Kindergarten - ELA
1: Letters
Unit 1: A - A Is for Musk Ox
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Skills section explicitly states: "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text." The Reading And Questions instructions direct an adult to ask the child to point to the title, author, and illustrator and then ask three specific comprehension questions (e.g., "What two animals talk in the story?" and "Why do you think we have the alphabet?"). The Activities have the child respond to prompts (counting letter cards, ordering alphabet cards) while the adult provides assistance as needed.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to discuss information after reading and watching about musk oxen, including where musk oxen live, what they eat, how people use them, and threats they face, which requires students to respond with information. The prompt to "discuss how the information you share with your child compares with what the musk ox in the story says" encourages students to answer and compare information. The activity asking the child to act like a musk ox and have the adult guess what they are doing gives students opportunities to produce explanations about their actions.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The Reading section directs an adult to ask the child what the word "herd" means and to read and discuss the definition to clarify meaning. The Reading and Questions directions ask the child to find marked words, locate the pictured item, point to the first letter, and say the letter aloud, prompting the child to answer identification questions. Activity directions tell the adult to ask the child to name letters and say letter sounds and to prompt the child to say the sight word "you," creating multiple teacher-question / student-answer interactions.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The Getting Started prompts instruct an adult to "Ask your child what a herd is" and to have the child say or sing the letters and practice counting, which requires students to answer oral questions. Activity 1 directs adults to "Discuss what the environment is like," prompting student responses about musk ox habitats. Activity 3 has the child circle beginning letters and follow adult prompts for cutting/gluing, creating opportunities for students to answer questions and follow requests for information or help.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The lesson asks students direct questions such as, "What number is one more than 1?" and "What number is one more than 2?", which students are expected to answer during the number-matching activity. The lesson also instructs the teacher to "ask your child if he liked the book and why or why not" and to ask whether the child would recommend it, prompting students to answer questions about the text. In the number activity students "check" the adult's work to determine whether the chosen number card matches the objects, which requires the child to respond with information about correctness.
Unit 2: H - Hondo and Fabian
Lesson 1
Day 1
The skills list explicitly states that students will, "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text." During reading adults ask the child to point to the title and author, to interpret what "Hondo" and "Fabian" might mean, and to answer four specific comprehension questions about characters and events. Activity 1 asks the child to identify which actions belong to Hondo or Fabian and to act out each activity, providing additional prompts for identifying and answering questions about details.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson has the adult ask the child to name the two characters on the book cover and to count to 20, which requires the child to answer questions. The lesson prompts the child to describe how the letter H looks and asks if she can hear the initial /h/ sound, having the child respond and list additional words beginning with /h/. The lesson asks the child to talk about what she knows about cats and dogs and to record characteristics in a Venn diagram, requiring the child to provide information in response to prompts.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to retell the story using picture prompts and to answer sequenced prompts such as "What happened at the beginning…? What happened next? How did the story end?" Students are asked to identify initial sounds in words like "home," "happy," and "hungry," and to locate and read the sight word "he." Students are also asked to explain why the lowercase h could not be made with popsicle sticks, encouraging them to give a reason.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are prompted to answer questions about the letter H (e.g., being asked what sound H makes and whether they remember the sight word "he"). Students are asked to think about and answer questions about ways objects and animals move and to identify whether Hondo or Fabian moved in those ways. Students are asked about their own friendships and activities and then dictated a sentence about their painting, demonstrating answering informational/personal questions.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to answer questions such as "What number is one more than 4?" and "What number is one more than 5?" during the number activities, requiring them to provide information. Adults prompt students to identify characters and names by asking "Ask your child what a character is" and "what he thinks about the names ‘Hondo' and ‘Fabian,'" which requires students to respond. Students are asked to dictate two statements about themselves, which elicits answers to adult prompts.
Unit 3: I - The Little Island
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson repeatedly prompts the child to respond to teacher questions (e.g., find the title, what the book will be about, do you know what an island is) and includes a set of specific comprehension questions (#1–#5) for the child to answer. Activities ask the child to discuss the definition of an island using a world map and to note similarities/differences of islands, as well as to explain whether she would like to visit an island and why. In Activity 1 the child counts and places island features while the adult assists and prompts thinking about placement and numbers.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 1 repeatedly prompts the adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "what season is it?", "what is changing on the island?", "what accessories will you need now?") and directs the child to talk about how the seasons affect him. The book reading prompt to "page through The Little Island... Talk about how the different seasons affected the island" requires the child to answer informational questions about seasonal changes.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The Getting Started review directs the adult to ask the child to identify number cards and to tell the definition of an island, prompting the child to provide information and check it by counting dots. Activity 1 asks the child if he knows how waves form, invites discussion of possibilities, and has the child observe and decide what he thinks causes the waves. Activity 2 asks the child to respond and act out motions (around, over, on, under, etc.), requiring the child to answer and demonstrate understanding of directional words.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 1, children are asked questions about whether the island is little, how we know size, and which measured items are longest or shortest, prompting them to provide information and compare measurements. In Activity 2, children are asked to identify parts of the book (cover, title page, back cover) and to answer opinion questions (Did you like it? Why? What was your favorite part?). In Activity 3, children are prompted to respond to prompting questions (e.g., What season was it? What animals did you see?) to generate ideas and then read their ideas aloud.
Unit 4: T - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to make predictions about the book and then answer questions after reading (e.g., "Ask him to predict what the book will be about" and "ask him if he learned anything he didn't know before"). The lesson includes explicit question-and-answer prompts (QUESTION #1-#3) that require students to recall parts of animal structures and compare homes. In activities, students sort animals by number of legs and draw two animal cards and state one similarity and one difference, which requires answering and providing information about animal structures.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to explain vocabulary words (herd, character, island) and to answer questions about the word "structure" and how animals' structures are similar and different. Students are asked to talk about tail functions and answer questions such as "What jobs do their tails do?" and "Why are they shaped the way they are?" Students are also asked to identify the /t/ sound in "tail," to respond when guided to find and glue matching tails, and to explain the tail they design.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to tell the sound of the letter T and to identify the sight word "this," showing they answer teacher-posed questions about letters and words. During reading, students answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., "Was this book make-believe or true?" and "What kind of information did you learn from this book?"). The guidance to have the child practice reading the sight word and to organize thoughts for Question #2 shows students respond to prompts to provide information.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson tells the adult to "Ask your child to name an animal whose tail has a special job and to describe that job," which requires the child to answer a question. Activity 1 has the child choose an animal and "work together to locate some information" and "discuss" its body parts, which involves students gathering information. Activity 2 asks the child to respond to prompts (e.g., call out "nose" and the child acts like an animal), which requires answering and responding to cues.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 1 a child is asked which of two yarn "tails" is longer or shorter and is asked to put the tails in order from shortest to longest (and vice versa). In Activity 2 the child is asked explicit questions about the book's sequence (e.g., "What was the first section of the book about?") and is asked evaluative questions (e.g., "Did you learn something new? Why or why not?"). These prompts require the child to answer questions to provide information about length and sequence.
Unit 5: L - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson includes multiple teacher prompts that require the child to answer questions about the book (e.g., "What does she notice? What season does she think is depicted? What clues give her that idea?"). It provides a set of discussion questions (#1–4) that ask the child to explain feelings, challenges, and personal experiences, prompting spoken answers and discussion. In activities, the child is asked to count, sort, and sometimes check the adult's counting, which creates opportunities to respond to requests for information or confirmation ("have you count them again... have her take a turn at laying the leaves on the table and having you count them, and then she can check your work").
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson includes adult prompts that require student responses, e.g., "Ask your child if he remembers what an adjective is" and questions like "What features do some of the leaves have in common? What are some differences among the leaves?" During leaf sorting the child is challenged to "think of other features he could use to sort the leaves," prompting student-generated responses. The activities require students to answer questions and provide information (counting groups, naming attributes) in response to prompts.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson asks the child direct questions during reading (e.g., "What words describe the forest, the waterfall, the lake, and the skunk?" and "ask your child what word the author uses to describe the forest") and prompts the child to identify adjectives aloud. The lesson also has the adult show a number card and ask the child to count out the corresponding number of leaves, requiring the child to answer by counting. The teacher prompts the child to point to and say the sight word "go" each time it appears, eliciting oral responses from the child.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked questions about plant parts (e.g., "What does your child think a tree root is like compared to the roots of a blade of grass?" and "What is the difference between the stem of a dandelion and a tree's trunk?") and are prompted to talk about sizes and shapes of leaves. Students are challenged to determine which group of leaves has more by counting each group and matching counts to number cards. The optional extension asks students to consider how many more leaves the smaller group would need to make the groups equal.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 2 the adult is instructed to ask the child whether she enjoyed the book, why or why not, and whether she would recommend it to a friend, prompting the child to answer questions about the text. In Activity 3 adults are told to "talk about her thoughts and ask questions to help her generate ideas," which has the child respond to questions to clarify and expand ideas for writing.
Unit 6: F - Fireflies
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to answer comprehension and vocabulary questions (e.g., "Ask your child if he knows what it means to flicker," Q1–Q4 asking about feelings and reasons). Students practice giving and following directions and requesting information in Activity 2 when they hide the glow-in-the-dark firefly and give clues such as "above the sofa" or "under the table." The read-aloud directions ask students to describe the cover and tell what they know about fireflies, requiring them to respond with information and clarification.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson repeatedly instructs an adult to ask the child questions about word meaning (e.g., asking if the child remembers a synonym for "blinking on, blinking off" and what "soaring" means, and how surrounding words give clues). It directs the adult to ask the child to determine whether each pictured creature is an insect and to explain how he made that decision and what clues he looked for. It also prompts a joint discussion ("Talk together") about whether collected bugs are insects and how to know for sure.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to recall the meaning of the word "flicker" and to read the new word card "said," prompting them to answer comprehension questions. Students are prompted to count out 10 "fireflies," respond when asked how many there would be if one more is added, and to identify pairs of opposites in a text. Several teacher prompts require students to respond with information or clarification (e.g., reading words, defining flicker, counting, and naming opposites).
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to recall vocabulary when prompted to tell what "flicker" means and to give the opposite of "mean" (nice). Students are asked to remember and state insect characteristics (3 body parts, exoskeleton, 2 antennae, eyes, 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings). Students sort creature cards and explain categories, which requires them to answer questions about groupings and count items in each group.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Reading Workshop prompts the child to retell the story using illustrations and to respond to specific questions (e.g., Did he like the story? Why or why not? Were there any parts that were funny or surprising?). The Adding Fireflies activity asks the child to answer repeated quantitative questions (e.g., How many fireflies does he have now?) while counting and combining sets. The Writing Workshop invites the child to describe a favorite summer activity, encouraging verbal or written expression that could involve answering questions about personal experience.
Unit 7: E - But No Elephants
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson's skill list includes: "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text," and the Reading and Questions section instructs adults to ask the child what she sees, what she thinks the book will be about, and why. The lesson provides specific comprehension prompts (QUESTION #1–#3) that require the child to answer about changes in Grandma Tildy's life and predicaments, and Activity 2 asks the child ordinal questions such as "Who came third? Who came fifth?" that students answer.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to explain vocabulary words and give examples, and to recall the meaning of the word "predicament" and name a predicament from the story. Students are asked to look at illustrations and describe positions using words like "in," "on," "under," "beside," and "behind." Students are asked to name shapes, sort them into groups, count them, and order them from smallest to largest, and to respond during letter and handwriting practice when prompted.
Lesson 3
Day 3
After reading, students are asked to explain what happened in the story and to read the sight word "no" at the appropriate time, which requires them to answer questions and respond orally. In the Grandma Tildy activity, students act out an animal and answer the prompt of how that animal would help Grandma Tildy, and they participate in a guessing exchange that elicits responses. In the sorting activity, students are asked to sort animals by number of legs and to suggest other ways to sort, requiring them to answer questions and provide information.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students answer specific comprehension questions about the story (e.g., "What is Grandma Tildy doing? What kind of work is she doing? Why is she doing that?"). Students sort household objects into "wants" and "needs," explain why they placed each item in a category, and count the items in each pile. Students listen to a dramatic retelling and respond by holding up the corresponding stick puppets and by telling or creating the rest of the story.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The lesson directs an adult to ask the child questions about the elephant rhyme and to count body parts (e.g., "ask your child what would happen if there were two enormous elephants" and show pictures to count, writing 2+2=4). The reading workshop instructs an adult to ask the child comprehension questions after reading (e.g., "Did she enjoy it? Why or why not? What was her favorite part? Ask her if she could think of a different ending"). These activities require the child to answer questions to provide information and demonstrate understanding.
Unit 8: C - Millions of Cats
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the book cover and answer predictive questions (e.g., "what he sees," "what he thinks the book will be about," and whether a million is a lot of cats). Students respond to a set of eight comprehension questions about the story, including a vocabulary clarification question for the word "quarrel" that requires explaining why the cats were quarreling. Students also answer comparative questions during Activity 1 (e.g., "What do the cats have in common? What are some differences among the cats?") and list similarities and differences in the Venn diagram activity.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson instructs the adult to "Ask your child if she knows what it means to quarrel," which asks the student to answer a question to demonstrate understanding. The lesson also directs adults to "Talk about different physical features of the Earth with your child," which creates opportunities for the child to respond to informational prompts. Several activities include guided interaction (e.g., identifying the uppercase C on the book cover and reviewing its sound) that invite student answers to teacher questions.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson includes multiple teacher prompts that require student responses, such as asking the child if he had a quarrel and how it ended, asking how the sight word "pretty" was used and having the child read it, and Question #1 asking the child to state the lesson of the story. Math activities ask students to count the 10 cats, divide them into groups, assign number cards, and answer questions about how many more cats would be needed to make 10 cats. The activities require students to answer informational and clarifying questions about quantities and story meaning.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The poem activity asks a direct question: "Would this poem describe the scene with all the cats from the book? Explain," which requires the child to answer and explain her thinking. The pet-care activity has the child find information from books or websites and then "communicate to others what she has learned" by making a poster or giving a "pet talk," which has the child report information they obtained. The optional poem extension asks the child to supply missing rhyming words and continue lines, which requires the child to respond to prompts and answer aloud.
Unit 9: G - The Real Mother Goose
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to answer teacher questions such as "Who does she think Mother Goose is?" and to talk about poems (e.g., "What parts are silly... Which ones does your child like, and why?"). Students are asked to identify rhyming pairs ("see if your child can identify some rhyming pairs") and to produce rhyming words when given a prompt word like "cat." Students are also asked to identify shapes and circles in the room and to respond to movement prompts ("ask her if she can walk in a circle. How else can she move in a circle?").
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to supply words during the poem practice and to think of a word that rhymes with "boy," which requires them to answer questions and generate language on prompt. Students are asked to talk about what happens in January and answer the question "What is the weather like?," responding with information about months. Students practice finding and naming the uppercase G and respond when prompted about the sound and words that start with G.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson repeatedly instructs an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., ask the child to identify a circular object, ask if she can think of a word that rhymes with "book"). During reading the adult is told to ask the child to identify rhyming pairs and to ask what her favorite poem is and why. In the Circle Painting activity the child is asked what shape the lids form, asked to put objects in order from smallest to largest, and asked to tell how she decided to group them.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The review prompts the child to respond to questions: an adult asks the child to think of a word that rhymes with "car," and the child is expected to answer. The instructions also direct the adult to read the poem and then ask the child to supply some words and to try to recite the poem, which requires the child to respond to prompts. The text repeatedly directs adults to ask questions that the child answers during guided practice.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The lesson prompts students to identify shapes when an adult shows a die-cut circle and a ball and asks the child to identify each shape. It asks students to compare and explain how the ball is similar to and different from the circle and to explain where the sphere is located relative to other objects. It challenges students to name as many spheres as they can, eliciting factual responses and descriptions.
Unit 10: O - Owl Babies
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Reading and Questions section directs the child to look at the cover, predict whether the book will teach facts or tell a story, and answer explicit comprehension questions (Q1–Q3) about whether the book told a story and what true facts it contained. The instructions also prompt the adult to ask the child shape-related questions (e.g., "How many sides the triangle has?") and have the child count, sort, and describe shapes, requiring verbal responses and clarification from the child.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to explain vocabulary words in their own words during the review, prompting them to answer questions about word meanings. In Activity 1 students are asked what they see on the front cover, to predict whether the book is fiction or non-fiction and to explain why, and to confirm after reading. In Activity 2 students are asked to find and name the uppercase letter O, identify its shape, and practice forming it while saying its sounds.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are prompted to recall definitions when asked if they remember what fiction and non-fiction mean and to locate shapes in the room. Students answer comprehension prompts about the book (who wants something, what he wants), practice reading the sight word "want," and read Bill's line aloud. Students are asked to retell the story in their own words, to name shapes and travel to them on command, and to identify how the music makes the characters feel.
Lesson 4
Day 4
In Activity 1, an adult asks the child to observe similarities and differences among owls and explicitly asks the child how Owl Babies gives owls human attributes, prompting the child to answer (e.g., identifying that book owls can talk or have feelings). In Activity 2, students read a scripted line that is a direct question ("Where's Mommy?"), so students practice speaking and voicing a question within dialogue.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to answer counting and subtraction/addition word problems by moving owls on the mat (e.g., "Three baby owls flew to the tree. Then two more came. How many are in the tree now?" and "If all 10 owls are in the tree, how many are in the sky?"). Students are prompted to predict without counting (e.g., estimating how many will be in the sky when 5 are in the tree) and to tell which of two books is fiction or non-fiction and explain clues they found. Students create and act out their own stories with the manipulatives, which invites them to respond to teacher prompts and explain their thinking.
Unit 11: S - Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson contains multiple teacher prompts that require students to answer questions: during the Read Aloud the child is asked to describe the cover and what the four pictures represent, and Questions #1 and #2 ask the child to name the four seasons and discuss favorite activities. In Activity 1 the child is repeatedly asked how many apples have fallen (e.g., 2, 3) and is prompted to read and practice equations aloud. In Activity 2 the child is asked to recall the term for a solid ball (sphere) and to identify which season occurs when a hemisphere is tilted toward or away from the Sun.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to name the four seasons and (as a challenge) what causes the seasons, prompting them to answer questions. Students talk about the current season and describe typical weather in response to prompts such as "Is it winter, spring, summer, or fall right now?" Students record daily weather observations (sky, wind, precipitation, temperature) and may dictate words to an adult, responding to questions about those conditions.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to answer explicit comprehension and content questions such as QUESTION #1: "What gift did the tree give Arnold in each season?" and are prompted to respond when shown the equation 2 + 1 (ask if she knows the answer). Students are also asked questions during activities: counting apples ("ask her how many apples are in the other tree?") and naming seasons from adjectives ("have her name the season based on the adjectives you are reading"). These prompts require students to provide information in response to teacher questions.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students answer teacher prompts during review (naming the four seasons, solving 2 + 1, suggesting two numbers that make 10, and giving an adjective for summer). Students explain why family members contributed to making the apple pie when asked why the family worked together. Students listen to excerpts of Vivaldi and answer which season is being described and describe what makes them think of that season. Students identify and match beginning letter sounds for S by circling and pasting letters on the activity pages.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 1 the teacher is instructed to ask the child if she remembers the difference between a circle and a sphere, and the child is expected to identify and sort found items as 'circle' or 'sphere.' In Activity 2 the teacher is instructed to ask where and when The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree took place and to have the child share the setting and the clues that helped her identify the season, requiring the child to answer questions and explain reasoning.
Unit 12: D - Dinosaurs Big and Small
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Skills list explicitly includes "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text" and "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text." The Reading and Questions section gives multiple teacher prompts that require students to answer questions about fiction vs. nonfiction, author/illustrator, and dinosaur characteristics. Activities prompt students to answer comparative questions (e.g., who is longer?) and to describe characteristics of a created dinosaur.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to show a dinosaur from the book and name one interesting characteristic, which requires them to answer a question to provide information. During the fossil imprint activity, the adult asks "Can she see the imprint the twig made?", prompting the child to observe and answer about what they see. These items require students to respond to questions to give information or clarify an observation.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to define the unfamiliar word "sprawl" and to explain how they can guess its meaning from context and pictures (Question #1). Students are asked what new information they learned and what else they would like to know about dinosaurs (Question #2), prompting them to request or identify topics for further information. During activities students name a favorite dinosaur and a characteristic, predict which object will be heavier and then determine which is heavier using a balance, and identify/describing words (adjectives) for dinosaurs, all of which require asking and answering questions to get information or clarify understanding.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to name a favorite dinosaur and state one characteristic, and they are challenged to produce an adjective describing that characteristic, which requires them to answer questions to provide information. Students choose a dinosaur and use linked websites to conduct research, dictating five facts beneath their drawing, which requires them to seek and record information. Students are encouraged to share their new information with friends and family, which involves answering questions or giving information to others.
Unit 13: P - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Reading and Questions section presents three explicit questions (e.g., What do you think about Harold's adventure? Were there dangerous parts? How does Harold feel?) that require the child to answer. Activity 1 instructs the adult to ask the child if she knows what imagination is and to prompt the child to offer solutions to hypothetical predicaments, eliciting student responses and explanations. Activity 2 directs the adult to ask the child to identify shapes, explain what makes a rectangle, differentiate squares from rectangles, and sort and count cut‑out shapes, requiring students to answer and clarify shape attributes.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson contains multiple prompts that require students to answer questions for information: e.g., "What shape is the moon in the story? Does the moon always look that way?" asks the child to observe and explain moon phases. Activity 3 asks the child to respond to questions about colors ("Ask him if purple is one of the choices," "Ask your child which two he thinks will combine to form purple," "What color does he think will be formed by yellow and red?"). The review and letter activities prompt the child to identify and point out shapes and the uppercase P, requiring children to answer or demonstrate understanding on request.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students answer explicit comprehension questions about Harold and the Purple Crayon (e.g., identify the most interesting event, his most amazing drawing, scary moments, and how he got home). Students explain and clarify word meanings by responding to prompts about words like "trim" and "drew" and generate multiple meanings for familiar words. Students identify and describe shapes (square vs. rectangle) and explain differences between flat and solid shapes in response to teacher prompts.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to name shapes and answer classification questions (e.g., "Which ones are flat shapes? Which ones are solids?") and to respond to situational prompts (e.g., "Ask her to imagine that she is sitting on a boat. Where is she going?"). In the neighborhood activity students are asked to define imagination and to answer comparison and informational questions (e.g., "Is his neighborhood like Harold's? Why or why not? What does his neighborhood have in it? What places would he include?"). Students build and label a map and are prompted to share the map with friends and family, which provides opportunities to answer questions about their map.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In the Marshmallow Shapes activity the teacher asks the child, "What does she notice about the square?" and "Ask your child if she could make a rectangular prism," prompting the child to respond. The child is instructed to count edges, corners, and faces, and to construct shapes with help, which elicits answers and observational responses from the child.
Unit 14: B - Blueberries for Sal
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson directs an adult to ask the child questions about the book cover (e.g., What do you notice? What will the book be about?) and includes a set of six comprehension questions (Q1–Q6) for the child to answer after reading. The Skills section explicitly states that students, with guidance and support, should "respond to questions and suggestions from peers and add details to strengthen writing as needed," indicating practice in answering questions. Activities ask the child to follow prompts (draw number cards, place blueberries, write equations, and record decompositions of 10), which requires the child to answer and respond to task prompts.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to answer teacher questions such as naming one similarity and one difference between Little Sal and Little Bear and naming number pairs that add to 10. Activity 1 asks students whether the story takes place in the past and to find picture clues that show that, requiring them to answer and use evidence. Activity 3 asks students to describe what the word "hustle" must mean based on the picture and to act out the movement, which asks for clarification and explanation of meaning.
Lesson 4
Day 4
During the review, an adult asks the child to read the number 13 and explain what it means (10 plus 3 more), and the child is asked to name number pairs that add to 10. Activity 1 directs the child to create a two-column list by naming elements of fiction and non-fiction about bears, which requires the child to respond to prompts and provide information. Activity 2 asks the child to add motions and to suggest alternative ways the bear moved, which elicits the child's verbal contributions and choices.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students examine books set in the past and then share their findings with an adult; the adult asks guiding questions (e.g., what kinds of clothes the characters are wearing, what technology is used) which students answer to identify the setting. After independent reading, students are prompted to share their findings aloud, providing opportunities to answer questions and clarify their observations. Activity 3 indicates students share writing to receive comments, suggestions, and questions that can help improve their work, implying students respond to questions about their writing.
Unit 15: R - Rain
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to look at the book cover and say what they know about rain and whether they enjoy it, providing opportunities to answer questions about prior knowledge. Students respond to comprehension prompts during the read-aloud (e.g., predict what the rain will fall on next) and answer four discussion questions about how the author made them feel, sensory descriptions of rain, and experiences with different kinds of rain. Students answer math questions about which number is larger or smaller and count out corresponding raindrops, demonstrating answering questions to obtain information.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Multiple teacher prompts require students to answer questions to provide information: e.g., students are asked to describe a downpour, tell how the number 18 is formed, and identify which of two number cards is greater. Students are asked what is coming down from the sky, to use their five senses to describe water and ice, and to predict what would happen to an ice cube left out, requiring them to answer to convey understanding. These prompts ask students to provide information and clarification about observations and concepts.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The Review section directs an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask your child what another word for 'downpour' could be" and math questions 4 + 1 and 3 + 2), prompting the child to answer. Activity 1 asks "How does rain form?" and later asks "What happens?" and "Why?", requiring the child to observe the experiment and explain the phenomenon. Several activity instructions explicitly prompt the child to respond (circle correct letters, paste letters under the correct letter), which involves answering about initial sounds.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Writing Workshop the adult is instructed to "Ask your child why she thinks writers like to use color words," which prompts the child to answer a question about author choices. In Activity 1 the adult reads a number aloud and asks the child to find it and count to it, which requires the child to respond to an adult prompt and provide information by counting.
Unit 16: N - Night in the Country
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked multiple questions to answer: parents are instructed to ask what the child notices on the book cover, what time of day it is, what the word "country" means, and to discuss whether the child has been to the country and what they like about it. After reading, students are prompted to answer specific comprehension questions such as "How do you feel about nighttime? Why?" and "What does the author seem to think about nighttime? How can you tell?" Activity prompts ask students to describe sounds on a nighttime listening walk and to identify animals that might be awake at night.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to answer oral questions such as naming a night sound, describing two meanings of "country," and solving 10-5 with fingers or objects. Students are asked to explain vocabulary words in their own words, practicing answering and clarifying word meanings. In Activity 1 students role-play with paper-doll puppets and explicitly ask and answer a set of information-seeking questions (e.g., "Where do you get your fruit?", "How close is the nearest store?").
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson directs adults to ask the child what "5 minus 1" equals and to name a difference between life in the country and life in the city, requiring the child to answer simple informational questions. It prompts the child to find and read the sight word "there," to retell the story in his own words, and asks "What landforms does he see?" while having the child create models, all of which require the child to respond to prompts for information or comprehension.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to compare two numbers when prompted to "choose two numbers between 1 and 10 and ask your child which is greater," which requires students to answer a question to give information. The natural resources activity tells adults to "ask your child how she thinks people ought to treat natural resources" and to "encourage your child to brainstorm some natural resources," which prompts students to provide information and rationale about a topic.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 2 students are told that good readers ask questions as they read and are given an example question to model the behavior. Students independently look at a book, identify one or two questions they would like to know more about, and then share those questions aloud. Students and the adult talk about the questions and, if appropriate, do research to find the answers.
Unit 17: M - Marshmallow
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked a series of comprehension questions about the book (QUESTION #1–#6) and prompted to respond to prompts such as describing how Marshmallow acted and why Oliver hesitated. The lesson directs an adult to ask the child preview questions (e.g., look at the cover, why is the book titled Marshmallow?) so students practice answering to give information and explain ideas. In Activity 2 students role-play responses to peer scenarios (e.g., Could I have a turn riding your bicycle? I can't get my jacket on!), practicing how to answer requests for help or social information.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The materials instruct an adult to ask the child "what it means to hesitate" and to ask "what the rules of your home are," prompting the child to answer about rules and their importance. During Poetry Memorization, the adult omits words and asks the child to supply them, which has the child answer questions to provide missing information. Simon Says and letter activities require the child to respond to spoken directions and answer simple prompts (e.g., finding the uppercase M and reviewing its sound).
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson asks the child to tell the story in her own words and encourages her to use pictures to prompt her responses, which requires the child to answer questions about comprehension. The lesson prompts the child to explain how to compare the size of two toys ("Ask her how she can compare the size of the animals") and to determine which animal is longer, which elicits informational answers. The lesson also includes short prompts such as asking the child to break the number 16 into two parts, requiring the child to respond with information or a solution.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The review prompts the child to explain the number 14 in his own words and asks him whether he would hesitate before jumping into a cold swimming pool, requiring spoken responses. The science/social studies section directs a discussion comparing Owen and Mzee to Oliver and Marshmallow, prompting students to talk about similarities and differences. Several activity directions ask the child to observe and describe illustrations and to talk about how the illustrator used charcoal, which elicits verbal explanation and responses.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 1, students are asked to identify and describe 3-D shapes (e.g., recall names of sphere, cube, rectangular prism; observe a can and say what shapes they see; touch and count faces; test whether it rolls). In Activity 2, students are asked to identify poems, note line/verse clues, and point out rhyming pairs, and then share findings from independent book exploration. In Activity 3, students fill in blanks for a poem and a story by answering teacher prompts to supply information about an animal.
Unit 18: U - Umbrella
Lesson 1
Day 1
The skills list includes "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text," indicating students will practice Q&A about a story. The reading section prompts the child to look at the cover, recall events after reading, and respond to four explicit comprehension questions (Q1–Q4). The vocabulary activity directly asks the child if he knows what "unfortunately" means and prompts him to answer and discuss the prefix "un," which asks for clarification of word meaning.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The guide tells the adult to "Ask your child if something unfortunate has happened," prompting the child to answer a direct question about personal experience. The activities ask the child to locate Japan on a map and to "help your child locate Japan," which requires the child to respond with information about location. In Activity 3 the child is asked to listen to a series of beats and play them back, requiring the child to respond to and reproduce a prompt.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The activity prompts the child to answer spoken questions such as "what would be an unfortunate thing to happen on someone's birthday?" and "what is 5 + 5?" and asks the child to read and help look for the word "not" in the story. After reading, the child is asked to retell the story in his own words using pictures as prompts, and to name and record number pairs that add to 10 (e.g., 9+1, 8+2, 5+5). The kanji activity asks the child to compare difficulty by answering "Does he find it easier or harder than making English letters?"
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to answer questions such as whether they know what the prefix "un-" means and to name a pair of numbers that adds to 10 during the review. In Activity 1, students are asked if they know what the sky looks like before rain, what clouds are, and to describe how clouds are alike and different. In Activity 2, students are asked in what kind of weather they would appreciate a fan, prompting them to respond with information or preference.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Reading Workshop asks the child to find capital letters and to figure out why each word is capitalized, prompting the child to answer questions that clarify text conventions. The Reading Workshop further asks the child what he thought about the book, what he liked, and whether he would recommend it, requiring spoken answers to informational and evaluative questions. The Writing Workshop asks the child to point to where he wrote his name, confirm whether he capitalized it, and explain why any capital letters were used, prompting answers that clarify his understanding of conventions.
Unit 19: J - Jump Frog Jump
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to identify animals on the book cover and to predict the main character and setting, answering teacher questions about their reasoning. After reading, students answer targeted comprehension questions such as "How was the frog able to get away?" and are prompted to look back through the book to remember which animals the frog escaped and which did not. In Activity 1 students are asked what came first in the story, to consult the book for clues, and to put story pictures in sequence, which requires them to seek information from the text to clarify event order.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to define vocabulary words in their own words and to answer prompts such as 'What does it mean to escape?' and to count to 100 by 10s, demonstrating answering informational questions. Students are prompted to respond to questions about die-cut pond animals (for example, 'What does he know about these animals?' 'What are some things they have in common?' 'What are some differences among them?') and to sort the animals into groups and generate additional sorting categories. Students practice verbal responses during the 'Five Little Speckled Frogs' activity by counting backward and creating motions, which involves answering counting prompts.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson directs an adult to ask the child questions such as asking her to count as high as she can and to answer 'how a puppy might try to escape the back yard,' and it has the child read and answer about the sight word 'how' in the sentence, "How did the frog get away?" After reading, the child is asked to line up story sequence cards and tell the story using those prompts, which requires responding to prompts and answering story-related questions. Activity prompts (e.g., using die-cuts and modeled examples) require the child to produce responses that demonstrate comprehension of positional relationships.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 instructs the child to ask the adult a question and to answer a question from the adult (examples: "What time is it? What are we having for lunch?"). The lesson points out the question sentence in the book, including the question mark, and has the child practice reading and reordering story sequence cards, then "read" the book to the adult. Activity 3 asks the child to think of a question about frogs (or another animal) and to record that question using a question mark.
Unit 20: K - Kindness
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to respond to cover-based and comprehension questions (e.g., "What does he think the book will be about?" and QUESTION #1–#3 asking about acts of kindness and meanings). Students are asked whether they know the meaning of the vocabulary word "grand" and to answer or receive an explanation if they do not know it. Students describe kindness in their own words after watching a video and answer questions during the counting activity (e.g., identifying which number comes before or after a given number).
Lesson 2
Day 2
The review prompts students to respond: an adult asks the child to continue counting from 6 to 20 and to stand up and run in place, and the adult asks "how she felt after doing her acts of kindness," prompting a verbal answer. Activity 1 and Activity 3 require students to speak aloud: students use the Kindness Mouse puppet to say kind things to family members and act out scenes with another person, which involves producing spoken responses.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions after reading (e.g., which act of kindness they found especially kind, how one small act led to a series of kind acts, and whether they agree with the author's message). Students identify and read specific words (finding and reading the word "so"), point to letters (finding examples of lowercase k), continue counting, supply an antonym for "grand," and answer subtraction/prediction questions using the apple activity. These prompts require students to answer questions, name, identify, and explain information from the text and activities.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are prompted to answer teacher questions in the review (continue counting from 2 to 20, provide a synonym for "grand," and solve 10-6), and in Activity 1 students are asked what rules they follow and dictate 4–6 ideas to create an "I Am a Good Citizen!" list. These tasks require students to respond verbally and provide information when asked.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Counting Acts of Kindness activity directs an adult to ask the child "how many acts of kindness he thinks were performed?" and encourages the child to supply each number during a 100-step walk, prompting the child to answer and provide information. The Reading Workshop asks the child to retell the story using pictures as a guide, which requires the child to respond to prompts about story events. The Writing Workshop instructs the adult to "Ask him if he can think of one more detail to add," prompting the child to answer and clarify details about his writing.
Unit 21: V - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson directs an adult to ask the child questions about the book cover and instruments (e.g., "What does she see?" and "Do you know the name of the instrument?"). The Reading and Questions section provides five explicit comprehension questions for the child to answer after reading. Activity 1 prompts the child to answer counting/matching questions ("How many instruments are playing now?" and selecting the matching number and ensemble label).
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to answer direct questions such as "how many instruments are playing during a solo" and to identify natural resources used in the instruments when prompted ("ask your child if he sees some natural resources used in making some of the instruments"). Students are also prompted to respond to reflective questions like "what he thinks it would be like to play in an orchestra" and "Which instrument would he enjoy playing?"
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to answer teacher questions such as how many instruments play during a solo or duet and to name a natural resource they see in the room. Students are prompted to identify shapes and properties by answering questions (name the shape of a can, say whether it is flat or solid, identify cone- and cylinder-shaped instruments). Students decide whether jobs produce goods or services and place job cards under the correct heading, responding to prompts and brainstorming answers.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson includes adult prompts that require student responses (e.g., "Ask your child how many instruments are playing during a solo," "Ask your child to name a job...and whether that job provides goods or a service," and "Ask your child which senses he could use to learn about this instrument"). Students are asked to draw, write, or dictate observations on the Senses Web, which requires them to answer questions about what they notice using specific senses. Several review questions and activity prompts explicitly ask the child to respond with information or counts.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 1, students are asked to tell how many instruments are present and how many are missing and to write matching equations (e.g., 3 + 7 = 10), which requires them to answer questions to provide information. In Activity 2, students are asked to supply missing rhyme words when the teacher leaves off the last word and to identify rhyming pairs in the text, which has students respond to prompts to give information about words. In Activity 3, students read their writing back and respond to feedback, which involves answering questions or prompts about their own product.
Unit 22: Y - Little Blue and Little Yellow
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson includes skill statements that students, with prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text and confirm understanding by asking and answering questions and requesting clarification. The Reading and Questions section has adults prompt students to name a favorite color, make observations and predictions about the book cover, and answer detailed comprehension questions after reading. Instructions tell students to turn back to the appropriate page and re-read when they have trouble remembering answers, which models requesting clarification. The vocabulary activity asks students to explain and use multiple meanings of the word "row," prompting them to ask and answer questions about word meaning.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson contains multiple teacher prompts that require the child to answer questions for information and clarification, such as asking what two colors combine to make green, asking the child to continue an oral pattern, and asking what shape was formed with the dough. The text asks the child to recall story details and safety rules (e.g., "Ask your child what she remembers about friendship...," "Ask your child what rules for safety are important..."), which requires the child to respond with information. The activities also prompt the child to explain actions and meanings (e.g., describing ways Little Blue and Little Yellow were good friends/citizens).
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked content questions such as what two colors combine to make purple and to continue an oral pattern (black, white, black, white), which requires them to answer to show understanding. Students are asked to read the sight word "they" in sentences and in the story, and to read number cards aloud (e.g., 14). In Activity 2, students answer a quantitative question by determining how many more stickers are needed to make 14 and then write the equation 14 = 10 + 4.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to name the three primary colors, continue an oral color pattern, and explain the number 19, requiring them to answer teacher questions during Review. In Activity 2, students are asked how the author shows characters, feelings, and settings and are prompted to tell a story and describe a chosen scene, requiring comprehension answers and verbal descriptions. Several prompts ask the child to respond verbally (e.g., "Ask her how Mr. Lionni shows the parents…" and "Ask her what happened to those characters").
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 1 the adult asks the child questions such as "How many circles are left?" and "How many circles have been crossed off?" and the child is expected to answer and write equations (e.g., 10-1=9, 10-2=8). In Activity 2 the adult asks the child to find quotation marks, asks "Can he tell who is speaking?" and then prompts a conversation about what the child found, which requires the child to answer and discuss.
Unit 23: W - George Washington's Birthday
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly lists the skill "Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text." During reading, students are asked to identify and explain the word "tyrant," compare the picture on the dollar bill with the book cover, and decide whether the book is fiction or nonfiction, all of which require asking and answering to clarify meaning. The teacher prompts also direct students to share prior knowledge about George Washington and to give opinions and explanations (e.g., "Why or why not?" and "What lessons did George Washington learn?"), giving multiple opportunities to ask for and provide information.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to answer questions such as recalling a myth about George Washington, explaining what arithmetic is, and finding the answer to 2+3. Students locate the USA on a world map and answer questions about their state and observations about the American flag (including counting stars and stripes and explaining why there are 50 stars). Students are asked to choose the title box for the activity page and to identify which days of the week were mentioned in the book, responding orally and/or by pointing or singing the days in order.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are prompted to respond to questions such as naming a national symbol and creating and solving an arithmetic problem, which requires them to produce information. During reading, students read and repeat the sight word "went" and are asked to page back through the book and identify whether each story about George Washington is a myth or a fact. In the tossing activity, students respond by saying numbers as they catch and toss, practicing verbal answers to prompts.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The review prompts students to name two U.S. symbols and explain why they were chosen, which requires students to answer informational and explanatory questions. Activity 1 directs adults to ask the child why he thinks certain qualities are important and to talk about qualities admired in George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, eliciting student responses. Activity 2 asks students if they can deduce the meanings of italicized words from context and then act out those sentences, which has students answer to clarify word meaning and demonstrate understanding.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The lesson prompts the child to answer questions about text features (Activity 2: "Ask your child why an author might include information in those boxes" and to "share her observations"). Activity 3 asks the child to answer questions about the story and her writing ("Ask your child if George Washington ended up having a birthday celebration," have her read back and identify her favorite part). Activity 1 asks the child to count out a shown number and to group sticks, which requires the child to respond to counting prompts.
Unit 24: Q - The Quilt Story
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson repeatedly prompts the child to answer questions: adults are instructed to ask the child what a quilt is, to make observations about a quilt, and to answer comprehension questions after reading (e.g., how the beginning showed the story took place long ago; meanings of the word "shavings"). Activity instructions ask the child to name and count sides and corners, identify shapes in quilts, sort shapes, and explain how shapes combine (e.g., use 2 squares to make a rectangle). These prompts ask the child to answer questions to get information and clarify word meaning.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to identify wood shavings, point out a circle, triangle, square, and rectangle in the room, and are challenged to draw a hexagon, requiring them to answer informational prompts. Students are asked to name the letter that comes after Q in the word "Quilt," practice the "kw" sound, and trace/form the letter Q, which requires verbal responses and demonstrations. Students are asked to go through the beginning pages of the book and identify ways the family used natural resources and to identify landforms mentioned/shown, eliciting content-focused answers. Students are prompted to talk about Daniel Boone and whether they would enjoy exploration, which elicits personal-response answers and discussion.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to recall the names of shapes and match die-cut shapes to name cards, responding to direct prompts. When given spoken clues (e.g., "I have four sides and four corners"), students figure out and identify which shape(s) match each clue. Students are prompted to retell The Quilt Story in their own words after reading, requiring them to answer prompts about story events.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to identify and trace shapes in random order on the Shape Tracing page, so they respond to oral prompts about shape names and tracing. On the Letter Sounds pages, students circle or select the correct beginning letter for pictures and paste letters under the correct heading, so they answer prompts to provide information about letter sounds. During the holidays and sewing activities, students follow teacher prompts to cut, glue, color, or decide on a shape to sew, indicating they respond to questions or directions to complete tasks.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to name shapes, decide which are two- or three-dimensional, and travel to the correct shape in response to spoken clues (Activity 1), which requires them to listen and answer informational questions. Students are asked to interpret illustrations and facial expressions and to explain how those details help them understand the story (Reading Workshop), which has them answer questions to clarify meaning. In Writing Workshop students respond to prompts such as "Where did you get your item?" and read back their writing to answer reflective questions about what could be added, practicing answering questions about their work.
Unit 25: X - An Extraordinary Egg
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson repeatedly instructs adults to ask the child questions (e.g., ask what she sees on the cover, ask if she knows what 'extraordinary' means, and ask whether given examples are extraordinary) and prompts the child to explain her reasoning. The scripted Questions (Q1–Q3) ask the child to answer factual and personal questions about the story and similarities between characters. Activity 2 asks the child to decide whether the book is fiction or nonfiction and to explain how she knows, and Activity 1 asks the child to count and to respond when a number is pointed to.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to read and identify numbers (point to number 32 and read it; point to number 48). Students are asked and answer comprehension questions about the story animal (What did the frogs think it was? Were they right? What kind of animal is a chicken? Do birds hatch from eggs?). Students are prompted to observe and describe a real chicken egg using a series of teacher questions (What color is it? What size is it? What shape is it? How much does it weigh? What is its texture? Does it float or sink?).
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to find and read numbers (find number 18; read number 27) and to point to and name the next number in the Hundred Chart, which requires them to answer informational prompts. Students are prompted to read and identify the sight word "look," to read it in context, and to repeat and find the letter x in words, which requires answering teacher questions about letters and words. Students are asked to retell An Extraordinary Egg in their own words using pictures, which requires them to respond to a comprehension prompt.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to find number 12 on a number chart and answer what comes next, and to read number 41 and say what comes next, requiring them to answer teacher questions about numbers. Students are asked to look at the frog life cycle they made and recall the stages, and to explain how the alligator life cycle differs from the frog life cycle. Students are prompted to read alligator facts with an adult and to recall and label stages on a plate, which requires providing information in response to prompts.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 directs a child to identify quotation marks and answer the prompt, "What did you like about the book?" Activity 3 has the child listen to her story being read back and then offer one thing she likes and one idea for change, requiring her to answer questions about her work. These activities require the child to respond to questions to provide information and feedback.
Unit 26: Z - Greedy Zebra
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to look at the book cover and answer observational questions (e.g., identify where zebras live on the map). Students are asked to predict and then explain how the zebra was greedy and what happened as a result, and to justify whether the zebra deserved that outcome. Students answer math and counting questions (e.g., "how many?" tasks, compare groups, solve addition story problems) and create and solve their own story problems.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to define vocabulary words in their own words and to give an example of being greedy, which requires them to answer adult prompts. Students are directed to do online research about zebras and to use the Zebra Research graphic organizer to record appearance, predators, diet, and habitat, which involves gathering information. The text also instructs an adult to ask the child what she would do when designing a new coat, prompting the child to answer and explain her ideas.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson repeatedly prompts the child to answer questions: students are asked to retell the story using illustrations and to predict what would have happened if Zebra had not been greedy. The guide asks the child to name three pairs of numbers that add to 10 and to explain why being greedy is negative, requiring students to answer and explain. During sorting, students are asked to sort animals, count group members, state the sorting criterion, and infer the criterion when the adult sorts the cards, prompting students to provide explanations and information.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson includes teacher prompts such as "Ask your child to think of a word that means the opposite of 'greedy'" and directions to "read and discuss" information about animals, during which the child colors cut-outs based on what she learns. The lesson also directs the child to "look at some websites to help your child visualize the savannah," which involves seeking information to complete the activity.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are prompted to identify and compare animals by number, answering questions such as which animal is bigger or has more legs. Students identify similarities and differences between books, name settings, and recall which books are nonfiction and what subjects they covered. Students explain why certain books were favorites and read their own writing aloud, identifying one thing they like about their work.
2: Holidays
Unit 27: Halloween
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson directs an adult to ask the child why he thinks Goodnight Moon/Goodnight Goon was written and how it would make a child feel, prompting the child to answer purpose-related questions. It instructs the adult to ask the child to observe similarities and differences between the two covers and to answer those comparison questions. It explicitly asks the child to listen for the word "lagoon" and, after reading, to decide whether the pictured lagoon is salt water or a shallow area of dirty water (Question #1) and to note any additional similarities/differences (Question #2).
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson directs an adult to 'Ask your child if she remembers what a lagoon is,' which has students answering a teacher's question to provide information. It asks the child to count aloud 'from 1 until she can't count any higher,' requiring verbal responses to prompts. The lesson also instructs the adult to 'Assist your child if she is unfamiliar with any of these terms,' which allows students to receive clarification when they indicate they do not understand.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to explain what a lagoon and a goon are and to explain why a chosen page from Goodnight Goon is funniest, which requires them to answer informational and clarifying questions. In Activity 1 students are asked which group has more ghosts, encouraged to count and compare the groups, and asked how many more are needed to make ten; they also are prompted to create and solve their own story problems. These tasks require students to answer questions, explain reasoning, and formulate problems that function as questions to be solved.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are prompted to answer questions during review, such as naming two pairs of numbers whose sum is 10, counting by tens to 100, and thinking of a synonym for "lagoon." Students watch a video about bats and are then asked to answer questions about bats (for example, what kind of bat they are and what it eats). Students complete a hands-on bat mask activity and respond to adult prompts that elicit informational answers about bats.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to count stars and respond to questions such as "How many are there?" and "Now how many stars are there altogether?" during the counting activity. Students are prompted to guess which words rhyme and to share pairs they found ("ask your child if he can guess which two words rhyme," "ask your child to share…"), requiring them to answer questions to provide information and demonstrate understanding.
Unit 28: Thanksgiving
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Skills list explicitly requires students, "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text," which targets asking and answering for information. During Reading and Questions, students are prompted to look at the book cover and answer questions about what they see and like, to summarize why Thanksgivings are celebrated, and to identify locations and the ocean crossed — all activities that require asking and answering informational questions. In Activity 1, students are asked to research turkey facts, record five facts, and read them aloud, which has students seek and report information from a text/resource.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to answer direct questions during review (e.g., name one thing he knows about turkeys and one thing he is grateful for). In Activity 1 students are asked to recall specific facts about the Pilgrims (Why did they leave England? What was the name of their ship? etc.) and are told to look back at the story if they cannot remember. In Activity 2 students are asked to predict whether their boat will sink or float and to observe and answer questions about how simulated storms affect the boat (e.g., "How would the Pilgrims have felt?").
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson asks the child to "offer something she learned about the very first American Thanksgiving," which requires the child to answer a question about prior learning. After reading, students are prompted to "talk about your family's favorite Thanksgiving foods" and to "discuss with your child how the help Pocahontas provided was different," which requires students to answer and participate in informational discussion. A "Questions" section appears after reading, indicating verbal question-and-answer discussion is expected during comprehension activities.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson includes explicit teacher prompts for the child to answer questions, such as "Ask your child what it means to be grateful" and "What was one thing the Pilgrims were grateful for that first Thanksgiving?" It also asks the child to respond to questions about Abraham Lincoln: "Ask your child what words might describe Abraham Lincoln and why we still celebrate him today." The Thanksgiving note activity has the child write or dictate a note describing why he is thankful, which requires the child to produce an informational response.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Reading Workshop directs an adult to remind the child that illustrations go along with words and to have the child study the illustrations, and then it instructs the adult to ask the child to point out some of her observations. This requires the child to listen to a question and respond with observations about illustrations, showing practice in answering questions to give information or clarify meaning.
Unit 29: Christmas
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson repeatedly instructs an adult to ask the child questions: for example, "ask him what he notices about the book," "ask him to predict what the book will be about," and "ask your child to look out for photographs that might have been edited." During activities the child is asked to name and order shapes and to answer questions about features ("Ask about the number of sides of each shape, its name, and what makes it unique"). After reading the Conifers link the child is asked to report "what three things he learned about real Christmas trees."
Lesson 2
Day 2
Multiple adult prompts ask the child to answer questions and explain ideas: an adult asks the child to tell about her favorite part of The Christmas Wish and to talk about what life is like in Norway. Activity 2 explicitly asks the child what she thinks snow is made of, what happens when it warms, whether hot water or powdered chocolate are solids or liquids, and to predict what will happen when they are mixed. The activities require the child to respond, explain, and make predictions based on questions posed by an adult.
Lesson 3
Day 3
In Activity 3 adults are instructed to ask the child to note all the animals in the story and to answer specific questions such as "What does it look like? Can a reindeer really fly?" which requires the child to respond with observational information. Activity 2 asks the child to count out five bells and to count remaining bells as they are added, prompting the child to answer counting/quantity prompts. These directions require the child to answer questions and provide information in response to adult prompts.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Multiple prompts in Activity 1 ask the child to answer questions about the character Anja (e.g., why she wanted to be an elf, how she showed commitment, whether her experience was a dream). Activity 2 asks the child to locate the family's country and continent, identify the North Pole and oceans, find an island, name a continent where Santa arrives, and locate mountains. These prompts require the child to respond with information and explanations about geography and the story.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 directs an adult to ask the child what he thinks a character's voice sounds like when quotation marks indicate spoken words, prompting the child to answer and to speak in a character voice. Activity 1 asks the adult to help the child think of a simple task he could do today, which prompts the child to generate and state an idea for a helpful action.
Unit 30: February Celebrations
Lesson 1
Day 1
After a teacher/parent read-aloud of The Biggest Valentine Ever, the adult asks the child six explicit comprehension questions (Q1–Q6) that require the child to recall events, explain feelings, and derive a lesson from the story. The lesson also instructs the adult to ask the child what she typically does for Valentine's Day and what she remembers about Abraham Lincoln, prompting the child to provide information from memory. The skills list includes: "With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question," which aligns with student answering questions to get information.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson includes multiple prompts where an adult asks the child questions and the child is expected to answer: "Ask your child if she would like to be president for a day," "Ask her what she notices" when inspecting coins, and "Ask her what she remembers about Lincoln." The lesson asks the child to solve and answer informational/math questions (e.g., how many pennies equal a nickel/dime/quarter) and to discuss opinions after a video (e.g., what would be the best and worst parts of being president).
Lesson 3
Day 3
In Activity 3 students are told to read each problem out loud and then cut hearts apart so problems and answers form separate piles; an adult is instructed to ask the child if she can mend the broken hearts by matching each problem with the correct answer. Students therefore respond to a direct question and demonstrate understanding by matching problem pieces to answer pieces. The activity requires students to verbally read problems and produce answers via matching.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson repeatedly directs adults to ask the child questions (e.g., ask your child why education is important, ask your child how the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., showed love, and ask your child what dreams she has). It also instructs adults to talk with the child about MLK's speech and to ask the child to name similarities between Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr. Students are prompted to respond verbally and to dictate or write their own dreams for a book.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are prompted to respond when an adult asks, "what she would say to the President," and to discuss her ideas aloud. Students dictate their thoughts while an adult records them, which practices answering questions and reporting information. The lesson directs use of a linked website "to help your child organize her letter," providing a source of information students can use.
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
The lesson repeatedly prompts an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask your child what else she can find in her home environment," "Ask your child to briefly describe her environment"). Activity 1 and Activity 2 direct the child to respond to specific discussion prompts ("What does your child drink...?," "What kind of food...?," "what each room is used for and why") and to explain why they selected an important item. Activity 3 asks the child to state which room is most important, explain how it is used, and record or dictate her responses.
Lesson 2
What Is a Map?
The Introduction prompts an exchange in which the adult asks the child if he has seen a map and why we use maps, so students respond about maps. Activity 1 directs the adult to ask the child questions (What is the name of our country/state/town/address?) and to repeat these until the child can answer correctly, so students practice answering informational questions. Activity 2 asks students to answer location questions about a house map (e.g., What is beside the refrigerator? What is in front of the couch?), and the Wrapping Up asks the child to describe the environment in which he lives.
Lesson 3
Guide to Animal Habitats
The lesson contains multiple teacher prompts that require the child to answer questions about the book cover (e.g., pointing to the title, identifying letters, predicting what the book is about). During read-alouds, students are asked to point out plants and animals in each habitat and to count how many animals they find, practicing answering questions to get information. The Choosing a Habitat activity asks students to respond to specific questions about what they see, how it would feel, and what they would do, which requires students to answer questions to clarify understanding.
Lesson 4
Animals Live and Grow
Students are prompted to answer teacher-posed questions throughout the lesson (e.g., 'Ask your child to name the things animals need to live and grow', the numbered comprehension questions after reading Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, and the 'Questions to Explore' prompts). Students complete activities that require them to find and explain information (e.g., analyze living things in each habitat to identify consumers and energy sources, match animals to shelters, and fill in plant characteristics on the 'Plants' page).
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
Multiple activities prompt the child to respond to direct questions about habitats (Activity 2 lists six specific questions asking where certain animals live). Activity 1 and its options ask the child to identify and describe animals in pictures and to read/sound out habitat words, which requires answering identification questions. Activity 6 asks follow-up questions about the pictorial graph (e.g., which habitat had the most/fewest), and Activity 3 directs the child to find information online if she does not know an animal's habitat, which prompts information-seeking behavior.
Lesson 6
Exploring Animal Habitats
Students are prompted to answer a series of direct observational questions during Activity 1 (e.g., 'Where are the plants?', 'What animals do you see? What are they doing?', 'How do the animals move?', 'What do you think the animals eat/drink?'). In Activity 2 students are asked to choose an animal, locate more information about it, and respond to prompts about what it would be like to be that animal, telling and reading a dictated story. The Wrapping Up section asks students to state what they learned and explain how animals, plants, and insects live together in the habitat.
Lesson 7
Tools in My Environment
Students are prompted to answer explicit questions such as "What if we didn't have pens or pencils?" and to tell what a tool is and which tools they used to measure. Students take tools on a scavenger hunt and are asked to explain for each tool "What is the tool used for?" and "How does the tool work?", requiring verbal responses. Students are asked to report measurements and to read aloud tool names while pointing at letters, which elicits questions and informational answers about measurement.
Lesson 8
Animal Care
The lesson includes multiple adult prompts that require the child to answer questions (e.g., Activity 1: "What do pets need?" and "What would happen if we didn't provide a healthy environment for our pets?"). Activity 2 asks comprehension questions after reading The Salamander Room (e.g., "What kind of animal did the boy find?" and "Do you think the boy should have kept the salamander in his room? Why or why not?"). Activity 3 and the Life Application ask the child to identify needs and explain what environment would be required for various animals, prompting verbal responses and explanations.
Lesson 9
Animal Designs
The lesson repeatedly directs an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask your child what animals need to live and grow" and "Ask your child to name the animal and the habitat in each picture"), which requires students to answer for information. Activities prompt students to explain reasons (e.g., "ask her to explain why each animal would not live in the habitat") and to research when unsure ("If she isn't sure why, you and your child can research the animal online"), which involves seeking information. Several tasks require students to state or explain relationships aloud (e.g., saying "A ___ can't live in the ___. A ___ lives in the ___"), providing practice answering and giving explanations.
Lesson 10
Amazing Animals
The activities include explicit question-and-answer prompts where students are asked to respond (e.g., Activity 2 scenarios ask "How would you feel?" and "What will happen to the starfish's arm?" and "What would you do if you were the lizard?"). The Skills list includes "Respond to critical questions about a text," and the Wrapping Up section prompts students to tell what animals they learned about. Activity 1 asks the child to select an animal and locate websites or books, which could lead to gathering information.
Lesson 11
Amazing Me
Students are prompted to respond to adult questions throughout the lesson (e.g., Activity 1 asks "What do you do?" when it gets cold and asks about skin changes from sun exposure). In Activities 2 and 3 students are asked to identify and circle or write how images make them feel, draw examples, and share a time they changed because of their environment, then read their ideas aloud. The Getting Started section lists Questions to Explore that adults are to discuss with the child, which elicits student answers and discussion.
Final Project
Animal Research / My Environment
The introduction provides multiple teacher prompts (e.g., "Can you describe the environment in which you live?", "What are some of the different animal habitats...") that require students to answer questions about environments and habitats. The wrap-up directs students to "explain each page of his book" and to respond to prompts like "what he enjoyed most about learning," which asks students to answer questions to share information. Option 2 encourages researching an animal using books, Internet, or talking to someone who knows about the topic, which implies students will seek information from sources.
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 1
Reading the Skies
Students are prompted to answer questions about weather and a story (Activity 1: "What type of weather is best for playing outside?" and prompts about feelings when it rains or when the sun is shining). Students describe and report observations orally and in writing (Introduction and Life Application ask the child to describe the weather and record sentences; Activity 2 asks students to dictate sentences using vocabulary). Students record daily weather on a calendar and describe pictures of different weather types during Wrapping Up, practicing answering and giving information.
Lesson 2
Types of Precipitation
Students are prompted to answer teacher questions after read-alouds (e.g., Activity 1: "What habitats did you see...?" and "Did you learn anything new?"). Students are asked to make and check predictions and describe observations (Activity 4 asks students to record their idea about what will happen, count raindrops, and describe what is happening). The Wrap Up asks students to explain why precipitation is important and where our water comes from, which requires students to answer informational questions.
Lesson 3
Measuring and Charting Weather
The lesson includes multiple prompts that require students to answer questions, e.g., "Ask your child what she thinks would happen if an animal's habitat got too warm or cold" and "Ask your child how she thinks she could do that" (measuring rainfall). Students are asked to describe observations and ideas, such as describing what the weather can be like in different habitats and giving examples of how weather can be measured. The activities (thermometer readings, measuring jar depth, and the wrapping-up prompts) require students to respond with information and explanations based on observations.
Lesson 4
Simulating Weather
The lesson includes multiple prompts that require the child to answer questions for information (e.g., "Ask your child to name three things that the wind can move" and "Ask your child to explain what happens when you release the bottle and what happens when you squeeze the bottle"). The weather song section directs the adult to ask the child targeted questions about words on the page (e.g., "Can you find the word clouds? How many letters are in the word clouds? Can you find the word rain?"). The wrapping up section asks the child to state what happens in the sky to cause it to rain, prompting students to answer to demonstrate understanding.
Lesson 5
Fall
Students are prompted to answer questions throughout: the Introduction asks the child to name seasons and months and to describe fall; Activity 1 provides a set of comprehension questions (e.g., "What are the people wearing?" "What do you think the weather feels like?") for the child to answer; Activity 2 asks the child to read directions aloud and then answer graph-related questions (e.g., "What does this graph show us?" "Which color has the most leaves?"); the Wrapping Up section asks the child to explain what happens to the weather and what she enjoys in the fall.
Lesson 6
Winter
The lesson repeatedly directs the adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask your child what season follows fall," "Ask him to describe what he sees in the pictures," and "Ask your child how the weather in the winter is different from the weather in the summer"). Several activities require the child to respond verbally (describing pictures, comparing environments, and answering guided questions in the Wrapping Up section). The Questions to Explore section lists specific informational questions for the child to consider and respond to about weather and environment.
Lesson 7
Spring
The lesson repeatedly instructs the adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask your child what the weather is like in the spring," "After each poem, ask your child what the poem was about"). Activity 3 includes explicit question prompts for the child to answer ("Does it move/fall off? Why did it move/fall off? or Why didn't it move/fall off?"). The Wrapping Up section directs the adult to ask the child to describe spring events and what a seed needs to become a plant, giving multiple opportunities for the child to answer questions.
Lesson 8
Summer
Students are asked orally in the Introduction to state which season follows spring and to describe summer activities and weather. In Activity 1 students answer a series of specific questions about a picture (describe the environment, what is happening, how the kids feel, could these activities happen in winter and why). In Activity 3 and the story pages students complete written fill-in-the-blank questions that require them to provide season names and vocabulary-based answers.
Final Project
Weather Games
Students are prompted to answer specific observational questions in Activity 3 (e.g., "What do you think the temperature is? Why? Is there any wind? ... Are there any clouds...? What kinds of things could you do outside today?"). In Activity 4 students prepare and report a three-day weather forecast using the "Weather Forecast" page questions (What does the sky look like? Is there any precipitation? What is the temperature? How should people dress? What might they enjoy doing?). The Wrapping Up section directs students to respond to questions about what they learned, their favorite season, and how weather changes throughout the year.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
The lesson includes multiple teacher prompts for students to respond to, for example: after reading the story the adult is instructed to ask questions such as "What is a community?" and "What places did Charlie visit in his community?" The wrapping up and getting started sections prompt the adult to ask the child about the name of the town and neighborhood and "what a healthy community provides." Activity 3 asks the child to compare Charlie's journey with their own community and to draw and write or dictate sentences about it, which elicits students answering and explaining.
Lesson 2
My Community Environment
The Skills section explicitly lists "Ask questions that lead to understanding (LA)." Activity 4 has students generate questions, prepare them in advance, and interview a community worker with prompts such as "Why would a person come here?" and "What are the people doing that work here?" The Wrapping Up and Life Application sections direct students to ask and answer questions about community places and to ask questions of people who work in the community during visits.
Lesson 3
Jobs in the Community
Students are asked to identify and describe what each community worker does (Activity 1) and to say aloud simple sentences about how each worker helps (Activity 5). Students observe community workers in person and then describe what they saw (Activity 3). Students record sightings, total them, and answer questions about which worker they saw most or least often (Activity 2).
Lesson 4
Goods and Services in the Community
Students are prompted to name important places in the community and answer how each place helps people, and they are asked to describe goods and services during the wrap-up. In Activity 1 students read labels, circle beginning letters, match buildings to goods/services, and glue pairs—requiring them to read and respond. In Activity 2 students count play dollars, read price tags aloud, count out money to 'buy' items, and report how much money they have left.
Lesson 5
Resources
The lesson includes teacher prompts in the "Questions to Explore" section that students can respond to (e.g., "What do communities provide...?"). Activities ask the child to explain or describe resources (Activity 3: explain how each resource is used, where it is found, or write a sentence) and the Wrapping Up step directs the child to explain the difference between natural and manmade resources. Activity instructions also involve the child labeling items as natural or manmade and explaining their choices, which requires answering questions or prompts.
Lesson 6
A Good Community Citizen
The text directs the adult to ask the child questions such as "How do citizens in her community help one another?" and "Ask her to explain how she made her decision" about scenarios of good/bad citizenship, so students answer and explain reasoning. Activities ask the child to provide other examples of good and bad citizenship and to describe ways family members exhibit good citizenship, which requires students to respond with information and explanations. The wrap-up asks the child "what it means to be a good citizen" and to think of ways she can be a good citizen, prompting student answers and clarification of ideas.
Lesson 7
A Citizen with Character
Multiple prompts require the child to answer questions asked by the adult (e.g., "Ask your child what it means to be a good citizen" and "Ask your child why it is important to tell the truth"). Activity 4 includes several comprehension and reflective questions for the child to answer ("What do you think will happen next? Did Riley do anything wrong? ... Has there ever been a time when you did not tell the truth?"). Activity 5 and Activity 6 ask the child to describe what the story teaches and to describe characters' actions and consequences, and Activity 1 asks the child to identify respectful vs. disrespectful behaviors and record responses.
Lesson 8
Rules and Laws
The lesson includes a "Questions to Explore" section with prompts (e.g., "How and why does a healthy environment lead to a healthy community?", "What is my role in the community?") that students are prompted to consider. Adult prompts ask the child to answer questions (e.g., "Ask your child what a rule is," "Ask her which rule she thinks is most important and why") and Activity 3 presents explicit comprehension questions for the child to answer about the story. The Wrapping Up section asks the child to explain why rules and laws are important and which rules are hardest to follow, requiring students to provide information and clarification in responses.
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
Students are prompted to answer comprehension and discussion questions about the story (e.g., beginning/middle/end, Where does Katy live?, What does Katy do to be a good citizen?). In Activity 4 the teacher-led game has students pretend to be someone needing help and respond with a request (example: "I am looking for a book about dogs. I need your help."). In Activity 5 children role-play helping actions and others guess, which requires students to produce statements about needs or actions during the dramatization.
Final Project
I Can Make A Difference
The lesson prompts adults to ask the child to give examples and to ask the child what she learned or what she might do in the future, which requires the child to answer questions. The planning example explicitly has the child call a person and "ask if I can bring the meal over and when I should come," which has the child practice asking questions to get information. The project reflection section contains direct questions (e.g., "Were you able to carry out your plan?" "How did you affect the person/people you helped?") that the child is expected to answer.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 2
Animal Attributes
The lesson repeatedly instructs an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Get two of your child's stuffed animals and ask him to explain how they are alike and different"). It asks the child to describe reasoning ("Ask him to describe how he knows which objects are living") and to identify and discuss animal body parts and how they are used ("ask your child to identify the body parts he sees. Discuss how the animals use their different body parts"). The wrapping up section directs the adult to ask the child to describe ways animals are alike and different.
Lesson 3
Size, Shape, and Color
Students are prompted to describe and explain properties (e.g., an adult asks the child to describe a spoon's size, shape, and color and to describe how a wooden spoon is different). Students are asked to answer content questions about color mixing (e.g., "What makes purple? What makes green?") and to name and describe shapes after finding and drawing objects that match shapes. Students organize objects by size and discuss the process they used, which requires answering questions about their choices.
Lesson 4
How Does It Feel?
Students are prompted to respond when an adult asks them to describe and guess objects in the blindfold activity (pull an object out, describe how it feels, and guess what it is). In Activity 1 the adult asks the child to describe a selected object (first using non-texture attributes, then only texture words) and engages the child in discussion about whether descriptions were enough to identify the objects. The wrapping-up and life-application steps ask students to name texture words and describe objects when prompted by an adult.
Lesson 5
How Old?
Students are prompted to read or hear questions and decide which question they would ask each illustrated person (Activity 2, Option 1). Students are asked to generate and record their own questions for each person, practice beginning with a capital letter and ending with a question mark, and reread those questions. Students in Option 2 are asked to write a question for each pictured person based on perceived age, and to answer matching tasks that connect ages to people.
Lesson 6
The Measure of Things
The lesson repeatedly prompts the adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask what a doctor measures," "Ask your child how much he weighs and how tall he is," "Ask him to give you examples of different things that can be measured," and "Ask him to describe how the sugar, water, and milk are similar and different"). Activities require the child to make and record estimates, then explain results (e.g., estimating and then measuring length, guessing capacity and then measuring, and answering which object weighs more). The wrapping-up prompts ask the child to explain differences between length, weight, and capacity, which requires the child to answer clarifying questions about measurement attributes.
Lesson 7
More Attributes
Students are prompted to explain what an attribute is and to describe similarities and differences (e.g., "Ask your child to explain what an attribute is," "Ask her to describe ways to find similarities and differences"). Students are asked to answer questions during activities (e.g., "Ask her what the groups will be and then ask her to sort the blocks," "Ask her which toys go in each circle and which toys will go in the section where the circles overlap"). Students respond to prompts about Venn diagrams and justify placement of items (e.g., placing yellow and triangle blocks in appropriate sections).
Lesson 8
Amazing Attributes
The lesson repeatedly prompts an adult to ask the child questions (for example, ask your child what a magnet is and what it can be used for, and ask your child what causes an object to sink or float). Students are asked to make and record predictions on the Magnetic or Not and Sink or Float activity pages and then test and discuss the results. The lesson also directs students to watch a video and discuss the why behind sinking and floating, comparing their observations and predictions.
Lesson 9
Solids and Liquids
The lesson repeatedly prompts the child to respond to and discuss questions (e.g., asking the child to explain the difference between solids and liquids; asking what happened to an ice cube and what caused the change). Students are asked to brainstorm examples, cut and paste images into categories, and discuss why sugar or snacks pour differently, which requires answering and clarifying observational questions. The activities ask students to explain causes (heat/cold) and to describe their observations aloud or in writing.
Lesson 10
Earth Materials: Rocks, Soil, and Water
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes: "Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood." The reading tasks direct an adult to read books aloud and to "ask the following questions," providing many teacher-led oral questions (e.g., identifying solids/liquids, describing habitats, finding rocks). Multiple activities prompt the child to respond verbally or in writing (describe soil samples, answer book questions, complete preposition sentences).
Lesson 11
Using Earth Materials
The lesson prompts caregivers to "Ask your child to describe the three Earth materials" and to "Ask your child to think about how rocks are used and why they are important," which requires the child to answer questions. Activities instruct students to keep a log, make a collage, keep a list or take photos of discoveries, and to "discuss the properties of the soil," which engages students in answering and participating in guided discussion. Several places prompt the child to explain connections (for example, how soil affects plant growth and that plants provide oxygen), requiring the student to respond to informational prompts.
Final Project
Presenting Attributes
Students are prompted to name the attributes and respond to instructor prompts in the Introduction (e.g., "Ask your child to name the different attributes" and "If he can't remember... ask him leading questions"). During the project steps adults are instructed to ask the child what materials to use, to ask him to select five attributes, and to ask him to decide how he will explain each attribute, which requires students to answer questions to provide information. In Wrapping Up the child is asked reflective questions (e.g., "Did you feel good about your project?"), and students practice answering those questions during reflection and presentation rehearsals.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students are prompted to answer numerous teacher questions (e.g., find the title, read the title, name the five senses, identify body parts for each sense, which sense finds color, which senses recognize shape). Students describe objects using their senses and explain how they figured out attributes, responding to prompts such as which parts of the body they used. Students answer reflective questions (e.g., think of a time you used more than one sense; which sense do you use most often and why) and dictate or write sentences describing a sensing experience.
Lesson 2
Senses and Body Parts
In the Introduction, students are asked to name the five senses, give examples, and point to the body parts they use. In Activity 1 Option 1, students listen to a read‑aloud and pick up and glue the sense organ when Jackie uses a sense, demonstrating responsive answering to listening prompts. In Activity 2 and the Wrapping Up, students are asked to point to the sense organ for given situations, providing repeated practice answering questions or prompts.
Lesson 3
Smelling and Tasting
In Activity 2 students conduct a survey in which they ask four people whether they like each food and record Y/N responses, which is asking questions to get information. In Activity 1 and the Wrapping Up section students are asked to answer questions such as how smell helped them decide whether to taste foods and which tastes they enjoy most, showing practice answering to clarify observations. The survey follow-up questions (Which flavor did people like most/least? If you were to give a friend a snack, what flavor would you make it? Why?) require students to answer based on collected information.
Lesson 4
Hearing and Seeing
Students are asked comprehension and informational questions during read-alouds (e.g., "What happened when the bus driver flipped the green switch?", "Whose nose did the bus travel into?") and are prompted to decide and explain whether two noisy objects are the same or different by sight or sound. Students listen to descriptive audio passages and answer by identifying the place being described, and they blindfoldedly identify rooms or places based on sounds during guided activities. Students describe experiences (e.g., blindfold walk, listening walk) and respond to prompts comparing their observations of sights and sounds.
Lesson 5
Touch
The Introduction directs an adult to ask the child to recall the meaning of "texture" and to name which sense they would use, and Activity 3 instructs the adult to ask the child to identify the different senses she is using while making Jell-O. Activity 4 has the child describe how items feel and guess what each item is while blindfolded, and the Wrapping Up section asks the child to answer hypothetical questions about what the world would be like if everything had the same texture. Several activity pages require the child to respond to prompts (e.g., writing adjectives, checking boxes) based on questions or prompts from the adult.
Lesson 6
Experimenting With Our Senses
Students are prompted to answer specific questions during the taste test (e.g., "Were your first answers the same as your second answers?," "Can you taste color?," "Are these cups of liquid the same or different?"). In the scratch 'n sniff activity, students are asked to identify which spice they smell and whether they think it would taste good on food. During Activity 3 and Wrapping Up, students are asked to state their favorite flavor, tell a related story, and explain how senses help them make decisions and identify similarities and differences.
Lesson 7
Using All of Our Senses
Students are prompted to answer specific questions after the nature walk (e.g., "What were some things you heard? Smelled? Saw? Touched?" and "Which sense did you use most? Least?"). The Skills section lists "Interact with reader when text is read aloud (questions, comments, and ideas)" and the Introduction directs an adult to ask the child which senses the character used and how. In Activity 1 students identify, circle, and explain how they would use each sense in pictured situations, recording totals and justifying choices.
Final Project
A Sensible Party
The Wrap-Up section lists several direct questions (e.g., "Did the party go well?", "Did your guest use all of their senses?") that require students to answer and reflect on the activity. The Party Planner Game 1 directs students to compare their plan with the sample to find similarities and differences, an activity that can involve asking and answering questions during comparison. The Party Prep instructions ask the child to invite guests by telephone or email, which involves communicating and responding to others' replies.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Students are prompted to read and answer a series of personal questions on the "You Are Special" activity page (e.g., name, favorite color, what makes you happy/sad) and to fill in a personalized paragraph and then read and share their story. Students are asked to compare numerical information about themselves with others (house number, shoe size) and to answer questions about numbers on the "Your Numbers" page. The introduction and wrap-up include teacher prompts (e.g., "What makes you special? In what ways are you like your friends?") that require students to respond to questions.
Lesson 2
Physical Characteristics
Students are prompted to answer teacher-led descriptive questions about illustrations (for example, "Do they have the same number of hands and fingers? Is their hair the same or different?"). Students answer comprehension questions and retell and sequence events from the "Different Friends" story (for example, "Can you retell the story in your own words? What happened at the beginning? In the middle? At the end?"). Students describe physical characteristics of family members and complete drawing/cutting activities in response to guided prompts.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Students are prompted to explain what each vocabulary word means (Activity 1) and to circle words that describe themselves, which requires them to answer questions about personal traits. In Activity 2 students write names, draw faces, list personality words for themselves and a friend, then are asked to describe how they are alike and different and to count shared traits. Activity 3 asks students to think of two words to describe main characters, which requires them to generate and state information about characters.
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
Students read aloud prepared questions and interview three people in the Hobby Survey activity, recording responses to get information. Students complete the My Interest page, including a prompt asking "What is a question you have about ___?", and use library research to find answers. Students orally share or teach their interest and describe hobbies to others, receiving and providing informational responses.
Lesson 5
Shapesville
The lesson contains multiple parent/teacher prompts that require the child to answer questions (e.g., asking the child to explain ways people can be alike or different; asking comprehension questions after the story such as "Did you enjoy the story? Why or why not?" and "How are the shapes' personalities different?"). During Activities 1–3 students are asked to identify shapes, describe physical characteristics, select a shape that represents them and explain why, and explain shape choices for family members. The wrapping up prompts ask students to respond to questions about friendship and what is important in a friend.
Lesson 6
Different Families
Students are prompted to answer explicit questions such as "What are your responsibilities in your family?", "What does each family member do for the family?", and "What activities do you do with your family?" during the introduction and wrap-up. During read-alouds students are asked to describe pictures, clothing, activities, and interactions in A Life Like Mine and to complete activity pages that compare their family to families from other countries. The Activities require students to respond, draw, and write comparisons and to discuss similarities and differences during guided questioning.
Lesson 7
Different Homes
The introduction instructs the adult to "ask your child to identify and describe the different homes shown" and to "ask him why people have homes," so students practice answering content questions about homes and materials. The lesson tells students to "identify the materials that were used to build his home" and to look through the book or Internet for similar homes and "record the country name above the home," which requires students to seek information and respond. The wrapping-up prompts ask the child "if he thinks he would enjoy living in a different type of home and why," giving students chances to explain and answer questions.
Lesson 8
Different Holidays and Traditions
Students are prompted to answer teacher/parent questions such as naming holidays and explaining what they enjoy about each one (Introduction, Activity 1). The lesson provides explicit question prompts for discussion (Activity 2: "What are the people celebrating? What types of activities...?") that require students to respond with information. Activities ask students to tell which holiday is their favorite and explain why, and to write or dictate three sentences about the holiday (Activity 3).
Lesson 9
Different Modes of Transportation
Students are prompted to answer questions such as giving examples of ways people get from place to place and explaining how people travel great distances. In Activities 1 and 2 students respond to prompts by filling in missing letters, circling or writing the best mode of transportation, and numbering distances, which require answering teacher-posed questions. The wrap-up and Activity 3 ask students to tell a story and discuss reasons for choosing particular modes, providing additional opportunities to respond to questions.
Lesson 10
Wants and Needs
Students are instructed to take a survey of four people and ask them to name two things they want and two things they need, then draw or write the responses on the chart. Students discuss the items collected on the survey and decide whether each item is truly a need or a want, rearranging items on the webs as necessary to clarify understanding. Students are prompted to answer questions about their own lists (e.g., which list is longer, which is more important) and to explain how it felt to give away items.
Lesson 11
Being Part of a Group
Students are prompted to answer specific questions such as "Which group has the most people?", "Do two groups have the same number of people?", "Which group would you be in?", and reflective questions in Wrapping Up (what he enjoys, why people join groups, is it okay to be part of some groups and not others). Students sort pictures into groups, label groups with numbers (2, 6, 14), complete a prompted paragraph about a group they belong to, and brainstorm community groups and their purposes. The activities require students to respond to adult prompts, explain similarities and differences, and describe group membership in writing or by dictation.
Final Project
Differences Make the World Go 'Round
The materials tell caregivers to "encourage her to ask questions about life in that country" when meeting a person from the chosen country and to "let her share her book with this person," which creates an opportunity for question-and-answer interaction. The Introduction instructs adults to "discuss" countries and "ask her what country she would like to learn more about," prompting the child to respond with information. Activity pages prompt students to provide information (e.g., "I like to eat ___," "My hobby is ___"), which can be used as content for asking or answering questions during sharing.
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 1
What Is a Pattern?
Students are asked to identify and describe patterns verbally (e.g., "Ask your child if she knows what a pattern is," "Ask her to continue the pattern by naming the color that will come next"). Students answer scaffolded questions about where patterns are found and whether a sequence is a pattern (e.g., "Have you ever seen a pattern? Where?" and marking rows as P or N). Students explain patterns after completing activities and games (e.g., "have your child explain each one" and write sentences describing patterns).
Lesson 2
Recognizing Types of Patterns
Students are prompted to explain and justify their thinking (e.g., Activity 2: "He should explain how he decided" and multiple prompts to "ask him how many colors" or to "explain how he decided"). The student activity pages require students to decide whether rows form ABAB or AABB patterns and to label objects with A's and B's, which elicits answers about pattern type. Wrapping Up asks students to "explain the difference between an ABAB pattern and an AABB pattern" and to describe "how he can decide if a pattern is ABAB or AABB."
Lesson 3
What Comes Next?
Students are asked to explain what comes next in a pattern and to explain how they know, as in the Introduction where the child is asked "what would come next" and to "explain how she knows what would come next." In Activities 1 and 2 the child is repeatedly asked questions such as "What comes first in the pattern? Next? What comes before __? What comes after __?" Activity 2 also asks students to answer questions like "Do you see a pattern? What type of square would you add?" The Handwriting activity has students write a question sentence: "What do you see after the ________?"
Lesson 4
Extending a Pattern
Students are prompted to answer questions such as "what would come next" when extending patterns and to explain how they extend a pattern. Students complete written prompts on the activity pages by filling in blanks, circling correct answers, and identifying whether patterns are ABAB, AABB, or ABBA. Students recreate and extend patterns with objects and then answer questions about each pattern in both Option 1 and Option 2 activities.
Lesson 5
Making Color Patterns
The lesson includes a "Questions to Explore" section with explicit prompts (e.g., "How do you make a pattern? What kinds of patterns can be made?"). It directs an adult to "Ask your child if she can think of ways to use colors to create patterns" and to "Ask her to describe the patterns she creates," which leads students to respond verbally about pattern-making. The activities require students to "demonstrate a variety of color patterns" and to write or copy a sentence describing what they created, supporting spoken and written responses.
Lesson 6
Shapes and Patterns
Students are prompted to describe the order of shapes aloud (e.g., "The first shape is..., the second shape is...") and to decide whether each set is a pattern or not. Students are asked to label shapes with A, B, or C and to describe patterns as ABAB, AABB, or ABC, which requires them to answer questions about pattern structure. Students are also asked to show or explain ABC, AABB, and ABAB patterns using attribute blocks and to write or copy a sentence about a pattern they found.
Lesson 7
Making Number Patterns
The lesson includes a 'Questions to Explore' section (e.g., 'How do you make a pattern?') and asks the child to 'demonstrate or explain ways numbers can be used to make patterns,' which prompts students to respond to questions. Activities direct students to 'look at the pattern and write the numbers to represent the pattern' and to 'identify the new pattern with letters,' which requires students to answer and explain pattern structure. The instructions also suggest doing the first pattern together if the child needs help, implying opportunities for clarification or teacher-led Q&A.
Lesson 8
Creating and Writing About Patterns
Students are prompted to describe and identify patterns in multiple activities (Activity 1, Activity 4, Activity 5) where they "figure out the pattern and describe it" and complete sentence prompts such as "First comes ___, Then comes ___, Next comes ___." The Student Activity Pages require students to fill in sequence words and ordinal positions (First, Then, Next; First–Eighth) and to state what comes before or after, which elicits spoken or written answers. Activity 2 (Pattern Race) and Activity 4 (Guess the Pattern) ask students to recreate or identify patterns when letters or objects are called out, resulting in students answering prompts about the pattern.
Unit 2: Patterns in Sounds, Words, and Actions
Lesson 1
Word Patterns
The lesson includes repeated teacher prompts that require students to answer questions about word patterns and rhymes (e.g., "Ask her if she can think of any other -ake words," "Ask her if she sees a pattern among each set of words," and "Ask your child what we call words that follow the same ending sound pattern"). Students are asked to label pictures, circle repeating parts of words, add a new word to extend patterns, and identify rhyming words in nursery rhymes, which require students to respond with information. Several activities ask students to pick a favorite rhyme, act out or illustrate it, and record rhyming words they hear, all of which prompt student answers to teacher questions.
Lesson 2
Making Word Patterns
The materials instruct an adult to ask the child what it means to rhyme and to ask him to name pairs or sets of rhyming words, so students practice answering those questions. The wrap-up directs the adult to ask the child to explain how groups of words follow a pattern and to name sets of words in the same family, prompting student responses. Several activities (e.g., reading the completed rhyme sheet aloud, identifying word families in books) require the child to respond to prompts and explain findings aloud.
Lesson 3
Poetry Patterns
Students are asked whether they hear word patterns as poems are read aloud and to identify what each poem is about. Students are prompted to circle rhyming words on the activity page and to guess the missing rhyming word when the teacher omits it during the song. Students are asked to brainstorm rhyming words, recite words that follow the same pattern, and explain how to find rhyming words.
Lesson 4
Sentence Patterns
The lesson includes a "Questions to Explore" section with prompts (Where can we find patterns? What are some examples of patterns?) that students can respond to. Multiple activities ask the child to tell or explain things in response to adult prompts (e.g., ask him to tell you the naming word and the action word; ask your child to explain the sentence pattern; ask him if the word he chose is a person, place, or thing). Activities require students to respond aloud, recite sentences, and identify/circle/underline nouns and verbs in sentences.
Lesson 5
Story Patterns
The lesson directs an adult to ask the child to describe her morning pattern and to ask questions during book reading (Activity 1) such as, "What do you think will happen next?" and "What happened at the beginning/middle/end of the story?" Activities 2 and 3 require the child to read or listen to a short story and then complete boxes or dictate/write sentences describing the beginning, middle, and end, which involves answering comprehension and sequencing questions.
Lesson 6
Sound Patterns
Students are repeatedly asked to listen and answer questions about patterns (e.g., whether they heard a pattern, what type it is, and which sounds repeat). Students count and record repetitions (Activity 2) and identify and extend patterns using instruments or body sounds (Activities 1 and 2). Students are prompted to describe how to make a sound pattern and to write about a sound pattern they heard (Handwriting, Wrapping Up).
Lesson 7
Making Sound and Action Patterns
The lesson repeatedly prompts the child to answer teacher questions (e.g., "Ask your child how sounds can be used to make patterns," "Ask her to provide an example," and "Ask your child what it means to have a pattern made from sounds and a pattern made from actions"). Students are asked to perform or listen to patterns and have their patterns checked ("Ask her to perform her sound patterns... Check to make sure she made a pattern that repeats itself"). Students also demonstrate and explain patterns by making action patterns, taking turns in "Do What I Do," and writing a sentence describing a pattern they made.
Final Project
Patterns Video
Students write or dictate scripts on four "Video Script" pages that require them to describe each pattern, note where they found or made it, and list the parts and sequence (First comes, Then...). Students practice speaking their scripts and explain patterns aloud for the video, and adults prompt them to describe the pattern and to reflect by asking what they did well and what they can improve. Students read words from books or poems and explain rhyming and word patterns, and they demonstrate sound and action patterns while describing them.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 1
Patterns in Nature
Students are prompted to answer questions throughout the lesson: the Introduction asks the child to explain a pattern she has seen, and Activity 1 includes specific follow-up questions (e.g., "Were there any patterns that you had seen before? Which ones?"). Activity 3 asks students to identify which patterns they find most interesting and to draw and label 3–5 favorite patterns, and Activity 2 directs students to look in books or online for pattern examples. The lesson repeatedly asks students to identify and describe patterns in pictures and real objects.
Lesson 2
Patterns of Growth
Students are repeatedly prompted to answer questions from an adult (e.g., "Ask your child how he is different now from when he was a baby," "Ask your child what makes these animals' life cycles unique," and "Ask your child to describe the growth pattern of a plant and a person"). Students identify and label parts of plants and sequence stages by responding to prompts (Activity 2 labeling plant parts; Activity 4 cutting and ordering life cycle pictures). Students draw and write sentences about observations in response to instructions on the activity pages, demonstrating practice answering informational questions about growth.
Lesson 3
Night and Day
Students are asked direct questions throughout the lesson (e.g., "How does she know when it is nighttime and when it is daytime?" and "How would it be different if it were light all the time?"). Students are asked to describe observations after hands-on activities (spin the globe and describe when it is daytime and when it is nighttime). The "Questions to Explore" section and the teacher prompts repeatedly require students to answer questions to demonstrate understanding of night and day.
Lesson 4
Daily Routines
Students are prompted to talk about their routines ("Talk about some of your child's routines"), to add and label an activity on the "My Morning Routine" page, and to dictate or write steps for another routine in "A Routine for ______," which requires responding to adult prompts. Activity 3 instructs an adult to "ask your child to record important activities" over 24 hours, which will require students to answer questions about when activities occur. These tasks require students to provide information and respond verbally or in writing about their daily activities.
Lesson 5
Calendar Patterns
Students are prompted to name the days of the week and months of the year in order (Introduction, Activity 5), which requires them to answer questions about calendar information. In Activity 1 and Activity 4 students fill in weekly patterns and record monthly events, and they are asked to identify whether events occur weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Activity 3 asks students to put recorded dates in order, which involves answering sequencing prompts and responding to teacher/parent questions about date order.
Lesson 6
Seasonal Weather Patterns
The plan includes numerous teacher prompts that require the child to answer questions (e.g., "Ask your child if he can name the four seasons," "Which month comes after March?", and the advanced month sequence questions). Students are asked to select and circle today's weather, identify the month on a calendar, name the season, and describe observed weather during the Wrapping Up section. Several activities require students to place months and seasons in order and to fill in missing seasons, which involve answering guided questions about sequence and weather association.
Lesson 7
Patterns at Home
Students are prompted to answer questions such as the opening "Questions to Explore" (Where do we see patterns? Where are patterns found?) and are asked to describe patterns they find during the Pattern Scavenger Hunt. Students name shapes and count sides/angles in the Quilt Pattern activity and write or dictate a sentence that describes a pattern in their closet. Multiple items explicitly instruct an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask your child if she can think of any patterns...", "Ask her to describe each pattern she finds", "Ask your child what it would be like if there were no patterns...").
Lesson 8
Symmetrical Patterns
Multiple teacher prompts require students to answer questions about symmetry: students are asked to describe the pattern in butterfly wings, say whether the wings look the same or different, and explain what it means for something to have a symmetrical pattern. Activities ask students to decide which shapes or letters are symmetrical, draw lines of symmetry, sort shapes into symmetrical and non-symmetrical groups, and tell which group has more shapes and how many more. The wrapping-up prompts explicitly ask students to describe examples and answer questions about whether their sides would be symmetrical when folded.
Lesson 9
Counting Patterns
The lesson explicitly lists the skill "Answer questions about a story read aloud (LA)" and asks the child to "fill in each blank in the story" and "try to fill in each blank," which requires the child to respond to prompts. Multiple activities prompt the child to respond to questions or prompts (e.g., "Ask her to count each set of objects by twos," "ask her if she has an even or odd number of pennies"). Students are also asked to tell their own story about the clowns, which requires them to produce answers when prompted.
Lesson 10
Tracing Patterns
Students are asked to identify the holiday associated with each pattern and to identify the original patterns after cutting, which requires them to answer informational questions. Students are prompted to count the total number of shapes they created and to explain why creating patterns would be hard without a stencil, which requires them to provide clarifying explanations. Students are also asked how a pattern can be used in art and to explain how to use a traced pattern or a stencil, providing repeated opportunities to answer teacher questions for information and clarification.
Lesson 11
Patterns in Graphs
Students are asked to read graph titles and labels and to describe patterns (e.g., "Ask her to describe any patterns in the graph" and "Describe the pattern in the graph"). The lesson includes explicit teacher prompts students answer, such as "What does this chart tell us?", "How many types of people are on the chart?", and asking how many books John might read next. Students are also asked to color-code and describe patterns on activity pages and to decide whether charts have patterns, which requires students to respond to questions and explain their reasoning.
Final Project
Patterns All Around Lapbook
The lesson includes a 'Questions to Explore' section with explicit questions (e.g., "Where are patterns found?", "How are patterns identified?") that students are prompted to consider and answer. The Introduction instructs an adult to ask the child to name different types of patterns he has found. The Wrapping Up directs an adult to ask the child which mini-book he is most proud of and what his book teaches about patterns.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 1
What Causes Change?
Students are prompted to respond to questions such as "What does it mean for something to change?" and "Have you seen anything change and how did you know?" Students match before-and-after picture cards and decide what changed, and they record answers for whether changes are fast or slow. Students draw and complete sentences about a change they have seen and attempt to read their paragraph aloud, providing opportunities to answer prompts and give information.
Lesson 2
What Changed?
The lesson repeatedly directs an adult to ask the child questions and to have the child answer (e.g., "Ask her what her location is now," "After your child has read the section, ask him the following questions," and the listed follow-up questions about physical vs. chemical changes). Activities require the child to respond to prompts (circle changes on the "How Did It Change?" page, give examples of things that change, record sentences describing examples). The wrap-up asks the child to explain different ways change can happen and to give an example of each type of change.
Lesson 3
Changing Position
Students are prompted to answer teacher/parent questions throughout (e.g., "Ask your child how we move," and the Reading And Questions section with Q1–Q4 asking how objects start moving, examples of pushes/pulls, and what force keeps us on Earth). Students locate information and answer questions using text features in Activity 1 by finding words in the index, writing the page number, and copying sentences that contain the word. Students perform and explain investigations (Activity 4, Activity 6, Activity 7) where they identify toys that require pushing or pulling, explain why tossed objects come back down (gravity), and report what happens when magnet poles are turned together or apart.
Lesson 4
Changes in the Environment
Students are prompted to answer questions about weather scenarios (e.g., how heavy rain or thunder would change their activities) and to describe changes that occur in nature. Students are encouraged to answer specific questions while reading the book (pages noted with examples of physical and chemical changes) and to explain causes of seasonal changes. Students are asked to illustrate or write sentences about times weather caused them to change activities and to label and describe seasons on the activity wheel.
Lesson 5
Changes in Location
Students are asked to describe where the stuffed animal is after it is moved, prompting them to answer a question about location. In Activity 1 and the student pages, students complete sentences (e.g., "The cat is ___ the door") using prepositions, which has students respond to prompts about location. In Activity 2 the teacher reads sentences and asks the child to move the mouse to the described position, so students follow spoken prompts and show understanding by acting or answering where the mouse is. The wrapping-up activity has students describe an adult's location after role switch, requiring students to answer questions or prompts about location.
Lesson 6
Changes in the Sky
The lesson repeatedly prompts the child to respond to questions: adults are instructed to "Ask your child to describe how objects on Earth change" and to "Ask him if he knows what you are doing" during the revolve/rotate activities. Students are asked to brainstorm adjectives and phrases for the Sun and Moon and to "describe how objects in the sky change positions" during the Wrapping Up. The activities require students to answer teacher questions and explain observations (e.g., explaining rotation vs. revolution, describing why the Moon appears to shine).
Lesson 7
Living Things Change
The lesson repeatedly instructs adults to ask the child questions (e.g., the 'Questions to Explore' list, 'Ask your child what it means...' and prompts such as 'Ask your child if she can think of other ways that animals change'). Activity 2 gives students explicit question prompts to answer for each picture pair (Did it change in size? number? place? shape?) and asks them to circle words and label changes as fast or slow. The Getting Started hand-signals section has students practice nonverbal requests (water, food, shelter, space, clothing), which trains students to make requests for help or needs.
Lesson 8
Plants and Change
The lesson includes multiple prompts where an adult asks the child questions and the child is expected to answer (e.g., after reading National Geographic Readers: Seed to Plant the teacher asks QUESTION #1 and QUESTION #2). Students are asked to recall and state what plants need, to find a book section and report it, to make predictions for the plant experiment and record their ideas, and to list and describe plant parts at the end. Several activities require students to explain observations (compare predictions to results) and to answer teacher questions during discussions of growth and life cycle.
Lesson 9
Heat Causes Change
The lesson repeatedly instructs the adult to ask the child focused questions (e.g., "Ask your child if she has ever seen anything burn," "Ask her how the ice is changing," "Ask her what she thinks will happen to the water in the pan"). Activity 2 provides a set of explicit questions for the child to answer after measuring the candle ("How did the candle change? When was the candle the tallest? What caused the candle to change?"). The wrapping up and life application sections ask the child to explain observations and think of other examples, prompting verbal responses and explanations.
Lesson 10
Chemical Changes
The activities prompt the child to answer questions such as "Does the cracking of the eggs represent a physical or chemical change?" and to explain that beating and cooking eggs causes a chemical change. The activity sheet asks students to identify six scenarios as chemical or physical and then includes an instruction to ask the child to explain how he made each decision. The wrapping up section instructs asking the child to describe the difference between a physical and chemical change and to give an example of each.
Lesson 11
People Change the Environment
Students are prompted to brainstorm positive and negative ways humans change the environment and to dictate ideas while an adult records them (Activity 1). Students discuss reducing, reusing, and recycling with an adult and answer questions about what can be recycled after watching a video (Activity 2). Students are encouraged to describe each illustration, explain how it is changing the environment, and decide if the change is positive, negative, or neutral (Activity 3). The plan also asks the child to share ways people can reduce, reuse, and recycle and to point out changes on a walk.
Final Project
Mobile of Change
The lesson includes a set of "Questions to Explore" that prompts child discussion (e.g., "What are examples of changes...?"). The Introduction instructs an adult to "Ask him to think about the following situations and discuss" and the Wrapping Up directs the adult to "Ask your child which example..." and to let him explain his mobile to family members. The Skills list includes "Express ideas through writing and conversation," indicating opportunities for spoken responses.
Unit 2: Characters Change
Lesson 1
What's in a Name
Students are prompted to answer explicit comprehension questions in the "Reading And Questions" section (e.g., How did Chrysanthemum feel before school? Why did she change her mind?). The lesson asks students to make predictions and respond to prompts ("Ask your child to predict...", "Ask her to identify...", "Ask your child to guess what she thinks the word means..."). The wrapping up section instructs an adult to ask the child recall questions about suffix meanings, prompting students to answer and explain.
Lesson 2
Why Worry?
Students watch a read-aloud and then respond to four explicit comprehension questions (e.g., whether Wemberly needed to be worried and what can be learned from her), showing practice answering questions to get information. The lesson opens by asking the child to share what he worries about and includes wrap-up prompts asking the child which story he preferred and why, which provides further opportunities for students to answer teacher-posed questions. The Characters Change activity asks students to describe how Wemberly changed (beginning vs. end), requiring students to answer reflective questions about the story.
Lesson 3
Is It a Problem?
Students are asked and expected to answer comprehension questions after the read-aloud (QUESTION #1–#4) about how the author illustrates the problem, how it grows, and how the boy solves it. In Activity 2 students verbally describe a personal problem and answer guided prompts such as "Why does the problem worry me?", "What is within my control?", and "What steps can I take to tackle my problem?" Activity 5 asks students to explain how the boy changed and to compare him to another character, requiring students to respond to teacher prompts about character change.
Lesson 4
Comparing Characters
Students are prompted to answer oral questions such as which story and character were their favorite and why. Students complete written question prompts on activity pages (e.g., "How are the characters' situations similar?", "What can we learn from both characters?", "Which character is most like you? Why?") and respond in discussion during wrap-up when asked how the three stories are similar. Students also answer cause-and-effect matching items and dictate three-sentence story summaries in response to teacher prompts.
Lesson 5
The Raft
Students are asked and respond to multiple teacher-posed comprehension questions in each reading segment (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3), such as questions about why the boy did not want to stay with his grandma, what he finds at the river, and how he feels at the end. Students answer guided discussion prompts about idioms and figurative language (e.g., ‘‘She had eyes in the back of her head'') and complete activities that require them to identify story elements and describe character change. Students also complete vocabulary matching and written/sketching tasks that require them to provide information or explanations in response to prompts.
Lesson 6
Positive and Negative Change
Multiple activities ask students direct questions and require verbal responses: Activity 2 prompts students to answer questions about how the rat feels, whether other animals should avoid him, and how the rat could respond positively or negatively. Activity 3 asks students to consider several "What if...?" scenarios and to discuss a time they changed, including what they would do differently. Activity 1 asks students to match causes and effects and then answer whether they can identify positive and negative cause/effect situations from stories they read.
Final Project
My Own Story
The lesson directs the adult to ask the child for story ideas and to read them back, prompting the child to answer and clarify which idea to use. Part 2 includes explicit prompts the child answers about characters (e.g., 'Will her characters be people or animals?' and 'Which character will be the one who changes?'). The 'Problem and Solution' student page contains written questions the child completes (e.g., 'How would you describe the character at the beginning of the story?', 'What caused the problem?', 'How does the character change?'), which require the child to answer and explain narrative information.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 1
People and Families Change
Students are asked and respond to specific questions about personal change (e.g., "How were you different at age three than at age one?", "When were you the shortest?", "Between which two years did you grow the most?"). Activity 4 explicitly invites students to "look at the pictures and ask questions about what he sees." Activity 6 has students predict and describe future states aloud and share ideas with the family, providing opportunities to answer and exchange informational questions.
Lesson 2
Understanding Time
Students are prompted to answer explicit questions about time throughout the lesson: the Introduction asks the child to name something that happened in the past, something happening now, and something they want in the future. Activity 1 has students state and record today's date and then answer what date was yesterday and what date will be tomorrow. Activity 2 provides a long list of direct questions (e.g., "Were you born in the past, present, or future?"; "Can you think of a change that has happened in your life in the past?") that students are asked to answer aloud or in discussion.
Lesson 3
Communities Change
The lesson repeatedly prompts the child to answer teacher/parent questions: e.g., asking where the story happened, who the characters are, how the environment changed, what habitat the animals live in, and to identify artifacts. Several activities require the child to explain answers (Activity 5 asks him to explain which time period he'd prefer and why, and follow-up questions probe differences and difficulties). The timeline and communities activities require the child to respond to prompts by sequencing events and pointing out differences in transportation, clothing, homes, and activities.
Lesson 5
Exploring the Past
The lesson opens with explicit 'Questions to Explore' (Why do communities change? How have people changed from past to present?), which prompt students to respond. The guide tells an adult to 'Discuss how people in different time periods...' and to 'Ask your child if he remembers' time periods from the book, requiring students to answer questions. Students are prompted to select a culture and 'give a presentation to the family and share what he learned,' which involves responding to audience prompts and communicating information.
Lesson 6
Predicting Future Change
Students are prompted to answer specific questions about scenarios in Activity 1, predicting how each change will affect the future and responding to follow-up questions. Students write sentences in Activity 2 describing one positive and one negative result and label each change as positive (P) or negative (N). Students dictate and attempt to read a personal reflection in Activity 3 and write or copy a sentence about a change in Activity 4, practicing answering and reporting information.
Lesson 7
People of the Past
Students are prompted to answer specific comprehension questions in Activity 1 (e.g., whether the person lived in the past or present, how to describe the person, and what the person did to make a positive change). In Activity 2 students read descriptions, point to the individual described, and place figures in chronological order, responding to teacher prompts. Activity 3 and the Wrapping Up section ask students to describe a biography, discuss people from the past, and talk about personal examples of making positive change.
Final Project
My Past, Present and Future
The lesson includes a set of "Questions to Explore" (e.g., Why do people change? How can people, communities, and events be identified as being in the past, present, or future?) that prompt students to think about and respond to questions. The Wrapping Up section directs an adult to ask the child specific questions (e.g., What did you do well on your project? When you think about your future…?) and has the child read and present her book or comparison pages to family, which requires students to answer questions aloud. Several activities ask the child to write or dictate sentences (e.g., "In the past __________," "Today __________"), which provides opportunities for students to supply information in response to prompts.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
Students are regularly asked questions and prompted to answer them (e.g., "What objects in the video begin with short a?", "Can you show me the letter that is at the beginning of 'sat'?", "How many times is 'and' in the message?"). During guided reading and word-building activities students respond to teacher prompts, identify beginning sounds, point to letters in the Weekly Message, and answer clues in the Guess My Word activity. Students are asked to describe what they see on a book cover and to name words they learned, providing multiple opportunities to answer questions to get information.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
Students are repeatedly prompted to answer teacher questions about letters, sounds, and words (e.g., Activity 1.2: "What sound does short i make?"; Activity 1.3: "Which card says 'of'?"; Day 3: "Can you find any of your sight words in the message?"). Students are asked to respond to comprehension and prediction questions about the reader (Activity 5.3: "What do you think this book is about?" and explaining whether the pig and cat can fit in the box). Students practice answering questions about punctuation and sentence types (Activity 1.1: identifying periods and question marks).
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
Students are asked to answer teacher questions such as "Based on the hint, what vowel do you think you're going to work with this week?" and to identify punctuation by pointing to the period and question mark. Students respond to prompt questions during phonics practice (e.g., "Does 'ox' begin with o or u?" and "Which card says 'you'?") and answer comprehension questions after reading The Bug (e.g., "What is the bug able to do?" and "Why can't he do that?"). Students also turn over sight word cards and say or point to the requested words when prompted.
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
Students are prompted to answer direct questions about text and punctuation (Activity 1.1 asks "How many sentences does this message have?" and has the child identify end marks). Students are asked to discriminate vowel sounds and respond verbally (Activity 2.1: "Your job is to tell me which one has the short /e/ sound"). Students answer comprehension questions after reading (Activity 5.2 asks why characters are napping and why others are not).
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
Students are asked and expected to answer many teacher questions: Activity 1.1 asks students to identify punctuation and answer "What does a period do?" and "How many sentences does this message have?" Activity 4.1 asks which two letters make the /k/ sound and has students respond with c and k. Activities 4.2, 3.1, 4.3, and 5.2 require students to answer classification, spelling, and comprehension questions (e.g., "How do you think I spell 'cats'?", "Which duck do you think is having the most fun? Why?", and word-guessing from clues).
Lesson 6
Open Syllables and Digraph th
Students are frequently asked and prompted to answer teacher questions about words and sounds (e.g., "Do these words end with the same sound or with different sounds?", "What do you notice about each pair of words?", "Does the ending in each pair sound the same or different?"). During phonics activities students answer diagnostic questions about open vs. closed syllables (e.g., "Is this closed or open?") and identify letters and sounds when sorting pictures for /t/, /h/, and /th/. After reading, students respond to comprehension questions (e.g., "Why do Meg, Dan, and Sam start with uppercase letters?", "What kind of pet does Dan have?").
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
Students are prompted to answer teacher questions throughout the lesson, for example when they are asked to find the digraph th in the Weekly Message, to point to sight words that include th, and to answer comprehension questions after reading They Get Wet (e.g., "Where is the ship..." and "Why are the rat and the cat wet..."). Students also respond to prompts asking them to identify digraphs and say their sounds during sorting and word-building activities (e.g., "Which digraph is it? Is it th, ch, sh, or wh?").
Lesson 8
Blends with s
Students are asked comprehension questions after reading Reader #8 (e.g., "Near the end, why are Meg and Dan no longer on the sled?"; "Why do you think they stop for a snack?"), requiring them to answer for understanding. In phonics activities (Activity 3.1, Activity 2.1, and various picture-naming tasks) students are prompted to point to, name, or identify beginning or ending blends in response to adult prompts. The wrap-up section invites the child to list words that start with given blends and notes a conditional instruction: "If she asks, tell her which of her words start with each /sk/ blend."
Lesson 9
Blends with l
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions after reading Reader #9 (e.g., "What color are the flags...?" "What do the kids do at the club?" "If you were in the club, what fun things would you want to do?"), which requires them to provide information in response to questions. Several activities ask students to respond to prompts (e.g., point to and read known words in the Weekly Message, name each picture for l blends, fill in missing blends, and read sight words aloud), requiring them to answer teacher-posed questions or prompts. Activities that ask students to explain the difference between "have" and "had" and to use each in a sentence also require students to provide clarifying information when prompted.
Lesson 10
Blends with r
The lesson asks the child to answer explicit questions about texts (Activity 4.2: questions about One Can) and to respond to prompts (Activity 1.3: identify which sight word begins with an r blend and which has an open syllable). Several activities require the child to name pictures, read words aloud, and say or read words when prompted (Activity 1.2 picture naming, Activity 3.2 Alphabet Soup, Word Building activities). The Life Application and other partner activities have the child respond to prompts and produce words when cued.
Lesson 11
Ending Blends
Students are asked comprehension questions after reading At Camp (Day 4 Activity 4.2) such as "What do the kids do at camp?" and "What are the kids hunting for?", requiring them to answer for information. Multiple activities ask students to name pictures, point to cards, read words, and spell words in response to prompts (e.g., Activities 1.2, 2.1, 3.2), which has students answering teacher questions and prompts to demonstrate understanding. Students also read aloud and respond when asked to underline blends or read dictated words (Activities 2.1, 2.2, 4.1), providing information in response to teacher queries.
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
Multiple activities require the child to answer questions and provide information: Activity 2.1 uses three yes/no questions (syllable, short vowel, ending letter) and asks the child to answer yes/no and give a thumbs up/down. Activity 1.2 and Day 4 prompt the child to answer identification questions ("Which letters does the FLOSS rule tell us to double?", spelling and word-building responses). Activity 4.3 asks comprehension questions about the reader ("What insects are shown...?", "Why do you think...?").
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
Students are prompted to explain spelling rules aloud (Activity 1.2 asks the child to explain the rule for each pair of words). Students answer oral prompts to read or modify words during word-building (Day 2 and Day 3 ask "What's the new word?" after letter replacements). Students answer comprehension questions after reading King Hank and point to endings they hear during word-sorting (Activity 4.3 and Activity 5.1).
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
Multiple activities require the child to answer spoken questions about words and meanings. For example, Activity 2.1 asks, "Are these rhyming words? What makes them rhyming words?" and asks "What sounds do you hear at the beginning of these words?" Activity 4.3 prompts the child to answer comprehension questions about the reader (e.g., "What do the kids do at the track?"). Several activities also ask the child to point to or identify beginning blends when asked.
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students are asked comprehension questions after reading The Raft Trip (e.g., "What animals are on the bank of the river?" and "Which animals nap on the raft?") and are expected to answer them aloud. Students point to and read words or point to word-building cards in response to teacher prompts (Activity 2.1, Activity 1.2, Activity 4.2). Students are prompted to read words aloud after sorting or building them and to respond when the adult asks about syllables or letters (Activity 1.1, Activity 3.2, multiple word-sorting activities).
Lesson 16
R-Controlled Vowels (ar)
Students are asked to create questions using the question words 'which,' 'what,' and 'when' (Activity 1.3) and to underline the question word that begins sentences on the sight-word page. Students read the short reader and then answer comprehension prompts such as "What else might you find in a barn...?" (Activity 4.2). Throughout the lesson teachers prompt students to answer spoken questions (e.g., "What word is it?", word-identification and 'Which column shows the Bossy R?') and students respond in activities like Guess My Word and sentence dictation (Day 5).
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students are regularly asked to answer questions about texts and tasks (e.g., Activity 3.2 has students write sentences read aloud to them and then read them back; Activity 4.1 asks "Which of these readers is your favorite? Why?" and asks students to name characters and describe their actions). Activity 2.3 has students answer phonics questions after writing words (Which words follow the FLOSS rule? Which word has the Bossy R? Which word has an open syllable?). Multiple activities ask students to point to or read sight words and to show or read words they find in the sight word search, requiring students to respond to prompts from an adult.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Long Vowels a and i with Silent e
Students are asked to answer teacher prompts throughout (e.g., to point to letter cards and say short vs. long vowel sounds, to stand or raise a hand for words with long vowels, and to name or sort pictures by vowel sound). The lesson includes question-and-answer interactions such as asking "Which of these words has a short vowel sound?", asking students to point to the word used in a sentence (there/their), and asking comprehension questions after the reader (e.g., "What are some of the things that Lin and Dev like to do in the fall?"). Students are also asked to respond aloud when asked to read sight words, read created words, and read spelling-test words back to the adult.
Lesson 2
Long Vowels o, u, and e with Silent e
Students are repeatedly asked questions and prompted to answer them (e.g., "Do these words have the short or long e sound?", "What vowel sound do all of these words have?", "What did the family do on their trip?", "Who fell off of the mule?"). Students point to and read words, sort pictures into short vs. long vowel columns, and spell words aloud or with letter cards in response to teacher prompts. Students are also asked to explain or justify choices (e.g., why 'Tim' is capitalized) and to read words back after dictation or a spelling test.
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students are frequently prompted to answer teacher questions (e.g., Weekly Message: "What sounds do you know? Can you list some words..."; Activity 2.1: "What do you notice about the sound of c in these words?"; Activity 3.1 and 4.1: "Ask her to explain how she knows."). The lesson includes comprehension questions that students must answer about the reader (Activity 5.2 asks specific questions about These Mice). Multiple activities instruct the child to read, explain, and justify pronunciations or categorizations aloud.
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
Students are asked and prompted to answer specific questions throughout the lesson (for example, in Activity 5.2 students answer "Who won the race?" and "Which animal came in last?"). In multiple activities the adult asks students to read or identify words and explain choices (e.g., "What word have you spelled now?" and "What makes the way you pronounce a in each word change?"). Students are also prompted to point to sight words and read them aloud when the teacher asks which sight words they use most often.
Lesson 5
Long a Spellings ai, ay
Students are regularly asked and expected to answer teacher questions about letters, sounds, and meaning (e.g., Activity 2.1: "What letters do you think are making that sound in these words?"; Activity 3.1: "Which vowel will say its name?"). During reading and comprehension checks (Activity 1.1 and Day 5) students answer questions about the Weekly Message and the reader (e.g., "What do the boys play with indoors?", "What animal do they see on the drain outside?"). In fill-in-the-blank and word-sorting tasks students select and place words to make sentences make sense, which requires them to use information to answer prompts and clarify meaning.
Lesson 6
Long e Spellings ee, ey, ea
Students are regularly asked to answer questions about vowel sounds and word choices (e.g., "Which one has the short e sound?", "Which word is spelled with the silent e?", "What other letters are making the long e sound?"). Students answer comprehension questions about the reader (e.g., "What does the worm eat?", "How many beans are the birds eating?") and respond aloud during sight-word, spelling, and sentence-making activities. Students also demonstrate understanding by sorting, highlighting, and reading words aloud in response to teacher prompts.
Lesson 7
Long i Spellings y, igh, ie
Students answer teacher-posed questions about phonics and comprehension throughout the week (e.g., Activity 3.1: "What's the word?" "What sounds do you hear in this word?" and ask her to point to silent letters). Students respond to guided questions after reading (Day 5 Activity 5.1: "What do Tom and Val see in the sky?" "What do Tom and Val dream about?"). Students are prompted to identify syllable types and spellings by answering questions (Activity 2.2: "Are these words open syllables or closed syllables?"; Activity 4.1: "Which one is new to her?").
Lesson 8
Long o Spellings ow, oa, oe
Students are asked and answer many teacher-posed questions: in Activity 1.2 they answer which words have short o versus long o; in Activity 2.1 they answer questions such as "What letters are making the long o sound?" and "Which long o spellings appear most?"; in Activity 1.3 and Day 5 students answer questions about sight words and about the reader (e.g., how many boats are in the race, which color wins). These tasks require students to respond orally to questions to get information or demonstrate understanding.
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
The child is asked multiple teacher-led questions to answer: e.g., "What vowel sound does each word have?", "Now what vowel sound does each word have?", "Which two words have the /yu/ sound?", and comprehension questions after the reader ("What does Tom add to the stew?", "What color does Val add to the stew?"). Students are also prompted to explain changes (e.g., why adding silent e changes the vowel sound) and to point to and read words from the weekly message and sight word cards.
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students are asked and prompted to answer many teacher questions: for example, Activity 5.1 asks students to answer comprehension questions about The Wild Colt (Why is the colt hard to find? How does the man stop the colt from bolting?). In Activity 1.1 students are asked to identify unusual words and to point to long vowel words in the Weekly Message, and in Activities 1.2 and Day 2 students are asked to explain what the ild/old words have in common and what makes them special. Throughout the lessons students respond to prompts, read words aloud when asked, and explain word meanings on teacher request.
Lesson 11
Long Vowel Sounds Review
In several activities students are prompted to answer teacher questions: Activity 1.1 asks the child to point to and read words and to identify which words in the Weekly Message have long vowel sounds. Activity 1.3 asks students to read sight word cards and answer "Which of these words have long vowel sounds?" and Activity 4.1 asks students to tell which letters in a word make the long e sound as they find long-e words. Multiple activities require students to read aloud words they found, write words in response to prompts, and respond to spoken clues (e.g., Guess My Word).
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students are prompted to answer teacher questions about vowel sounds and word placement (Activity 2.1 asks "Can you guess what that sound is?" and has students place words under oi or oy). Students answer comprehension and detail questions after reading (Day 5 asks "What sound does the toy make?" and "What do you think Dan's new toy is?"). Students are asked to point to and read words and to identify long-vowel words in the Weekly Message and word search (Activity 1.1 and Activity 3.1).
Lesson 13
Other Vowel Sounds ou, ow
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions after reading The Hound and the Owl (e.g., "What does the hound do during the day?" and "Why do you think the hound howls at the owl?"). Students are prompted to explain their reasoning during the Word Sorting activity ("ask her to explain her groups to you" and to change and justify groups). Students are asked direct clarifying questions about phonics ("Where do you find ou and ow in words?") and to explain how they knew spellings during the Writing o Words activity.
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
Students are prompted to answer questions during multiple activities: in Word Sorting they are asked "What do you notice about all of these words? Do they have something in common?" and to explain their groups. In Sorting Short o Words they are asked to read words and answer "Does au come at the end of any of these words?" and to note the pattern. During Day 3 and Day 4 students are asked questions about where aw and au occur in words and how many letters follow them. In Day 5 students answer comprehension questions about The Pups (e.g., "Where do the pups sleep?" and "What are some of the things the puppies in the story do?").
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students practice answering teacher questions about texts and word features (e.g., Activity 5.1 asks "What are some of the naughty things the bear does?" and several prompts ask which group has the long u/long e/short e sounds). Students produce questions using question words in Activity 4.2 by filling blanks to create questions (e.g., "Where is the beach?", "Which food do you like more?"). The materials also prompt students to think about which question they would ask for help in a real situation (e.g., "What question would you ask if you want to know what time the movie starts?").
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students are repeatedly asked to respond to teacher prompts about words and meanings (e.g., Activity 1.2: "How do you think we say this word?"; Day 3: "What do you know about the letters in this word?"). Students are asked to list things they learned about reading words (Activity 1.1) and to answer comprehension questions about The Gnats (Activity 5.2). Several activities require students to read aloud, sort, and explain vowel sounds when prompted (Day 4 sorting and related prompts).
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students are asked to answer explicit comprehension questions about the word list in Activity 1.2 (e.g., "Which words have soft c or g sounds?"; "Which words show the FLOSS rule?"), and they are given prompts to identify spelling patterns and sounds. In Activity 1.3 and the Sight Word Search (Activity 4.1) students are asked aloud questions such as "What sound do both of these words begin with?" and asked to locate and read sight words, then show and read them to the adult. Several activities instruct the adult to pose questions and have the child respond or read aloud, giving students repeated practice answering questions to get information about words and sounds.