Kindergarten - ELA
1: Letters
Unit 1: A - A Is for Musk Ox
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 2 explicitly has students practice the sound the letter A makes, telling the child that A often sounds like the "a" in "apple" and having the child repeat the sound multiple times. The Student Activity Page labels the item "Apple" alongside uppercase A tracing practice, linking the letter to a model word. Option 2 has students place apple stickers along the shape of the letter A while being prompted to form the letter from top to bottom and left to right.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice letter-sound relationships in Activity 4 by reviewing letter cards and saying the sounds each letter makes. In Activity 2 students review the short "a" sound and repeat it as they form the lowercase a, and they practice forming the letter by tracing and writing. During reading, students are asked to point to the first letter of marked words and say the letter aloud, linking letters to words and pictures.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 asks the child to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and to cut out boxes and glue the correct picture under each letter, which requires identifying sound-letter relationships for initial sounds. The activity also includes practicing or watching the formation of the letter A with dotted guides, so students practice mapping the /a/ sound to the letter shape. The 'Beginning Letter Sounds' page has students cut and match images to labeled lowercase letters, reinforcing initial phoneme-to-letter correspondences.
Unit 2: H - Hondo and Fabian
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice letter-sound relationships for H by hearing the initial /h/ in "Hondo," saying a list of words that start with the /h/ sound (happy, hug, heart, hand, help), and repeatedly associating the sound while forming and writing the uppercase H on tracing and freehand lines. Students also point to letters while singing the "B-I-N-G-O" song and are encouraged to point to or clap letters as the song spells the name, reinforcing letter identification and letter-sound mapping. Students write characteristics in the Venn diagram for cats and dogs, providing occasions to produce written words.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 asks students to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and to practice writing the letter H, providing direct practice linking the H sound to its letter. A follow-up cut-and-paste task has students select letters and place them under the correct picture, reinforcing sound-letter matching. The Student Activity Pages present pictures (heart, ant, house, hand, hat, hammer/horse) with letter choices, requiring students to identify and mark the letter that corresponds to the initial H sound.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The lesson explicitly tells parents to encourage children to "spell it like it sounds," naming this "invented spelling," and to celebrate attempts to write words (Activity 3 NOTE). Activity 3 asks children to try to write their name and to dictate two statements to an adult while the adult models writing, which gives children opportunities to attempt spellings. The review asks children to name words that start with the "h" sound and to form H/h, which draws attention to sound-letter relationships.
Unit 3: I - The Little Island
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice letter-sound relationships for the letter I when told it makes two sounds (as in "igloo" and "island") and they practice these sounds using the Ii letter card. Students see the word "igloo" labeled on the handwriting page, reinforcing a sound-letter connection, and they trace and write the uppercase I on dashed lines. Students also practice the motor pattern for the letter I via handwriting and alternative textured tracing activities.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice the letter-sound relationship for I: the Lowercase i handwriting sheet explicitly asks students to review the two sounds i might make and Option 2 directs students to practice the sounds of i while making a downward stroke. Students also practice reading and supplying the word "little," reinforcing word recognition and linking spoken words to written forms.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to identify and mark the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: I" pages and to practice writing the letter, which requires mapping sounds to single letters. The activity also has students cut out letters and paste them under the matching letter and a separate "Beginning Letter Sounds" page where students match images (lion, apple, hammer, axe, igloo) to initial letters shown above. These tasks require students to attend to sound-letter relationships for initial phonemes and produce the corresponding letter symbols.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students review three letters (a, h, and i) and their associated sounds, explicitly attending to sound-letter relationships. Students are asked to draw and to "write" thoughts about an imagined visit in a journal, with opportunities to attempt writing or scribbling on lines. Students may dictate ideas for an adult to record, creating a connection between spoken language and written representation.
Unit 4: T - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice the sounds of letters a, h, and l and explicitly are asked to listen for the initial /t/ in the word "tail." Students practice forming the uppercase letter T on a handwriting sheet with traced and freehand opportunities while the sound of T is reviewed as they work. Students also practice producing the /t/ sound in a kinesthetic activity (driving a toy truck to form a T) and are prompted to say the sound as they trace the shape.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice the Tt letter sound during the review when they are shown the Tt letter card and asked to tell its sound. Students trace, copy, and independently write lowercase t on the handwriting sheet, following directional arrows and practicing formation. Students form the lowercase t with tape and trace it with their finger while practicing the sound of the letter as they work.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound correspondence by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures and practicing forming the letter T. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct heading, and match pictures (taxi, ambulance, hand, tree, island) to beginning letters. Students are asked to fill in missing letters on a page designed for phonics/spelling practice, completing three-letter combinations that end with 'T'.
Unit 5: L - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson reviews letter sounds for A, H, L, and T and sight words from the first four units, giving students exposure to sound-letter relationships. Activity 2 has students form the capital letter L while making and reviewing the "L" sound, and prompts them to say the sound as they write or glue leaves on the letter. The student activity page displays the example word "leaf" alongside guided practice for writing the uppercase L, linking a letter form to an example word.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter sounds and sight words from previous units. Students read and point to the sight word "go" and say it aloud when it appears in the story. Students practice the sound of the letter L while completing a lowercase "l" handwriting sheet or while lacing to form the letter.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound relationships for L through Activity 3 where they circle the correct beginning letter for pictures and practice writing the letter. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct heading, and the Beginning Letter Sounds page asks students to match images (axe, hand, teepees, igloo, ice cream) to their initial letters. The Student Activity Page with images labeled (e.g., leaf, ladder, igloo) provides blank lines for students to write the correct letter combination, prompting them to map sounds to letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 (Writing Workshop) asks the child to draw objects and think of a describing word for each, and suggests she "try to write this next to her picture" (for example, "soft dog" or "big book"). Option 1 asks the child to "write whatever she is able in her journal" and to dictate her story while an adult records it. These directions give students opportunities to attempt writing and produce simple word spellings in context.
Unit 6: F - Fireflies
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and sight words and are asked to identify the letter F on the book cover and practice making the "f" sound while forming the capital F. Activity 2 asks students to trace and write the uppercase F using a handwriting sheet and to say the sound as they work; the student page also shows the example word "fish" alongside F. The lesson includes repeated practice linking the letter shape F with its sound through air writing, tracing, and tactile fingerprinting options.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice identifying beginning sounds by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures and by cutting and pasting picture boxes under the correct letter. Students practice the letter F specifically by doing a 'Letter Sounds: F' page and by practicing or observing the formation of the letter. The Beginning Letter Sounds page presents letters (i, h, f, l, a) alongside pictures (butter, head, flag, orange, ax) for students to match images to initial letters.
Unit 7: E - But No Elephants
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice letter-sound correspondence for the letter E: they are told that E makes the short /e/ in "elephant" and "egg" and can make the long /e/ as in "eagle," and they practice saying the "e" sound while forming the capital E. Students trace and write uppercase E repeatedly on a handwriting sheet and form E with popsicle sticks or finger tracing, reinforcing the connection between the letter shape and its sound. The lesson also includes review of vocabulary words, which exposes students to spoken words containing target sounds.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter sounds and sight words and are prompted to read the new sight word "no" aloud and to read it in the book when it appears. Students practice the sound of the letter e as they complete a lowercase "e" handwriting sheet with tracing and freehand lines. Students also trace a modeled lowercase e (using an eraser or chalk/marker) while the adult repeatedly demonstrates the formation and practices the e sound.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 asks students to circle the correct beginning letter for pictures on a "Letter Sounds: E" page and to practice writing the letter E, which requires them to match sound to letter. Students cut out pictures and glue each picture under the correct letter, and another activity page has students match images (ear, hand, egg, lamp, ant) to given beginning letters. The spoken retelling and puppet activity emphasize listening for sounds and identifying which animal/word comes next, supporting beginning sound awareness.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 (Writing Workshop) asks students to draw and "write a few words (real or 'imaginary' words) or a list or some sentences," which gives students opportunities to produce spellings on their own. The activity also allows students to copy a sentence that an adult writes for them, providing additional practice in forming letter sequences that correspond to words.
Unit 8: C - Millions of Cats
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson explicitly has students practice the letter C and its sound: adults tell the child that C often makes the "k" sound (as in "cat" and "cake") and students practice forming the capital C while making the sound. The Uppercase C worksheet includes an image of a cat with the word "cat" underneath and has students trace and write the letter C. Option 2 and other prompts call attention to words that start with C (e.g., "crayons") and instruct students to review the sound of C as they work.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students review the sound of the letter C and sight words in the Getting Started review. In Activity 3 students circle the correct beginning letter for each picture, practice writing the letter C, and sort/cut-and-paste pictures beneath the correct beginning letter, which reinforces sound-letter mapping. A Student Activity page asks students to unscramble letter sets and write the correct words, giving practice with letter patterns and word formation.
Unit 9: G - The Real Mother Goose
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice letter-sound relationships during the Getting Started review of letter sounds and word cards and are asked to practice the sounds of the letter g during the lowercase g handwriting activity. Students trace and write the letter g (including a student activity page with guided tracing) while the instructions explicitly say to "practice the sounds of the letter g." Students also hear and identify rhyming pairs in poems and work with an adult to change end words in a poem, typing and printing new rhyming words together.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice identifying the /g/ sound by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: G" pages and by cutting and gluing boxes under the correct letter. Students match pictures to initial letters on the Beginning Letter Sounds page and practice forming/writing the letter G by either writing it themselves or watching it be formed. A student activity page prompts students to determine whether pictured words contain the G sound using three-letter codes beneath images.
Unit 10: O - Owl Babies
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice the sounds of the letter o during the lowercase letter writing activity, with explicit prompting to "practice the sounds of the letter o." Students trace and write the lowercase o on a handwriting sheet, reinforcing the letter shape and its sound. Students also point to and read the sight word "want" and read the line "I want my mommy!" aloud while following the words, which involves connecting spoken words to printed letters.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students circle the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: O" pages and practice writing the letter or watching letter formation. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, and complete a "Beginning Letter Sounds" page that matches images (apple, egg, orange, grapes) to initial letters. These activities require students to use sound-letter relationships for initial phonemes and to produce the corresponding letter symbols.
Unit 11: S - Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and sight cards, including explicit practice of the /s/ sound and forming the uppercase S while saying the sound. The weather report activity asks students to record observations and says they can draw pictures, write words, or dictate words to an adult. The handwriting sheet and letter card practice give students opportunities to connect the S letter shape with its sound.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 directs students to identify the beginning letter for each picture (Letter Sounds — S) and to practice writing the letter, which has students map sounds to letter symbols. The cut-and-paste task asks students to match printed letters to pictures, reinforcing letter–sound relationships. The Beginning Letter Sounds page provides letters (l f s / t g) and images so students practice identifying and matching initial sounds to corresponding letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Writing Workshop directs the child to draw a picture of her favorite season and then "write or dictate some things she knows about that season," which requires the child to produce written words. During Reading Workshop the child looks through books and identifies settings and seasons, an activity that exposes the child to seasonal vocabulary she may later attempt to write. These activities provide opportunities for the child to attempt spellings of simple words in journal entries.
Unit 12: D - Dinosaurs Big and Small
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and are prompted to identify the uppercase letter D on the book cover and connect it to the /d/ sound ("dinosaur"). Students practice forming the capital D in the air and on paper while saying the /d/ sound, and the Student Activity Page provides rows for tracing and independent writing of the uppercase D. The lesson also uses additional /d/ vocabulary (e.g., "drumstick") to reinforce the sound-letter relationship.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound relationships in Activity 3 by circling the correct beginning letter for each picture and practicing writing that letter. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, reinforcing mapping of sounds to letter symbols. The student activity pages include blank spaces beneath picture-and-letter sets where students may write the correct word, giving an opportunity to produce spelling using given letters.
Unit 13: P - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 2 has students find the uppercase letter P, practice forming the capital P in the air while making the "p" sound, and use a handwriting sheet with dashed P letters for tracing and primary lines for freehand practice. An option has students trace or color a die-cut letter P while an adult prompts them to draw the vertical stroke then the curve and to review the "p" sound. The lesson repeatedly pairs the letter shape with its phoneme and stores a Pp card for later review.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson directs students to review letter sounds and to read a repeated sight word ("made") in context, having the child read the word each time it occurs. The Lowercase Letter Writing activity has students trace and write the lowercase p and explicitly instructs them to "practice the sound of the letter p." Option 2 has students trace the shape of p with pennies while saying the p sound as they form the letter.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture on the "Letter Sounds: P" page and to practice writing the letter P, which requires identifying and producing the letter that corresponds to an initial sound. Students cut out picture boxes and paste each one under the correct letter, which has them sort words by initial sound-letter relationship. A "Beginning Letter Sounds" page has students match pictured items (soup, piano, drum, tree, lemon) to their beginning letters, reinforcing sound-letter correspondence; one activity page also shows jumbled letters beneath pictures with blanks for the correct word, suggesting an opportunity to form words from letters.
Unit 14: B - Blueberries for Sal
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and sight word cards at the start of the lesson. Students are taught the letter B sound ("b" as in "blueberry") and practice forming and writing uppercase B while producing the sound. The student activity page shows tracing and independent writing of the letter B (with a labeled picture "bear"), reinforcing the sound-letter relationship for /b/.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice sound-letter relationships on multiple pages labeled "Letter Sounds: B" and "Beginning Letter Sounds," where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture, match images to their starting letters, and cut and paste letters under the correct heading. Students also practice forming or writing the letter B on the first page and may watch letter formation demonstrated. These activities have students identify initial sounds and link them to letters.
Unit 15: R - Rain
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice letter-sound relationships: the lesson opens with reviewing letter sounds and asks the child to say the R sound while tracing and forming the uppercase R. Students are asked to review the sound of R as they work on the handwriting sheet or die-cut letter, reinforcing the link between sound and letter shape. The Rainbow Sentences activity asks students to write or fill in simple color words in sentence frames (e.g., "I see a red _______") which provides opportunities to produce written words.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students identify and match letters to pictures in the "Letter Sounds — R" pages by circling the correct beginning letter for each image and practicing writing the letter. Students cut out letters and paste them under matching pictures, and on the "Beginning Letter Sounds" page they connect given letters (l, e, f, t, s) to images (ladder, elephant, football, tennis ball, star). These tasks require students to use sound-letter relationships for initial sounds.
Unit 16: N - Night in the Country
Lesson 2
Day 2
In Activity 2 students locate the uppercase letter N on a book cover, hear that N makes the "n" sound (as in "night"), and practice forming the capital N while making the "n" sound. The handwriting sheet has tracing and independent writing opportunities for the uppercase N, and the Nn card is added to a review file. Option 2 also has a multisensory formation activity (gluing newspaper squares) paired with practicing the sound of the letter N.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson asks students to "review the letter sounds" and explicitly instructs to "practice the sound of the letter n." Students complete a Lowercase n handwriting sheet with tracing and independent practice and see the example word "nest" on the student page. Alternative activities have students form a lowercase n with noodles while practicing the letter sound and then trace the letter with their finger.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound correspondences with the "Letter Sounds: N" pages, where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and practice writing the letter. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture on the second page, and complete a Beginning Letter Sounds sorting activity with boxes labeled n, o, p, r. The materials also include review of letter sounds and sight word cards to reinforce sound-letter knowledge.
Unit 17: M - Marshmallow
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds at the start of the lesson and are directed to find the uppercase M on the book cover and hear that M makes the /m/ sound ("marshmallow"). Students practice forming the capital M with finger/arm motions and then trace and write M on the provided handwriting sheet (Student Activity Page) while the instructor prompts them to review the sound of M as they work. Option 2 has students form an M shape with coins and trace it while reviewing the /m/ sound, reinforcing the sound-letter relationship.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture on the "Letter Sounds: M" page and then practice writing the letter or watch an adult form the letters. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture on the second page, matching letters to images. Another activity has students match five pictures (alligator, mushroom, house, leaf, drum) to their beginning-letter boxes, requiring identification of initial sounds and letter associations.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3 (Writing Workshop) students are asked to fill in blanks in a short poem and an animal story, which requires them to write simple words such as animal names and common verbs. In Activity 2 (Reading Workshop) students identify rhyming pairs and hear the beat and rhyme of poems, giving them practice with sound patterns in words. These tasks give students opportunities to produce written words and attend to phonological patterns.
Unit 18: U - Umbrella
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter sounds and sight words at the start of the session, which reinforces sound-letter relationships. Students practice the sound of the letter u repeatedly while tracing, writing, and forming the lowercase u on a die-cut, with specific instruction about letter formation and to "practice the sounds of the letter u." Students are also asked to locate and read the word "not" in the story, supporting word recognition tied to letters and sounds.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice identifying and writing beginning letters: they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture on the "Beginning Sounds: U" page and practice writing the letter or watch an adult form the letters. Students manipulate letters on the second page by cutting out letters and pasting them under the correct picture, which requires matching letters to pictures. Another activity has students match animals to initial-letter squares, reinforcing letter–sound correspondences for initial sounds.
Unit 19: J - Jump Frog Jump
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students identify the uppercase letter J on the book cover and are told that J makes the /j/ sound as in "jump." Students practice forming and writing the capital J through air tracing, a handwriting sheet with dotted-line examples, and repeated tracing/writing. Students see a picture of a jar labeled "jar" and trace or form the J shape with jewels while the /j/ sound is reviewed.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice the sound-letter relationship for the lowercase letter j: the text instructs to "practice the sound of the letter j" while completing the handwriting sheet and during the jellybean letter-formation activity. Students read words in context that contain the target sound, such as reading the phrase "Jump, frog, jump!" and being prompted to read the sight word "how." Students trace and write the lowercase j using directional arrows, dotted tracing, and guided writing lines, reinforcing letter-shape to sound connections.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice identifying beginning sounds and matching them to letter choices in Activity 3 where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and write the letter on a blank line. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct pictures on the second page, reinforcing sound-letter correspondences. Student activity pages ask students to match pictures (pig, duck, octopus, goose, jet; jump rope, unicycle, mountain, nail, rabbit, sailboat) to their initial letters, providing repeated practice linking sounds to letters.
Unit 20: K - Kindness
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and are prompted to identify the uppercase K in the Kindness Mouse title and to say the K sound as in "kindness." Students practice forming the capital K with their finger in the air and with a handwriting sheet that includes tracing dotted K's and freehand K writing. Students also practice the K sound while manipulating pipe cleaners to form the letter and tracing the shape.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter sounds generally and specifically practice the sound of the letter k in Activity 1 (teacher prompts to "practice the sound of the letter k"). Students form and write the lowercase k through tracing, independent writing lines, and a multisensory ketchup tracing option. Students also read and identify the sight word "so," linking written letters to spoken word forms.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound correspondence on the "Letter Sounds: K" pages by circling the correct beginning letter for each picture and practicing writing the letter. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, and one activity description explicitly says students must "correctly spell the words using the provided letters." Students also draw lines from letters (k, d, b, r, m) to pictures that start with those sounds, reinforcing sound-to-letter matching.
Unit 21: V - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and sight word cards at the start of the lesson. In Activity 2 students are told that the letter V makes the "v" sound that begins the word "violin" and they practice forming and writing the capital V while the sound is reviewed. Option 2 has students trace a large tape V and review the V sound while moving a toy over the shape.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter sounds and sight word cards and are asked to look for the word "now" during reading. Students practice the sound and handwriting of the lowercase letter v through tracing and free-writing on a "Lowercase v" sheet and by forming/tracing a die-cut v while practicing the sound. The lesson also instructs to write the words "Goods" and "Services" on index cards and to write each brainstormed job on a separate card, which involves producing written words.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 asks students to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and to practice writing that letter, and to cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter. A Student Activity Page asks students to sort images (fork, tree, guitar, van, pumpkin) into boxes labeled with beginning letters (f, c, g, v, p). The "Letter Sounds: V" pages include images and spaces where students are prompted to identify words that contain the /v/ sound and to write or draw related items.
Unit 22: Y - Little Blue and Little Yellow
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson has multiple explicit activities that connect letter Y to its sound: students practice forming the capital Y in the air and on handwriting lines while making the "y" sound. The Student Activity Page shows the word "yo-yo" labeled with a picture and provides tracing and independent writing practice for the letter Y. Option 2 asks students to build a Y with yarn and then trace it while practicing the sound of the letter Y.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice the sound and formation of the lowercase letter y through a handwriting page that includes a pictured word ("yarn") and tracing/writing practice. Students read and practice the sight word "they" in sentences and in the story, encountering y in a word context. Students are encouraged to write or trace the names of colors in the "My Color Book," which requires producing written color words.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 directs the child to draw a picture and write about something he saw or found on a nature walk, allowing him to use words, phrases, complete sentences, or dictate. This activity has the student produce written words and phrases, which is the only part of the lesson that relates to spelling.
Unit 23: W - George Washington's Birthday
Lesson 3
Day 3
The student repeatedly practices the letter-sound for w (in both the handwriting sheet and the chalk/tracing option) and is prompted to "practice the sound of the letter w" while forming and tracing the letter. The student traces and writes lowercase w letters (dotted tracing lines and freehand practice) to connect the written form to the sound. The student is also shown the sight word "went," hears it read in context, and is asked to read the word "went."
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture on the "Letter Sounds: W" page and to practice writing the letter, and to cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, which requires mapping sounds to letters. The "Beginning Letter Sounds" page asks students to match images (key, globe, horse, hot dog, grapes) to boxes labeled with beginning letters (k, w, d, h, g), requiring students to identify initial sound-letter relationships.
Unit 24: Q - The Quilt Story
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and sight word cards, reinforcing general sound-letter relationships. Students explicitly practice the letter Q and its relationship with u by naming that Q is always followed by u, producing the "kw" sound (as in "quilt"), and forming/writing the capital Q in air, on a handwriting sheet, or in sand. Students trace and write the letter Q on dotted lines and freehand, accompanied by review of its sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson asks students to review letter sounds and to practice the sound of the letter q several times while tracing and writing lowercase q. Students trace and write q on a handwriting sheet and in an alternate activity paint q with a q-tip, and they see the word "queen" labeled on the practice page. The teacher script reminds students that q is always followed by u, explicitly linking the letter shape to its common sound-letter pattern.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice sound-letter relationships on the "Letter Sounds: Q" page by circling the correct beginning letter for pictured items and then practicing writing that letter or watching the teacher form it. On the second letter-sounds page they cut out letters and paste them under the correct pictures, reinforcing mapping between sounds and letters. The "Beginning Letter Sounds" page has students match images (key, coin, nose, corn, spoon) to their initial letters, which practices identifying and producing letters that correspond to initial sounds.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 asks the child to compose and write or dictate a few sentences about a personal item or a holiday and then read back the writing. The child is prompted to answer concrete questions (Where did you get your item? What does it look like? How do you feel?) that guide production of simple words and phrases. The activity includes opportunities to write simple words and attempt spellings when composing independently.
Unit 25: X - An Extraordinary Egg
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students review letter sounds and are asked to find the lowercase x in the word "extraordinary" and hear/see the x in words. An adult writes the word "box" and points to the x while emphasizing the /ks/ sound, and students hear other x-containing words (extraordinary, fox, ax, fix) and practice making the /ks/ sound. The Student Activity Page has tracing and independent practice lines for writing the uppercase X, and Option 2 has students form and trace an X with objects and fingers while reviewing the sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice the sound-letter relationship for X when they are instructed to "practice the sound of the letter x" and to review words that contain x. Students identify and circle the letter x in printed words on the "WORDS WITH X" activity page after the adult reads each word and the child repeats it. Students practice forming and writing the lowercase x through tracing and freehand writing on the "Lowercase x" handwriting sheet.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to identify beginning sounds on the "Beginning Sounds: X" page by circling the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter or observing the teacher form the letters. They also cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture and match pictures to beginning letters on the "Beginning Letter Sounds" page (images: car, umbrella, refrigerator, drum, pirate) to connect sounds to letters.
Unit 26: Z - Greedy Zebra
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice the sound-letter relationship for Z by saying the "z" sound while tracing and forming the capital letter Z in the air. Students use a handwriting sheet that provides a model Z, dotted tracing Zs, and independent writing lines to practice producing the letter. Students practice the sound of Z as they work with the letter card and while tracing a tape Z on the floor, and they see the word "zebra" paired with the letter on practice pages.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter sounds and practice reading the sight word "new" in a sentence and in the story. Students complete guided tracing and independent handwriting practice for the lowercase letter z and are prompted to "practice the sound of the letter z as he works." Students can also engage in a multisensory activity (shaving cream in a sealed bag) to trace and produce the letter z while saying its sound.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound relationships in Activity 3 where they receive "Letter Sounds: Z" pages and are asked to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and practice writing that letter. The second page requires students to cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter, reinforcing matching of sounds to letters. One Student Activity Page shows six pictures with incorrect letter strings beneath and blank lines for writing the corrected word, which asks students to produce written words for pictured items.
2: Holidays
Unit 28: Thanksgiving
Lesson 3
Day 3
The plan directs an adult to review letter cards and sight words with the child, which engages students with letters and common words. The cornucopia activity asks the child to "write or draw a picture of something for which she is thankful" on die-cut food items, giving students opportunities to produce written words. An optional extension invites creating additional food items and recording more gratitude, providing further chances to write simple words.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 3 (Writing Workshop) asks the child to draw things they are grateful for and then "write words or sentences, or dictate them" about their pictures, which requires producing written word attempts. Activity 2 (Reading Workshop) has the child study illustrations alongside words, which may expose children to print and letters in context. These parts of the lesson create opportunities for children to attempt writing words based on their ideas and exposure to print.
Unit 29: Christmas
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are prompted in Writing Workshop to write or dictate a description of a holiday scene in their journal and to compose a letter to Santa, producing written words independently. These tasks require students to attempt spelling words as they write and thus provide opportunities to apply phonetic spelling and sound-letter relationships.
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
The Skills list explicitly includes: "Show an understanding that the letters in a written word represent the sequence of sounds in a spoken word." Option 1 directs the child to use a finger to follow the sounds of each word as the adult pronounces them and to add the missing first letters on the "Exploring My Home" sheet. Option 2 asks the child to label rooms by sounding out words and write them phonetically if able, and Activity 4 provides tracing/writing practice for the words "bed" and "bath."
Lesson 2
What Is a Map?
The lesson asks students to label items on a house map and explicitly tells them to "sound out each word and to spell it the way it sounds" (Activity 2, Option 2). Option 1 asks students to complete partially filled labels while an adult walks them through the letters, sounding them out as they write. Activity 4 gives students handwriting practice with target words (map, mom, home, house), providing repeated opportunities to write words while attending to sounds and letters.
Lesson 3
Guide to Animal Habitats
Students are prompted to identify letters in the book title and the author's name, which has them attend to letter forms in words. Activity 3 asks students to practice writing numbers and, if ready, to "practice writing the names of the numbers instead," requiring them to produce word spellings. In Sorting (Option 2) students are asked to "draw and label three of each" (plants, animals, insects), which requires students to write words for objects they identify.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
The Skills list includes "Identify beginning letters and sounds in words (LA)." In Option 1 students are asked to add the first and last letter for each habitat and to attempt to read/sound out the word, and the activity pages require writing habitat names in blanks. Activity 4 has handwriting practice for the words "jungle" and "Jeep," and several activities ask students to label animals and habitats.
Lesson 6
Exploring Animal Habitats
The activities ask students to label the objects as they draw their habitat, which invites writing words for observed items. Activity 2 instructs adults to "encourage your child to sound out the words in the story" and to read the dictated story back, linking spoken sounds to letters. Activity 3 provides handwriting practice with the letter Z and the words "zebra" and "zoo," giving students guided practice forming letters and copying simple words.
Lesson 7
Tools in My Environment
Students are asked to write the names of the tools they choose and are encouraged to attempt at least the beginning letter of each tool. The teacher prompts students to sound out the words and identify letter sounds as the adult writes them. Students practice handwriting the letter I/i and copy the words "it" and "inch," using finger-pointing as letters are sounded out.
Lesson 9
Animal Designs
The Skills list explicitly includes "Begin to write words (LA)" and "Write beginning consonants of words (LA)." In Activity Option 2, students are asked to write the name of each habitat in the boxes, providing opportunities to produce written words. Several activities (e.g., sorting, labeling habitats, and saying sentences) require students to identify and write or say animal and habitat names.
Lesson 11
Amazing Me
Students are asked to review words beneath each face and to read the words aloud on the "Our Feelings, Our Environment" pages. Students are instructed to label four boxes with the emotion words happy, sad, scared, and surprised and to record or write responses on the activity pages. In Activity 3 students are asked to have ideas recorded on paper and then read the ideas aloud, creating opportunities for writing simple words.
Final Project
Animal Research / My Environment
Students are asked to write the animal's name on Option 2 Page 1 ("Draw a picture of the animal and write its name") and to fill in written prompts on pages such as "The ______ is found in ______" and "What _____ Eats and Drinks." The instructions also state "Help your child label his pictures," which requires students to attempt writing words for their drawings. Several activity pages provide blank lines or spaces intended for students to write short words or labels (e.g., name of animal, foods, habitat).
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 1
Reading the Skies
The lesson lists the skill 'Identify beginning letters and sounds in words' and includes Activity 2 (Option 2) where students choose a word from a word box and write the word beneath each weather picture. The advanced version of Activity 2 asks students to label the weather pictures with the words after the word box is covered, requiring students to generate spellings. Activity 2 also asks students to dictate or write sentences using the vocabulary words, giving practice with written word production.
Lesson 2
Types of Precipitation
Students practice writing the letter R and the words "rain" and "round" with tracing and copying on the handwriting activity page. In Activity 2 (Option 2) students are asked to write the names of precipitation (snow, rain, hail) in blank boxes, and in Option 1 they label pictures with initial letters (R, S, or H). Activity 4 asks students to count and describe raindrops and use words like "rain," giving additional exposure to the vocabulary in written and spoken form.
Lesson 5
Fall
Students practice the letter F and write the words "fall" and "fun" in the handwriting activity, providing direct practice with letters and simple words. In the picture activity students are asked to write the names of three circled items and to circle the beginning letter of each word, which focuses attention on initial sound-letter relationships. Students also use those words in sentences, which gives practice producing and writing simple vocabulary related to the theme.
Lesson 6
Winter
Students are asked to dictate a story and are encouraged to record the story themselves if they are beginning to write, with the instruction that an adult can help them "sound out words as needed." Students practice letter-sound connection for W by tracing and writing the letter and copying the words "wind" and "winter." In the Snowflake Math activity, students are prompted to circle the beginning letter of number words, which engages initial sound-letter correspondence.
Lesson 8
Summer
Students are prompted in Option 1 and Option 2 to write the beginning letter of a word in fill-in-the-blank sentences, or to copy the whole word if able. Activity 3 asks students to write a season's name or its beginning letter beneath a temperature continuum and to complete sentences by writing season words. The story activities include picture-word prompts that require students to select words to fill blanks and, in advanced option, to copy words into the story.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
Students practice letter-sound relationships through the listed skill "Recognize letters and their sounds" and through Handwriting Activity 4 where they trace and write the letter P and the words people and park. In Activity 2 students read community vocabulary and either copy words into sentences or select words from a provided list to fill blanks. In Activity 3 students draw a new page and can write or dictate a sentence about Charlie visiting a place, providing an opportunity to produce written words.
Lesson 3
Jobs in the Community
Students are asked to circle the first and last letters of each label and to name and sound out each letter (Activity 1). Students are asked to write the names of community workers and to read through their list (Activity 2, Option 2) and to attempt to write words they can sound out even if they are not spelled correctly (Activity 5). Students are prompted to write a short paragraph about a worker and attempt to read what they wrote (Activity 4), providing multiple opportunities to apply letter-sound knowledge in writing.
Lesson 4
Goods and Services in the Community
The lesson asks the child to read the names of buildings, goods, and services and, if needed, to be helped to sound out the words. For each word the child is asked to circle the beginning letter, which requires identifying an initial letter-sound relationship. The activity also has the child read price labels aloud during the Money activity, reinforcing sounding out written words aloud.
Lesson 6
A Good Community Citizen
Students are asked to label pictures in Option 2 of "Good Citizenship at Home," which requires them to write brief captions explaining each drawing. Activity 3 asks students to write the name of each family member beneath a photo and to attempt to record observations independently. Several activities ask students to draw and then label or describe actions, creating opportunities for written word production.
Lesson 7
A Citizen with Character
Activity 7 (Handwriting) asks students to practice the letter Kk and to trace or write the words "kid" and "kind," with dotted lines and tracing guidelines. The Skills section lists "Write letters (LA)," and several activities require students to write or copy sentences (e.g., retelling The Boy Who Cried Wolf, fill-in-the-blank prompts on Respect and Kindness). These elements provide opportunities for students to form letters and produce simple words in writing.
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
The handwriting activity asks students to practice uppercase and lowercase C on guided lines and to trace dotted examples of the letter. The same activity provides words to trace—specifically "citizen" and "care"—and asks students to write or copy sentences that contain the C words. These tasks give students repeated written exposure to a single letter and its use in words.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 1
Describe It
Activity 3 (Option 1) instructs students to "circle the first letter in each word and sound out the word," and then copy or paste the words beneath the pictures, giving students practice linking letters and sounds. Activity 2 extensions ask students to write the words or beginning letters when comparing objects, and Activity 4 has students write or copy a sentence describing an object or practice letters in place of full sentences. These tasks require students to identify letters, attempt to write beginning letters, and use sounding-out strategies while producing written labels or sentences.
Lesson 4
How Does It Feel?
Students are asked to recognize and name letters and to circle the beginning letter of each texture word, which connects letters to initial sounds. Students copy texture words beneath pictures or cut and paste words from a word box, and they write or copy a sentence about an object's texture on handwriting paper. Option 2 asks students to record and generate describing words, requiring them to produce written words tied to vocabulary.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 4
Hearing and Seeing
Students practice letter formation and write the words "eyes" and "ears" in sentences in Activity 8, giving them experience writing words that contain the target letter E. Students engage in focused listening activities (Activity 5 and Listening Walk) that develop awareness of sounds in the environment and read or attempt to read their own written descriptions aloud. The lesson includes cutting and labeling activities for parts of the eye and ear that require matching words to diagrams, providing additional opportunities to connect printed words with their referents.
Lesson 6
Experimenting With Our Senses
Students are asked to recognize beginning consonant sounds and to recognize and write letters (listed under Skills). In Activity 2, students attempt to read spice names and copy each name onto index cards, with an option to write the first letter if they cannot write the whole name. Activity 4 asks students to write or dictate and copy a sentence about something they smelled or tasted, giving students opportunities to practice writing letters and words.
Lesson 8
Writing About Our Senses
Students are asked to "attempt to write the words in the blanks" on the A Sensible Report page, and if they cannot write the whole word they are instructed to "record the first letter and then you can finish the word for him." Activity 4 directs students to "write or dictate and copy a sentence" describing the popcorn. The listed skills include "Write letters of the alphabet" and "Attempt to read written text," indicating practice with letter writing and early written word attempts.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
The lesson explicitly lists the skill "Represent spoken language with phonetic spelling" and Activity 1 directs students to sound out words and "write the letters he hears" for answers (e.g., writing the letters he hears in "yellow"). Students then use those phonetic spellings to complete a fill-in-the-blank paragraph and read/share their story. The handwriting activity practices the letter U and the word "unique," giving additional letter-level writing practice.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Activity 1 asks students to attempt to sound out vocabulary words and to circle the first and last letters and tell the sounds those letters make. Activity 2 has students write (or cut and paste) personality words and write names on webs, providing opportunities to produce written words. Activity 4 gives students tracing and handwriting practice for the letter Q and the word "quiet," reinforcing letter-sound correspondence in writing.
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
Students practice letter formation and write simple words on the Handwriting page that focuses on Yy and the words "you" and "yes." Students are asked to dictate and then copy or write sentences describing a hobby (Activity 1) and to answer prompts on the "My Interest" sheet, recording words and short responses. Students conduct a Hobby Survey (Activity 3) where they read questions aloud and write or have answers recorded, providing repeated opportunities to write words and short phrases.
Lesson 5
Shapesville
The lesson asks the child to "point to the title of the story and to sound out the letters in the word," which has students practice letter-sound correspondence. Students are invited to "attempt to read his description" and "read or attempt to read own story or simple text," providing opportunities to apply sound-letter knowledge when decoding. Activity 4 asks students to "write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper" and Activity 2 encourages students to "record his ideas," giving occasions for students to produce written words.
Lesson 6
Different Families
The lesson explicitly lists "Attempt to write words and sentences using inventive spelling" and "Dictate ideas and responses" in the Skills section, which indicates students will produce written attempts at words. Activity 3 has students trace and practice the letter Dd and trace the word "different," giving guided letter-formation and word-level tracing practice. The Student Activity Pages include spaces for students to write or draw responses in the comparison activities, implying opportunities to write words or sentences.
Lesson 7
Different Homes
Students are asked to read and work with labeled words on the 'Big, Bigger, Biggest' activity page and either record the correct word beneath each picture (Option 1) or write the comparison word beneath each picture (Option 2). Students are prompted to write a sentence about their home in the Handwriting activity. The student activity pages include simple target words (big, bigger, biggest; small, smaller, smallest; tall, taller, tallest; long, longer, longest) that students read and copy or write.
Lesson 8
Different Holidays and Traditions
The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Represent spoken language with temporary spelling (LA)" and "Use new vocabulary in conversation and writing (LA)." In Activity 3 students are asked to write three sentences about their favorite holiday (with the option to attempt writing themselves or dictate and copy), which requires producing written words. In the Book of Holidays activity each page must include the name of the holiday and a sentence, and students are encouraged to attempt to write the sentences themselves.
Lesson 9
Different Modes of Transportation
Students practice spelling transportation words by filling in missing letters on the 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles' page (e.g., blanks like "__ar," "__lane," "__oat") and by writing full labels in the advanced option. Students also write or copy a sentence about a mode of transportation (Activity 4) and may compose a short story about a trip (Activity 3), providing additional opportunities to produce written spellings of simple words.
Lesson 11
Being Part of a Group
The lesson includes handwriting practice for letters Gg and Xx and provides words to copy such as "get," "group," and "extra," which require students to write simple words. Activity 2 asks students to attempt to fill in blanks in a short paragraph (or dictate answers) and then read the paragraph, giving students opportunities to produce written words. The skills list explicitly includes "Read or attempt to read own story or simple text (LA)," indicating practice with writing/reading simple text.
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 4
Extending a Pattern
Students are prompted to copy or write a sentence about a pattern on handwriting paper (Activity 4). In Option 2 students are asked to write the names of the objects they used for patterns on a separate sheet of paper. The student activity pages include fill-in-the-blank prompts where students supply object names for pattern positions.
Lesson 5
Making Color Patterns
The lesson asks students to use the color word or the first letter of the color word to show a pattern (e.g., write Y, R, Y, R) and includes a handwriting activity where students write or copy a sentence describing their creation. Students also are asked to describe patterns using words, which can involve writing color words.
Lesson 6
Shapes and Patterns
In Option 1 students are instructed to circle the beginning letter of each word in the pattern and to "sound out each word" before creating the pattern with attribute blocks. Activity 3 asks students to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper about a pattern they found. The Words to Practice section has students practice writing the words "shape," "color," and "size," with the teacher modeling each word.
Lesson 8
Creating and Writing About Patterns
Students are asked to write the first letter of each object in AABB, ABAB, and ABC pattern sections and to copy or write object words from a provided word list (Option 1 and Option 2). Students are asked to write or copy two or three sentences describing a pattern (Activity 7) and to write the sequence words 'first,' 'then,' and 'next' multiple times (Activity 3). Activity 5 allows students to assign letters to items and fill in pattern sequences on a 'Describe the Pattern' page.
Unit 2: Patterns in Sounds, Words, and Actions
Lesson 1
Word Patterns
Students are asked to label pictures and add new words that follow the same sound pattern (Activity 1 and Option 2), circling the repeating parts of words. Students are instructed to record rhyming words from nursery rhymes and to say rhyming pairs aloud (Activity 2). Students copy or dictate animal names and write a sentence using two rhyming words (Activity 4 and Activity 5), providing opportunities to produce written spellings of simple words.
Lesson 2
Making Word Patterns
Students are asked to complete sentences with rhyming words and make a rhyming book (Activity 1), which requires them to produce and write simple pattern-based words. In Option 2 students use an alphabet sheet to try different beginning letters to complete patterns (e.g., make hit, kit, sit), explicitly manipulating letters to form words. Activity 3 has students identify and record words from books that share sound/spelling patterns, and Activity 4 has students write or copy a sentence containing two rhyming words.
Lesson 3
Poetry Patterns
Students are asked to write rhyming words on a separate sheet (Activity 1) and to write another verse to the song, recording and illustrating it (Activity 2). Activity 4 asks students to write a line from the song in handwriting, filling blanks with words (writing practice). Activity 3 explicitly says to provide assistance with spelling and to have students circle parts of words that follow the same letter patterns and note rhymes spelled the same or differently.
Lesson 7
Making Sound and Action Patterns
Students cut out and manipulate written sound words ("smack," "stomp," "slap," "clap," "tap") paired with pictures to build and perform sound patterns. Students view a grid of repeated sound words and match words to actions or sounds when forming patterns. Students are asked to write or copy a sentence that describes a pattern they made, providing at least one opportunity to produce written words.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 2
Patterns of Growth
The lesson asks students to sound out plant-part words and record the first letter of each word on the diagram (Activity 2), and the plant parts word box highlights first letters. Activity 6 has students write the words plant, grow, and part multiple times after a teacher model, providing practice with letter sequences. Several activities require labeling and writing simple content words related to plants, which engages students with sound-letter connections at the initial-letter level.
Lesson 3
Night and Day
The Skills list asks students to "Write letters of the alphabet," "Record dominant consonant letters," and "Write from left to right." In Activity 1 students are asked to label the pictures of the sun, moon, and earth. In Activity 3 students draw and then "record or dictate a few sentences" about day and night, which requires writing words that could be spelled phonetically.
Lesson 5
Calendar Patterns
Students practice writing the words "day," "month," and "year" five times each (Activity 6). Students fill in the first letter of each day in a weekly pattern chart and write scheduled activities beside each day (Activity 1). Students are asked to write dates with the day of the week, month, and year and to arrange date cards in order, which requires producing spellings for day and month names (Activity 3 and Activity 5 note).
Lesson 9
Counting Patterns
Students are asked in Activity 4 to write or dictate and then copy a sentence about the clowns, providing an opportunity to produce written words. The text explicitly states not to worry about spelling and notes that children at this age "still spell phonetically," implying acceptance of phonetic spelling. Students are also asked to identify the subject and verb in their sentences, which requires composing and writing simple sentences.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 8
Plants and Change
Students are asked to draw and label plant parts (Option 2) and can use a provided word box to help with spelling. At the end, students are asked to list the parts of a plant on handwriting paper and to describe what plants need, which requires writing simple content words. Several activities require labeling diagrams and cutting/gluing printed labels for parts of a plant.
Lesson 9
Heat Causes Change
Students label pictures in Activity 1 by writing the words "ice," "water," and "steam" from a provided word box and place them next to the corresponding bowls. In Activity 4 students write or copy a sentence about something they observed during the experiments, producing written words connected to the science tasks.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 6
Predicting Future Change
Students are asked to write or copy a sentence about a change on handwriting paper (Activity 4), which requires producing written words. Students record answers and predictions in Activities 1 and 2 and label changes as positive or negative, giving them opportunities to attempt spelling when writing short responses. In Activity 3 students dictate a description of a personal change and then attempt to read that description, providing a chance to produce and decode written words.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
Students build and spell CVC words using letter cards (Activity 3.2) by selecting letters for /s/ /a/ /t/ to make "sat" and repeating with words like fat, Sam, pat, cap, Cam, and mast. Students write words after segmenting sounds: in Activity 5.2 they identify a picture, say the word slowly to hear all sounds, and then write the word as they say the sounds. In Activity 4.2 students create at-family words by placing onset letters in front of "at" (cat, sat, mat, fat, pat) and read the resulting words, and multiple activities ask students to say letter sounds as they point to or write letters (Activities 1.2, 2.3, 4.1).
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
Students are asked to spell and read simple CVC words using letter cards (Activity 1.1, Activity 3.2, Activity 5.2) and are encouraged to sound out each letter as they build words. Students practice writing words by segmenting sounds and writing letters under pictures (Activity 5.1, Writing Words) and by pointing to or writing ending letters for spoken words (Activity 2.3). Students blend and segment phonemes aloud while spelling (modeling of /b/ /i/ /g/, word chains, and instructions to say each sound as they write), and they are allowed to make and read nonsense words to practice phonetic spelling (Activity 4.2).
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
Students use letter cards to build three-letter words (Activity 3.2), saying each sound slowly and writing the words on a laminated writing sheet. Students identify pictures, segment the sounds, and write the corresponding words under pictures on the Writing Words pages (Activity 5.1). Students add letters to word-family cards (ut, un, ub, ug; ot, op, og, ob) to form and read words and repeatedly are prompted to say letter sounds as they write letters (Activities 3.3, 4.2, 3.1, 4.1).
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
Students are asked to make real words from given letter cards (Activity 1.1) and to build as many three-letter words as possible from letter groups, saying sounds slowly and writing each word (Activity 3.2). Students are instructed to segment picture names into sounds and write the corresponding words on the "Writing Words" pages (Activity 5.1) and to add letters to word-family endings to form words (Activity 4.3). The materials explicitly allow students to spell nonsense words phonetically as long as they can sound them out and encourage sounding out and blending during spelling tasks.
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
Students repeatedly spell and build words using letter cards and word-building cards (Activities 3.1, 4.1, 5.1), including spelling 'cat' then adding s to make 'cats' and using the ck card to spell 'duck', 'sack', and 'deck'. Students cut, sort, read, and glue word-family words (ack, eck, ick, ock, uck; am, an, ab, ag; etc.), and they complete writing pages where they write plural forms and sight words (Activities 2.2, 3.2, 4.2). Students write words from oral clues and dictated sentences (Activity 5.2 Guess My Word; Activity 5.3 Sentence Dictation), requiring them to map spoken sounds to letters when producing spellings.
Lesson 6
Open Syllables and Digraph th
Students use lowercase letter cards to build and spell words (Activity 2.2, Activity 4.2) such as wet→we, met→me, this, thin, with, math, them, path. Students say each word slowly to hear beginning, middle, and ending sounds and then write the words (Activity 3.2, Activity 4.3), and they complete dictated sentences using sound-letter correspondences (Activity 5.3). Several activities explicitly prompt students to listen for sounds, segment syllables, and map sounds to letters when forming or writing words.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
Multiple activities require students to map sounds to letters and produce spellings: Activity 3.2 has students use ch/sh/wh word-building cards and lowercase letter cards to spell words such as "shop," "ship," "dish," "chap," "chat," "chin," "chip," "whip," "when," and "why." Activity 4.2 directs students to write dictated words that contain taught digraphs (this, shy, math, rash, much, she, that, why, when, whip, chap) after hearing them slowly to attend to beginning, middle, and ending sounds. Activity 5.1 asks students to complete words by writing the missing digraph (e.g., whisper, moth, cash, shell, earth, phone, fish, chop), and Activity 2.2 and sorting pages have students identify and match pictures/words to the correct digraph sounds.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
Students spell words using letter and word-building cards in multiple activities (Activity 2.2, Activity 3.2, Activity 4.2) where they are asked to create and spell words such as snag, snap, skit, spit, risk, disk and to say each letter sound as they spell. Students segment and write words from pictures in Writing Words (Activity 3.3) and Guess My Word (Activity 4.1), saying sounds slowly and writing the words (e.g., mask, nest, stop; chest, snack, sky, slip). Students fill in missing initial blends on Fill in the Blanks (Activity 5.1) and write sentences from dictation (Activity 5.2), using knowledge of blends and sound-letter correspondences to produce spellings.
Lesson 9
Blends with l
Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to spell targeted l-blend words (Day 2 and Day 3 word-building activities ask students to spell words such as glad, glob, plugs, clip, blob, block, flash, and flock). Students write words dictated to them while being reminded to listen to and say the sounds in the words (Activities 2.2 and 3.2). Students fill in missing initial blends on picture-supported worksheets (Activity 4.1) and build word chains by changing one letter or blend while saying each letter sound (Activity 4.2).
Lesson 10
Blends with r
Students use letter cards to build specific words in multiple Word Building activities (Day 2 Groups 1–4 and Day 3 Groups 1–3), explicitly creating words like crab, crust, brick, drag, frog, and track. Students are asked to say each word slowly to hear all the sounds and then write the word beside the picture (Activity 2.2 Writing Words). In Alphabet Soup (Activity 3.2) students create and write at least 12 words using letters, blends, and digraphs, practicing assembling letters to represent spoken sounds.
Lesson 11
Ending Blends
Students use lowercase letter cards and blend word-building cards to spell dictated words (Activity 2.2, Activity 4.1). Students are asked to say individual letter sounds and then blend them (e.g., saying /n/ and /d/ then /nd/, Activity 2.1 and 3.1). Students write spelled words on the nd/mp/lf/nt word pages and complete sentence dictation, practicing phonetic spelling in connected text (Activity 4.1, Activity 5.2).
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
Students repeatedly spell and build one-syllable words using lowercase letter cards and ll/ss/ff/zz word-building cards (e.g., buzz, sniff, well, miss, huff, puff, cliff). Students write dictated words and sentences (e.g., stuff, puff, class; The kids shop at the mall.) and complete word-family and picture-to-word writing pages that require mapping sounds to letters. The skills list and activities explicitly require students to isolate and pronounce initial, medial, and final sounds, segment and blend CVC words, and demonstrate one-to-one letter-sound correspondences.
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
Students repeatedly write and complete words using the target glued digraphs (Activity 4.1 Fill in the Blanks: students write missing endings such as ang, ing, ong, ank, ink, unk). Students write dictated words (Activity 4.2: sing, long, skunk, stink) and write sight words from cards (Activity 1.3), practicing letter-sound mapping. Students build and change words with lowercase letter cards (Day 2 and Day 3) and sort/glue word-family words, which requires using sound-letter relationships to spell and categorize words.
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
Students manipulate lowercase letter cards and three-letter blend cards to spell and read specific words (e.g., scrap, scrub, strap, spring, quilt, shrimp) while being prompted to sound out each letter sound. Students write words dictated aloud (Activity 3.3 Word Writing; Activity 5.2 Sentence Dictation) and complete fill-in-the-blank pages by supplying the missing blends, producing spellings that reflect sound-letter correspondences. Students practice segmenting and blending sounds orally (isolating initial, medial, final sounds; clapping syllables) and are asked repeatedly to say the sounds as they spell, reinforcing phonetic mapping.
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to spell and manipulate words (Activities 2.1, 2.2, 3.1), including changing t to ct to form pact and replacing letters to make left/wept. Students write dictated words and sentences (Activity 3.1 word dictation; Activity 5.1 sentence dictation) and are asked to spell words from the Alphabet Soup activity and to write sight words. Students sort words by their ending blends and read the words aloud after sorting (Activity 3.2 and word sort pages), practicing sound-letter mapping for final consonant clusters.
Lesson 16
R-Controlled Vowels (ar)
Students are asked to spell and read words using lowercase letter cards and word-building cards (Activities 1.2, 3.1, 5.1), including practicing replacements (e.g., changing "pat" to "part") that draw on sound-letter relationships. Students write words on laminated sheets and handwriting paper (Activities 2.2, 3.2, 5.3) and complete fill-in-the-blank pages that require choosing the correct r-blend based on the pictured word. Students also produce words from clues (Guess My Word), complete word chains by changing one sound or letter, and perform sentence dictation, all requiring them to map sounds to letters when spelling simple words.
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students are asked to spell specific words aloud and with letter cards in Activity 1.2 (e.g., bank, flags, lick, chop, rash, black, king, rink, milk, barn) using lowercase letter and word-building cards that represent blends and digraphs (ck, fl, ch, sh, bl, br, st, str, lk, rn, lf, nd, ing, ink, ong). In Activity 2.3 students write words the teacher says (sang, fly, thick, pill, fluff, tank, spring, card), applying phoneme-grapheme knowledge and then analyzing patterns (FLOSS rule, Bossy R, open syllable). Activity 3.1 and 3.2 require students to build words from letter cards in a game and to write dictated sentences, prompting them to choose letters and letter groups based on sounds.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Long Vowels a and i with Silent e
Students repeatedly build and write simple words using lowercase letter cards (Activity 2.3, Activity 3.2, Activity 4.1) and spell dictated words on handwriting paper (Activity 3.3, Activity 4.2). Students segment and blend sounds orally (Skills list and Activities 1.2, 2.1, 3.1) and are asked to change spellings to reflect sound changes (adding silent e to make tap → tape, slid → slide). Students create words from given letters (Alphabet Soup), write words for pictured items, and take short spelling tests that require encoding long a and long i words with silent e.
Lesson 2
Long Vowels o, u, and e with Silent e
Students spell words aloud and with lowercase letter cards in multiple activities (Activity 2.3, Activity 3.2, Activity 4.1), including adding a final silent e to change vowel sounds (e.g., cub -> cube, hop -> hope). Students write words in columns by vowel sound and complete a spelling test and sentence dictation (Activity 3.3, Activity 4.3, Day 5 Sentence Dictation), producing written spellings based on sounds. Instruction prompts students to identify and use letter-sound correspondences (reminders about /k/ spelled with c, digraph ph making /f/), and students are asked to listen for and segment vowel sounds before spelling.
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students practice spelling words with lowercase letter cards in multiple activities (Activity 2.2, Activity 3.2, and Activity 4.2) where they are asked to spell words such as clap, ice, race, cent, mice, cage, game, gust, age, huge. Students take a written spelling test (Activity 4.3) and write dictated sentences (Activity 5.3), producing spelled forms of words that require mapping sounds to letters. The skills list and several activities explicitly ask students to attend to letter–sound relationships (for example, highlighting the letter after c/g and deciding hard/soft sounds and reminders about silent e and long-vowel patterns).
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
Students are asked to spell words aloud and with lowercase letter cards in Activities 1.2, 2.2, and 4.1 (e.g., spelling chart from chat, fort/port/corn, dirt/bird/third). Students write words on a laminated writing sheet and read them aloud after spelling (Activity 1.2, Day 2 word lists). Students complete fill-in-the-blank pages using vowel pairs (ar, er, ir, or, ur) to name pictures (Activity 5.1) and take a short spelling test in which they write dictated words (Activity 4.2). Students also write sentences from dictation that include r-controlled words, requiring them to apply sound-letter relationships in connected writing (Activity 5.3).
Lesson 5
Long a Spellings ai, ay
Students repeatedly spell and write long-a words using letter cards and word-building tasks (Activities 2.2 and 3.2), putting ai/ay together and reading each word after spelling. Students write long-a silent-e words into labeled ending groups and fill labeled activity pages (Activity 1.2), and they complete a written Fill-in-the-Blanks and Spelling Test (Activities 2.3 and 4.2). Students underline ai in words, sort ai-pattern words into columns, and write dictated sentences (Activity 3.1, 3.3, and 5.2), explicitly linking sounds to letter sequences.
Lesson 6
Long e Spellings ee, ey, ea
Students spell words aloud and with letter cards in the Word Building activity (e.g., spelling tree, free, keep, three, green, teeth) using ee and ea cards. In Alphabet Soup and Writing 'ea' Words students write words they build or name from pictures (e.g., bee, see, sweet, bean, beach, meal), producing and recording phonetic spellings. The Spelling Test, Sentence Dictation, and repeated sight-word practice require students to write target words (including long-e words) and read them back, reinforcing sound-letter correspondences.
Lesson 7
Long i Spellings y, igh, ie
Students use lowercase letter cards to spell words aloud in Activities 2.2, 3.2, and 4.1 (e.g., cry, fry, night, fight, pie, tie), explicitly building words from letters and saying the sounds. Students are asked to segment and blend sounds (e.g., /f/ /ī/ /t/ for fight) and to point to letters that make the long i sound (y, igh, ie). Students write words on a spelling test (Activity 4.3) and complete word-sorting and cut-and-paste activities that require grouping words by their long-i spellings.
Lesson 8
Long o Spellings ow, oa, oe
Students manipulate lowercase letter cards to spell long-o words as the teacher calls them (Activity 2.2). They write words from pictures using the oa spelling (Writing oa Words, Activity 3.1) and unscramble letter sets to form long-o words (Word Scramble, Activity 3.2). Students also highlight ow/oa/oe in words to link sounds to spellings and complete a spelling test in which they write long-o words dictated aloud (Activity 2.1 and Activity 4.3).
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
Students are given lowercase letter cards and specific word-building cards (ue, ew) and asked to spell a list of target words (Activity 2.1: due, sue, cue, hue, blue, glue, true, clue). Students are asked to spell words aloud and write them (Activity 3.1: spell few, pew, dew, crew, flew, stew, grew, chew, new) and to complete a spelling test where they produce spellings for words in grouped patterns (Activity 4.3: ue, ew, ou groups). Students also manipulate mixed-up letter cards to form long-u words (Activity 4.2 word scramble) and write dictated sentences that include target words (Day 5 sentence dictation).
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students practice spelling by manipulating lowercase letter cards and special word-building cards (ild, ind, old, olt, ost) to form words such as mild, wild, cold, bolt, and kind (Activities 1.2, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4). Students are prompted to sound out unknown words, segment and blend sounds, and write words on laminated sheets and handwriting paper (Weekly Focus, Activities 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 5.2). Students generate words in the Alphabet Soup activity and read back the words they created, using letter-sound knowledge to form real words and identify nonsense words. Students also take a spelling test and complete sentence dictation, producing spellings based on sound-letter relationships (Activity 4.3, Day 5).
Lesson 11
Long Vowel Sounds Review
Students cut apart and match spelling patterns to example words and place those pairs in a long-vowel chart (Activity 1.2), explicitly linking letter sequences (a_e, ai, ay, etc.) to sounds. Students use lowercase letter cards to unscramble and build long-vowel words (Activities 3.3 and 5.2) and write words they find in readers on a laminated sheet (Day 2, Day 4, Day 5). The Life Application asks students to spell words given a long vowel sound using lowercase letter cards, and Fill in the Blanks requires students to write words from a word bank into sentences.
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students draw lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to create and write words (Activity 1.2), using letters and blends to spell words such as "show" or "rope." Students are asked to spell specific oi/oy words aloud using provided letter groups (Activity 3.2) and to write a list of dictated spelling words including boy, soil, boil, toy, point, joy, and challenge words spoil and moist (Activity 4.2). Students also write dictated sentences that require correct word spellings (Activity 5.2) and complete word-sorting and rhyming/handwriting pages that reinforce sound-letter correspondences for oi/oy and long o.
Lesson 13
Other Vowel Sounds ou, ow
Students are asked to write words from pictures and dictated words (Activity 1.2, Activity 4.3, Sentence Dictation), producing spellings for simple words that contain the target vowel sounds. Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building activities to spell words aloud and in writing (Activity 3.1, Day 4 word building), and they unscramble letter groups to form /ou/ words (Activity 3.2). Students complete fill-in-the-blank pages that require choosing the correct digraph (ou or ow) to complete each pictured word (Activity 4.2).
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
Students are asked to spell words aloud using lowercase letter cards (e.g., spell saw, raw, law, haul, fault, launch) and to write words during dictation and a spelling test. In Alphabet Soup activities, students assemble letters to create and write at least 12 words (including words with aw and au) and then read back what they spelled. The Skills list and multiple activities require students to segment sounds, blend sounds, and apply letter–sound correspondences for vowel teams aw/au when reading and writing words.
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students practice spelling specific simple words aloud and in writing using lowercase letter cards in Activity 2.2 (spell wood, mood, zoom, fool, booth, tool, shoot, food, hoot) and Activity 4.1 (spell seam, seat, bear, beat, pear, spread, team, peach, bread, meat, wear, swear, head, thread). Students complete a written Spelling Test (Activity 4.3) by writing dictated oo and ea words into rhyming groups and perform sentence dictation (Day 5 Activity 5.2). The Life Application invites students to build and read (and implicitly spell) nonsense words using oo and ea to practice mapping sounds to letters.
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to spell kn and wr words as the teacher calls them (Activity 2.2, 3.2). Students read and write word lists and complete writing pages for words like knee, knife, know, write, gnat, and gnome (Activities 2.3, Student Activity Pages). Students take a spelling test and write words from dictation and scrambled-letter tasks (Activity 4.3 Spelling Test, Activity 5.1 Word Scramble, Activity 5.3 Sentence Dictation). The lesson's skills list also includes segmenting spoken single-syllable words, producing primary letter sounds, and demonstrating one-to-one letter-sound correspondences.
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students are asked in the Alphabet Soup activities (Day 3 and Day 5) to use letters in a bowl to create words and write at least 12 words, with teacher support including lowercase letter cards and word-building cards. Activities remind students about vowel blends, that ow makes two sounds, and prompt them to read and sound out unknown words (Activity 3.1, 5.1, and Activity 1.1). The Word Sorting and Which Words? activities require students to sort and identify words by vowel sound, digraphs, blends, and other spelling patterns, and the Sentence Writing activity asks students to write sentences using words they have practiced.