Kindergarten - ELA
1: Letters
Unit 1: A - A Is for Musk Ox
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 2 asks students to practice the sound the letter A makes ("a" as in apple) and repeat that sound multiple times. Students are given an Uppercase A handwriting page with dashed examples to trace and guided formation steps (start at top, diagonals, cross line). Option 2 gives a tactile activity (apple stickers on a die-cut A) that has students form the letter shape in top-to-bottom, left-to-right sequence. The Activity Extension lists multiple pre-writing activities that build the hand strength and coordination needed to form letters.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice forming the lowercase letter a using a traceable writing page and guided formation directions, and they are instructed to repeat the short 'a' sound (as in apple) while forming the letter. An alternative activity has students trace a large lowercase a with yarn, reinforcing letter shape while associating it with the short 'a' sound. Students also review letter cards and are asked to name letters and say the sounds each letter makes.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 asks students to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and to practice writing the letter A, including connecting dots or watching a model for letter formation. The second part of Activity 3 has students cut out boxes and glue the correct picture under each letter, and a separate "Beginning Letter Sounds" page has boxes labeled with letters (b, a, h, a, l) where students cut and place images by initial sound. The materials explicitly have students produce or identify letters that correspond to initial sounds and practice letter formation for A.
Unit 2: H - Hondo and Fabian
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice the /h/ phoneme by saying "Hondo" and listing words that start with the initial /h/ sound (happy, hug, heart, hand, help). Students form the capital letter H in the air, trace an H made from popsicle sticks, and complete an "Uppercase H" handwriting sheet with dashed H letters for tracing and guided lines for freehand practice. Students are shown an Hh card for review and are prompted to trace starting at the top and to repeat the H sound as they work.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to identify the initial /h/ sound in words (Hondo, home, happy, hungry) and to point to the letter H in the text. Students practice forming the lowercase h by tracing dashed letters, writing on guided lines, and making the shape with playdough and finger tracing. Students practice the sight word "he," identify its initial letter, and locate the word in the story.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to identify beginning /h/ sounds by circling the correct beginning letter for pictures (Activity 3) and to practice writing the letter H or watch the instructor form it. The second part of the activity has students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, and the student pages include multiple H-specific images (heart, house, hand, hat, horse, hammer) paired with letter choices. The pages also show letter boxes with 'h' above empty boxes for students to fill or match to images.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students practice the /h/ consonant by naming words that start with the "h" sound and drawing a capital H and lowercase h in the air. Students are shown sight words that include letters ("he", "you") and are encouraged to try writing their own names in print, with the teacher modeling letter formation for names and numbers. Students are invited to use invented spelling and to write letters they have learned when composing statements about themselves.
Unit 3: I - The Little Island
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice the letter Ii using a letter card and oral practice of its sounds ("I" like "igloo" and "I" like "island"). Students complete an "Uppercase I" handwriting sheet that has dashed-line tracing and blank lines for independent writing of the uppercase I. Students can also trace downward strokes on textured surfaces as an alternative, reinforcing formation of the I shape.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice forming the lowercase letter i using a handwriting sheet that shows guided formation steps, dotted-line tracing, and blank dashed lines for freehand practice. Students are prompted to review the two sounds the letter i might make and to practice those sounds while making a downward stroke motion (or holding ice) in Option 2. Students trace and independently write the lowercase i across multiple practice lines to reinforce letter formation and the associated sounds.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 directs students to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter (or watch the teacher form the letters). The second page has students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, reinforcing letter-to-sound matching. The Student Activity Pages show picture sets (ant, hand, astronaut, house, igloo, ruler; lion, apple, hammer, axe, igloo) with letters (A, H, I / i, a, h, a, i) for students to match and write.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The lesson explicitly reviews three letters and their sounds (a, h, and i), asking the child to recall the letters and associated sounds. The Writing Workshop asks the child to open a journal, draw, and then "write" some thoughts in whatever form is comfortable, allowing the child to attempt writing or scribbling on the lines and to read her ideas aloud.
Unit 4: T - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice the sounds of the letters a, h, and l. Students identify examples of the uppercase letter T on the book cover, say the word "tail" to hear the initial /t/ sound, and practice forming the uppercase T using a handwriting sheet with traced guides and blank lines. Students also form a large T with tape and drive a toy truck to 'write' the letter while saying the /t/ sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice writing the lowercase letter t using a handwriting sheet that shows formation arrows, dotted letters for tracing, and lines for independent writing. Students can also form the lowercase t with tape and trace the shape with their finger while practicing the t sound aloud. These activities require students to produce the letter shape and connect it to the consonant sound /t/.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice the letter T explicitly: they circle the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: T" page and practice writing the letter or watch it formed. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter on the second T page, reinforcing letter-to-sound matching for T. On the "Beginning Letter Sounds" page, students match images (taxi, ambulance, hand, tree, island) to beginning letters, giving additional opportunities to identify and use single letters for initial sounds.
Unit 5: L - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice forming and writing the uppercase letter L using guided lines and tracing on a handwriting sheet and by making a large L with glued leaves, with explicit directions to start at the top and move down and then right. Students are prompted to say the /l/ sound while forming the letter and the lesson includes review of letter sounds A, H, L, and T. The Student Activity Page specifically provides examples and guided lines to trace the uppercase L.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a 'Lowercase l' handwriting sheet that provides a model letter and multiple guided practice lines for forming the lowercase l. Students are given an alternate lacing activity in which they form a lowercase l and are instructed to practice the sound of the letter L as they work. The lesson also prompts reviewing letter sounds and sight words from the first four units.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students work on a focused 'Letter Sounds: L' activity where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter or watch letter formation. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct pictures, matching letter shapes to pictured words. A separate 'Beginning Letter Sounds' page has students match five images (axe, hand, teepees, igloo, ice cream) to the starting lowercase letters a, h, t, l, and i, reinforcing identification of initial consonant and vowel sounds.
Unit 6: F - Fireflies
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 2 directs the child to find the uppercase letter F, practice forming the capital F in the air while making the /f/ sound, and use a handwriting sheet to trace and write F. An alternative option has the child trace a large capital F using fingerprints, reinforcing letter formation. The activity explicitly links the letter F to its consonant sound with examples like "fireflies" and "finger."
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice forming and writing the lowercase letter f using a handwriting sheet that provides tracing and independent writing opportunities. Students also form the lowercase f in a sensory medium (fairy dust/sand) and practice the sound of the letter f as they form it. The lesson directs an adult to point out the word "said" in the text and encourage the child to read that word, connecting letters and sounds during reading.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students complete a 'Letter Sounds: F' page where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then cut out picture boxes to paste them under the correct letter. Students are instructed to "practice writing the letter" (or watch the teacher form the letters), explicitly focusing on the consonant /f/. Students also use a 'Beginning Letter Sounds' page with letter boxes (i, h, f, l, a) to match images (butter, head, flag, orange, ax).
Unit 7: E - But No Elephants
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice identifying and producing the letter E and its sounds (e.g., "elephant," "egg," and "eagle") and use a letter Ee card for review. Students form the uppercase E in the air, trace multiple dashed uppercase E's, and complete freehand uppercase E writing on the handwriting sheet. Students also form the letter E with popsicle sticks and trace the sticks with their finger as a multisensory activity.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a "Lowercase e" handwriting sheet with a printed model, dashed tracing letters, and blank lines for freehand practice, providing direct practice forming the letter e. Students are prompted to "practice the sounds of the letter e" while tracing or writing, and an alternative activity has students trace a modeled lowercase e with an eraser or on a board while hearing the letter sound. The Getting Started section asks students to "briefly review letter sounds," which offers some additional, though limited, engagement with letter-sound relationships.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students complete a "Letter Sounds: E" page where they circle the correct beginning letter for pictures and are given the opportunity to practice writing the letter E (or watch an adult form it). Students cut out pictures and glue each picture under the correct letter, reinforcing letter–sound mapping for E and other initials. Students also match five images (ear, hand, egg, lamp, ant) to boxes labeled with beginning letters (e, h, e, l, a), placing images under the corresponding letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Writing Workshop, students are asked to draw a picture and "write a few words (real or 'imaginary' words) or a list or some sentences" describing the scene, which requires them to produce letters on the page. The activity also asks students to dictate for an adult to write and, if able, to copy a sentence the adult writes, giving students opportunities to form and reproduce letters and letter sequences.
Unit 8: C - Millions of Cats
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to find and identify the uppercase letter C on the book cover and are told that C often makes the /k/ sound in words like "cat" and "cake." Students practice forming the capital C in the air while producing the "k" sound. Students complete a handwriting sheet with tracing rows and independent writing lines for the uppercase C, and an alternative activity has students trace and color within a die-cut letter C while reviewing its sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice writing the lowercase letter c by completing a handwriting sheet with tracing and repeated writing of c. Students practice the sound of the letter C when prompted to focus on the sound and to repeat phrases and sight words containing the letter. Students physically form a lowercase c with coins and are asked to compare uppercase C and lowercase c shapes.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 asks students to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter (or watch the teacher form the letters), explicitly giving students a chance to write the letter C. The "Beginning Letter Sounds" activity has students match five pictures (cat, fan, elephant, lion, ant) to labeled beginning letters (c, f, e, l, a), so students identify and associate initial consonant and vowel sounds with letters. The scrambled-word activity page requires students to write the correct word by unscrambling letters beneath pictured objects, which involves producing written letter sequences corresponding to phonemes.
Unit 9: G - The Real Mother Goose
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice forming the capital letter G in the air while saying the /g/ sound and are shown a Gg card to add to a review file. Students are given a handwriting sheet with dashed and printed examples of uppercase G for tracing and independent writing practice. An alternative activity has students trace a large drawn G with glue and add glitter while naming words (glue, green) that begin with G, reinforcing the sound-letter link.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to review letter sounds and word cards from previous weeks, which prompts recall of letter–sound correspondences. In Activity 1 students complete a lowercase g handwriting sheet, trace and independently write g, and practice the sound of g. Option 2 has students form and trace the letter g in a sealed bag while practicing the g sound. Students also identify rhyming pairs in poems, which supports phonemic awareness related to sounds.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 (Letter Sounds — G) asks students to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture, practice writing the letter G (or watch an adult form it), and cut-and-paste picture boxes under the correct letter. The student activity pages require students to match pictures to initial letters (f, e, c, g, a), reinforcing identification of beginning letter sounds. The pages also include three-letter codes and prompts to determine whether the word contains the G sound, giving focused practice with that consonant phoneme.
Unit 10: O - Owl Babies
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice forming and writing the uppercase letter O by tracing and writing on a handwriting sheet and by making the letter shape in the air with their finger. They practice the O sound (examples given: octopus, orange) as they write, and an alternate activity has students draw circles to form the letter O. The lesson includes adding an Oo card to a review file, reinforcing letter recognition and production.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a "Lowercase o" handwriting sheet that includes tracing and writing the letter and are prompted to practice the sounds of the letter o. As an alternative activity, students make small and large lowercase o's with a crayon or marker while the adult prompts them to practice the sound and notes that lowercase o is half the height of uppercase O. The lesson repeatedly directs students to practice the sound associated with the letter o during writing activities.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are given "Letter Sounds: O" pages where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter or watch an adult form the letters. On a follow-up page students cut out letters from the bottom of the page and paste them under the correct picture, reinforcing letter–sound correspondence. A separate "Beginning Letter Sounds" page asks students to match pictures (apple, tree, egg, orange, grapes) to boxes labeled with letters (a, f, e, o, g), requiring students to identify beginning sounds and associate them with letters.
Unit 11: S - Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice forming the uppercase letter S by tracing in the air while producing the /s/ sound and by using a handwriting sheet with guided traceable examples and space for independent practice. Students also shape the letter S with playdough and trace it with a finger while reviewing the sound, and they add the S card to a review file box for later retrieval. The activities require students to write or form the letter S and connect it to the consonant sound it represents.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice the sound of the letter S and are prompted to "practice the sound of the letter s" while writing. Students complete a lowercase s handwriting sheet with tracing and independent writing lines and are guided to begin like a c and reverse the curve. Students form the letter s in sand by tracing an example and then making their own letter s.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are given a "Letter Sounds: S" page where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter or watch the teacher form the letters. On a follow-up page students cut out letters and paste them under the correct initial letter, reinforcing letter-to-sound matching. A separate "Beginning Letter Sounds" activity lists letters (l f s; t g) with empty boxes for students to match pictures to beginning letters.
Unit 12: D - Dinosaurs Big and Small
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson has students identify the uppercase letter D on the book cover and explicitly links the letter D to the /d/ sound ("dinosaur"). Students practice forming a capital D in the air while making the /d/ sound. The lesson provides an "Uppercase D" handwriting sheet where students trace dashed D's and then write D independently, with the teacher prompting review of the D sound as they work.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a dedicated "Lowercase d" handwriting sheet that includes solid and dashed letter guides and multiple practice lines. Instructions explicitly tell students how to form the lowercase d (start like a c, make an o, then up the stick and retrace) and to practice the sounds of the letter d. Alternative activity also has students trace/mark a large lowercase d while practicing the d sound, and the Getting Started section asks children to review letter sounds and sight word cards.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to complete "Letter Sounds: D" pages where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter (or watch an adult form the letters). On the second page students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, reinforcing letter-to-sound matching. A separate "Beginning Letter Sounds" page shows five letter squares (a, f, d, c, g) with pictures beneath for students to match images to the corresponding beginning letters.
Unit 13: P - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson's Activity 2 has students find the uppercase letter P on the book cover and practice forming the capital P in the air while making the /p/ sound. Students are given a handwriting sheet with dashed P letters to trace and primary writing lines for freehand practice, and an alternative activity has students form a P inside a die-cut using a marker while reviewing the /p/ sound. The activity also directs students to add a Pp card to a review file, reinforcing the letter-sound correspondence and writing practice.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson asks students to complete a Lowercase p handwriting sheet with guided tracing and independent practice lines, and instructs them to practice the sound of the letter p. An alternate activity has students form the letter p with pennies and trace it while saying the letter sound. The lesson also begins with a review of letter sounds and includes prompts to practice letter sounds during handwriting.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound correspondence in Activity 3: they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture on the "Letter Sounds: P" pages and then practice writing the letter P or watch an adult form it. A separate "Beginning Letter Sounds" page presents letters (s, p, d, t, l) with images for students to match, implying students will identify beginning consonant sounds and place or write the corresponding letters. The cut-and-paste task asks students to sort picture boxes under the correct letter, reinforcing mapping sounds to letters.
Unit 14: B - Blueberries for Sal
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are shown the uppercase letter B and told it makes the "b" sound (e.g., "blueberry"), linking the letter to its consonant phoneme. Students practice forming the capital B in the air and on paper using a handwriting sheet with traced and independent Bs. Students also use a tactile option placing pom-poms along the B and add the Bb card to a review box for reinforcement.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to complete a Lowercase b handwriting sheet with traceable dotted b's and blank lines for independent practice, and they are given an alternative die-cut activity to make many lowercase b's. Instructions explicitly tell students to practice the sounds of the letter b and to form the lowercase b starting high, straight down, then a clockwise circle. The activities require students to write the letter b by tracing and freehand and to produce its associated consonant sound while writing.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 directs students to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter (or watch the teacher form the letters), providing direct practice forming a consonant letter (B). The second part of Activity 3 has students cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter, which requires matching letters to sounds. The Beginning Letter Sounds page has students draw lines from pictures (astronaut, tree, elephant, bat, guitar) to labeled lowercase letters (a, c, e, b, g), reinforcing beginning-sound to letter correspondence.
Unit 15: R - Rain
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 2 has students practice forming and saying the uppercase letter R: students trace dotted R letters, form R in the air while making the /r/ sound, and add an Rr card to a review box. Option 2 has students fill a die-cut R and practice stroke sequence while reviewing the /r/ sound. Activity 3 asks students to write or copy short color words and complete simple sentences (e.g., "I see a red ____"), giving additional opportunities to form letters when writing color words.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice forming and writing the lowercase letter r by tracing dotted models and then writing freehand on lined guides. Instructions have students begin at the half line, draw down, retrace up, and form the curve, and they are prompted to practice the sound /r/ while writing. An alternative activity has students trace an r shape with glue and place red ribbon pieces on the letter while practicing the /r/ sound.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice letter-sound correspondence for consonants on the "Letter Sounds: R" pages by circling the correct beginning letter for pictured words and then practicing writing the letter. Students also cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture on a follow-up page, reinforcing letter production linked to sounds. A separate "Beginning Letter Sounds" page has students match letters (l, e, f, t, s) to images (ladder, elephant, football, tennis ball, star), providing additional practice linking letters to initial sounds and writing or marking letters.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Writing Workshop asks the child to write or dictate sentences or phrases that include color words (e.g., "red car", "The red car zoomed across the room") and to illustrate them. The Reading Workshop has the child practice reading text aloud using colors of the type as a guide, which reinforces attention to written words and letter patterns.
Unit 16: N - Night in the Country
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice recognizing and producing the letter N and its sound: they locate an uppercase N on the book cover, are told that N makes the "n" sound (as in "night"), and practice forming the capital N in the air while making the sound. Students trace and write uppercase N on a provided handwriting sheet (solid and dashed Ns and independent writing line) and add an Nn card to a review file. An alternative kinesthetic activity has students form the shape of N with glued newspaper squares while rehearsing the /n/ sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a Lowercase n handwriting sheet with dotted outlines for tracing and blank lines for independent practice, practicing the motor pattern (start at the half line, down, up, hump, down). Students also practice the sound of the letter n while writing. As an alternative, students build a lowercase n with a die-cut and noodles, glue the pieces in order, trace the letter with a finger, and practice the n sound while working.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice beginning-letter identification and production with the "Letter Sounds: N" pages, where they circle the correct beginning letter for pictures and then practice writing the letter N or watch it being formed. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter on the second page, and they sort objects by initial sounds on the Beginning Letter Sounds page labeled n, o, p, r. The lesson also directs review of letter sounds and sight word cards, prompting students to recall and say letter sounds aloud.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 3 students are asked to write about what they do in the day and at night and are encouraged to "write whatever marks, letters, or words he can." The activity asks the child to read his work and read his dictation aloud and gives feedback on the formation of his letters. The lesson also allows tracing or independent writing in Activity 1 when writing number equations, providing additional opportunities to form letters or symbols.
Unit 17: M - Marshmallow
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 2 directs children to find the uppercase M on the book cover, says the letter M makes the "m" sound, and has students practice forming a capital M in the air. The Student Activity Page provides tracing rows and guided lines for writing uppercase M, and Option 2 has students form an M with coins while reviewing the /m/ sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a 'Lowercase m' handwriting sheet by tracing dashed m's and then writing m's freehand on guideline lines. Students are instructed to practice the sound of the letter m while forming the letter, and may finger-trace or glue mini marshmallows to a die-cut m to reinforce the stroke sequence. A picture and word 'moon' accompany the worksheet to link the letter m to an example word.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students 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 from the second page and paste them under the correct picture, reinforcing letter–sound matching and letter identification. Students match images to labeled boxes with letters (a, m, h, l, d) on the Beginning Letter Sounds page, identifying which pictures begin with which letters.
Unit 18: U - Umbrella
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice forming and writing the letter U through guided air-writing, tracing on a handwriting sheet, and freehand lines. The activity directs students to review and practice the different sounds the letter U can make, explicitly including the short-vowel sound "uh" as in "umbrella." The student activity page provides multiple tracing examples and independent practice lines for producing the letter U.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a lowercase "u" handwriting sheet that includes tracing, guided freehand practice, and specific stroke instructions (start at the half line, curve, kiss the bottom line, retrace). Students are prompted to practice the sound of the letter u while writing, and an alternative activity has students form the letter u on a die-cut while practicing its sound. The Getting Started review also prompts students to review letter sounds and sight words from previous units.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter (or watch the teacher form the letters) on the "Beginning Sounds: U" page. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture on the second page, and they match pictures of a unicorn, monkey, panda, rabbit, and goat to the squares labeled with the letters u, g, p, r, and m. These activities require students to identify beginning phonemes and produce the corresponding letters.
Unit 19: J - Jump Frog Jump
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students identify and produce the /j/ sound by locating the uppercase letter J on a book cover and linking it to words like "jump" and "jar." Students practice forming the capital J in the air and on paper using an "Uppercase J" handwriting sheet with solid and dotted examples and repeated tracing lines. Students also manipulate a die-cut J, glue jewels in the shape of J, and trace the letter to reinforce letter formation and sound correspondence.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice the J letter sound during the review and are prompted to practice the sound of the letter j during writing activities. Students complete a "Lowercase j" handwriting sheet with directional arrows, tracing lines, and independent writing practice for the lowercase j. Students can form the lowercase j with manipulatives (jellybeans/marbles) and then trace it while saying the sound, providing multisensory practice for writing the letter.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students identify beginning sounds by circling or matching letters to pictures on multiple activity pages (e.g., the "Letter Sounds: J" page with six images and the "Beginning Letter Sounds" page with p, d, o, g, j). On the "Beginning Sounds: J" page students are instructed to circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing that letter. Students also cut out letter tiles and paste them under the correct picture on the second page, reinforcing letter–sound correspondence for specific consonants and an initial vowel.
Unit 20: K - Kindness
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to find the uppercase letter K, are told that the letter K makes the "k" sound, and practice forming a capital K in the air while producing the sound. Students are given an "Uppercase K" handwriting sheet with tracing and freehand lines for writing K and are instructed to practice the sound while writing. An alternative hands-on option has students form K with pipe cleaners and trace it while practicing the /k/ sound, and a Kk card is added to a review file.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to find and point to examples of the lowercase letter k in the book and to practice the sound of the letter k. Students complete a "Lowercase k" handwriting sheet that includes dashed tracing lines, stroke-order arrows, and independent writing lines to form the lowercase k. As an alternative, students trace and form the lowercase k in a tray of ketchup while practicing the /k/ sound aloud.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and practice writing the letter on the Letter Sounds: K pages. Students cut out letters and paste them under the matching pictures and draw lines from given letters (k, d, b, r, m) to pictures that start with those sounds. Students are asked to recognize objects and correctly spell the words using provided letters on the activity page.
Unit 21: V - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to find the uppercase V on the book cover and are told that V makes the "v" sound in "violin." Students practice forming the capital V using their finger in the air and by tracing/writing on an "Uppercase V" handwriting sheet with lines and a pencil. Students also practice forming V with a large tape V on the floor (rolling a toy vehicle and tracing) and review the sound while the Vv card is added to a review file.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a "Lowercase v" handwriting sheet where they trace dashed v's and write v independently. Students form the letter v on a die-cut with a violet crayon and trace the v with their finger. Students practice the sound of the letter v as they write and trace.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to identify and circle the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: V" page and then practice writing that letter or watch the teacher form it. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture on the follow-up page, providing letter–picture matching practice. A separate Beginning Letter Sounds page has students match cut-out images (fork, tree, guitar, van, pumpkin) into labeled boxes for beginning letters f, c, g, v, and p.
Unit 22: Y - Little Blue and Little Yellow
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice forming the capital letter Y using air tracing and guided diagonal strokes while producing the "y" sound. Students complete an "Uppercase Y" handwriting sheet with dashed-line tracing followed by independent writing on standard handwriting lines and add a Yy card to a review file. Students can also form a Y with two pieces of yarn, glue it, trace it with a finger, and practice the Y sound as an alternative multisensory activity.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson asks students to review letter sounds and to practice the sound of the letter y. Students complete a "Lowercase y" handwriting sheet with a bold model, dotted tracing lines, and blank guided lines for independent writing. Optionally, students form the letter y on a die-cut with a crayon while practicing the sound aloud.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 asks students to work on a "Letter Sounds: Y" page where they circle the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing the letter or watch the teacher form the letters. That activity also has students cut out letters and paste them under the correct letter, which requires them to select and place the correct letter symbol for an initial sound. A separate "Beginning Letter Sounds" page presents five letters (v, p, h, c, r) and five pictures for students to match, which has students identify and pair initial consonant sounds with their letters.
Unit 23: W - George Washington's Birthday
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice the letter-sound connection for W by locating an uppercase W on a book cover, hearing that W makes the "w" sound in "Washington," and reviewing the sound as they work. Students form the capital W in the air and with twigs, trace dashed W letters, and complete freehand practice on an "Uppercase W" handwriting sheet. Students add a Ww card to a file box for review, reinforcing the association between the letter shape and its sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a Lowercase w handwriting sheet that has tracing lines and blank guided lines for independent writing, and they are asked to practice the sound of the letter w. An alternative activity has students form the letter w with chalk on a die-cut w and trace it with their finger while practicing the /w/ sound. The lesson also asks students to review sight words and letter sounds learned to this point, reinforcing letter–sound correspondence.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 instructs students to circle the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: W" page and then practice writing the letter W or watch an adult form it. The same activity has students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, requiring them to match letter symbols to initial sounds. The "Beginning Letter Sounds" page asks students to match five pictures (key, globe, horse, hot dog, grapes) to the boxes labeled with the letters k, w, d, h, and g.
Unit 24: Q - The Quilt Story
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice forming the letter Q by tracing with a finger in the air and by using a handwriting sheet that provides dotted models and blank lines for freehand practice. Students also trace or form Q in sand as an alternative kinesthetic activity and practice the "kw" sound while forming the letter. A Qq card is shown and added to a review file, linking both uppercase and lowercase representations to the sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson provides focused practice on writing the lowercase letter q: students trace modeled q's, write independent q's on dotted guidelines, and can paint q's with a q-tip. The instructions explicitly tell students to practice the sound of the letter q and note that q is always followed by u. The activity includes both guided tracing and freehand writing practice for the letter q.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students circle or select the correct beginning letter for pictures on the "Letter Sounds: Q" page and are asked to practice writing the letter Q or watch it formed. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture on the second Q page, practicing letter-symbol correspondence. Students also match images to labeled squares on the "Beginning Letter Sounds" page with letters k, q, n, c, and s, reinforcing initial-consonant letter identification.
Unit 25: X - An Extraordinary Egg
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice forming the letter X by tracing dotted uppercase Xs and by writing Xs independently on blank guideline lines. Students practice the X sound (noted as "/ks/") in words such as box, extraordinary, fox, ax, and fix and are asked to locate the lowercase x on the book cover. Students also form X with two pencils or other objects and trace it with their finger to reinforce letter shape and sound.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a "Lowercase x" handwriting sheet that has a large model, dotted tracing x's, and blank lines for freehand practice, so they practice forming the letter x. Students practice the sound of the letter x as they write and are prompted to find and circle the letter x in words on the "Words with X" activity page while repeating each word aloud. Students are shown the word "next" and asked to find the letter x, reinforcing identification of the letter in context.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 3 asks students to identify beginning sounds on a "Beginning Sounds: X" page by circling the correct beginning letter for each picture and then practice writing that letter or watch it formed. The second page of that activity has students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, requiring students to match letters to initial phonemes. A separate "Beginning Letter Sounds" page has students match five images (toy car, umbrella, refrigerator, drum, pirate) to the labeled squares under the letters j, u, r, b, and p, reinforcing letter-sound correspondence and some letter writing practice.
Unit 26: Z - Greedy Zebra
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students practice the letter-sound correspondence for the consonant /z/ by being shown the letter Z, hearing that it makes the "z" sound (as in "zebra"), and practicing the sound while forming the letter in the air. Students complete a handwriting sheet that gives a modeled uppercase Z, dotted Zs for tracing, and blank guided lines for independent uppercase Z writing. Students also trace a tape Z on the floor as an alternative kinesthetic practice and add a Zz card to a review file for later review.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students complete a "Lowercase z" handwriting sheet with guided tracing and independent practice that reinforces correct letter formation and placement. The lesson notes that the lowercase z starts at the half line and compares it to the capital Z, directing students to form the specific letter. An alternative activity has students form the letter z in a sealed bag and explicitly "practice the sound of the letter z as he works," linking letter formation to its consonant sound.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students complete a "Letter Sounds: Z" page where they circle the correct beginning letter for pictures and then practice writing that letter or watch an adult form the letters. Students cut out letters and paste them under the correct picture, and write corrected words or letters on blank lines beneath images. A "Beginning Letter Sounds" page asks students to match five letters (z, r, x, h, d) to five images (zipper, rainbow, x-ray, heart, dolphin), reinforcing identification and letter formation for those initial sounds.
2: Holidays
Unit 27: Halloween
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students trace the printed word "Boo!" on the front of the card and trace "Happy Halloween!" on the inside, practicing letter formation. Students are asked to glue a piece of paper below the eyes and either draw a picture or write a message to a friend or family member, which gives them an opportunity to form letters. Students also review letter cards as part of the Getting Started review, which can prompt letter recognition and practice.
Unit 28: Thanksgiving
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students review letter cards and sight words, which engages them with letters. Students are asked to write or draw something they are thankful for on die-cut food pieces, requiring them to produce letters/words when they choose to write.
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
The Skills section states students will "show an understanding that the letters in a written word represent the sequence of sounds" and "attempt to read dictated text," which targets letter–sound mapping. Activity 2 (Option 1) asks students to add missing first letters on a label sheet while sounding out words, and Activity 4 provides a dedicated "Bb" handwriting page where students trace and write B/b and the words bed and bath.
Lesson 2
What Is a Map?
The lesson includes a handwriting activity where students practice writing the letters Mm and Hh and copy words such as map, mom, home, and house. The skills list explicitly includes "Write and sound out letters (LA)." In Activities 2 and 3 students are prompted to label items on maps and are encouraged to "sound out each word and to spell it the way it sounds," and Option 1 asks students to complete partially filled word labels on the map worksheet.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
The lesson asks students to identify beginning letters and sounds (listed under Skills) and to add the first and last letter for each habitat in Option 1. Several activities require students to label habitats by writing the habitat names (Option 2 and various activity pages). Activity 4 provides explicit handwriting practice for the letter Jj and the words "jungle" and "Jeep," including tracing and copying.
Lesson 6
Exploring Animal Habitats
Activity 3 provides a handwriting page where students trace and write uppercase and lowercase Z (Zz) and practice the words "zebra" and "zoo." The activity asks students to write or copy sentences that contain words beginning with Z, and traceable letters and guided lines are provided for letter formation. Activity 2 asks students to "sound out the words" in their dictated animal story, which supports connecting sounds to written words.
Lesson 7
Tools in My Environment
Students practice handwriting for the letter I and the words it and inch on the handwriting sheet (Activity 4). During the measuring activity (Activity 3) students are encouraged to write the names of tools, attempt to record at least the beginning letter, and to sound out words while the adult writes the letters. The instructions also guide students to point at letters while the adult sounds them out, reinforcing letter-sound correspondence for items they measure.
Lesson 9
Animal Designs
The lesson lists the literacy skills "Begin to write words (LA)" and "Write beginning consonants of words (LA)." In Activity 2 Option 2, students are asked to write the name of each habitat in the boxes. Several activities (recording reasons on a separate sheet, writing a story in Activity 4) require students to produce written words or short phrases.
Final Project
Animal Research / My Environment
Students are asked to write and label on multiple pages (e.g., Option 2 Page 1: "Draw a picture of the animal and write its name" and the instruction to "Help your child label his pictures"). Several activity pages include blank lines and prompts ("The _____ is found in _____", "What _____ Eats and Drinks") that require students to write words or short phrases. The final project asks students to staple pages into a book and to explain each page, which involves producing written labels and simple sentences.
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 1
Reading the Skies
The skills list explicitly includes "Identify beginning letters and sounds in words (LA)." In Activity 2 Option 2, students are asked to choose a word from a word box and write the word beneath each picture, and the advanced option asks students to cover the word box and label the weather pictures themselves. The Student Activity Page for Weather Words provides blank lines beneath images for students to write vocabulary words and a space at the bottom for students to write a sentence using the weather words.
Lesson 2
Types of Precipitation
Students practice handwriting of the letter R with dashed-line tracing for uppercase and lowercase R and copy/write the words "rain" and "round" (Activity 6 and the Rr activity page). In Activity 2 Option 1, students label pictures with single letters R, S, or H to identify precipitation types, and in Option 2 they write the names of precipitation in the blank boxes. The symmetry activity shows letters A, D, and O, which students fold and inspect, providing additional exposure to letter shapes.
Lesson 3
Measuring and Charting Weather
The Rain Acrostic activity asks the child to write "RAIN" vertically and to think of a word or phrase that starts with each letter, with the option for the child to record her own ideas. The Measuring Temperature activity asks the child to "record the temperature" on a Student Activity Page, which requires the child to write values in the provided blanks. These items require the child to form letters (in the acrostic) and to write responses on activity pages.
Lesson 5
Fall
Students practice handwriting for the letter F, including tracing and freehand forms and writing words that begin with F such as "fall" and "fun." In Activity 1 students write the names of three circled items, circle the beginning letter of each word, and copy sentences that use those words. Option 2 also has students write item names and copy or independently write sentences using those words, providing practice producing letters for initial sounds.
Lesson 6
Winter
Students practice forming the letter W and tracing/copying the words "wind" and "winter" in the Handwriting activity. Students are encouraged to write their dictated story on the "Let It Snow" sheet and to attempt to record words themselves while an adult helps them sound out words. In Snowflake Math students are asked to circle the beginning letter of each number word to help them sound out and identify initial sounds.
Lesson 8
Summer
Several activities ask students to write initial letters: Activity 2 (Option 1) directs the child to "write the beginning letter of the word in the blank," and Option 2 repeats that students can "write the first letter of the word in the blank" or copy the whole word. Activity 3 asks students to "write the season's name or beginning letter" beneath the temperature and to complete sentences by writing the season names in blanks. These tasks require students to produce letters that correspond to words and their initial sounds.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
The skills list includes "Recognize letters and their sounds," and Activity 4 gives explicit handwriting practice for the letter Pp with tracing of capital and lowercase P and the words "People" and "Park." Activity 2 asks students to copy or fill in community vocabulary words (e.g., restaurant, park, school, library), so students write letters when completing the vocabulary blanks. Activity 3 asks students to write or dictate a sentence about a new page, offering additional opportunities to produce letters in context.
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), which requires identifying letters and linking them to sounds. The skills list includes "Recognize beginning consonant sounds" and "Recognize and name upper- and lower-case letters," supporting consonant-letter mapping. Activity 2 (Option 2) asks students to write the names of community workers and attempt to sound out the words, and Activity 5 asks students to attempt to write words they can sound out, prompting students to translate phonemes into written letters.
Lesson 6
A Good Community Citizen
Students are asked to label pictures in Option 2 of "Good Citizenship at Home," and to write names and short observations beneath family member pictures in Activity 3. The Life Application asks students to have their name written on a badge when they earn it. Several activities require students to draw and then label or describe pictures, which involves writing letters.
Lesson 7
A Citizen with Character
The lesson explicitly lists "Write letters (LA)" in Skills and includes Activity 7: Handwriting where students practice the letter Kk and trace/write the words "kid" and "kind." The handwriting page provides dotted lines and tracing guidelines for uppercase and lowercase K and prompts students to write or copy sentences containing K words.
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
Activity 7 (Handwriting) has students trace and write the uppercase and lowercase letter C and practice the words "care" and "citizen." The activity page includes dotted examples of C/c, practice lines with midlines, and directions for students to write or copy sentences containing C words. The handwriting practice explicitly asks children to form the letter C in both cases.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 1
Describe It
Activity 3 asks students to "circle the first letter in each word and sound out the word," and Option 2 requires students to write words beneath pictures and add two additional descriptive words. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence and, if they cannot, to continue practicing letters in lieu of sentence writing. Several activities therefore require students to identify initial letters, sound words out, and write letters or whole words.
Lesson 2
Animal Attributes
Students practice letter formation for A on the handwriting page where they trace uppercase and lowercase A and copy the words "ant" and "animal." In Option 2 of the Living & Nonliving and Body Coverings activities, students are asked to write the names of living objects and animals into categories, producing written words that contain consonants and short vowels. The animal parts and body coverings pages prompt students to write labels or add examples in columns, requiring letter writing in context.
Lesson 4
How Does It Feel?
Students are asked to circle the beginning letter of each texture word and either cut/paste or copy the texture words beneath pictures (Option 1). Students also copy or write a full sentence about an object's texture on handwriting paper (Activity 3). The skills list explicitly includes "Recognize and name letters (LA)," indicating letter-level attention.
Lesson 5
How Old?
Students practice letter formation on an "Oo" handwriting page, tracing and writing uppercase and lowercase O and copying words such as "order" and "old." Students are asked to record at least the beginning letter of each name in the Guessing Ages activity, encouraging them to write initial letters. Students are also asked to copy/write a sentence with each "o" word, providing some opportunity to connect writing letters to words.
Lesson 6
The Measure of Things
Students practice handwriting the letter L in both uppercase and lowercase form and are prompted to write or copy the words "length" and "long." The handwriting page includes guided lines and arrows for forming "Ll," and directs students to practice those letter shapes in context.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students are asked to recognize beginning consonant sounds (listed in the Skills) and to identify the beginning letters of sentences and important words in the book. In Activity 1 students copy each word from the Senses Word List three times on handwriting paper, and are encouraged to attempt to read or identify beginning letters of words in the text. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence (example: "I smell with my nose"), which requires producing letters when copying words.
Lesson 2
Senses and Body Parts
Activity 4 directs students to practice the letter S with dotted-line tracing for uppercase and lowercase 'S' and to trace the words "sense" and "see." The Student Activity Page highlights a large "Ss" and provides rows for letter formation practice, plus images connected to the senses theme to support the word tracing.
Lesson 4
Hearing and Seeing
Activity 8 directs students to practice the letter E by tracing and writing uppercase and lowercase E and to write the words "eyes" and "ears" in sentences, with dotted lines and starting points provided. The lesson also has students write and record descriptions (Activity 5) and attempt to read their writing aloud, which requires producing written letters.
Lesson 5
Touch
Students practice handwriting of the letter T in Activity 5, tracing uppercase and lowercase T on guideline lines and writing the words "taste" and "touch." The handwriting page asks students to write each word in a sentence, reinforcing letter formation and letter use in words that contain the consonant T.
Lesson 6
Experimenting With Our Senses
The lesson explicitly lists "Recognize beginning consonant sounds of words (LA)" and "Recognize and write letters (LA)" in the skills. In Activity 2, students are asked to copy the name of each spice on index cards and, if unable to write the whole name, to write the first letter of each spice. In Activity 4, students write or dictate and copy a sentence on handwriting paper about something they smelled or tasted.
Lesson 8
Writing About Our Senses
The Skills section lists "Write letters of the alphabet" and activities ask the child to attempt to write words in the blanks for the popcorn report. The directions explicitly allow the child to "record the first letter" of a word if he cannot write the whole word. Activity 4 asks the child to write or dictate and copy a sentence about the popcorn on handwriting paper.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
The Skills list explicitly includes "Represent spoken language with phonetic spelling," and Activity 1 instructs students to "sound out the words for his answers and to write them to the best of his ability," with the example of writing the letters heard in "yellow." Activity 1 also has students attempt to read each question aloud, which prompts them to link spoken sounds to written letters. Activity 4 provides handwriting practice for the letter Uu, giving at least one explicit opportunity to form letters corresponding to sounds.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Students are asked to attempt to sound out vocabulary words and, when unable, to circle the first and last letters and tell the sounds those letters make. Students practice tracing and writing the lowercase letter q and the word "quiet" on a handwriting page, including repeated tracing of q in different sizes. Students are prompted to use letter-sound information when decoding vocabulary words during the personality vocabulary activity.
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
Activity 4 explicitly has students practice handwriting the letter Y (uppercase and lowercase) and the words "you" and "yes," with tracing and repeated writing opportunities. Activity 1 asks students to dictate and then copy or write a few sentences about a hobby, requiring students to produce written letters in connected text. Activity 3 has students read survey questions aloud and may involve writing responses, giving additional opportunities to form letters while answering prompts.
Lesson 6
Different Families
Activity 3 provides handwriting practice that has students trace and write the letters Dd and c and trace the word "different" multiple times using dotted guidelines. The Skills list includes "Attempt to write words and sentences using inventive spelling" and "Dictate ideas and responses," which asks students to produce written letter forms and attempt spelling. The handwriting page offers guided tracing lines and repeated letter examples for student practice.
Lesson 8
Different Holidays and Traditions
Students are asked to write three sentences about their favorite holiday (Activity 3), with the option to attempt to write them herself or dictate and copy them. Students create a Book of Holidays (Activity 5) in which they write the name of each holiday, the month/date, and a sentence on each page, and write a cover title. The skills list explicitly includes that students should "represent spoken language with temporary spelling," which encourages phonetic spelling attempts while writing.
Lesson 9
Different Modes of Transportation
Students are asked in Activity 1 (Option 1) to fill in the first letter for each transportation label (e.g., __ar, __lane, __rain). Activity 1 (Option 2) requires students to write the entire label for each mode of transportation, prompting them to produce multiple letters for each word. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence (I have ______ in/on a _________), which gives additional opportunities to form letters and write words.
Lesson 10
Wants and Needs
Students practice writing the letter N in both uppercase and lowercase on the handwriting page (Activity 6) and trace/write the word "need." In Activity 1 (Option 1) students may label items using the single letter "N" for need and "W" for want, so they write letters to represent words. The handwriting page includes lined spaces for producing N/n and the word need, giving explicit, guided letter-writing practice.
Lesson 11
Being Part of a Group
Activity 4 provides explicit handwriting practice for the letters Gg and Xx, including tracing dotted letters and copying the words "get," "group," and "extra." Students are given lines and guided letter formation with models and dots to practice both uppercase and lowercase G and X. The words used include the short-vowel /e/ (as in "get" and "extra"), so students have at least some opportunity to write a letter associated with a short-vowel sound.
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 5
Making Color Patterns
The activity asks students to represent color patterns using color words or the first letter of the color word (e.g., write Y, R, Y, R for yellow-red-yellow-red), giving practice in writing single letters. Activity 3 asks students to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper, providing additional practice with letter formation and writing letters in sequence. The Skills list includes using color words, which supports letter/word production related to the pattern activities.
Lesson 8
Creating and Writing About Patterns
Students are instructed repeatedly to "write the first letter of each object in the pattern" on AABB, ABAB, and ABC activity pages. Option 1 asks students to "attempt to copy the words or the first letter of each word," and Activity 5 suggests assigning a letter to each item if a child cannot write full words. Activity 7 has students write or copy two or three sentences describing a pattern.
Unit 2: Patterns in Sounds, Words, and Actions
Lesson 1
Word Patterns
Students are asked to label pictures and add new words for pairs such as hat/bat/cat and hen/pen, which requires writing CVC words that contain consonants and short vowels. Students are instructed to record rhyming words on handwriting paper and to write or copy a sentence using two rhyming words. Students cut, match, and write additional rhyming words in the Bear Hugs activities, providing multiple opportunities to produce short-vowel consonant words in writing.
Lesson 2
Making Word Patterns
Students are asked to write or copy a sentence that contains two rhyming words (Activity 4), requiring them to produce letters for CVC words. In Option 2, students are directed to use a sheet with the letters of the alphabet and try different beginning letters to complete word patterns, practicing mapping initial consonant letters to sounds. Students make and label word-family index cards and record words from rhyming books, which involves writing the letters for words that share short-vowel rimes.
Lesson 3
Poetry Patterns
Students read poems and songs and are asked to circle rhyming words and write rhyming words on a separate sheet. Students fill in blanks in the "A Rhyming Song" activity and write another line from the song on handwriting paper. Students record rhyming words, circle matching letter patterns, and are given spelling assistance as they write.
Lesson 6
Sound Patterns
The student activity page tells students they can either copy the rhythm words or use the first letters of each rhythm word (Slap, Clap, Tap), which requires writing letters that correspond to initial sounds. Activity 4 (Handwriting) asks students to write a sentence on handwriting paper about a sound pattern they heard, giving practice in letter formation and writing connected to sounds.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 1
Patterns in Nature
The lesson includes Activity 4: Handwriting, asking the child to write or copy a sentence from the day's reading on handwriting paper. The Skills list includes "Practice reading simple texts," and students read pages 1-11 of a picture book, giving them opportunities to see and reproduce letter sequences. Matching and drawing activities require students to produce written marks (labels, patterns) when they label or color their pictures.
Lesson 2
Patterns of Growth
Students are asked in Activity 2 to identify the initial letter of each plant part, sound out the word, and record the first letter on the diagram. Activity 6 directs students to write the words plant, grow, and part five times each and to copy modeled spelling. Several student pages require students to write a sentence under each drawing and to write labels for plant parts, providing opportunities to form letters when recording observations.
Lesson 3
Night and Day
The Skills list explicitly includes "Write letters of the alphabet" and "Record dominant consonant letters (LA)." Activity 1 asks the child to label three pictures (the Sun, Moon, Earth), which requires the child to write letters/words. Activity 3 asks the child to draw and then "record or dictate a few sentences" about day/night activities, prompting writing that may involve consonants and vowels.
Lesson 4
Daily Routines
Students are asked to write or dictate and copy a sentence about a routine (Activity 4), to write short sentences or lines describing each of four steps (Activity 2), and to record activities in words or simple symbols with times (Activity 3). The Student Activity Pages show labeled pictures (e.g., 'eat breakfast', 'brush teeth') that students can copy or use as prompts for writing words. These tasks require students to produce letters when they write words and sentences about routines.
Lesson 8
Symmetrical Patterns
Students are asked to 'write other letters of the alphabet and draw the lines of symmetry' in Activity 1, and the Alphabet Symmetry page displays specific letters (J I M A O F) for folding and comparison. Students cut apart letter squares and fold them vertically and horizontally to inspect letter halves. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence on handwriting paper, providing practice with letter formation.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 5
Changes in Location
Students are asked to attempt writing the prepositions from a word box or to cut and glue them, and one option requires students to write an entire prepositional phrase after the subject. Students are asked to write simple sentences describing the mouse's location and to record three or four sentences about object relationships outside. Students are also asked to write directions on a sheet of paper for the child to read and follow, which involves producing written words and short sentences.
Lesson 9
Heat Causes Change
Students are asked to label pictures with the words "ice," "water," and "steam" on the Activity 1 student page, and a word box provides those written words for copying. Activity 4 directs students to write or copy a sentence about an observation on handwriting paper. Students also record measurements and labels (paper clips, inches, candle) on the Activity 2 data sheet, which requires forming letters and words.
Final Project
Mobile of Change
The Skills list explicitly states: "Write most letters and some words (LA)." The Final Project directs the child to write the word "CHANGES" in all capital letters on a piece of construction paper. Several activity pages provide spaces where students can "write or draw" observations in the before/after boxes for different kinds of change.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 7
People of the Past
Activity 4 (Handwriting) asks the child to write a sentence on handwriting paper about a historical person she learned about today. The activity therefore requires the child to form letters and write words in connected text during the handwriting task.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
Students practice writing letters by tracing and writing the week's letters on the "Writing Letters" page while being encouraged to say each letter's sound as they write (Activity 4.1). They form letters in sensory materials and write while saying the sound (shaving cream/flour/rice activity, Activity 2.2). Students build and spell CVC words with letter cards and then write those words (Activities 3.2, 5.2), sounding out each phoneme as they write. The lesson also provides handwriting input options and quizzes that require letter production on Days 2, 4, and 5.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
Students practice writing and tracing this week's letters (r, b, l, g, n, d and the vowel i) on the "Writing Letters" page, saying each letter sound as they write. Students write beginning letters for pictured items on the "Beginning Letters" page and point to or write ending letters during the "Ending Letters" activity, matching sounds to letters. Students also segment and blend sounds to build and spell CVC words (Activity 3.2, Activity 5.1) using letter cards and write words beneath pictures.
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
Students trace and write the week's letters in Activities 3.1 and 4.1, where they first trace two of each letter then write the letters independently while saying the sound. Activity 5.1 asks students to segment words aloud and write the word under each picture, and Activity 3.3/4.2/Day 2 include blending and sorting by short o and short u sounds. The optional Making Letters activity and the Writing Words pages give additional opportunities for students to form letters while producing the associated sounds.
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
Students practice letter formation by tracing and independently writing the letters q, x, y, and z while saying each letter sound (Activity 4.1). Students write whole words that contain short vowels and consonants (e.g., bed, sad, rug, ten, fox, leg, box, pig, man, jet, web, hut) by segmenting sounds and writing letters for each phoneme (Activity 5.1). Students also build words from letter cards (Activity 3.2) and sort pictures by short-vowel sounds (Short Vowel Sort, Activity 2.2), reinforcing mapping of short-vowel phonemes to letters.
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
Students trace and write letters on multiple handwriting pages (upper‑case tracing pages) and complete sight‑word and word writing pages where they must write whole words. Students use lowercase letter cards to spell and change CVC words aloud (word chains, building words, and Guess My Word) and they write dictated sentences, requiring them to select letters to represent sounds. Students read and sort word families focused on short vowels (am, an, ag, ack/eck/ick/ock/uck) and build words with those families, practicing the mapping of short‑vowel and consonant sounds to letters.
Lesson 6
Open Syllables and Digraph th
Students use lowercase letter cards to build and read closed CVC words with short vowels (e.g., wet, met, bed) and then manipulate letters to form open-syllable counterparts (we, me, be), demonstrating mapping of letters to sounds. Students complete handwriting pages by writing simple words (he, we, so, go, hi, she; my, me, no, be, I, by) and copy a sentence, producing written letters for the sounds they say. Students spell and write digraph and consonant words using letter cards and dictation (this, thin, with, math, them, path; and sentence dictation including "The path was wet and hot."), practicing writing letters for consonant and short-vowel phonemes.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
Students use letter cards to build and spell words containing consonant digraphs (Activity 3.2). Students write dictated words with dry-erase markers that represent target sounds (Activity 4.2) and complete fill-in-the-blank pages by writing the missing digraphs (Activity 5.1). Students also read and compare open and closed syllables and read CVC words (Day 3), providing practice with short-vowel sounds in context.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
Students are asked to write words on a laminated writing sheet (Activity 1.2) and to say each word slowly to hear all sounds and then write the word beside the picture (Activity 3.3 Writing Words). Students complete fill-in-the-blank pages by writing the missing initial blends (Activity 5.1) and spell words using lowercase letter cards and word-building cards while saying each letter sound (Activities 2.2, 3.2, 4.2). Students also complete sentence dictation, writing full sentences that include consonant and short-vowel sounds (Activity 5.2).
Lesson 9
Blends with l
Students write words from dictation (Activities 2.2 and 3.2) where they write words such as glad, glob, plum, club, black, flock, flash, and blot, requiring letters for consonants and short vowels. Students complete "Fill in the Blanks" pages (Activity 4.1) by writing the missing initial blends (gl, pl, cl, bl, sl, fl) into word forms. Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to spell and change words aloud (Activities 2.1, 3.1, 4.2), saying each letter sound as they build words. Students also write full sentences from dictation (Activity 5.2), applying letter-sound correspondences when producing written words.
Lesson 10
Blends with r
Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building activities (Day 2 and Day 3) to assemble words with initial consonant blends and vowels (e.g., spell crab, crib, frog, drag, drip). Students say each word slowly to hear all the sounds and then write the word beside the picture on the "Writing Words" pages (Activity 2.2). In Alphabet Soup and Word Building activities students write words they create from letters/blends and on Day 5 they write dictated sentences and trace/write weekly sight words on handwriting pages.
Lesson 11
Ending Blends
Students are asked to use lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to spell dictated words (Activity 2.2, Activity 3.1, Activity 4.1) and then write those words on the appropriate 'nd/mp/lf/nt' pages. Activities direct students to say individual letter sounds (/n/, /d/, /m/, /p/, etc.), blend them (/nd/, /mp/), and then write the resulting words (e.g., sand, pond, lamp, jump, pan→pant, wet→went). Sentence dictation and repeated writing practice (Activity 5.2 and multiple write-and-read tasks) require students to write letters to represent the sounds in single-syllable and blended words.
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
Students spell and build many one-syllable CVC and FLOSS words using lowercase letter cards and word-building cards (e.g., buzz, sniff, well, miss; mass, mess, huff, puff). Students write words on laminated sheets and handwriting paper (hill, fizz, dress, stuff, puff, class, less, boss, fluff) and complete picture-to-word writing pages for ss and ff words. The Skills list and activities require students to isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds and to demonstrate one-to-one letter-sound correspondences for consonants and vowels.
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
Students are asked to write sight words on the laminated writing sheet as the teacher says them (Activity 1.3). Students complete Fill in the Blanks by writing the missing digraphs/letter groups (Activity 4.1) and write dictated words such as sing, long, skunk, stink on the laminated writing sheet (Activity 4.2). Students also write full sentences from dictation (Activity 5.3), and they perform word-building and spelling tasks that require selecting and writing letters for sounds in many target words (Days 2–5 word-family and sorting activities).
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
Students use lowercase letter cards to spell words aloud (e.g., scrap, scrub, strap, stress, quilt, quest) and are asked to sound out and read those words. Students write words on a laminated sheet (shrimp, shrub, thrill, throb, shrug) and complete fill-in-the-blank pages by writing the missing three-letter blends. Students also complete sentence dictation (The shrimp swim in the tank.; He can strum on the strings.; There are ants in the shrub.), which requires writing letters that represent consonant and short-vowel sounds.
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to spell words aloud and in print (Activities 2.2 and 3.1), replacing letters (e.g., change "pat" to "pact") to show letter-sound correspondences for consonants and short vowels. Students write words from the Alphabet Soup activity and complete handwriting pages for sight words and dictated sentences (Activity 4.4 and Day 5), producing letters to represent the sounds in those words. Students also practice isolating and emphasizing initial, medial vowel, and final sounds and segmenting CVC words in the listed skills and when clapping syllables in Activity 1.1.
Lesson 16
R-Controlled Vowels (ar)
Students use lowercase letter cards to spell and read CVC words such as "cat" and "pat," identifying the short /a/ vowel sound. Students write words by hand (Activity 2.2) using a dry-erase marker for words like jar, tar, char, bar, star, spar and complete fill-in-the-blank pages by writing missing blends (Activity 3.2). Students complete sentence dictation (Activity 5.3) and word-chain/guess-my-word activities (Activities 5.1–5.2) in which they write target words after hearing or building them.
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students spell words using lowercase letter and word-building cards (Activity 1.2), selecting letters or letter clusters to form words such as bank, lick, milk, and king. Students write dictated words with a dry-erase marker (Activity 2.3) and write full sentences as the teacher reads them aloud, with emphasis on sounds in the words (Activity 3.2). The word-building game (Activity 3.1) has students choose vowels, consonants, and endings to build CVC and other words, and the skills list explicitly includes isolating medial vowels and producing primary letter-sound correspondences.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Long Vowels a and i with Silent e
Students use lowercase letter cards to identify vowel sounds (Activity 1.2) and to build and spell words with consonants and vowels in word-building tasks (Activity 2.3, Activity 3.2). Students write words for pictures on the "Long a and i Words" page, complete the Alphabet Soup writing activity by creating and writing long-vowel words, and take a spelling test in which they write dictated words. Students also practice handwriting and sentence dictation, writing words that contain the targeted vowel patterns.
Lesson 2
Long Vowels o, u, and e with Silent e
Students write word lists and sort words by vowel sound (for example, they write wet, shed, beg, hen in a short-e column and hot, sock, stop, golf, clock in a short-o column). Students use lowercase letter cards to spell and build words aloud (for example, chug, nuts, shrug; and cub → cube by adding e), and they complete handwriting/dictation tasks and a spelling test that require writing words containing short vowels (e.g., can, stack).
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students use lowercase letter cards to spell target words (clap, ice, race, cent, mice, price, lace, cave; cage, game, gust, age, huge) and copy/write words from laminated sheets. Students complete a spelling test in which they write words (cent, race, cage, face, gem, give, space, huge, mice, age, girl, stage) and write dictated sentences. Students also write words into categorized boxes (Hard c/Soft c/Hard g/Soft g) and complete cut-and-paste sorting activities that require them to place and glue written words under correct sound headings.
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
Students repeatedly spell words using lowercase letter cards or by writing on the laminated writing sheet (Activities 1.2, 2.2, 4.1), including consonant blends and vowel changes (e.g., spell "chat", replace a with ar; spell fort, corn, worm). Students write words on spelling test pages and in dictation (Activity 4.2 and 5.3) and complete fill-in-the-blank pages by writing vowel pairs (ar, er, ir, or, ur) to name pictures (Activity 5.1). Students also sort and glue words by their r-controlled spellings (Activity 3.1), demonstrating letter production for targeted phonemes.
Lesson 5
Long a Spellings ai, ay
Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building activities to spell dictated words (Activities 2.2, 3.2) and to change single letters in word chains (Activity 4.1), so they practice mapping letters to sounds while assembling words. Students write words on laminated writing sheets and complete fill-in-the-blank and spelling test pages (Activity 1.2, Activity 2.3, Activity 4.2), producing written forms of words that include consonants and some short vowels (e.g., "him," "has"). The skills list explicitly includes demonstrating one-to-one letter-sound correspondences and decoding regularly spelled one-syllable words, which supports letter-writing practice tied to phonemes.
Lesson 6
Long e Spellings ee, ey, ea
Students sort and read short-e and long-e word lists (Activity 1.2), which exposes them to short-e words (neck, when, tent, etc.). Students write words in multiple tasks: Alphabet Soup asks them to spell and write at least 12 words (Activity 3.1), the Writing 'ea' Words activity has students write pictured words, and the Day 4 Spelling Test and Day 5 Sentence Dictation require students to write target words and sentences. The skills list also includes producing one-to-one letter-sound correspondences and decoding regularly spelled one-syllable words, implying practice with mapping sounds to letters.
Lesson 8
Long o Spellings ow, oa, oe
Students use lowercase letter cards to spell words as the teacher calls them (Activity 2.2), selecting consonant letters and vowel-team cards (ow, oa, oe) and then reading each word. Students write long-o words from picture cues on the "Writing oa Words" pages (Activity 3.1) and complete sentence dictation and a spelling test by writing words and sentences (Days 4 and 5). Students also sort and place short-o and long-o words into categories (Activity 1.2), handling many examples of consonant+vowel patterns.
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
Students read and compare short-u words (tub, cut, cub) and then add -e to make long-u words (tube, cute, cube) in Activity 1.2, prompting attention to vowel sounds and spelling changes. Students use lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to spell target words (e.g., due, sue, cue, blue, few, crew, soup, you) and write those words on a laminated sheet during Activities 2.1, 3.1, and 4.2. Students complete a spelling test and multiple writing pages where they write the target words, demonstrating writing letters for the phonemes in those words.
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students are asked to spell short-vowel words (wind, sand, lamp, stand, sent, shelf) using a laminated writing sheet and to note that the vowel sound is short in each word (Activity 1.2). Throughout the week they use lowercase letter cards to build and write words (e.g., mild, wild, child, kind, find, fold) and write words and sentences on handwriting paper and a spelling test (Days 2–5). Activities require students to map sounds to letters when they read, build, and write words and to correct spelling errors after reading their work aloud.
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students draw lowercase letter cards and use them to form and write words in Activity 1.2 (Short and Long o Review), placing spelled words into "short o" and "long o" columns. In Activity 3.2 and other word-building tasks, students use letter and word-building cards to spell words (for example soil, boil, boy, toy) and write those words on the laminated writing sheet or handwriting pages. The spelling test (Activity 4.2) asks students to write target words, including short-vowel words such as "did," and sight-word practice includes "did" and "am."
Lesson 13
Other Vowel Sounds ou, ow
Students are asked to identify pictures, say each word slowly, and write the word on the line below (Activity 1.2 Writing o Words), which requires them to map letters to the sounds in words such as dog and box (short-o). Word-building activities (Days 3 and 4) ask students to use lowercase letter cards to spell words aloud (e.g., cloud, count, proud, mound), practicing letter selection for consonants and vowel sounds. The skills list explicitly includes demonstrating one-to-one letter-sound correspondences and decoding regularly spelled one-syllable words, which supports students writing letters that represent sounds.
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
Students are asked to spell words aloud using lowercase letter cards (Activity 3.1 and 4.1) — e.g., spell saw, raw, law, haul, fault — and to write those spelled words. Students complete Alphabet Soup by creating and writing at least 12 words and use handwriting practice pages and a spelling test where they write dictated words (claw, haul, lawn, saw, draw, etc.). The Skills list and activities require students to produce letter-sound correspondences, segment and blend sounds, and decode or write regularly spelled one-syllable words.
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students practice representing sounds with lowercase letter cards during word-building activities (e.g., spelling wood, zoom, seam, bread) and they write words and sentences during the sight-word writing, spelling test, and sentence dictation activities. The skills list and multiple activities ask students to segment spoken single-syllable words, blend sounds, and read or spell words aloud, which requires mapping sounds to letters. Students also copy and write sight words on a laminated sheet, providing direct practice forming letters in written words.
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students practice spelling and writing words using letter cards (Activity 2.2 and 3.2 Word Building) and copy/read words on multiple "Writing Words" and "Writing Sight Words" pages. Students take a spelling test and complete sentence dictation (Day 4 Activity 4.3; Day 5 Activity 5.3), which require them to write letters to represent sounds in words with short vowels (e.g., gnat, wrap, wren, wreck, knit, knob). The skills list and sorting activity require students to name and group words by vowel sounds, indicating practice with short-vowel sound identification and writing those words.
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students are asked to manipulate lowercase letter cards and word-building cards to move letters around and create words (Alphabet Soup activities), and then write the words on handwriting paper (encouraged to spell at least 12 words). Students write one or two sentences based on pictures using words they have worked with previously (Sentence Writing). The skills list explicitly includes demonstrating one-to-one letter-sound correspondences and segmenting/blending single-syllable words, which students practice when they read, build, and write words (lists include short-vowel words such as win, run, lid, sun, and bread).