Kindergarten - ELA
1: Letters
Unit 1: A - A Is for Musk Ox
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly presents a vocabulary entry: "Vocabulary Word: herd -- a large group of animals that live together," and a sight word "you," which gives students direct exposure to word meanings. The reading section has the teacher read the book aloud and ask comprehension questions after reading, providing a supported context in which words appear. Activities ask the child to point to parts of the book (title, author, illustrator) and to discuss alphabet order, offering opportunities for teacher-child interaction around text.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson directs an adult and child to "discuss the vocabulary word for the week, 'herd'" and to "explain that musk oxen live in herds and that a herd is a large group of animals that live together," which gives students an explained meaning for an unknown word. Activity 1 asks the adult and child to "read and watch about musk oxen" and to "discuss how the information you share with your child compares with what the musk ox in the story says," providing opportunities to talk about words encountered in the text.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson instructs an adult to ask the child what the word "herd" means when reading the book and to discuss the word, including reading the definition ("a large group of animals that live together") and why it fits the context. The lesson also has the adult direct the child to find marked words in the text and point to letters, providing prompting while reading vocabulary in context.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The Review section instructs an adult to "Ask her what a herd is," prompting the child to answer a question about an unfamiliar word. Activity 1 directs discussion of musk ox habitats and tundra regions, exposing students to domain-specific vocabulary such as "tundra" and location names while encouraging discussion. Activity 2 names the specialized term "qiviut" when describing the ox's fur, introducing another potentially unknown word for the child to hear.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Getting Started review explicitly instructs to "Ask him what a herd is," which has the child answer a question about the meaning of a word. The Reading Workshop asks the child to trace words from left to right and later asks whether the child liked the book and why, providing opportunities for oral response about the text.
Unit 2: H - Hondo and Fabian
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "character" with the definition "a person or animal in a story," so students are taught the meaning of a text word. The teacher script prompts students to "ask him what he thinks the words 'Hondo' and 'Fabian' mean" and to use the front cover illustration to consider how the picture relates to the title, which prompts students to ask and answer about unfamiliar words. The lesson also labels a sight word "he," giving another example of direct word instruction.
Unit 3: I - The Little Island
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson identifies a vocabulary word ('island') and instructs the adult to ask the child if she knows what an island is and to teach the definition. Activity 2 directs the child to discuss the definition of an island and to look at a world map to compare islands and continents. The reading questions also prompt the child to find and name vocabulary items like the sight word 'little' and to locate words such as author and illustrator.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to tell the definition of the word "island" during the Getting Started review, directly prompting them to answer a question about an unfamiliar word from the text. The teacher reads the first two lines of the story aloud and engages the child with questions about the scene, providing a context in which vocabulary could be discussed. Students also practice reading sight words and letter sounds, which supports word-level attention while reading.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The review asks the child to tell the definition of an island, which has the child answer a question about a word meaning. The lesson also has students review sight word cards (you, he, little) and letters and to look at the book title and title page, prompting oral discussion of words and labels on the cover. During Writing Workshop students are asked questions that prompt them to produce and say words (e.g., "What animals did you see?"), giving additional opportunities to use and say vocabulary.
Unit 4: T - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "structure" and provides a definition: "a thing made up of a number of parts joined together in a certain way." The reading/activity prompts ask the child to preview the book, predict meaning from title/illustrations, and the parent is directed to introduce the word and refer back to pictures during discussion. Question #1 asks students to recall parts of animal structures from the book, reinforcing the vocabulary in context.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson instructs an adult to "ask your child to explain each of the terms" (herd, character, island), prompting students to define vocabulary aloud. The lesson explicitly directs "talk about the word 'structure.' What does it mean?" which asks students to answer questions about a word's meaning. The materials reference the book pages (e.g., "In What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?, look specifically at the pages about the animals' tails") and the front cover, providing text contexts where words can be discussed.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The teacher shows the sight word card "this," places the word on the book cover and in other places, and asks the child what he thinks the word is, having the child practice reading it. The lesson introduces the vocabulary terms "fiction" and "nonfiction" and explains the meaning of "nonfiction" to the child. The reading includes teacher prompts and direct practice with a specific unknown or targeted word in text context.
Unit 5: L - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly defines the vocabulary word 'adjective' and instructs the adult to introduce that term to the child as a describing word. The reading prompts ask the child to look back through the story, point out the word 'colorful' in the text, and discuss that 'colorful' describes the leaves. The lesson asks the child to name other adjectives that might describe leaves (brown, crunchy, soft, etc.), prompting discussion about word meanings in context.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson directs the adult to show the child the sight word "go," have the child point to it, say it, and repeat it each time it appears in the text. The lesson instructs the adult to ask the child to identify adjectives in the story (e.g., "What word the author uses to describe the forest?") and to have the child repeat phrases like "dark forest." These steps show the child answering teacher prompts about specific words in the text.
Unit 6: F - Fireflies
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists the vocabulary word "flicker" with an explicit definition ("to move back-and-forth or flash on-and-off"). In Question #1 the child is asked if he knows what "flicker" means and is challenged to think of other things that flicker. The Reading and Questions section guides the adult to ask and discuss the meaning of the word with the child while looking back at the text and pictures.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson directs an adult to ask the child if she remembers another word that means the same thing as "blinking on, blinking off" (flickering) and to ask what she thinks "soaring" means. It explicitly asks the child to consider how the words around "soaring" help give clues about its meaning. The instructions frame these prompts as supported questions about word meaning during reading.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The review asks the child, "if he remembers what 'flicker' means," which prompts the child to respond about a word's meaning. The instructions also direct showing the word card "said" and encouraging the child to read the word when it appears in the text, and to encourage the child to read "said" during the read-aloud.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The review prompt explicitly tells the adult to "Ask your child if she remembers what 'flicker' means," which has the child respond about a word's meaning. The review also asks the child to tell the opposite of "mean (nice)," prompting vocabulary discussion and word meaning practice.
Unit 7: E - But No Elephants
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly lists the vocabulary word 'predicament' with a definition and then instructs the adult to "Explain that a predicament is a difficult, perplexing, or trying situation." The follow-up prompt asks the child to name predicaments Grandma Tildy faced and to explain how she solved each predicament, requiring the child to apply the word's meaning to examples from the text. The lesson also includes guided oral questioning throughout the reading (e.g., asking what the child thinks the book will be about and post-reading comprehension questions).
Lesson 2
Day 2
The review section asks the adult to ask the child to explain each listed vocabulary word and to give an example, directly prompting the child to state word meanings. The review also asks the child to recall the meaning of the word "predicament" and to name one predicament Grandma Tildy faced in the story, which requires the child to answer about a word in the text. Activity 1 prompts the child to use positional words (in, on, under, beside, etc.) to describe illustrations, practicing using vocabulary in context.
Unit 8: C - Millions of Cats
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists a vocabulary word at the start: "quarrel -- to disagree angrily." During reading, the teacher prompt explicitly says: "Introduce the word 'quarrel' to your child. It means to argue angrily." The follow-up question asks the child to apply that word: "Why were the cats quarreling?" so students must answer about the unknown word in context.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The plan directs an adult to ask the child if she knows what the word "quarrel" means, which has the child identify and respond about a possibly unknown word in the text. The teacher/parent is also prompted to review vocabulary from previous weeks and to talk about physical features (rivers, ponds, lakes, hills, valleys, meadows), which gives opportunities for children to hear and possibly answer questions about specific words. The activity that has the child look at the book cover and find the uppercase C includes explicit prompting to notice and talk about letters and their sounds.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson directs an adult to show the sight word card "pretty," ask the child how the word was used in the book, and have the child read the word aloud. The lesson also instructs the adult to point to the word "pretty" during reading and have the child repeat phrases from the text, which prompts attention to specific words in context.
Unit 9: G - The Real Mother Goose
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are shown a ball and a die-cut circle and are asked to identify and compare them, with the teacher naming the ball a "sphere" and asking the child to use that new word (for example, saying "the sphere is on top of the shelf"). Students listen to and follow along with poems on the CD/MP3 while moving a finger left to right, which exposes them to words in connected text. Students are asked to name as many spheres as they can, practicing vocabulary recall for that new term.
Unit 10: O - Owl Babies
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson provides explicit vocabulary instruction by defining the words "fiction" and "non-fiction" and labeling "fiction -- an imaginary or made-up story; and non-fiction -- something true and factual." During reading, students are asked whether the book told a story or taught facts and to explain how they know, which requires using the vocabulary to classify the text. The teacher prompt "Explain that books that tell stories... are called fiction" gives students a direct opportunity to answer questions about the meaning of those terms in the context of the book.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The Review section has the adult give the child a list of vocabulary words and ask the child to explain what each word means in her own words, providing direct practice with word meaning and teacher prompting. Activity 2 discusses letter-sound relationships (the letter O and the "ow" sound in "owl") and has the child practice producing the sounds, which relates to word pronunciation. The teacher also asks questions about the book (e.g., whether it is fiction or nonfiction) and asks the child to talk about what she sees on the cover.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson has the adult point out the sight word "want," tell the child what it says, ask who in the book wants something and what he wants, and have the child practice reading the word and Bill's line "I want my mommy!". The lesson also includes an optional task where the child names or reads shape words (circle, oval, triangle) when moving to them. The retelling question asks the child to tell the story in his own words, which requires comprehension of vocabulary in context.
Unit 11: S - Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly lists a Vocabulary Word: "season -- one of four natural divisions in the year, marked by particular weather patterns," giving students a direct definition. The Reading And Questions section instructs the adult to have the child look at the book cover, describe what she sees, and then read the book with the child, which exposes students to text and vocabulary in context. The lesson also includes a sight word for the unit and prompts oral responses to content questions about the book.
Unit 12: D - Dinosaurs Big and Small
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes: "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text." The lesson introduces and defines the vocabulary word "characteristic" and instructs students to "Discuss the different characteristics... Explain that a characteristic is...", prompting students to clarify that word's meaning. The Skills also list "Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content," which guides student practice.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson explicitly directs an adult to ask the child what the word "sprawl" means after reading page 27 and to ask the child how he can guess the meaning of that word. The lesson tells the adult to point out the sentence contrast (dinosaurs walked tall but did not sprawl) and to use the picture of a lizard and crocodile as a clue. These prompts require the child to ask and answer questions about an unknown word using context and illustration support.
Unit 13: P - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson includes explicit language objectives: "Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content" and "Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately." The teacher script prompts the child to explain the vocabulary word imagination and provides a definition, and it reminds the child of the previously discussed word predicament. The Questions to Explore also ask about how the same word can mean different things depending on context, which invites attention to word meanings.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The Word Play activity directs an adult to ask the child what the word "trim" means in context and to discuss that it can have multiple meanings. The activity also asks the child what "drew" usually means and then to interpret its meaning in the sentence where Harold "drew up" the covers. The teacher prompts the child to think of other familiar words that have two meanings (duck, mouse, ball, bat) and to explain those meanings.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are explicitly prompted to discuss the meaning of a word from the text when the guide says, "In Harold and the Purple Crayon... Ask your child what an imagination means," and a parenthetical definition is provided. This prompt links the vocabulary word directly to the story context, asking the child to answer a question about an unknown word in the text.
Unit 14: B - Blueberries for Sal
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly presents a vocabulary word and definition: "Vocabulary Word: hustle -- to move energetically and rapidly," which gives students direct exposure to an unknown word and its meaning. The parent prompts (e.g., "Have your child look at the cover... Ask him what he notices" and "Read the book to your child and then discuss these questions") show guided question-and-answer interactions during reading. The lesson includes guided discussion questions after reading that require spoken responses from the child.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson explicitly asks the child to describe what the word "hustle" must mean based on a picture from the book (Activity 3). The lesson has the child use picture clues to infer the meaning and then physically act out "hustle" to demonstrate understanding. The teacher also asks the child to read different movement words from the book and pretend to be the characters, reinforcing meaning through context and action.
Unit 15: R - Rain
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly labels a vocabulary word: downpour -- a time of sudden and heavy rain, giving students a direct definition to learn. The reading prompts ask the child to notice small words on the cover and to talk about different words for rain (sprinkling, raining, drizzling, pouring), prompting discussion about word meanings. The guided questions (e.g., "Talk about different kinds of rain…Has she ever been caught in a downpour?") require the child to answer questions that involve vocabulary related to the text.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The review instructions tell an adult to ask the child what another word for "downpour" could be, which prompts the child to answer a question about a specific vocabulary word. The materials also instruct review of sight words from current and previous lessons, which gives students opportunities to encounter known vocabulary with support. These elements show a direct, prompted question-and-answer interaction about word meaning.
Unit 16: N - Night in the Country
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson includes a vocabulary entry that defines the word "country" and a skills bullet that explicitly says students will "determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases" and will "explore word relationships and nuances in word meanings" with guidance. The adult is prompted to ask the child what the word "country" means, elicit one meaning (a nation), and then explain and discuss the second meaning (an area far from a city). The reading prompts also ask the child to identify related words and time-of-day vocabulary (e.g., sunset, evening, night) through questions about the cover and text.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are given a list of vocabulary words (e.g., flicker, predicament, quarrel, characteristic, imagination, downpour) and are asked to explain each word in their own words. Students are asked to describe two different meanings for the word "country." The lesson prompts students to explain word meanings aloud during review and to practice defining words with prompting and support.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 tells students that readers ask questions while they read and explicitly notes they might wonder what a word means. Students are asked to spend time independently with the book, identify a question or two they'd like to know more about (including word meaning), and then share those questions. The activity directs students to talk about their questions and do some research to find answers if appropriate.
Unit 17: M - Marshmallow
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists a vocabulary word explicitly: "hesitated -- waited before acting." In Reading And Questions, Question #4 directs an adult to "ask your child if she knows what that word means, and define it for her if she doesn't," and then asks the child to explain why Oliver hesitated before pouncing. These steps prompt the child to discuss an unknown word in the context of the text and answer questions about its meaning.
Lesson 2
Day 2
During Review students are asked what it means to "hesitate," prompting them to answer a question about word meaning. In Poetry Memorization students are asked to supply omitted words from a poem, requiring them to recall or infer missing vocabulary. Activity 2 links the letter M to words like "marshmallow," "monkey," and "money," reinforcing word-sound connections and exposure to vocabulary beginning with M.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The teacher directs the child to the second page, points to the word "out," shows a matching word card, and has the child practice reading that specific word. The child rereads the book and reads the word "out" as it occurs in context. After reading, the child is asked to tell the story in her own words using the pictures as prompts.
Unit 18: U - Umbrella
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked directly about the meaning of the word "unfortunately" on page 6 and are prompted to say whether they know what it means; the text then supplies the meaning (unluckily or unhappily). The teacher/parent prompt directs students to identify the opposite ("fortunately") and to notice the prefix "un" and its meaning. Activity 2 and the extension encourage students to look for and practice other words with the "un-" prefix (unwrap, unsure, undone, etc.).
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson instructs the adult to ask the child if she knows what the prefix "un-" means, which prompts the child to answer about a word element. The lesson also prompts the adult to ask "What are clouds?" and to have the child describe clouds and how they are alike and different. The Web Weather for Kids link and the cloud observation activity expose the child to informational vocabulary about clouds.
Unit 19: J - Jump Frog Jump
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "escape -- to get away" and instructs the adult to tell the child that another word for "get away" is "escape." The lesson asks the child to look back through the book to remember what animals the frog escaped, prompting the child to find and answer questions about occurrences of that word in the text. Several activity prompts (e.g., consulting the book to order events) require the child to refer back to the text for meaning and details.
Unit 20: K - Kindness
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists the vocabulary word 'grand' with the definition 'very good or excellent.' In Question #2 the student is asked if he knows what the word 'grand' means and, if not, is given the meaning and prompted to think of something that makes him feel 'grand.' The lesson explicitly prompts the child to answer a question about an unknown word in the text and provides support by supplying the definition.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked during Review to give a word that means the same thing as "grand," prompting them to produce and discuss a word meaning. In Activity 3 students look at pictures, recognize objects, circle the correct beginning letter, cut and paste letters, and spell words using provided letters, which engages them with word forms and vocabulary. The Beginning Letter Sounds page has students draw lines from letters to pictures that start with those sounds, reinforcing connections between letters and word-initial sounds.
Unit 21: V - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson lists a vocabulary word 'solo' with a simple definition and instructs the adult to "Talk about this word." Students are prompted to identify the trombone playing alone, choose the number card 1, and find the matching word "solo." The activities ask the child questions such as "Has your child ever sung a solo? What does it mean to do something 'solo'?" which prompt asking and answering about that unknown word.
Unit 22: Y - Little Blue and Little Yellow
Lesson 1
Day 1
The text instructs an adult to point out the page that says "In school they sit in neat rows" and ask the child if she knows what "row" means. It then directs the child to generate another meaning for the word and to create a sentence using "row" twice with different meanings. The Skills list explicitly includes "Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately," reinforcing word-meaning work.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to review vocabulary and define each term in their own words (e.g., characteristic, imagination, hustle, etc.), which requires them to answer questions about word meanings. Students are asked to describe two meanings of the word "row," prompting them to identify and explain different senses of a word. Students are also directed to look back at pictures in the story, which could support discussing word meaning from illustrations.
Unit 23: W - George Washington's Birthday
Lesson 1
Day 1
The Skills list explicitly states: "Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text." During reading, the child is asked about the word "tyrant," prompted to define it, and asked to judge whether George's brother was a tyrant. The text also asks the child what George is using to write (a quill pen) and provides a definition of "arithmetic" when discussing his work, giving additional opportunities to question and answer word meanings.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 2 explicitly asks the child to deduce the meaning of italicized words by using the context of the sentence and the book illustrations. The directions instruct the adult to ask the child if he can deduce meanings and to consult surrounding sentences and pictures as supports. The activity also prompts discussion of multiple meanings (example: talking about the two meanings of "mind") and has the child act out the sentence to demonstrate understanding.
Unit 24: Q - The Quilt Story
Lesson 1
Day 1
After reading, the child is asked about the word "shavings" and whether he knows any familiar meanings. The child is prompted to discuss possible meanings (for example, shaving hair) and then is given an explicit explanation that "shavings" means thin slices or slivers that are cut off. The explanation connects the meaning to the story context (little pieces of wood carved off when the father made the rocking horse).
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson explicitly directs an adult to "Ask your child what wood shavings are," which prompts the child to answer a question about a specific word from the text. The activities also ask the child to identify vocabulary items from the beginning pages (e.g., wood, tea, beeswax, bayberries, animal fats) and landforms (hills, prairie, river), exposing students to domain-specific words. In Option 2 the adult is told to relate sand to the word "quicksand," introducing a new word and its connection to the text.
Unit 25: X - An Extraordinary Egg
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked at the cover of the book whether they know what the word "extraordinary" means and are told that it means "unusually amazing." The plan gives examples of the word in context (sunrise, home run, painting) and asks students to decide whether specific items are "extraordinary" and to explain their reasoning. The vocabulary word and its definition also appear in the lesson's Facts and Definitions section and are reinforced during the read-aloud and follow-up questions.
Unit 26: Z - Greedy Zebra
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly introduces the vocabulary word "greedy" and provides a student-facing definition: "wanting more of something than you need or can use." It instructs an adult to talk about the word, give examples, and ask the child to think of examples and predict how the zebra will be greedy. After reading, the child is asked to explain how the zebra was greedy and what happened because of that greediness.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to review vocabulary words selected from previous units and to define each term in their own words, with a list of specific words provided (e.g., downpour, country, hesitated, unfortunately, escape, swift, solo, row, arithmetic, shavings, extraordinary). An adult is instructed to have the child define each term, which provides direct, supported practice in answering questions about word meanings. The activity asks the child to give examples using vocabulary (e.g., give an example of being greedy), which requires applying word meanings in context.
2: Holidays
Unit 27: Halloween
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly lists "Vocabulary Word: lagoon -- a shallow body of water." It instructs the child to listen for the word "lagoon" in the story and see which definition is used. Question #1 asks the child to look at the picture and decide whether the lagoon in context is a body of salt water connected to the ocean or a shallow area of dirty water, requiring the child to answer about the word's meaning from context.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The review section asks the child if she remembers what a lagoon is, prompting recollection or discussion of a word's meaning. The skeleton activity lists body-part terms and instructs the adult to "assist your child if she is unfamiliar with any of these terms," which invites explanation and answering of questions about vocabulary. The Dem Bones activity asks the child to point to correct bones as she dances, reinforcing identification and naming of anatomical words.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The Getting Started section directs an adult to "Ask him to explain what a lagoon is and a goon," which has the child provide meanings for specific words. The Reading section has the child read Goodnight Goon and encourages him to join in at line endings if he knows the word that will follow, prompting word recognition and responses during reading.
Lesson 4
Day 4
In Getting Started, the child is prompted to "think of a word that could be used instead of 'lagoon' (pond, puddle)," which asks the child to identify and provide a meaning-based substitute for a word. The lesson also asks the child to review sight words and letter cards, creating opportunities to talk about words with prompting and support.
Unit 28: Thanksgiving
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson explicitly lists a vocabulary word: "grateful -- thankful," and instructs adults to "talk about what it means to be grateful" and to ask the child what she is grateful for, which involves discussing word meaning. The reading activity asks the child questions about the book's cover and to summarize why Thanksgiving is celebrated, encouraging discussion of text content. The skills list includes a related item: "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text," showing practice in question-and-answer routine during reading.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson includes a direct prompt: "Ask your child what it means to be grateful," which asks students to explain the meaning of a word. The Review section also directs review of sight words and letter cards, giving students practice with word meanings and recognition. The Thanksgiving activities reference vocabulary in the Abraham Lincoln text (e.g., "president," "slavery," "log cabin"), which could be discussed during teacher-led questioning.
Unit 29: Christmas
Lesson 3
Day 3
Activity 1 asks an adult to explain that the northern lights are called the "aurora borealis" and describes why they occur, providing a direct definition of a specific term. Activity 3 has students page through the book to note animals and directs them to read an article about reindeer, exposing students to domain-specific words (e.g., tundra, thrive).
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
Students are asked to review vocabulary words every day and to describe each vocabulary word and use it correctly in a sentence, which engages them in discussing word meaning. In Option 1, students read or sound out picture labels with missing first letters and discuss which letters are missing as an adult pronounces the words. In Option 2 and Activity 4, students label rooms, copy words after an adult writes them, and practice handwriting of words like "bath" and "bed," providing guided practice with word forms and meanings.
Lesson 2
What Is a Map?
Students are asked to label items on map worksheets, complete scrambled words, and sound out letters as they write (Activities 2 and 3). The lesson instructs adults to "walk him through the letters, sounding them out with him" and to "encourage him to sound out each word and to spell it the way it sounds," and includes handwriting practice for words like map, home, and house. Students repeatedly identify and name objects on maps (e.g., refrigerator, bathtub, television) and answer location questions about those labeled items.
Lesson 3
Guide to Animal Habitats
The introduction directs the adult to "Review the definition of the word 'environment'" and to ask the child if she can describe the environment in which she lives, which prompts discussion of a vocabulary word. The cover questions ask the child to identify letters in the title and author's name and to attempt to read the title, supporting word-level recognition and teacher-supported naming. The read-aloud activity instructs the adult to stop while reading to ask the child to point out items in the habitat, offering some teacher-child interaction around text content.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
Students are asked to add the first and last letter for each habitat and to "attempt to read/sound out the word," and Option 2 asks students to read the names of the habitats in a word box and label the pictures. The materials include a vocabulary list of habitat words and an explicit teacher prompt explaining the term "aquatic." The activities require students to read captions or names (e.g., on picture pages and the Animal Habitat grid) when matching animals to habitats.
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 1
Reading the Skies
The lesson requires daily vocabulary review and asks the child to describe and use weather words in sentences (Introduction and Skills: 'Use new vocabulary in speech and writing'). Activity 2 has students match weather words to pictures, write words under pictures (Option 2), and dictate sentences using each vocabulary word. Wrapping Up and Life Application ask the child to describe weather in pictures and discuss vocabulary used in weather forecasts.
Lesson 8
Summer
Students are given picture-word prompts (beach, hot, trip, swim, pool) and asked to choose which word fits each blank in a short passage, using context clues and illustrations. The lesson directs students to read the story aloud, copy words into blanks, or write the first letter of the correct word, which practices using new vocabulary in speech and writing. Activities also include teacher prompts to discuss the picture (e.g., describe the environment, what is happening), which supports word use in context.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 5
Resources
The lesson includes explicit vocabulary definitions (Resources; Natural resources; Manmade resources) in the Facts and Definitions section. Students sort and label items as natural or manmade in Activity 1 and Activity 2, and they are asked to explain how each gathered item is used or where it is found in Activity 3. The Life Application and wrap-up prompt students to identify and explain differences between natural and manmade resources in everyday contexts.
Lesson 8
Rules and Laws
The lesson provides explicit definitions under "Facts and Definitions" that tell students what a rule and a law are. The Introduction directs adults to "Ask your child what a rule is," prompting the child to answer a question about the meaning of that word. Activity 2 has the child read items aloud and decide whether each example is a law or a rule, which requires attending to word meaning in context.
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
The story text defines the word "apartment" directly: "An apartment building is a large building where many families live. Each family lives in its own apartment, which contains all the rooms the family lives in." The handwriting activity has students trace and write the vocabulary words "citizen" and "care," giving direct word-level practice. Several discussion questions (e.g., "Where does Katy live?" and "What does Katy do to be a good citizen?") invite talk about location and role vocabulary related to the text.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 8
Amazing Attributes
The lesson provides explicit vocabulary entries (Facts and Definitions) for magnet, magnetic, sink, float, and density and includes a Skills bullet to "Develop and use vocabulary associated with properties of materials." The activities prompt an adult to ask the child questions such as "what a magnet is" and "what it means for something to be magnetic," and the Sink or Float activity has students predict and then record results in labeled "sink" and "float" columns. The wrapping up section instructs the adult to ask the child to recall and explain terms and to review parts of the video that explain "why" objects sink or float.
Lesson 10
Earth Materials: Rocks, Soil, and Water
The lesson directs an adult to show the child the book's glossary (labeled "About the Animals") and explains that the glossary defines important, bolded words in the text. The Skills list explicitly includes "Know and use various text features (e.g., ... glossaries) to locate key facts or information in a text." Activity 2 asks the child to read glossary entries and find the animals described in the illustrations, giving the child exposure to word definitions and where to find them in the book.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 5
Touch
The introduction prompts the child to recall and define the word "texture" and asks which sense is used to identify it, giving students an opportunity to ask and answer about that word. Activity instructions ask students to choose or generate adjectives to describe objects (Touch It Option 1 and 2) and to add two adjectives to the Touch Chart, which has students practice word meaning and usage. Handwriting practice asks students to write the words "touch" and "taste," reinforcing recognition and use of vocabulary related to senses.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Students are asked to review vocabulary words daily and to be able to describe each vocabulary word and use it correctly in a sentence. The lesson defines the word "unique" and includes handwriting and tracing practice for the word "unique." Students are encouraged to attempt to read each question aloud and to sound out words for their answers, with assistance provided as needed.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
In Activity 1, students read a list of personality words, attempt to sound out words, and are asked to circle first and last letters and tell the sounds those letters make. Students are asked to explain what each word means and, when they do not know a meaning, an adult provides an appropriate definition. Activity 4 has students trace and write the word "quiet," giving additional practice with a specific vocabulary word.
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 3
What Comes Next?
The lesson provides explicit definitions that students encounter and can discuss (e.g., "Extend means to make something longer" and "To extend a pattern means to continue the pattern..."). Students are asked to explain the meaning of the word "pattern" and to answer questions using vocabulary such as "first," "next," "before," and "after" while analyzing sequences. Activity 4 has students write a question sentence ("What do you see after the ________?") which prompts them to use and reflect on vocabulary in context.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 11
Patterns in Graphs
The lesson explicitly introduces the word "data," telling the child that data is the information used to create a graph and asking the child to point out examples of data in graphs. Activities direct the child to read titles and labels aloud and to "discuss the data on the graph," and to have labels and titles explained (e.g., circle the title and labels, "Explain what each label means"). These elements show direct vocabulary focus tied to text elements on graphs and charts.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 2
What Changed?
Students are prompted to read Part 1 and "encourage him to answer the questions about the changes in the book," including the direct vocabulary question: "What do you call a change where something changes into something new? (A chemical change.)." The lesson also provides explicit definitions (e.g., "Location is where something can be found") and asks students to explain differences between physical and chemical changes, which requires understanding and responding to word meanings in the text.
Lesson 3
Changing Position
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases," which targets word-meaning work. Activity 1 asks students to find the words "gravity" and "inertia" in the index, go to the referenced pages, and copy the sentence(s) containing those words, exposing students to context for meaning. Introduction and Activity 6 prompt the child with questions (e.g., "why objects...come back down") and provide direct definitions (e.g., "a force is a push or pull," "this force is called gravity").
Lesson 6
Changes in the Sky
Students are prompted to explain and describe terms as they act out concepts (e.g., the adult asks the child what the adult is doing and explains 'revolving' and 'rotating'). The lesson provides an explicit parenthetical definition for a specific word: it explains that the Moon does not produce its own light and that the Sun "illuminates (or lights up) the Moon." Students also generate and record adjectives and phrases to describe the Sun and Moon on activity pages, exposing them to and practicing use of vocabulary in context.
Lesson 7
Living Things Change
Students are asked to identify and circle words that describe changes (number, size, shape, place) on the "Changes in Living Things" activity, engaging directly with vocabulary in the text. Students are asked to decide whether each change is "fast" or "slow," which requires them to interpret and use descriptive words from the activity pages. The lesson explicitly introduces and defines the word "camouflage," asks students to apply that word to pictures, and has students color to show understanding.
Unit 2: Characters Change
Lesson 1
What's in a Name
Activity 4 (Vocabulary) asks the child to listen for listed words, pause the story, and guess what each word means based on how it is used in the text, recording those guesses and then matching them to provided definitions. The activity also directs the adult to underline and explain the suffixes "-less" and "-ful" as clues to word meaning. The Skills section explicitly lists determining or clarifying the meaning of unknown words and using affixes as strategies.
Lesson 3
Is It a Problem?
The lesson's Skills include: "With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings," and Activity 1 directs students to examine personification and idioms in the text. Adults are instructed to explain that phrases like "What if it swallows me up?" are personification and that "tackle my problem" is an idiom, and to explain meanings (e.g., "If needed, explain what a tackle in football is"). Students are asked to look through the book and talk about how the author represents the problem and to illustrate those representations on the activity page.
Lesson 5
The Raft
Students read sentences on the Vocabulary page and use clues in the text to select matching definitions (Activity 2). Students discuss idiomatic and figurative phrases and explain what the phrases mean in context (Activity 6). The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes determining or clarifying the meaning of unknown words and demonstrating understanding of word meanings with guidance and support.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 4
Past and Present
The Skills section asks students to "Use vocabulary related to time and chronology ('first,' 'before,' 'after,' 'next,' and 'last')," and the skills list includes "Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries...)". Several activities ask students to refer to The Usborne Time Traveler for ideas and to discuss differences and clues from the text (e.g., Activity 5 asks students to discuss what clues they used to determine order). Students are prompted to read sections and to dictate or write sentences that describe differences between past and present.
Lesson 6
Predicting Future Change
The lesson explicitly defines the words "positive" and "negative" in the Facts and Definitions section and lists "Use new vocabulary in speech and writing (LA)" as a skill. In Activity 2, students decide whether predicted outcomes are positive or negative, label them with "P" or "N," and write sentences describing positive and negative results. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence about a change, providing additional opportunity to use the taught vocabulary.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
During guided reading of the Tap and Pat reader (Activity 5.3), students are prompted to problem-solve unknown words with explicit questions such as, "Give it another try. What's the first sound?" and "Does that word make sense here?" The lesson instructs students to use pictures to figure out words and to "sound it out" using known letter sounds. Activities 2.3 and 3.2 also have students identify beginning sounds and point to letters that match sounds, providing practice in responding to prompts about word identity.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
Students are prompted to identify and read words and then have unfamiliar words defined for them (Activity 4.2: "Define any words that she's not familiar with. For example, explain that a 'bin' is..."). Students are asked questions about word sounds and occurrences in text (Activity 1.2: "What sound does short i make?" and Activity 3.1: "Can you find any of your sight words in the message?"). Students are asked to point to letters/words and to sound out words they cannot read (Activity 3.1: "Point to the word 'can,' and ask her to sound it out." and Activity 2.2: identifying picture labels such as insect).
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
Students are asked to identify and answer questions about words and sounds (e.g., Activity 2.2 asks students to place pictures into short /o/ or short /u/ boxes and to say each word slowly). Adults prompt students to identify sight words and point to the correct card (Activity 1.3) and ask targeted questions such as "Does 'ox' begin with o or u?" (Activity 2.1). The materials instruct adults to define any words students don't know and help them sound out difficult words when reading the reader (Activity 5.2 and multiple word-family activities).
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
Students are prompted to name pictures and read words and cards (Activities 2.2, 1.3, 3.1), and the materials instruct an adult to define words the child is not familiar with (Activity 4.3: "Define any words that she's not familiar with"; Activity 3.2: "If she spells a word but doesn't know its meaning, explain it to her"). The lesson also directs adults to help with unclear picture names and to assist with sounding out words as needed, which gives students exposure to word meanings and teacher-provided explanations.
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
During Activity 4.3 (Reader #5 — Ducks Are Fun) students are asked to read the book and either figure out the meaning of the unknown word "don" from the picture or be given an explanation of its meaning. Several word-family activities (e.g., Activity 2.2, 3.3, 4.2) instruct adults to "explain the meanings of the words as needed" and to help students sound out words and correct mistakes. The reader activity also prompts students to read aloud and answer comprehension questions (e.g., "Which duck do you think is having the most fun? Why?"), linking word meaning to context and discussion.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
Students are asked to read and sort words and to read columns aloud (Activity 4.1), and the teacher is instructed to "explain the meanings of any words that he doesn't yet know" (example: ‘whim'). The materials also ask the child to identify and name pictures before placing them in digraph columns (Activity 2.2) and to "make sure he knows what each picture is showing" on fill-in-the-blank pages, which involves word-picture meaning work.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
Students are asked to name pictures and say the correct words (Activity 2.1), and the instructions tell the adult to "explain any words she's not familiar with," showing that unknown vocabulary in the materials will be identified and defined for the child. Activity 5.1 similarly directs the adult to "make sure that she knows what each picture is showing (explaining any unfamiliar terms)." The reader activity (Activity 4.3) has follow-up questions after reading a text, providing occasions to discuss word meanings if needed.
Lesson 9
Blends with l
Students are asked to name each pictured item and the directions note to clarify and explain any terms as needed, so students identify words for images (Activity 1.2). Students read Reader #9 and answer comprehension questions about the text, and they are also asked to explain and use the sight words "have" and "had" in sentences (Activity 4.3, Wrapping Up, Activity 1.3). The Fill-in-the-Blanks and word-building tasks require students to supply initial blends for pictured words, which involves recognizing word forms and connecting words to meanings (Activity 4.1, Day 2/3 word building).
Lesson 10
Blends with r
Students are asked to identify and respond to questions about specific words (e.g., Activity 1.3 asks which sight word begins with an r blend and which has an open syllable). In the Alphabet Soup activity students are asked to read words they created, identify nonsense words, and provide real-word replacements. The materials instruct adults to "explain the meanings of words as needed," and several activities require students to name pictures and write the corresponding words, prompting direct question-and-answer about word forms.
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
Students are asked to read words in the Weekly Message and to point to and read any words they know, and the instructor is directed to "explain the meanings of the words as needed" on the ng and nk word-family pages. The lesson asks students to identify and read sight words and to say the sounds of digraphs when filling in blanks, with prompts to make sure they know what each picture is showing. In Activity 1.2 students are asked to explain the spelling rule that goes along with pairs of words, requiring them to talk about word forms and meanings.
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
The Introduction asks the child to try reading words she doesn't know, to be praised for attempts, and to have the adult sound out the word with her after she has tried. Activity prompts ask the child to point to and read words she knows and to "sound out words that she doesn't know," and several activities tell the adult to "explain word meanings as needed" and to make sure the child knows what each picture is showing. In Activity 1.2 and others the child is asked to identify and produce beginning sounds and to read words aloud after sounding them out.
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students are prompted to identify and read unfamiliar words (Activity 1.1) and are encouraged to sound out words they do not know. In Activity 1.3 the teacher reads sentences aloud and asks the child to point to the correct sight word card (there/their), requiring the child to respond about word choice in context. Activities 2.1 and 3.1 instruct students to review words they struggle with and to read or decode selected unknown words from their Word Collection.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Long Vowels a and i with Silent e
Students are prompted to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are encouraged to sound out words they don't know. The activities instruct students to listen for vowel sounds and to use letter cards to decode unfamiliar words (e.g., spelling tap → tape, slid → slide) with teacher support. The skills list explicitly includes "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," and directions say to explain meanings of words "as needed" during word-building and sight-word activities.
Lesson 2
Long Vowels o, u, and e with Silent e
Students are prompted to point to and read words they know and to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1). Multiple activities ask students questions about specific words (e.g., asking whether words have short or long vowel sounds in Activities 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1) and students are asked to identify unfamiliar vocabulary in the reader (Day 5: if unfamiliar with "dome" or "slope," the parent is instructed to explain). The lesson also directs students to read sight words and to find and read them in a word search, which elicits teacher-student question-and-answer exchanges about word features (Activity 4.2).
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students are asked to sound out words they don't know in the Weekly Message (Activity 1.1) and are allowed to have the adult read words they cannot decode. In Activities 2.1, 3.1, and 4.1 students are asked to identify whether c or g is hard or soft and to explain "How do you know?" by pointing to the letter that follows the consonant. In sorting, word-building, and word-scramble activities students read or attempt to read words, decide the pronunciation of unfamiliar words, and place or categorize them accordingly.
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
The lesson asks students to point to and read words they know and encourages them to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1). Adults ask students to identify words after manipulations and to read words aloud (Activity 1.2: "What word have you spelled now?", Activity 2.1: prompting to read or/or words). The lesson directs adults to "explain the meanings of the words as needed" (Activity 3.1) and includes guidance to have students name pictures before filling blanks (Activity 5.1), and it asks comprehension questions after the reader (Activity 5.2).
Lesson 5
Long a Spellings ai, ay
Students are prompted to sound out words they don't know in the Weekly Message and to read along as the adult reads (Activity 1.1). In the Fill in the Blanks activity (Activity 2.3) students read sentences and choose words from a word bank so the sentence makes sense, using context to confirm word meaning. Multiple activities instruct the adult to "explain the meanings of words as needed" and to help sound out difficult words like "quaint" (Activities 3.1 and 3.3), indicating supported vocabulary help during reading tasks.
Lesson 6
Long e Spellings ee, ey, ea
Students are prompted to read words they know and to "sound out words that he doesn't know" (Activity 1.1). The materials ask students questions about specific words (e.g., "Which word is spelled with the silent e? (these)", "What do you notice about 'see'?") and direct students to use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition. Activities require students to read sentences aloud while the teacher points to homophones (see/sea) and to read words they created in Word Building and Alphabet Soup.
Lesson 8
Long o Spellings ow, oa, oe
Students are prompted to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and are encouraged to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1). The teacher asks students to identify letter patterns that make the long o sound and to answer questions about which spellings appear and where they occur (Activity 2.1). During Word Sorting the teacher instructs to "explain word meanings as needed," and sight-word activities prompt students to compare words and clap syllables (Activity 1.3, Activity 4.2).
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
The lesson repeatedly asks the child to explain word meanings and to answer teacher questions about words (e.g., Activity 2.1 asks the child to explain what changed when a silent e is added; Activity 3.1 asks the child to explain the meanings of "blue" and "blew" in her own words). Activity 5.1 directs the adult to explain an unfamiliar word ("hue") and then asks comprehension questions after the child reads the reader. Activity 1.3 has the child read sight words aloud and point to words with the long u sound, linking word recognition to meaning and pronunciation.
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students are asked to point to and read words they know and to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1). Adults prompt students to read words aloud, spell words, and explain word meanings as needed (Activities 1.2, 2.1, 4.2). The teacher asks students to read words they created and to identify nonsense words and replace them with real words (Activity 2.2), and to read the reader and answer comprehension questions after reading (Activity 5.1).
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students are prompted to sound out words they don't know in Activity 1.1 and to read words from the Weekly Message, providing opportunities to respond about unfamiliar words. Activity 2.2 asks students to identify the role of the silent e in the word "voice" and to read and place oi/oy words into columns, during which the child answers questions about spelling and placement. Activity 5.1 and several other activities include teacher questions (e.g., "What sound does the toy make?", recalling words from a video, and explaining word meanings) that require students to answer about words in texts.
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
The lesson asks the child to read individual words and to explain meanings as needed (Activity 2.1, Day 2 and Activity 4.1, Day 4). In Activity 3.1 the child is explicitly asked "what [saw] means" and the teacher discusses multiple meanings with the child. The lesson also directs the child to read the reader (The Pups) aloud and then answer comprehension questions about the story (Day 5, Activity 5.1).
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students are asked to point to and read words they know and to sound out words they don't know (Activity 1.1, Activity 1.3). Students are prompted to read words aloud, repeat words as they sort or build them, and the teacher is instructed to "correct her pronunciation, and explain word meanings as needed" during word-sorting and reading activities (Activity 2.1, Activity 3.2). The skills list also includes that students should "use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding," which prompts learners to attend to word meaning in text.
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to sound out words they don't know, prompting them to notice unknown words. In Activity 1.2 and Day 2 the teacher asks questions such as "How do you think we say this word?" and "What do you notice about the beginning of this word?", and students make guesses about pronunciation and silent letters. In Day 3 the teacher asks students "What do you know about the letters in this word? What vowel sound do you think this word has? Why?", prompting students to answer questions about word parts and pronunciation. Students are also prompted to find specific words (for example, "gnashed" in Where the Wild Things Are) and to read unfamiliar words from word lists and texts aloud.
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students are prompted to sound out words they do not know (Activity 1.1) and to read aloud word lists and words they create, with the teacher prompting and assisting as needed (Activities 3.1, 5.1). Students are asked and answer teacher-posed questions about word features (Activity 1.2: Which Words? asks students to find words with specific sounds or spelling patterns). The skills list also tells students to use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.