prompting. Students plan and write their own small reader and then share it, practicing reading text they produce.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Long Vowels a and i with Silent e
Students are asked to read Reader #1 — In the Fall on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, pointing to each word as they read and answering comprehension questions. Students reread the Weekly Message and are prompted to point to and read words they know and to read along as the adult reads. Students also complete sentence dictation and short reader-related tasks (pointing to words, reading sight words) that provide supported opportunities to read connected prose aloud.
Lesson 2
Long Vowels o, u, and e with Silent e
Students read the reader They Chose To Doze on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, answering comprehension questions about the story (Activity 5.1). Students reread the Weekly Message and previous reader, read sight words, and complete sentence dictation and spelling tasks that require reading connected sentences and short texts (Activities 1.1, Wrap-Up, 4.2, 4.3). The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings."
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with prompting and to re-read a previous reader (They Chose to Doze). On Day 5 students read Reader #3 — These Mice on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by comprehension questions. The Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings."
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message #4 and then read the message aloud while reading along with an adult. Students are instructed to re-read the previous reader (These Mice) and to read Reader #4, The Bird Is Third, first on their own and then aloud to an adult, followed by comprehension questions. The lesson's skills list explicitly includes reading grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression and reading with prompting and support to aid comprehension.
Lesson 5
Long a Spellings ai, ay
Students are asked to read Reader #5 — The Gray Day on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by comprehension questions about the story. Students are prompted to re-read the previous reader (The Bird Is Third) and to read the Weekly Message aloud with adult support, pointing to words they know and sounding out unknown words. The Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings," indicating practice targets.
Lesson 6
Long e Spellings ee, ey, ea
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult and to reread previous readers, providing guided, supported reading practice. Students read sight word cards, read and highlight words on the Long e pages, and read the reader 'What Do You Eat?' on their own then aloud to an adult. Students also read dictated sentences and take a sight-word spelling test, practicing oral reading, rereading, and reading for comprehension of short prose.
Lesson 7
Long i Spellings y, igh, ie
Students are asked to read a grade-level reader (The Dark Night) on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by comprehension questions (Day 5 Activity 5.1). Students repeatedly read and reread the Weekly Message aloud and point to words they know (Activity 1.1 and Wrapping Up). The skills list and activities require students to read sight words, read grade-level text with purpose and understanding, and read orally with accuracy and expression (multiple activities and Day 4 spelling/test and Day 5 dictation support oral reading practice).
Lesson 8
Long o Spellings ow, oa, oe
Students are asked to read Reader #8 — The Slow Boat independently and then read it aloud to an adult, with follow-up comprehension questions. Students reread a previous reader (The Dark Night) and point to and read words in the Weekly Message #8, reading along with an adult as able. Students practice oral reading during sentence dictation and sight-word activities, and are prompted to read words during sorting, word-building, and the spelling test.
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud and point to words they know (Activity 1.1). Students read Reader #9 — "Would You Eat It?" on their own and then read it aloud to an adult (Activity 5.1). Students also read sentences during sentence dictation, read and write sight words, and read multiple activity pages and word-sorting items throughout the week.
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students are asked to read prose aloud and silently: Activity 5.1 directs the child to read Reader #10 — The Wild Colt on their own and then read it aloud to an adult. Activity 1.1 has the child point to and read words in the Weekly Message and reread the message with adult support. The Skills section explicitly lists reading grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression and rereading to support comprehension.
Lesson 11
Long Vowel Sounds Review
Students read aloud and reread multiple second-semester readers (e.g., Reader #1, #5, #2, #7, #8, #6, #9) and are asked to find, write, and read words from those texts (Activities 2.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1). Students read the Weekly Message aloud, point to words, and read along with an adult (Activity 1.1). The Skills list explicitly states that students should "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings," indicating practice of grade-level prose reading with prompting and support.
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to reread it while an adult reads aloud, providing guided practice and prompting. On Day 5, students read Reader #12 — The New Toy on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, answering comprehension questions. Multiple activities require students to read sight words, word lists, and sorts aloud with modeling, prompting, and correction.
Lesson 13
Other Vowel Sounds ou, ow
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to read it aloud along with an adult (Activity 1.1). Students are instructed to read Reader #13, The Hound and the Owl, first independently and then aloud to an adult, and to answer comprehension questions about the prose (Activity 5.1). The skills list and multiple activities prompt students to reread texts and read grade-level text orally with accuracy, rate, and expression.
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
Students are asked to read Reader #14 (The Pups) on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, with comprehension questions provided (Activity 5.1). Students are prompted to read the weekly message aloud and to read words on rhyming and sorting pages (Activity 1.1, Activity 1.2, Day 2), and the Skills section explicitly lists reading grade-level text with purpose, understanding, accuracy, and appropriate rate/expression.
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students are asked to read Reader #15 — The Bad Bear on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, with follow-up comprehension questions. Students reread the Weekly Message and are prompted to point to and read words in it, and they complete sentence dictation and reading-aloud activities. Multiple activities require students to read words and short texts with support (guided reading, rereading, and oral reading practice).
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students are asked to read The Gnats independently and then read it aloud to an adult, answering comprehension questions (Activity 5.2). Students are prompted to re-read the previous lesson's reader and to read the Weekly Message aloud while following along (Activity 1.1). The skills list explicitly includes reading grade-level text with purpose and understanding and reading orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression.
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with the parent and to point to and read any words they know, providing supported practice with connected prose. Students are asked to select and read three Semester 2 readers on multiple days, first on their own and then aloud to an adult, practicing reading grade-level texts with prompting and support. The skills list and activities (sight word work, reader review, and prompting to read created words aloud) explicitly direct students to read text with purpose, accuracy, and fluency.