Kindergarten - ELA
1: Letters
Unit 1: A - A Is for Musk Ox
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to point to the book cover, identify the title, and point to the author and illustrator, demonstrating active participation in the reading event. Students listen as the book is read in one sitting and then answer explicit comprehension questions about characters and purpose of the alphabet. Students practice related, purposeful activities after the reading by counting letter cards and ordering alphabet cards, using the book as a reference to organize information.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 1 instructs an adult and child to read and watch information about musk oxen and to discuss how that information compares with what the musk ox in the story says about his species. The activity directs students to discuss where musk oxen live, what they eat, how people use them, and threats they face, and it explicitly teaches the vocabulary word "herd." Activity 3 asks the child to act like a musk ox, encouraging them to use what they learned while others guess, reinforcing comprehension.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are prompted during shared reading to find words that have been marked and substituted with "musk ox," to point to the first letter of each word and to say the letter aloud, and to locate the pictured item in the illustration. Students are asked what the vocabulary word "herd" means, read its definition, and discuss why that meaning fits the book context. Students practice orally responding during reading by saying the sight word "you" first with support and then independently, and they practice naming letters and saying letter sounds using flashcards.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The lesson schedules a weekly Reading Workshop in which the child participates in a mini-lesson about reading print from left to right and practices tracking words with a finger while an adult reads aloud. The child is given the A is for Musk Ox book to trace words across lines independently for 5–8 minutes and to explore illustrations. After independent reading, the child is asked comprehension/reflection questions (Did you like the book? Why? Would you recommend it?), prompting purposeful engagement and understanding.
Unit 2: H - Hondo and Fabian
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are instructed to read the book together with an adult and to point to the title and identify the author/illustrator, which requires shared attention to the text. Students are asked and prompted to answer specific comprehension questions about characters, differences, and events (Who are the characters? What did they do?), demonstrating purposeful discussion of the text. Students participate in activities such as acting out story events and sorting actions as Hondo or Fabian, which require them to demonstrate understanding during group interaction.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are shown the cover of Hondo and Fabian and asked to name the two characters, practicing book-related talk and character identification. Students discuss cats and dogs and record characteristics in a Venn diagram, engaging in purposeful discussion about content. Students point to letters during the "Bingo" song and practice the initial /h/ sound and uppercase H formation through tracing, air writing, and using popsicle sticks.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students read Hondo and Fabian with an adult and are prompted to look for and point to the letter H and words like "home," "happy," and "hungry." Students are asked to retell the story using the pictures as a guide and respond to scaffolded comprehension questions about what happened and how characters feel. Students locate and read the sight word "he" in the text and use Activity 4 to generate words and phrases describing the characters.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are prompted to "page through the book together" to identify how Hondo or Fabian moved, which asks them to look at the book and respond about characters' actions. Students are asked to look at pictures of Hondo and Fabian together and answer questions about friends and shared activities, engaging them in discussion about the story. The review questions about the letter H and the sight word "he" involve the child in interactive reading-related tasks with an adult.
Unit 3: I - The Little Island
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students page through The Little Island book with an adult, noting how the pictures progress through the seasons and talking about how seasons affect the island. Students participate in a pretend picnic role-play where they are asked what season it is, choose appropriate gear, and respond when the season changes. Students are prompted to explain how the new season affects the island and themselves, connecting picture details to meaning.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson has students read the title together and practice the sight word "little," including omitting the word and asking the child to supply it. Students reread The Little Island and are asked to retell the story in their own words using the illustrations to guide their retelling. Students look back at pages to find where animals move and then act out whether each animal moves in the air, on land, or in the water, linking comprehension to a purposeful follow-up activity.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to turn to the first page of the story and listen as the first two lines are read, then act out the motion of the winds and other story elements (clouds, fish, fog). Students are prompted to pretend to be the kitten and move in relation to the island using prepositions (on, under, off, beside, near, far, above, in front of, behind). Students practice reading three sight word cards and participate in shared reading-related activities (reading lines, responding physically to story content).
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 directs a child to look at The Little Island with an adult, identify the front cover, title page, author/illustrator, and flip to the back cover, which requires the child to attend to book features and purpose. Activity 2 also asks the child to spend several minutes independently looking at the book and then answer comprehension questions about whether she liked it, why, and what her favorite part was. Activity 3 has the child draw and dictate a story about a visit to the island and then "read" her ideas aloud to an adult and optionally share them with others, which practices reading-related expression and sharing meaning.
Unit 4: T - What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students preview the book with an adult, noting the title and authors/illustrators and making predictions about the text before reading. Students listen to the book being read and are asked to recall information they learned about animals and how animals use ears, eyes, and noses. Students refer back to pictures to support discussion and are asked specific questions about structures (e.g., parts of animal bodies and parts of homes).
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students and an adult read pages of What Do You Do With a Tail Like This? together and talk specifically about the animals' tails and their purposes. Students match cut-out tails to animal pictures and glue or tape them, explaining why each tail fits that animal. Students look at the book cover to find uppercase T, say the sound in words like "tail," and practice forming and writing the letter T. Students design a new tail and explain its purpose, connecting reading content to their own explanations and constructions.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are prompted to read with an adult: they practice the sight word "this," locate it in the book, and read the title together. Students read the book aloud with the adult and respond to comprehension prompts, including whether the book is make-believe or true and what information they learned. Students are introduced to the terms "fiction" and "nonfiction" and asked to compare this nonfiction book to a previously read animal story, demonstrating attention to purpose and meaning.
Unit 5: L - We're Going on a Leaf Hunt
Lesson 1
Day 1
The text instructs an adult to "read the title and the names of the author and illustrator and then read the book with your child" and to "look back through the story as you discuss it," prompting prediction and discussion about the cover and seasons. The lesson includes targeted comprehension prompts (e.g., "Do you think the children enjoyed their leaf hunt? Why or why not?" and "Have you ever gone on a search for something?") and explicit skill support: "With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details." These items require the child to respond orally, make predictions, and retell story events with guidance.
Lesson 2
Day 2
The lesson instructs an adult to read the story while the child acts it out, including using household spaces to represent settings (stairs as mountain, dark bathroom as forest) and substituting more specific verbs (skip, march, hop) for places where the text uses "go." The acting activity explicitly suggests including siblings, friends, or a grown-up to participate, which creates a group enactment of the reading. The review prompts (finding the adjective "tall" and saying "a tall mountain") require children to respond to the text with purposeful observations.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson instructs an adult to read the story while the child points to the sight word "go" on the page and on a sight-word card and says the word each time it appears. It prompts the child to look together for adjectives in the story, answer questions about descriptive words (e.g., asking what word describes the "dark forest"), and repeat phrases like "dark forest." The lesson has the child sequence events by drawing a simple map and using arrows to show the children's journey, linking reading to comprehension of story order.
Unit 6: F - Fireflies
Lesson 1
Day 1
The text instructs an adult and child to look at the book cover, describe what they see, read the book together, and discuss guided comprehension questions. Specific questions ask the child to explain vocabulary (e.g., 'flicker'), infer the boy's feelings from pictures, and justify actions, requiring active responses. The skills list explicitly asks students, with prompting and support, to describe the relationship between illustrations and the story, reinforcing purposeful discussion during reading.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students look together at the middle page of the book and are asked to recall a synonym for "blinking on, blinking off" and to infer the meaning of "soaring" from surrounding words. Students are prompted to examine the "Insects" page, decide whether each pictured creature is an insect, and explain the clues they used to make that decision. Students practice reading-related skills by finding the uppercase F on the cover, saying its sound, and tracing or writing the letter on a handwriting sheet.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to follow along as an adult reads and are encouraged to read the word "said" when it appears in the sentence on page three. Students practice reading the sentence containing "said" aloud and are prompted to read the word in context. Students locate the lines about the fireflies, identify three pairs of opposites (on/off, dipping/soaring, low/high), and act out opposites. Students count out ten "fireflies," practice counting by tens to 100, and answer addition prompts (what if you add one more).
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 directs the child to review the book illustrations and then tell the story in his own words using the illustrations as a guide. Activity 2 also instructs an adult and child to discuss the book together with questions about liking the story, funny or surprising parts, and how the child would feel catching and letting go of fireflies, prompting comprehension-focused conversation.
Unit 7: E - But No Elephants
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are directed to read the book with an adult and to look at the cover and make predictions about its content. After reading, students are asked targeted comprehension questions (What was Grandma Tildy's life like at the beginning/end? Was she happy?) and to identify predicaments and solutions. Students sequence events by arranging animal pictures in story order and practice ordinal terms (first, second, third...), and the Skills list explicitly includes asking and answering questions about key details with prompting and support.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson instructs an adult to read the book again with the child and to point to the word "no," allowing the child to read the word when it appears. It directs the adult to read the title together and have the child read the sight word "no" at the appropriate time. After reading, the child is asked to explain what happened in the story, and Activity 1 has the child act out animals and answer questions, requiring participation and comprehension.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students listen to a dramatic, read-aloud retelling of the story and hold up each animal puppet as it is introduced (Activity 2), showing they attend and respond to oral reading. Students answer picture-based comprehension questions about Grandma Tildy's actions and motivations and discuss wants vs. needs using story details (Activity 1). Students are asked to retell the rest of the story or make up a new ending using the puppets, requiring purposeful participation and demonstration of understanding.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students read the first few pages together with an adult while moving their index finger left to right across each line, modeling one-to-one correspondence between spoken and written language. Students then spend time alone to "read" the rest of the book, retelling the story in their own words or looking at pictures while tracing words with their finger. After reading, students answer comprehension questions (Did you enjoy it? Why or why not? What was your favorite part?) and are asked to imagine a different ending, demonstrating understanding and purpose for the reading.
Unit 8: C - Millions of Cats
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to "look at the cover of the book together" and to "read the book together," which requires shared reading and prediction. Students answer a sequence of comprehension questions about plot, characters, and vocabulary (e.g., quarrel), showing guided discussion for understanding. Students read a second book and construct a large Venn diagram together comparing the two texts, engaging in collaborative discussion about similarities and differences.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to listen to or read lines from Millions of Cats ("And he set out over hills... He trudged through cool valleys.") and are prompted to discuss vocabulary (asked if she knows what it means to quarrel). Students are prompted to locate and name the uppercase letter C on the book cover and to review letter cards and sight words. Students connect text to action by talking about physical features mentioned in the story and creating related playdough landforms (rivers, hills, valleys) while discussing those features.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are directed to read the story aloud again and to read the sight word "pretty" when the teacher points to it. Students repeat a long repeated phrase each time it appears, practicing choral/echo reading. Students answer a comprehension question about the lesson of the story and discuss how the word "pretty" was used in the book.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students read the poem aloud with an adult and then create and practice motions to act out each line, first line-by-line and then as a whole. Students discuss how the poem relates to the book and whether the poem describes the scene with all the cats, demonstrating comprehension. Students perform the poem with accompanying motions for family members and may memorize lines to recite and act from memory.
Unit 9: G - The Real Mother Goose
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to read and/or listen to a collection of nursery poems together (using a book and CD/MP3) and to talk about the poems' content and why they are memorable. Students practice identifying rhymes by hearing rhyming pairs in poems, producing rhymes for a given word (e.g., "cat"), and supplying missing end-words when lines are read aloud. Students act out poems with an adult partner (role swapping) and practice memorizing a poem over several days, reading it together daily and performing it.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to practice the poem "The Little Bird" together, reading it once or twice and then supplying some words, which requires active participation and comprehension. Students read the poem "The Year" with an adult and sing the months to a tune, practicing reciting months in order and discussing what happens in each month (weather, activities). Students are prompted to talk about and represent month-related concepts (draw, cut out pictures, note birthdays), which requires understanding the content of the shared reading.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students listen to and read multiple poems aloud (or on CD/MP3) with an adult and are asked to supply words and practice poems together. Students are prompted to identify rhyming pairs as they notice them and to say which poem is their favorite and why, requiring comprehension and purposeful response. Students co-create a rhyming poem on the computer by choosing and changing end words, practicing rhyme awareness and collaborative reading/writing.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students practice the poem "The Little Bird" by reading it once or twice, supplying some words, and then trying to recite as much as they can on their own. Students reread the poem "The Year" and work together to create a "Months of the Year" book, adding names, symbols, pictures about weather, activities, and special events. Students read and sing multiple nursery rhymes together and discuss how different versions have been passed along, noting variations between spoken and sung forms.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are asked to "read these poems together" and "talk about the poems together," during which they identify spherical objects described in the texts, demonstrating a shared reading with a clear purpose. Students are also instructed to listen to poems on the CD while following along with their finger from left to right, which requires active, guided participation in a reading activity. The activities repeatedly prompt oral discussion and use of vocabulary (e.g., "sphere") while engaging with the poems.
Unit 10: O - Owl Babies
Lesson 1
Day 1
The reading directions ask an adult to have the child look at the cover, predict whether the book will teach facts or tell a story, and then read the book together. Follow-up questions require the child to identify whether the book is fiction or nonfiction, cite evidence (characters talking, names, emotions), and name factual details from the story. These tasks require purposeful engagement and checking for understanding during the shared reading interaction.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are read the book Baby Owl aloud and are asked to look through the pages, predict whether it is fiction or non-fiction, and then confirm that it is non-fiction. Students dictate or write facts they learned about owls on the owl activity page, showing comprehension of the informational text. Students learn and practice a short poem with motions, rehearse it, and are invited to perform it for family or friends, which involves rehearsed reading and oral presentation.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The child practices and reads the sight word 'want' and is asked to point to and read it in the book. The child is prompted to read Bill's line 'I want my mommy!' aloud as the adult points to the words. The child is asked to retell the story in his own words and to discuss how the music in the animated reading reflects characters' feelings.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students recite the poem "The Wide-Eyed Owl" together, which has them orally participate in a shared reading activity. Students practice and perform a Reader's Theatre script with two family members or friends, taking turns reading character lines and expressing emotion. Students look at the Owls of North America website with an adult and are asked to observe similarities/differences and to explain how the book Owl Babies gives owls human attributes (e.g., talking, feelings).
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 asks the child to compare two owl books, reminding the child of the difference between fiction and non-fiction and showing both books to examine. The child is asked to spend time with the books, think about which is fiction and which is non-fiction and identify clues (illustrations, photographs, talking owls, factual text). After independent examination the child is asked to tell what clues they found to support their ideas.
Unit 11: S - Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to look at the front cover, describe what they see, and discuss the four pictures of branches, which engages them in purposeful previewing of the text. The directions state to "read the book with your child" and include specific comprehension questions (e.g., name the four seasons; describe what Arnold does), which require students to answer and reflect during reading. The skills list explicitly asks students, with prompting and support, to identify characters, settings, and major events and to describe how illustrations relate to the story, supporting active, comprehension-focused participation.
Unit 12: D - Dinosaurs Big and Small
Lesson 1
Day 1
The text tells an adult to "Look at the cover of the book with your child" and to "Read the book to your child and then discuss these questions," prompting immediate shared reading and discussion. Multiple guided questions require students to identify fiction vs. non-fiction, name the author and illustrator and explain their roles, and discuss key details about dinosaur characteristics. The skills list explicitly includes "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text," which directs student question-and-answer participation during reading.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students read Dinosaurs Big and Small with an adult and are prompted to find and read the word "big" on multiple pages, practicing reading it as it occurs. Students are asked comprehension questions (e.g., infer the meaning of "sprawl" from context and explain new information learned about dinosaurs) that require them to show understanding. Students recite a poem together with motions, point to words while reciting, join in reading aloud, and identify rhyming pairs and descriptive words (adjectives).
Lesson 5
Day 5
The lesson directs an adult to read page 13 of Dinosaurs Big and Small to the child and asks the child to be on the lookout for adjectives (gigantic, longer, thick, sturdy, heaviest, tallest). It asks the child to look through supplemental books (either reading if able or looking at pictures if not) and to identify or think of describing words. The child is then encouraged to share some of the adjectives found or thought about after independent time.
Unit 13: P - Harold and the Purple Crayon
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to look at the cover and predict the book's content and color before reading, and an adult is instructed to "Read the book to your child." The lesson provides three explicit comprehension questions (e.g., How do you think Harold feels at the end?) that require students to answer and reflect. Activity 1 asks students to recall Harold's predicaments and generate imaginative solutions, practicing comprehension and application. Activity 2 directs students to identify shapes on the book pages and to sort physical cutouts, connecting discussion of the text to hands-on group interaction.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students reread Harold and the Purple Crayon with an adult and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., identifying the most interesting event, Harold's amazing drawing, scary moments, and how he got home). Students locate and read the sight word "made" in multiple pages of the story and practice it as a targeted purpose for reading. Students engage in word-play discussions about multiple meanings of words and apply vocabulary thinking to story contexts.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Reading Workshop directs an adult and child to "look at the first few pages of the story together," have the child trace sentences left to right, and tap periods at the ends of sentences, which asks the child to participate during a shared reading moment. The activity also encourages the child to spend time reading the story independently while tracing lines with a finger, which has the child actively practicing reading behaviors with purpose (tracking text and recognizing sentence boundaries). The Writing Workshop has the child dictate a description and the adult circle periods, reinforcing understanding of sentence completion during a shared interaction.
Unit 14: B - Blueberries for Sal
Lesson 1
Day 1
The text instructs an adult to read Blueberries for Sal to the child and then discuss guided questions, prompting the child to look at the cover, make predictions, and find the illustrator. The lesson provides a set of specific comprehension questions (e.g., who was looking for blueberries, why did they want blueberries, what happened) that the child is asked to answer. Follow-up activities ask the child to record answers and represent understanding (writing equations, recording totals, describing events), reinforcing purposeful engagement with the reading.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to look through the book and find picture clues that show the story takes place in the past, explaining which details (car model, clothing, stove) indicate time period. Students are prompted to infer word meaning by describing what "hustle" must mean from the picture and then act out that movement. Students page through the book while reading movement descriptions and physically pretend to be the characters, practicing comprehension through dramatization. The lesson also prompts review questions (similarities/differences between characters) that require listening and responding about the text.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are read Blueberries for Sal aloud and are asked to follow along as the adult reads ("read the book Blueberries for Sal to your child" and "read that page with your child"). Students are prompted to find and read the sight word "she" as the reader points to it, practicing word recognition during shared reading. After reading, students are asked to retell the story in their own words, using pictures to prompt them, which requires comprehension and purposeful engagement.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to read about bears using a National Geographic kids page and to read the book Blueberries for Sal with an adult, providing direct shared reading experiences. Students create a two-column chart with an adult naming and listing elements of fiction versus non-fiction about bears, which requires them to identify and discuss story elements and factual information. Students learn and sing "The Bear Went Over the Mountain" together and add motions, which asks them to participate orally and physically during a group (adult-child) reading/singing activity.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The activity asks students to examine multiple books set in the past and to search for clues that identify the setting as past, giving a clear purpose for reading. Students spend independent time looking through the books and then are asked to share their findings with an adult, which requires them to articulate understanding. The prompts (about clothing and technology) guide students to use textual and visual evidence to explain the time period of the stories.
Unit 15: R - Rain
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the book cover, read the book with an adult, and point to the words as they read while noticing colors that match the text. Students are prompted to stop during reading to answer comprehension and prediction questions (e.g., "How did the author make you feel about rain?", "What will the rain fall on next?"). Students reread the story and actively recreate the story sequence by placing die-cut pieces on a sky mat, demonstrating comprehension through a hands-on sequencing activity.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students listen to an adult read the book while following along and pointing to each word. After each page, students manipulate die-cuts to match the page and then are asked to read the book back, pointing to words and reading the words they know. Students also point to objects in a created rain scene and use describing words (for example, "purple flowers") to tell about the scene.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 asks the child to practice reading a book aloud using pictures and the colors of the type as a guide. The child is instructed to read the book aloud to a sibling, a parent, a pet, a stuffed friend, and/or family members. The child is also prompted to read a book she wrote about colors to her family, providing an opportunity to read for an audience.
Unit 16: N - Night in the Country
Lesson 1
Day 1
The text instructs an adult to have the child look at the book cover, discuss the cover and the meaning of the vocabulary word "country," and then read Night in the Country with the child. After reading, the child is asked comprehension and interpretive questions (e.g., How do you feel about nighttime? What does the author seem to think about nighttime?), and is prompted to discuss differences between city/suburbs/country. Extension activities (a listening walk and related discussion) ask the child to describe sounds and feelings from the text, reinforcing purposeful engagement and understanding.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sight-word card "there," read it aloud, and then asked to locate and read the word "there" whenever it appears in the book. Students listen to the book twice, participating in the second read-aloud by finding and reading the target word in context. Students are asked to retell the story in their own words using the pictures as a guide, which requires them to demonstrate comprehension.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 2 instructs an adult and child to go through Night in the Country together, identify onomatopoeic words in the text, and have the child act out the actions and make the sounds. The activity also provides additional onomatopoeic words for the child to act out, reinforcing purpose (finding sound words) and comprehension through performance.
Unit 17: M - Marshmallow
Lesson 1
Day 1
The text instructs the adult and child to "Read the book with your child," have the child look at the cover and predict why the book is titled Marshmallow, and to distinguish fiction from non-fiction before reading. After reading, the child is asked multiple specific comprehension questions (e.g., how Marshmallow acted, advantages/disadvantages of a rabbit, why Oliver hesitated, why Oliver became friendly) and is prompted to learn the vocabulary word "hesitated." Activity 2 has the child respond to friendship scenarios, requiring the child to explain and apply understanding from the story.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students look at a part of the book where Oliver is about to pounce and discuss how he followed Miss Tilly's rules, connecting text details to real-life household rules. Students locate the uppercase M on the book cover and practice forming the letter while the adult reviews the /m/ sound. Students reread a short poem aloud with the adult, supply omitted words during repeated readings, and work on memorizing and performing the poem.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students practice reading words from the book: an adult shows the page beginning "As Oliver never went out...", points to the word "out," shows a matching word card, and has the child practice reading the word. Students reread the book and read the word "out" as it occurs in context. After reading, students are asked to tell the story in their own words and to use the pictures to prompt their retelling, demonstrating comprehension.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Students are read two poems and are asked to identify how poems differ from stories by noting line breaks, rhythm, and rhyme. Students listen for and identify rhyming pairs at the ends of lines and discuss how the poems sound. Students independently examine story books and poetry/nursery rhyme books to find clues that indicate whether a book is a story or a poem and then share their findings aloud.
Unit 18: U - Umbrella
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are prompted to look at the front cover and predict what the book will be about, and an adult is instructed to tell a brief personal story to set context before reading. After the read-aloud, students are asked to recall events from the book and answer specific comprehension questions (Q1–Q4) about plot and vocabulary. The Skills list explicitly includes "With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text," and activities ask students to discuss the meaning of "unfortunately" and practice the prefix "un-" while looking at page 6.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are read the story Umbrella aloud and are prompted to participate (for example, the child is asked to read the word "not" back and to help look for it in the story). After the reading, students are asked to tell the story in their own words and to use the pictures to prompt their retelling. The review and questioning prompts (e.g., asking what would be unfortunate on someone's birthday) encourage purposeful engagement and comprehension during the shared reading.
Unit 19: J - Jump Frog Jump
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the cover and predict the main character and setting, then read Jump, Frog, Jump! with an adult. After reading, students answer comprehension questions (e.g., how the frog got away, which animals escaped) and are prompted to look back through the book for evidence. Students cut out story sequence pictures, consult the book, place pictures in order from beginning to end, and read the sentences in order to retell the story.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students read the book aloud twice, reading sight words ("how") and repeated phrases ("Jump, frog, jump!") when prompted. Students sequence story cards from Day 1 and tell the story using those cards as prompts. Students act out positional relationships with die-cuts and props and create original sentences using direction/prepositional words to show meaning.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The plan asks the child to read a nonfiction book or a website about the life cycle of a frog and to talk about what a life cycle is, which has the student read with a clear purpose and discuss comprehension. It directs singing "Five Little Speckled Frogs" together and reviewing letter sounds and sight words, which involve shared oral/text activities with another person. The instructions to construct and label a life-cycle diagram require the student to extract and organize information from the reading.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Reading Workshop has the child look at the repeating sentence and identify the question mark, prompting her to ask and answer questions. The child is asked to look through the book and reorder the story sequence cards. The child is prompted to practice reading the book to herself and then to "read" it to an adult, with assistance as necessary.
Unit 20: K - Kindness
Lesson 2
Day 2
Activity 3 directs students to choose characters from a book and act out scenes with a parent, sibling, or friend, practicing acts of kindness described in the text. Activity 2 has students look at the title of the "Kindness Mouse" page and find the uppercase K, practicing letter recognition within printed text. Activity 1 has students create and use a puppet based on the "Kindness Mouse" page to deliver kind statements to family members, connecting a printed activity page to spoken interactions.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to find and read a specific sentence in the book and to read and identify the word "so" on multiple pages, which requires active participation during reading. Students reread the book and answer comprehension questions about which act of kindness stood out and how one act led to others, showing engagement with purpose and meaning. Students complete the "Animals in Fiction" chart by naming and categorizing actions as animal or human, demonstrating understanding of text content and purpose.
Unit 21: V - Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to 'Read the book with your child,' indicating a shared reading event with an adult. Before reading, students are prompted to examine the cover and focus on instruments, giving a clear reading purpose. After reading, students answer targeted comprehension questions (e.g., naming new instruments, describing what animals did, how the audience responded). Activity 1 has students go through the book to match instruments with ensemble sizes and labels, requiring active engagement with the text and its details.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students and an adult view reading/video segments together (the "Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin" segment and the "Instruments of the Orchestra" video) and are prompted to discuss what it would be like to play in an orchestra. Students are asked to look at the front cover of the book to find the uppercase V and to review the sound of the letter V while forming the letter. Students practice letter-sound recognition and sight words through review activities that involve adult-led interaction.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The text instructs an adult to read Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin to the child and asks the child to look for the word "now" as the story is read, giving the child a clear purpose during the reading. After reading, the child is asked to use the book to place instrument pictures in the order they appear, requiring the child to demonstrate understanding of sequence and recall. The text also includes post-reading questions and prompts (e.g., naming instruments, comparing shapes) that require the child to respond and show comprehension.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 directs an adult and child to read the first page of Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin together, leaving off the last word so the child supplies the rhyming word. The activity has the child and adult read lines together and asks the child to identify which words rhyme (for example, along/song, trombone/alone). The child is given independent time with the book to look at line endings and then point out rhyming pairs she finds.
Unit 22: Y - Little Blue and Little Yellow
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the book cover, make observations and predictions before reading, and to answer detailed comprehension questions after a read-aloud (with prompts to turn back and re-read sections if needed). Students are prompted to confirm understanding by asking and answering questions about key details (explicit question/answer pairs are provided). Students are asked to use vocabulary from the text (e.g., define and use the word "row" in two different meanings) and to discuss why characters felt a certain way, showing engagement with purpose and meaning.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson has the adult and child practice the sight word "they" together and has the child read the word in sentences from Little Blue and Little Yellow. The adult reads the story aloud while the child reads the repeated word and then is encouraged to retell and act out the story using Play-doh and the book's pictures. The child is asked to retell and dramatize the story in his own words, showing comprehension and purposeful engagement with the text.
Unit 23: W - George Washington's Birthday
Lesson 1
Day 1
The lesson repeatedly instructs to "Read the book with your child," prompting the child to compare the cover to the dollar bill, to notice sidebars with factual information, and to discuss the word "myth." It directs the adult to ask the child questions during and after reading (e.g., identify whether the book is fiction or nonfiction, explain what a "tyrant" is, state what parts were interesting or surprising). It also includes comprehension prompts about main ideas and lessons learned, which require the child to demonstrate understanding and purpose while participating in the shared reading.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to reread the first two pages of the George Washington book with an adult and identify which days of the week are mentioned, practicing reading for specific information. Students are asked to read four word boxes aloud and choose which one should be the title, then glue pictures and match labels, which requires reading and understanding labels. Students are guided to look at the book cover to find the uppercase W and to review sight words and letter sounds, engaging in shared reading-related activities with an adult.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are shown the sight word card "went," repeat it, and are prompted to read the word in context as the adult points to each word while reading aloud. Students then hear the book read and are asked to page back through the book, recapping each story about George Washington. Students are asked to identify whether each story is a myth or a fact, demonstrating comprehension of the text.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are asked to watch short videos about George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and talk about the qualities they admire, which requires listening and discussing meaning. Adults are instructed to read pages of George Washington's Birthday to the child and ask the child to deduce meanings of italicized words from context. Students are asked to act out sentences that include target vocabulary, demonstrating comprehension through dramatization.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Reading Workshop asks the child to "spend some time independently with the text" and then "share her observations with you," prompting discussion about text features. The teacher/parent is instructed to point out text in boxes and ask why an author might place information there, guiding purpose-driven attention to text. The lesson includes follow-up comprehension questions (Did you enjoy the book? Would you recommend it?) that require the child to explain understanding and preferences.
Unit 24: Q - The Quilt Story
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the cover of the book with an adult and discuss what a quilt is before reading, establishing a shared purpose for reading. An adult reads The Quilt Story to the child and then asks comprehension questions (e.g., how the child knew the story took place long ago, how the quilt helped the girls), prompting the child to explain story elements and draw on clues in text and illustrations. The Skills section explicitly prompts that, with prompting and support, the child should describe the relationship between illustrations and the story, which guides purposeful, comprehension-focused discussion during the read-aloud.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to go through the beginning pages of The Quilt Story and identify how the family used natural resources (wood for furniture, tea for drinking, beeswax for candles) and to identify landforms shown (hills, prairie, river). Students watch a Daniel Boone video and talk about the character qualities that enabled exploration, engaging in discussion about the text and related media. Students review letter sounds and sight words and practice forming and saying the letter Q while looking at the book cover, connecting print features to sound and meaning.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The child is prompted to read The Quilt Story with an adult, with explicit instructions to stop and have the child read the sight word "under." The child is asked to tell the story back "in his own words," providing an oral-retell task to check comprehension. The child completes a "Then and Now" Venn diagram comparing beginning and end settings and characters, using the book to prompt responses.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 2 asks the child to consider the role of illustrations, to examine Abigail's facial expression on the cover of The Quilt Story, and to explain how that expression helps them understand the book. The child is encouraged to spend time with the book looking at words and pictures, to focus on girls' faces, and then to point out an expression and explain what they learn from it. These prompts require the child to read/view with purpose and to make meaning from text and illustrations.
Unit 25: X - An Extraordinary Egg
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are prompted to discuss the animal in the story (Was it a chicken? Were the frogs right?), answering comprehension questions about what hatched from the egg. Students are asked to look at the front cover of the book and find the lowercase x in the word "extraordinary," and to practice the "/ks/" sound in words like "box," "fox," and "x-ray." Students review letter sounds and sight words and practice forming and tracing the uppercase X through guided tracing and freehand writing activities.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson has the adult and child read An Extraordinary Egg together and asks the child to retell the story in her own words using the pictures to help remember events. The lesson shows the sight word "look," has the child read the word while the adult reads the sentence, and has the child repeat words on the "Words with X" page and find the letter x. The reading and follow-up questioning require the child to demonstrate comprehension and participate in the reading activity.
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson instructs an adult and child to "Read with your child to learn some facts about alligators" and suggests using kid-friendly informational text, which has the child participate in reading. The lesson prompts the child to recall and compare the frog life cycle they made previously and to explain "how that differs from the life cycle of a frog," requiring comprehension of text content. The acting-out activity has the child perform stages of life cycles, reinforcing understanding of what was read.
Lesson 5
Day 5
The Reading Workshop directs an adult to read pages aloud and to ask the child to identify quotation marks and the character's spoken words, engaging the child in shared reading and discussion. The child is asked to spend time independently with the book looking for quotation marks that show characters speaking and then to point out examples and say what she liked about the book. These actions require the child to listen, follow a purpose (find dialogue/quotation marks), and demonstrate understanding by identifying and discussing examples.
Unit 26: Z - Greedy Zebra
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson has the child read along as an adult reads Greedy Zebra and encourages the child to read the sight word "new" in the sentence and in the story. After reading, the child is asked to use illustrations to retell the story and to make a prediction about what would have happened if Zebra had not been greedy. The activities include guided reading practice (word-level reading) and comprehension tasks (retelling and predicting).
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students listen to and discuss informational text about five savannah animals and then color each animal cut-out to match characteristics learned, showing comprehension of the reading. Students create a shared savannah scene and glue the animals into that scene after reading, linking reading to a purposeful group art task. Students and an adult read pages of the story "Greedy Zebra," pausing so students act out verbs and movements (crept, peered, rushed, running, jumping, sliding, swinging, slithering), actively engaging with the text.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 2 (Reading Workshop), students and an adult look through a stack of books together, identify books with animal characters, compare similarities and differences between books, identify settings, and classify three books as nonfiction, which requires purposeful discussion and comprehension. In Activity 3 (Writing Workshop), students choose a favorite book, draw a scene, write or dictate about characters, setting, and events, then read their writing aloud and explain what they like, demonstrating engagement and understanding of text.
2: Holidays
Unit 27: Halloween
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to read Goodnight Moon and then read Goodnight Goon "together" with an adult and to answer why the book was written and how it would make a young child feel, which targets reading with purpose and understanding. Students are prompted to compare and contrast the two book covers and note similarities and differences, demonstrating comprehension and discussion during the shared reading. Students are asked to listen for the word "lagoon" in the story and answer a post-reading question about its meaning, showing purposeful listening and comprehension during the group reading activity.
Lesson 3
Day 3
The lesson instructs an adult to read Goodnight Goon aloud and to encourage the child to "join in at the ends of lines if he knows the word that will follow," which prompts active participation in a shared reading. After reading, the child is asked to choose a page they find funniest or most clever and to explain why they like that page, prompting comprehension and purposeful discussion. The read-aloud plus follow-up explanation are explicit student actions that target engaging in group reading with understanding.
Lesson 5
Day 5
In Activity 2, students are prompted to notice and practice rhyming words aloud (for example, saying 'claws' and 'jaws' and guessing that 'bat' and 'hat' rhyme), to search independently through Goodnight Goon for other end-of-line rhyming pairs, and then to share pairs they found. Activity 3 has students generate their own rhyming good-night pairs, draw the objects, and write or copy the rhyming sentence, reinforcing the purpose of identifying rhyme. The instructions include interactive questioning and sharing, requiring students to participate and demonstrate understanding of rhyme patterns.
Unit 28: Thanksgiving
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to look at the cover and answer questions about what they see and like, then read Thanksgiving Is... together with an adult, which prompts active participation. After reading, students summarize why Thanksgiving-type celebrations occur and discuss what it means to be grateful, practicing purposeful comprehension. The Skills section explicitly states that students, with prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details and describe relationships between illustrations and text, and the reading activities include using a world map to connect text details to locations.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students re-read the pages about the Pilgrims and answer specific recall questions about why the Pilgrims left, the Mayflower, the journey, landing place, first winter, how the Indians helped, and the first Thanksgiving (Activity 1). Students stop at the end of each page while the book is read aloud and act out the actions and emotions described using body movement and facial expressions (Activity 3). Students make predictions about whether their Mayflower will sink or float and then test and observe results, linking hands-on investigation to the story (Activity 2).
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students are asked to have the story Thanksgiving Is... reread to them and to review letter cards and sight words, which engages them in a shared reading experience with an adult. Students are prompted to offer something they learned about the first Thanksgiving and to talk about family favorite foods after reading specific pages, which requires them to demonstrate understanding. Students read a webpage about Pocahontas and discuss how her help differed from other Native Americans, and they create a cornucopia in which they write or draw things for which they are thankful, linking reading content to purposeful discussion and a follow-up activity.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Students are prompted to review letter cards and sight words and to answer questions about what it means to be grateful and what the Pilgrims were grateful for, which engages comprehension discussion. Students listen to or read a short narrative about Abraham Lincoln and are asked to suggest words that describe him and explain why we celebrate him, prompting text-based responses. Students create a Thanksgiving card and write or dictate a note describing why they are thankful, which requires them to use understanding from discussion and reading for a clear purpose.
Unit 29: Christmas
Lesson 1
Day 1
Students are asked to explore The Christmas Wish independently, make predictions about its content, and consider the illustrations before the book is read aloud. Students are prompted to listen as an adult reads the book to them and to look for edited photographs during the read-aloud. Students are asked follow-up questions about the story and to describe what they notice, which requires purposeful comprehension and discussion during the shared reading activity.
Lesson 2
Day 2
Students are asked to look again at The Christmas Wish and tell an adult about their favorite part, which requires rereading and oral response. Students are prompted to view related websites and videos with an adult and to talk about life in Norway, which engages them in reading/viewing activities with a clear purpose. The activity to read animal names aloud for the video also requires students to listen and respond during a shared viewing.
Lesson 3
Day 3
Students and an adult look at pages from The Christmas Wish and watch a linked video together, showing shared read-aloud/viewing. Students chant and perform the finger play "Five Little Bells," count and string bells, and sing carols together, demonstrating active verbal participation. Students page through the book to note animals, answer questions about reindeer, and read a linked article to learn factual information, showing engagement with purpose and comprehension.
Lesson 4
Day 4
Activity 1 directs an adult to ask the child specific comprehension questions about Anja (why she wanted to be an elf, how she showed commitment, whether the experience was a dream or real), prompting discussion of character and events. Activity 2 asks the child to track Santa's path on a world map and identify continents and islands, requiring the child to connect story events to locations and sequence. The activities require the child to respond to purposeful questions and to explain reasoning about the story's events and settings.
Lesson 5
Day 5
Activity 1 asks the child to look at the first pages of The Christmas Wish with an adult and notice the kind deeds Anja did, prompting the child to think of a simple task he could do today. Activity 2 directs the adult to read the book with the child, ask the child how a character's voice sounds when quotation marks indicate speech, and have the child say the character's words in that voice while the adult points out quotation marks. These steps require the child to participate in shared reading, respond to text cues, and demonstrate understanding of character dialogue and punctuation.
Unit 30: February Celebrations
Lesson 4
Day 4
The lesson directs the child to watch an online storybook about Booker T. Washington with an adult and to watch a short video about Martin Luther King, Jr., prompting discussion about why education matters and what MLK's words mean. It asks the child to compare the two leaders, answer questions about how MLK showed love, and to create a personal "I Have a Dream" book, linking comprehension to a follow-up activity. The lesson also ties reading content to cooperative behavior by reminding the child of characters in The Biggest Valentine Ever and having the child make a paper-chain of people to represent working together.
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
The Skills section lists "Attempt to read dictated text" and "Show an understanding that the letters in a written word represent the sequence of sounds in a spoken word," indicating students practice basic reading skills. Activity 2 asks students to sound out and fill in missing first letters, to read or copy room labels, and to follow printed words with a finger as an adult pronounces them. Activity 3 requires students to read a short paragraph aloud and to use a song with motions, providing purposeful reading and oral performance practice.
Lesson 3
Guide to Animal Habitats
Students are read Crinkleroot's Guide to Animal Habitats aloud and are stopped during reading to point out animals and plants and to count them, supporting active participation. Students are asked predictive and comprehension questions (e.g., identify the title/author, predict what the book is about, who a character is, and what will happen). Students complete sequencing activities (cut-and-paste or charting Crinkleroot's route) and sorting/drawing tasks that require using information from the read-aloud to demonstrate understanding.
Lesson 4
Animals Live and Grow
Students are read to when the teacher/parent reads Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt aloud and pauses to discuss the first half and second half of the book. Students answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., identifying season, why plants need water, how animals help plants) and are asked to tell what they learned about how animals and plants survive and grow. Students sing 'The Habitat Song' and use the book Crinkleroot's Guide to identify plants and animals, then complete related activity pages that require recalling and categorizing information from the reading.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
The lesson asks the child to read or sound out habitat words on the Identifying Habitats pages (Option 1 asks the child to add first and last letters and attempt to read/sound out the word). Option 2 asks the child to read the names in a word box and then label the habitat illustrations. The lesson also directs the child to look at picture books and websites and to read captions (National Geographic slideshow) and to discuss what she sees.
Lesson 7
Tools in My Environment
Students are prompted to read the names of the tools with an adult while using a finger to point at letters as they sound them out. The handwriting activity asks students to copy or write sentences containing the words it and inch, and the Measuring Tools page has labeled rulers (TOOL #1, TOOL #2, TOOL #3) where students record measurements. The lesson directs adults to read tool names with the child and to have the child attempt to record letters and numbers, which involves shared reading and print tracking.
Lesson 8
Animal Care
Activity 2 directs an adult to read The Salamander Room to the child and then ask a series of comprehension questions (e.g., what kind of animal, where found, what habitat it needed). The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Answer questions about a text (LA)" and "Connect literature to prior knowledge or experience (LA)," which require the child to participate in the reading and discuss meaning. The Introduction and follow-up prompts (Would you keep it? Why or why not?) invite the child to respond and explain understanding after the shared reading.
Lesson 9
Animal Designs
The lesson instructs an adult to read captions and movement words aloud and asks the child to name habitats and analyze each animal (Activity 1, Options 1 & 2). Students are asked to write habitat names, circle body parts that help movement, act out movements, and explain why certain animals do not belong in pictured habitats (Activity 1 Option 2, Activity 2). Oral responses are prompted in multiple places (e.g., asking the child to explain why an animal would not live in a habitat, to say sentences in Activity 3, and to tell a story in Activity 4).
Lesson 10
Amazing Animals
The Skills section explicitly lists "Listen critically to text read aloud," "Respond to critical questions about a text," and "Present dramatic interpretations of stories." Activity 1 tells an adult to read to the child or encourage the child to read along, and Activity 2 has the adult read scenarios while the child pretends to be the animal, answers questions, and role-plays. Activity 3 directs the child and adult to read word problems aloud and discuss or use manipulatives to show understanding.
Lesson 11
Amazing Me
The lesson instructs an adult to "read your child the following examples" and to review words beneath each face, encouraging the child to read the words aloud. Students are asked to "read or attempt to read own story," to read their recorded ideas aloud, and to respond verbally to questions about scenarios. Several activities require students to look at text or pictures and circle or write responses, demonstrating engagement with reading-related tasks.
Final Project
Animal Research / My Environment
The lesson asks the child to explain each page of his book and to share the book (and song or dramatization) with the family, which requires presenting and discussing text-based work with others. The introduction includes guided oral questions about environments and habitats that prompt the child to respond verbally and demonstrate understanding. The project extension asks the child to sing or act out pages, encouraging interactive group presentation and audience engagement.
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 1
Reading the Skies
The lesson directs an adult and child to read Whatever the Weather together (either the child reads independently or the adult reads aloud while the child follows the words). It explicitly lists skills such as "Listen critically to text read aloud," "Respond to text read aloud," and "Make predictions about a story," and includes pre-reading prediction prompts and comprehension questions to be asked during/after the read-aloud. Activities ask the child to dictate sentences, discuss feelings and weather-related decisions, and participate in follow-up discussions and calendar recording that require purposeful understanding of the text.
Lesson 2
Types of Precipitation
Students are read aloud to from Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today? and are asked comprehension questions about habitats, characters, and what they learned (Activity 1). Students reread specific pages and discuss different types of precipitation, then read and label words for precipitation on the activity pages (Activity 2, Options 1 and 2). Students make predictions before the rain experiment, observe results, count raindrops, and describe the cause of rain using language from the text (Activity 4).
Lesson 3
Measuring and Charting Weather
The lesson instructs an adult and child to "Look at the book, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats, with your child and ask her to describe what the weather can be like in different habitats," which has the student participating in a shared reading and describing content. The lesson repeatedly directs the adult to "ask your child" questions (for example, "Ask your child what she thinks would happen if an animal's habitat got too warm or cold" and to give examples of how weather can be measured), which prompts the child to respond orally about the text and topics.
Lesson 4
Simulating Weather
Students sing the Weather Song together and are asked to read the words aloud while following along by pointing to each word, showing a shared/group reading activity. Students are prompted to find specific words (e.g., "clouds", "rain") and to count letters and identify capital letters, which requires attending to print and meaning. Students are asked comprehension questions about what happens in the sky to cause rain and encouraged to make up hand motions, linking the group reading to purpose and understanding.
Lesson 6
Winter
Students are asked to find winter pages in the book Whatever the Weather and describe what they see, comparing the pictures to their own environment. Students dictate a personal winter story using target vocabulary (cold, snow, freeze), illustrate it, and attempt to read the story aloud with help sounding out words. Students practice reading and writing the letter W and the words wind and winter, reinforcing word recognition and purposeful reading/writing connections.
Lesson 7
Spring
Students are asked to attempt to read each short poem and to listen as an adult reads the poems aloud so they can identify rhyming words. Students answer comprehension prompts by telling what each poem was about and draw or match illustrations to show understanding of the poems. Students are invited to create or dictate their own spring poem, demonstrating expressive engagement and purpose in reading-related work.
Lesson 8
Summer
Students are directed to read the short story aloud or read along with an adult (Options 1 and 2), prompting shared/group reading. Students complete fill-in-the-blank story pages using picture-word prompts and then read the completed story aloud, practicing comprehension with purpose. Students answer oral questions about the "Summer Fun" picture, describe their puzzle-solving decisions, and sing the Season Song together, engaging in interactive reading and discussion.
Final Project
Weather Games
Students are given opportunities to look through and read aloud Whatever the Weather (Activity 3) and to reread pages 8–15 of Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today? and discuss them (Activity 4). Students answer guided comprehension questions about the book, compare book pages to the actual weather outside, and respond to prompts about temperature, wind, precipitation, and appropriate activities. Students prepare and deliver a short weather forecast to the family on three mornings, using the Weather Forecast graphic organizer to structure their oral report.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
The text directs an adult and child to read On the Town together ("Show your child the cover... After you read the story, ask the following questions") and provides specific comprehension questions about community and places. Activities ask the child to read community vocabulary and fill in words in sentences (Option 2) and to discuss what a healthy community provides, which requires purposeful understanding. Follow-up tasks ask the child to draw and write/dictate a sentence about a community place, reinforcing comprehension after the group reading.
Lesson 2
My Community Environment
Students are read the book Me on the Map and are prompted to look at the town map, identify streets and buildings, and trace paths between buildings as the reader discusses each place. Students answer and discuss purpose-and-location questions (e.g., which buildings are nearer/farther, why people come to a place) during the read-aloud and follow-up map activities. Students examine multiple books to describe different types of communities, copy titles, draw illustrations, and discuss similarities and differences among the communities they find in the books.
Lesson 3
Jobs in the Community
Students are asked to read or help read the names of community helpers and to sound out letters (Activity 1). Students are asked to read their own dictated paragraph aloud for the family and to attempt to read what they wrote (Activity 4). The lesson directs an adult and child to read books about community workers together (Activity 6) and asks students to say sentences aloud about how each worker helps (Activity 5).
Lesson 6
A Good Community Citizen
Students are asked to "listen responsibly to text read aloud" and an adult reads a list of scenarios for students to judge as examples of good or bad citizenship. Students decide for each action and explain how they made their decision, and they discuss other examples of good and bad citizenship. Students also sort pictures into "Good Home Environment" and "Not a Good Home Environment," draw and label examples, and describe family members' citizenship actions, all requiring comprehension of read-aloud content.
Lesson 8
Rules and Laws
Students read sentence strips aloud (alone or with assistance) when they generate and order six household rules, demonstrating word-by-word print following. Students listen as the adult reads items and the story "The House with No Rules," then sort statements into "Rules" or "Laws," paste items on webs, and answer guided comprehension questions. Students discuss and justify which rules are most important, put rules in ordinal order, and create a list of new rules to share with family members.
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
Students are asked to listen as the adult reads the story "When One Person Cares" while studying an activity sheet, and then answer comprehension questions about beginning, middle, and end and about setting and characters. Students examine picture pages (Where Would You Want to Live?) and mark Xs/circles to compare settings and discuss which community is better. Multiple activities ask children to discuss pictures, role-play community helpers, and sing a helping song together, all of which involve group participation around texts and related materials.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 2
Animal Attributes
Students are asked to look at the book Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats and identify body parts in the pictures, with the adult prompting discussion of how animals use those parts. In the living/nonliving activities, students circle labeled pictures (e.g., lizard, tree, dog, flower) and are asked to describe how they know which objects are living, which requires reading and explaining evidence. The wrapping up directions ask students to describe ways animals are alike and different, prompting purposeful discussion about text and images.
Lesson 10
Earth Materials: Rocks, Soil, and Water
The lesson directs an adult to read Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt aloud to the child and to revisit the book while asking specific comprehension questions (e.g., identifying solids and liquids, finding rocks in illustrations). Day 2 repeats shared reading with Over and Under the Pond and asks the child to compare the two books, describe habitats, and identify similarities in writing and characters. Multiple activities require the child to locate information in the text and illustrations (finding animals in the glossary, identifying rocks and soil types) and to complete sentence tasks based on the books (preposition worksheets and fill-in-the-blank sentences). The skills list explicitly includes asking and answering questions about what a speaker says and using text features to locate key facts, which guides purposeful, comprehension-focused reading interactions.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students are prompted to attempt to read My Five Senses, find the title and author, and use a provided Senses Word List to locate and copy vocabulary from the book. Students answer specific comprehension questions about the five senses and the body parts used for each, explaining how senses help recognize similarities and differences. Students complete follow-up activities (cut-and-paste webs, drawing a sensing experience, and writing or dictating sentences) that require them to use information from the text with purpose and show understanding.
Lesson 2
Senses and Body Parts
The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Determine a purpose for listening to text read aloud" and "Listen responsively to text read aloud." In Option 1, students listen to a read-aloud of "Jackie's Day at the Pet Store" and physically respond by picking up and gluing the sense organ when Jackie uses a sense. In Option 2, students create and tell a story aloud about Jackie and pause to glue sense organs as the narrative calls for, practicing purposeful oral engagement. Activity 2 and the Wrapping Up ask students to point to sense organs in response to read or spoken situations, demonstrating comprehension during listening.
Lesson 4
Hearing and Seeing
Students listen to The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses being read aloud and answer specific comprehension questions about events and characters. Students close their eyes and listen to teacher-read descriptive passages, then identify the place being described and discuss their answers. Students are prompted to read their own recorded sound descriptions aloud to friends or family and to attempt to read their written ideas aloud, and the skills list explicitly includes "Listen responsively to text read aloud" and "Attempt to read written text."
Lesson 7
Using All of Our Senses
Students are prompted to listen to My Five Senses read aloud and then answer questions about which senses the character used. The Skills list explicitly includes "Listen to stories and text read aloud" and "Interact with reader when text is read aloud (questions, comments, and ideas)," which requires students to participate during read-alouds. Activities ask students to identify how characters in books use their senses (e.g., Brown Bear) and to discuss and record observations after reading and nature experiences.
Lesson 8
Writing About Our Senses
Students are asked to read or listen to clues in Activity 1 and to mark and color the pictured item that matches those clues, requiring them to process written descriptions. In Activity 2 students are instructed to read through a paragraph about popping popcorn, attempt to write sensory words in blanks, and then attempt to read their completed report aloud. The wrapping up and life application sections prompt students to look through books and identify sensing words authors use, which involves reading with attention to purpose (sensing descriptions).
Final Project
A Sensible Party
The text instructs an adult to "read the sample sheet with her" so the child reads a modeled Party Planner page. Game 1 asks students to compare their own party plan with the sample to find similarities and differences, which requires reading and comparing written plans. The activity pages contain written instructions and labeled tables (senses, ideas, supplies) that students read and use to record their own plans.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Students are invited to attempt to read each question aloud and to sound out words as they write answers on the "You Are Special" page. Students complete a personalized paragraph and are asked to read their story and share it with others. The lesson's skill list includes "Discuss, illustrate, and dramatize stories," which implies opportunities for oral story-related activities.
Lesson 2
Physical Characteristics
The lesson has Activity 2 in which an adult reads the "Different Friends" story aloud and asks the child to listen carefully, then asks comprehension questions that require the child to retell the story and identify beginning, middle, and end. After rereading, students cut apart and sequence event boxes from the story, physically arranging events in order to show comprehension. The lesson also prompts oral discussion questions about characters' actions and relationships, requiring students to respond and explain.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Students are asked to read through a list of personality words with an adult, attempt to sound out words, circle words that describe themselves, and explain meanings. Students write or paste words on a web for themselves and a friend/sibling, count shared words, and describe how they are alike and different, which involves speaking about text-based choices. Students sing a song together substituting personality words, and are encouraged to present their webs to family members and explain what they mean.
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
Students are asked to read the Hobby Survey questions aloud when interviewing three people, which requires reading for a clear purpose (Activity 3). Students go to the library, find books about an interest, and use those books to answer the 'My Interest' prompts and then teach a sibling or adult, showing reading to gain information and then explain it (Activity 2). Students dictate, copy, or write sentences describing a hobby and share that description with someone else, which involves reading/writing for an audience (Activity 1).
Lesson 5
Shapesville
Students are prompted to participate in shared reading by looking at the cover, pointing to the title, sounding out letters, and identifying shapes during the read-aloud. During reading, students identify each character's shape, count sides and angles, and describe physical and personality traits, answering comprehension questions about enjoyment and meaning. Students select a shape that represents them, draw and color it, dictate or write a short description, and are encouraged to read or share their description and, if able, read the book aloud to family members.
Lesson 6
Different Families
The text instructs an adult to read specified pages of A Life Like Mine aloud and to "as you read, talk about the different people," prompting discussion during reading. It asks students to answer comprehension questions (e.g., name responsibilities, describe what family members do) and to complete activity pages that require comparing/contrasting families, drawing evidence from the text, and connecting text information to personal experience. Student activity pages (Venn diagram or sentence prompts) require students to respond in writing/drawing about similarities and differences after viewing the book, demonstrating purposeful engagement with the text.
Lesson 7
Different Homes
Students are asked to read pages 26–35 of A Life Like Mine with an adult and to identify and describe the different homes shown, explain why people have homes, and name materials used to build them. Students are prompted to connect text information to personal experience by identifying materials used in their own home and discussing what they enjoy about it. Follow-up tasks require students to search for similar homes, record country names, draw and construct a dream home, and write a sentence about their home, all demonstrating comprehension and purposeful engagement with the text.
Lesson 9
Different Modes of Transportation
Students are asked to look through books and websites and identify modes of transportation, and to find examples in the pictures of A Life Like Mine, which involves reading picture books together and discussing content. Students answer guided questions (e.g., give examples of ways people get from place to place; discuss reasons for choosing specific modes) and complete comprehension tasks such as circling or writing the best mode of transportation for scenarios. Students draw a trip, tell a story about it, and attempt to read their recorded story aloud, demonstrating purposeful reading-related engagement.
Lesson 10
Wants and Needs
The lesson directs an adult and child to "Read pages 46-51... Read pages 56-61... Read pages 66-71 and discuss," prompting shared reading followed by discussion about why children need education, play, and love. Wrapping Up asks the child to name and explain what it means to want versus need, which requires comprehension of the read material. Follow-up activities (Activity 4 survey, webs, and discussions) require the child to report, compare, and reorganize information gathered from people and texts, showing purpose-driven engagement.
Lesson 11
Being Part of a Group
Students are asked to listen to and discuss pages 98–113 of A Life Like Mine, with guided discussion about identity, nationality, and religion to show comprehension. The Skills list explicitly includes "Read or attempt to read own story or simple text (LA)," and Activity 2 asks the child to complete a paragraph about a group and then attempt to read that paragraph aloud. The introduction and wrapping-up prompts require the child to answer comprehension and reflection questions about groups, showing reading with purpose and understanding.
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 1
What Is a Pattern?
Students are asked to follow along when an adult reads Busy Bugs aloud and then attempt to read the story aloud themselves with assistance. Students identify the title and author, guess what the story is about, and are asked to point to and describe patterns on specific pages (pages 6-11 and 12-25). Students respond to and discuss comprehension questions such as where patterns are found and explain the patterns they see, using sequence language (e.g., "First, there is...").
Unit 2: Patterns in Sounds, Words, and Actions
Lesson 1
Word Patterns
Students are asked to listen to and/or read nursery rhymes and poems (e.g., "Read a variety of nursery rhymes" and "Read the poems in the book, Bear Hugs") and identify rhyming words they hear. Students complete interactive tasks such as circling repeating word parts, labeling pictures, matching rhyming word pairs, recording rhyming words, and acting out or illustrating a favorite rhyme. Students are prompted to reread or read Bear Hugs, copy animal names from the text, sort them by habitat, and write sentences using rhyming words, which show engagement with text for a purpose and to demonstrate understanding.
Lesson 3
Poetry Patterns
Students are read poems aloud and are encouraged to listen for word patterns and rhymes, with the parent reading poems from books and asking the child if she hears any word patterns. Students read or attempt to read the poems on the "Patterns in Poetry" sheet (read each poem at least twice) and are asked what each poem is about, then to circle rhyming words in the same color. Students sing the song "A-Hunting We Will Go" together, pause to guess the next rhyming word, and are asked to recite and write rhyming words and compose an additional verse.
Lesson 4
Sentence Patterns
Students read and recite simple sentences aloud in multiple activities (Activity 1, Activity 3, and Activity 4) where they are encouraged to read each sentence they form and to copy or point to sentences in picture books. Students participate in shared interactions such as acting out sentences with an adult (Activity 2) and making up sentences together, then identifying and marking nouns and verbs. Students are prompted to read sentences with purpose by identifying sentence parts, noting capitals and periods, and completing or supplying words to make meaningful sentences.
Lesson 5
Story Patterns
Students are asked to read with an adult (Activity 1: "read it with your child" and encourage her to follow along in Activity 2), respond to prompts (predict what will happen next, answer what happened at the beginning/middle/end), and repeat reading (Option 2: read the short story twice). Students create and attempt to read their own story (Activity 3), illustrate and sequence events into beginning/middle/end boxes, and act out stories with puppets or dolls, showing purposeful engagement and comprehension of story structure.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 1
Patterns in Nature
Students participate in a read-aloud of Pattern (pp. 1-11) and are prompted to identify and describe the pattern in each picture. Students answer follow-up comprehension questions about which patterns they have or have not seen and are asked to think of additional patterns. Students complete related text-linked activities (matching/cutting and pasting patterns, creating/drawing patterns, and copying a sentence from the reading) that require attention to the content and its meaning.
Lesson 9
Counting Patterns
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Listen to a story read aloud," "Answer questions about a story read aloud," and "Act out a story," which indicate planned read-aloud activities. In Activity 3 students listen as the adult reads the clown story and place clown faces in the car to track numbers, fill in blanks in the story, and are prompted to tell their own version of the story while recording the counts. The activities ask students to retell and act out the story and to answer questions, supporting purposeful engagement with the text.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 2
What Changed?
The lesson directs an adult to help the child read "Part 1: Things Change" and to encourage the child to answer questions during or after the reading (e.g., identify physical vs. chemical changes on specific pages). The Skills list explicitly includes "Listen when someone is reading aloud" and "Demonstrate a sense of story," and post-reading questions require the child to explain examples and causes of changes. The Student Activity Page and follow-up prompts ask the child to examine paired images, circle how attributes changed, and record sentences, requiring purposeful attention and comprehension during reading-related tasks.
Lesson 3
Changing Position
Students are asked to look at the cover, predict what the book will be about, and either read the book if able or listen as it is read aloud and answer comprehension questions (e.g., How do we get objects to start moving?). Students are prompted to use the index to locate specific words (gravity, inertia), record page numbers, and copy sentences from the book, demonstrating purposeful interaction with the text. The lesson includes guided discussion prompts and follow-up activities (sorting pushes vs. pulls, experiments, and demonstrations) that require students to explain what they learned from the reading.
Lesson 4
Changes in the Environment
The Skills list explicitly includes "Listen responsively to text read aloud (LA)." Activity 2 asks the child to read (or be read to) "Part 2: Seasons Change" (pp. 27-44) and to answer targeted questions on specific pages about changes (pages 28, 32, 36, 40, 41). Wrapping Up directs the child to describe environmental changes and explain causes and effects, and activities prompt discussion (e.g., how weather forces people to change activities).
Lesson 5
Changes in Location
Students are prompted to listen as an adult reads sentences and to move the cut-out mouse to the described location (Activity 2). Students complete sentence stems on the "Where Did He Go?" wheel by selecting or writing prepositions and can turn the wheel to show the cat changing locations (Activity 1). Students go outside or look out a window and write three or four sentences describing object relationships, and they are asked to read and follow written directions and then switch roles to describe locations.
Lesson 8
Plants and Change
The lesson directs an adult and child to reread and read specific pages together (e.g., "Reread pages 33 and 40-42," "Read pages 4-7," "Read pages 8-11"), asks the child direct comprehension questions, and has the child locate a section using the table of contents. The lesson also includes interactive read-aloud supports (sing-along video with prompts to recite needs, pause-and-recall) and follow-up tasks that require comprehension (cutting and ordering life-cycle pictures, predicting and recording outcomes of the plant experiment).
Lesson 9
Heat Causes Change
Students are asked to review pages 14-15 and 18-19 in the book Changes Happen All Around You and answer guided questions (for example, asking if they have seen anything burn), which requires attending to and responding to text. Students participate in spoken discussion prompts throughout the activities (e.g., predicting what will happen to ice, explaining why water turns to steam, describing how the cake changes), linking reading to comprehension. Students write or copy a sentence about an observation on handwriting paper, demonstrating they produce a written response tied to the reading/discussion.
Unit 2: Characters Change
Lesson 2
Why Worry?
Students are asked to watch a read-aloud video of Wemberly Worried and then discuss the story using guided comprehension questions, which requires listening and answering questions about events and characters. Students complete a "Characters Change" page describing how Wemberly changed from the beginning to the end, and they compare Wemberly with Chrysanthemum, demonstrating comprehension and purpose. Students participate orally by answering specific questions about whether Wemberly needed to worry and by using conjunctions in spoken and written sentences, showing purposeful engagement with the text.
Lesson 3
Is It a Problem?
Students listen to or read What Do You Do With a Problem? and answer four targeted comprehension questions about how the problem is illustrated, how it grows, how the boy addresses it, and what he learns. Students discuss figurative language and personification, examine illustrations across the story, and complete activity pages that require them to illustrate the problem at different points and identify beginning, middle, and end. Students brainstorm personal problems, analyze what is within their control, and write steps to tackle a problem, and they practice combining sentences orally and in writing using the conjunction "or."
Lesson 4
Comparing Characters
Students discuss stories with an adult, compare characters using Venn diagrams, and dictate three-sentence summaries of beginning, middle, and end. Students answer guided questions about similarities, lessons learned, and personal connections, and match causes and effects from the texts. Several activities ask students to illustrate and reflect on how problems changed characters and themselves, indicating purpose-driven comprehension work.
Lesson 5
The Raft
Students read pages aloud with an adult and stop at specific points to answer comprehension questions (e.g., stopping where the page ends with "Where had the raft come from?" and answering the listed QUESTIONS across days). Students complete guided comprehension activities such as identifying who is telling the story, selecting sentences with "I," matching vocabulary words to context, and discussing figurative language. Students organize story elements and compare multiple stories in the unit using the Story Elements and matching activity pages and complete a Characters Change page to show understanding of character development.
Lesson 6
Positive and Negative Change
Students are asked to participate in shared reading activities: an adult reads a character description twice and then students dictate and the group reads aloud a new ending. Students discuss texts from the unit through guided "what if" questions and are prompted to identify positive and negative cause-and-effect examples from stories. Students complete matching cause-and-effect activity pages by attempting to read, cut, match, glue, label each pair as positive or negative, and then relate those examples back to stories they have read.
Final Project
My Own Story
Students have their ideas read back to them and are asked to choose which idea to develop, showing a shared reading/listening interaction. An adult reads the child's dictated story aloud and discusses which parts will go on which pages, engaging the child in comprehension and purposeful organization. Students are prompted to share the completed digital storybook with family, creating a small-group reading/sharing experience.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 1
People and Families Change
The Skills section lists "Use listening skills when being read to" and "Read or attempt to read a dictated story," showing students practice listening and emergent reading. Activity 5 asks students to dictate ideas, have them read back, and "encourage him to read his ideas aloud (or you can read them to him)," and Activity 6 asks students to "read his ideas aloud and to share his descriptions with the rest of the family." Several activities ask students questions about pictures and records (e.g., asking when events happened), which requires listening and answering to show understanding.
Lesson 3
Communities Change
Students are prompted to read the book aloud (or listen as it is read) and to read the title and author, then answer specific comprehension questions about setting, characters, and changes over time. Students retell and sequence events by completing a timeline activity (cutting, numbering 1–6, and pasting events in chronological order). Students reread the story to focus on animals and habitats, circle animals from the story, and order nature scenes from past to present, and they write a sentence about the book for handwriting practice.
Lesson 4
Past and Present
Students are read selected pages of The Usborne Time Traveler and are asked questions about how people, homes, transportation, and schooling differ across time, so they listen and respond during shared reading. Students predict the content by analyzing the cover, sequence events on a timeline, and identify beginning, middle, and end when they dictate and have their stories recorded. Students compare and contrast a historical person's life with their own, draw and describe scenes from readings, and read clues aloud to family members as a guessing activity.
Lesson 5
Exploring the Past
Students are asked to recall and discuss the three time periods from the book The Usborne Time Traveler and to look through specific pages (Homes, Clothes, Food, Travel) to find information. Students will read or skim pages, draw and write or dictate descriptions of what they find, cut out pictures, and place images on a timeline. Students are encouraged to assemble a book about one culture and to give a presentation to the family, sharing what they learned.
Lesson 7
People of the Past
Students are prompted to read a simple biography with an adult and answer targeted questions about whether the person lived in the past, how to describe them, and what positive changes they made. Students cut apart the "People in History" squares, place them in chronological order, point to the individuals described, and glue descriptions beneath pictures to show comprehension. Students are asked to write a sentence about a historical person and to discuss what a biography is and what people from the past did to make positive changes.
Final Project
My Past, Present and Future
Students are asked to "read through her book or comparison pages," which requires them to read their own composed texts aloud or silently and reflect on content. Students are prompted to answer comprehension and reflection questions about what they did well, what they would change, and how they or things will be different in the future. Students are also asked to present their book or comparison pages to their family, engaging in a group presentation that involves reading and sharing with others.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
Students read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult while pointing to each word, modeling left-to-right tracking and rereading for fluency. Students participate in shared reading of the Tap and Pat reader, pointing to words as they read, performing the actions shown on each page, and reading the book a second time. Students answer questions about print features and meaning (identifying periods and exclamation points, finding sight words, counting occurrences) and are prompted to sound out words and use picture cues to confirm understanding.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud while an adult points to each word and to point to letters and punctuation as they read. Students read the decodable reader The Pig Can aloud (beginning on the first page, reading each word while pointing) and are asked to read it a second time and answer a comprehension question about the story. Students participate in shared reading-like tasks with an adult (flip-and-read sight word cards, turn letter cards and say sounds, and read word-building sequences aloud). The materials also encourage students to read The Pig Can to others to build fluency.
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud while pointing to words and to identify punctuation (Activity 1.1). Students read the reader The Bug aloud, pointing to each word, and answer comprehension questions about what the bug can do and wants to do (Activity 5.2). Students flip sight-word cards and read or identify words aloud during multiple activities and the Wrapping Up review, demonstrating interactive reading practice.
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
Students read aloud with an adult in Activity 1.1 by following the Weekly Message, pointing to words as the adult reads and then reading along; they count sentences and identify end punctuation. In Activity 3.1 students circle sight words in sentences and then read the sentences aloud while pointing to each word. In Activity 5.2 students read a leveled reader on their own and then read it aloud to the adult and answer comprehension questions about the story. In Making Sentences students work with word cards to read words and build spoken and written sentences together.
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message with an adult (Activity 1.1), point to words they can read, and answer questions about punctuation and sentence count. Students read Reader #5 (Ducks Are Fun) aloud to an adult and answer a comprehension question about which duck is having the most fun and why (Activity 4.3). The lesson also encourages students to read the first five readers to family and friends, prompting shared reading with others (Wrapping Up).
Lesson 6
Open Syllables and Digraph th
Students are asked to read along as an adult reads the Weekly Message (#1.1) and to point to words they know. Students read word pairs and sight word cards aloud during multiple activities (1.2, 1.3, 2.3, 3.1) and are instructed to read the reader This Is... on their own and then read it aloud to the adult (5.2). After reading the book, students are asked comprehension questions about characters and content, and are guided to point to words and read with expression at punctuation.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, point to words they know, and locate digraphs as the adult reads the message. Students read the decodable reader They Get Wet on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, then answer specific comprehension questions about where events occur and why they happen. Students read sight words and columns of digraph words aloud (pointing to words in random order, reading columns after sorting, and reading dictated sentences), demonstrating purposeful reading tied to phonics objectives.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
The Weekly Message activity has the child read along as an adult reads, point to words, circle punctuation, underline sight words, and highlight digraphs and vowel sounds, requiring purposeful, shared reading. Reader #8 asks the child to read a book on her own and then read it aloud to an adult while pointing to each word, followed by oral questions about events and reasons, which elicits comprehension. Sight word practice and sentence dictation require the child to read sight words quickly and write sentences heard aloud, reinforcing purposeful engagement and understanding during guided reading interactions.
Lesson 9
Blends with l
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, pointing to words and reading along as able, and to perform print-awareness tasks (circle periods, underline sight words). Students are asked to read Reader #9 (The Club) first on their own and then aloud to an adult while pointing to each word, followed by teacher/parent comprehension questions about details in the book. Several activities (read-aloud, read-along, and question prompts) require students to read with attention to meaning and to respond to questions about the text.
Lesson 10
Blends with r
Students are asked to read along as an adult reads the Weekly Message and to point to words as they read, and they circle periods, underline sight words, and highlight blends to read with purpose. Students read the reader One Can first independently and then aloud to an adult, pointing to each word and answering comprehension questions about the text. Several activities involve shared reading interactions where an adult reads words or sentences aloud and students respond by writing, identifying blends, or reading along (e.g., dictation, blend review, and rereading previous readers).
Lesson 11
Ending Blends
Students are asked to read along as an adult reads the Weekly Message (Activity 1.1) and to point to each word as they read the reader At Camp before reading it aloud (Activity 4.2). Students read the At Camp book to an adult and then answer comprehension questions about what the kids do at camp, demonstrating reading with purpose and checking understanding. The Life Application section encourages students to reread readers from previous lessons and to read them to others, which involves reading with an audience.
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult and read along as able, then perform purposeful tasks such as circling end marks, highlighting digraphs, and underlining sight words. Students read the reader Huff and Puff on their own and then aloud to an adult and answer comprehension questions about the book. Students complete activities that require reading words they build, reading words they create in the Alphabet Soup activity, finding and reading sight words in a word search, and reading dictated sentences aloud.
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
Students read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, point to words as they read, and clap syllables (Activity 1.1). Students read King Hank independently and then read it aloud to an adult and answer comprehension questions about the text (Activity 4.3). Students participate in read-aloud/re-read activities (previous reader, sight word card review), point to endings during word-sorting when an adult says words, and use Making Sentences cards to construct and read sentences (Day 2, Day 5).
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, reading along as able and rereading the message at least twice (Activity 1.1). Students read the reader Spring Has Sprung! on their own and then aloud to an adult, and answer comprehension questions about the text (Activity 4.3). Students also read words aloud during word-building, word-sorting tasks, and when asked to read words after placing or spelling them (multiple activities across days).
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, read along as the adult points to words, and re-read the message at least two times (Activity 1.1). Students read The Raft Trip on their own and then read it aloud to the adult, and then answer comprehension questions about characters and events (Activity 5.2). Students are directed to point to words as they read, follow left-to-right conventions, and practice reading words created in tasks like Alphabet Soup and word sorts, demonstrating active participation in reading tasks.
Lesson 16
R-Controlled Vowels (ar)
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message #16 aloud with an adult, point to words they know, and read along as able (Activity 1.1). Students read Reader #16 (Which? When? What?) on their own and then aloud to an adult, and answer comprehension questions about the text (Activity 4.2). Students participate in choral/paired reading prompts (read along, sound out words), guided sentence dictation, and word-chain activities with an adult, which require them to read, respond, and manipulate words aloud (Activities 5.1, 5.3, and various sight-word and word-building activities).
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud while the adult reads and they read along as able (Activity 1.1). Students reread readers on their own and then read them aloud to an adult and answer comprehension questions about characters and events (Activity 4.1). Students are prompted to share the reader they create with others after composing and illustrating it (Activity 4.2). Students also read aloud dictated sentences and sight words to an adult (Activity 3.2 and various sight word activities).
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 2
Long Vowels o, u, and e with Silent e
Students are asked to read along as an adult reads the Weekly Message (Activity 1.1) and to reread the message aloud during Wrapping Up. On Day 5 students read the reader They Chose To Doze on their own and then read it aloud to the adult, followed by comprehension questions about the story. Multiple activities (sight word reading, Sight Word Search, and reading words aloud during spelling and word-building) require students to read with a clear purpose (identifying vowel sounds, finding sight words, demonstrating decoding).
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students are asked to read aloud with an adult (Activity 1.1) by pointing to and reading words in the Weekly Message and reading along as the adult reads. Students read a leveled reader independently and then aloud to an adult and answer comprehension questions about These Mice (Activity 5.2). Multiple activities have students read words aloud, practice sight words with flash cards, and re-read previous readers for fluency and understanding, showing guided/shared reading interactions.
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, point to words they know, and sound out unknown words (Activity 1.1). Students read sight word cards and find those words in the Weekly Message, read the decodable reader The Bird Is Third aloud, and answer comprehension questions about who won the race and which animal came in last (Activity 5.2). Students also read words aloud after spelling or building them, participate in read-aloud/video watch-along opportunities, and complete sentence dictation where they must pay attention to sentence beginnings and endings (Activities 1.2, 3.1, 5.3).
Lesson 5
Long a Spellings ai, ay
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult and point to specific words and long a spellings (Activity 1.1 and Wrapping Up). Students read The Gray Day on their own and then read it aloud to an adult and answer comprehension questions about the story (Activity 5.1). Students re-read texts and read sentences aloud during dictation and spelling checks, demonstrating reading with purpose (identifying long a words) and understanding (answering who/what/why questions).
Lesson 7
Long i Spellings y, igh, ie
Students are asked to read along with an adult in the "Weekly Message #7" activity and to point to and read any words they know, promoting shared/choral reading. Students read sight word cards aloud as the teacher points to them, then group cards by vowel sound, showing purposeful reading and classification. Students read The Dark Night aloud to the adult and answer specific comprehension questions about the story, demonstrating reading with understanding.
Lesson 8
Long o Spellings ow, oa, oe
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult and to point to and read any words they know (Activity 1.1), and to re-read previous readers as practice. Students read the reader The Slow Boat on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by comprehension questions about the story (Activity 5.1). Students also read aloud during sight-word practice, sentence dictation, and are prompted to read words aloud after spelling and word-building activities (Activities 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 5.2).
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
Students are instructed to read the "Weekly Message #9" aloud with an adult, pointing to and reading words they know and reading along as able (Activity 1.1). Students read Reader #9 (Would You Eat It?) on their own and then aloud to the adult and answer comprehension questions about the story (Activity 5.1). Multiple activities prompt students to reread texts, point to words with the long u sound, and read sight words aloud while an adult points to the words (Activities 1.3, Day 5 wrapping up).
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, point to words they know, and re-read the message while pointing to long-vowel words (Activity 1.1). Students read Reader #10 — The Wild Colt on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by answering comprehension questions about the story (Activity 5.1). Several activities prompt students to read sight words aloud with a partner (parent) and to reread texts to confirm understanding (Activity 3.2, wrapping up reread).
Lesson 11
Long Vowel Sounds Review
Students are asked to read aloud and read along with an adult in Activity 1.1, where they point to words in the Weekly Message and identify long-vowel words as the adult rereads. Across Days 2–5 students repeatedly reread decodable readers (Reader #1, #5, #2, #7, #8, #6, #9) with the purpose of locating and writing long vowel words and then reading those words aloud. Students also practice reading sight words aloud (Activity 1.3, 2.3) and participate in interactive tasks (word sorts, fill-in-the-blanks, word scrambles) that require reading with a specific purpose and confirming understanding by using context or spelling patterns.
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, point to words they know, and identify long-vowel words while the adult rereads the message. Students read words from the oi/oy video and place words in oi and oy columns, reading them aloud as they sort. Students read Reader #12 aloud to an adult and answer comprehension questions, and they participate in choral or partner reading activities (read along, read aloud, and sentence dictation).
Lesson 13
Other Vowel Sounds ou, ow
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with a parent, pointing to and reading any words they know and reading along as able (Activity 1.1). Students read Reader #13 on their own and then read it aloud to the adult, followed by teacher/parent comprehension questions about the text (Activity 5.1). Multiple activities prompt students to reread texts and practice sight words aloud (Sight Words activities, Day 3 and Wrapping Up), supporting purposeful reading for phonics and meaning.
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, pointing to words they know and sounding out words they do not (Activity 1.1). Students read words aloud during rhyming, sorting, and spelling activities and are asked to read words back to the adult after the spelling test. Students read Reader #14 (The Pups) on their own and then read it aloud to the adult and answer comprehension questions about the story (Activity 5.1).
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with an adult, read along as the adult reads, and then underline and circle target words (Activity 1.1). Students read sight-word cards aloud while pointing to each word and use them in sentences (Activity 1.3). Students read The Bad Bear independently and then read it aloud to an adult and answer comprehension questions about the story (Activity 5.1). The wrap-up asks students specific questions about vowel sounds in words after rereading the Weekly Message, demonstrating purposeful reading for understanding.
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with a caregiver while following along (Activity 1.1), reading words they know and sounding out words they don't. The student reads The Gnats on their own and then reads it aloud to the adult, followed by comprehension questions about the story (Activity 5.2). During shared activities the student points to words as the adult reads sentences, practices sight words aloud, and participates in choral or guided reading of sight word cards and reader text (Activities 3.3, 1.1, 2.1).
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
Students are asked to read the "Weekly Message #17" aloud along with an adult, allowing them to read along as able (Activity 1.1). In Activity 1.2 ("Which Words?") students read word lists and then locate and justify choices for targeted questions (e.g., which words show FLOSS, which rhyme with "gold"). Multiple activities require reading aloud to an adult or partner and demonstrating understanding—sight word practice with cards (Activity 1.3), Reader Review where students read selected readers on their own and then aloud to an adult (Activity 3.2), and the Sight Word Search where students find, show, and read found words (Activity 4.1).