First Grade - ELA
1: Environment
Unit 1: Habitats and Homes
Lesson 1
My Environment
Students are asked to read and/or sound out labels on the "Exploring My Home" pages (Option 1 and Option 2) and to add missing letters, which practices reading on-level words. Activity 3 asks students to read a short paragraph aloud and to record or dictate their ideas about the most important room, providing opportunities to read with purpose. The Skills section explicitly lists phonics/decoding practice (showing that letters represent sounds) and "attempt to read dictated text," which supports reading for meaning. Students also circle items that meet needs and explain why rooms/items are important, connecting reading to comprehension.
Lesson 2
What Is a Map?
Students listen to the book Me On the Map and then answer questions about the country, state, town, and address, demonstrating comprehension of location information. Students locate North America, the United States, and their state on maps, showing purpose in reading map labels and captions. Students sound out and write labels for items on the Map of a House pages and practice copying and writing words (map, mom, home, house), which engages them in reading and decoding written words with purpose.
Lesson 3
Guide to Animal Habitats
Students are asked to listen to the story read aloud and answer questions about it, with prompts to point out animals, count them, and sequence the habitats. The skills list explicitly includes identifying title/author, making predictions, identifying and sequencing events, and connecting literature to prior knowledge. Several activities require students to examine the book to chart Crinkleroot's course and to use the book to identify plants, animals, and insects for sorting tasks. The introduction invites the child to attempt to read the book title and author's name or to recognize letters in them.
Lesson 4
Animals Live and Grow
Students are asked to listen as "Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt" is read aloud and then answer seven comprehension questions that require understanding plot, sequence, and cause/effect. Students are instructed to go through Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats to identify and chart plants, animals, and examples of shelter, and to analyze those items for consumer–energy source relationships. Activity pages require students to fill in or write names from the book and to locate specific information from the texts for classroom tasks.
Lesson 5
Discovering Animal Habitats
Students are asked to read and sound out habitat words, adding first and last letters (Option 1) and to read the list of habitat names in a word box and label pictures (Option 2). Students are instructed to read captions on the National Geographic site and to read or copy sentences containing target words (Activity 4). Students read and interpret graph labels and answer questions about how many animals are in each habitat (Activity 6), and they describe habitats and label animals and their food/water sources (Activity 3).
Lesson 6
Exploring Animal Habitats
The lesson asks students to dictate a story about an animal and then "read the story with him and encourage him to sound out the words in the story or to read it back to you," which gives students practice reading text they created. The lesson also directs locating more information about the animal in a book or online and sharing it with the child, exposing students to informational text related to the purpose of the activity. Students compare their predictions to their observations after the habitat visit, which connects reading and recorded text to a clear purpose and comprehension task.
Lesson 7
Tools in My Environment
Students are asked to "read the names of the tools" while using their finger to point at letters as the adult sounds them out, which gives practice decoding single-word labels (Activity 3). Students are asked to write or copy sentences containing the words it and inch and to practice the letter I on a handwriting sheet (Activity 4). Students are prompted to record and read numbers (inches) beside measured tools, providing additional opportunities to read short numeric text.
Lesson 9
Animal Designs
Students are asked to name animals and habitats in picture panels and to analyze captions such as "A fish swims in the ocean," linking the caption to the image. In Option 2, students are encouraged to write the name of each habitat, read the movement word for each habitat, and supply or draw an animal that matches that movement. Activities ask students to complete labeled fill-ins (e.g., "swims in the __"), circle body parts referenced by movement words, and explain why animals do or do not belong in pictured habitats.
Lesson 10
Amazing Animals
Students are asked to read or read along with the informational 'Amazing Changes' page about animal adaptations and to locate books or websites to learn more about a chosen animal. Students read word problems aloud on the 'Amazing Animal Math' pages and use manipulatives to solve them. Students listen to read-alouds, answer critical questions, and role-play scenarios that require explaining and interpreting text content.
Lesson 11
Amazing Me
The Skills list explicitly includes "Recognize some words by sight" and "Read or attempt to read own story," indicating student reading tasks. Activity 2 asks students to review the words beneath each face and read the words aloud before circling the face that matches their feeling, which requires reading and demonstrating understanding. Activity 3 asks students to read the ideas they dictated or wrote aloud, providing an opportunity to read connected self-generated text.
Final Project
Animal Research / My Environment
The project asks students (Option 2) to choose an animal and find websites, books, or other sources of information, which requires engaging with texts. Students are asked to complete written prompts (e.g., fill-in lines like "The ______ is found in ______") and to label pictures, which involves reading and decoding short phrases. Students are prompted to explain each page of their book to others, which requires understanding the content they gathered and represented.
Unit 2: Weather
Lesson 1
Reading the Skies
The lesson asks the child to look at the book cover, make predictions, and either read Whatever the Weather independently or follow along as an adult reads slowly with a finger, which provides practice in reading and comprehension. The skills list includes "Listen critically to text read aloud," "Respond to text read aloud," and "Make predictions about a story," and Activity 1 includes specific comprehension questions (e.g., What type of weather is best for playing outside?). Activities 2 and 3 require students to dictate or write sentences using vocabulary from the text, reinforcing understanding of the content they read or heard.
Lesson 2
Types of Precipitation
The lesson asks the child to read the words for types of precipitation on the 'Falling From the Sky' activity page (Option 1 and Option 2) and to label pictures accordingly, which requires word-level reading. After shared or read-aloud readings of Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today? students are asked comprehension questions (habitats, how characters looked when hot/cold, what they learned) and to discuss different types of precipitation, showing engagement with meaning. Activities also prompt the child to make and check predictions during the 'Making Rain' experiment and to describe what is happening, which practices reading-for-purpose comprehension skills tied to the texts.
Lesson 4
Simulating Weather
Students are asked to read the words of the Weather Song aloud and to follow along by pointing to each word as they sing. The Skills list explicitly includes recognizing that written words are separated by spaces and knowing the difference between letters and printed words. The lesson directs students to find specific words (e.g., clouds, rain) and identify capital letters, which requires them to locate and read words on the page.
Lesson 5
Fall
The lesson explicitly asks the child to read directions aloud for the Graphing Leaves activity and to answer comprehension questions about the graph (e.g., which color has the most/fewest leaves). In Activity 1 students are asked to read and circle beginning letters of words, use words in sentences, and copy or dictate sentences about the fall picture. The Handwriting activity has students practice the words "fall" and "fun," supporting word-level reading and decoding in context.
Lesson 6
Winter
Students are asked to find winter pages in the book Whatever the Weather and describe what they see, connecting pictures to their own winter experiences. Students dictate a winter story, illustrate it, and then attempt to read that story aloud with help sounding out words as needed. Students practice handwriting and may copy sentences containing winter vocabulary, which provides some opportunity to read those words in context.
Lesson 7
Spring
Students are asked to "attempt to read each poem" and to answer comprehension questions such as "what the poem was about." After reading, students draw a line from the poem to the picture that best tells the story, and they are prompted to identify rhyming words, which supports attending to text meaning and features. Optionally students can illustrate the poems or write their own spring poem, linking reading to purposeful responses and production.
Lesson 8
Summer
Students read short passages in the 'A Summer Story' activity by reading along or reading aloud and selecting words from picture-word prompts to fill in blanks. Students use context clues to decide which word fits each blank and may copy the word or write the beginning letter before reading the completed story aloud. Students read and complete the 'Changes in Weather' sentences by placing season names under temperatures and filling sentence blanks, demonstrating reading for meaning.
Final Project
Weather Games
Students are asked to look through and read aloud the book Whatever the Weather if they are able, and to reread pages 8–15 of Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today?. Students use text content to select the page that matches the current outside weather and to answer specific observational questions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, cloud types). Students read and/or match written season and weather words to pictures in the Weather Memory game, and they use the Weather Forecast organizer to prepare and report a multi-day forecast to the family.
Unit 3: Community
Lesson 1
On the Town
Students are asked to listen to or participate in reading the book On the Town and then answer comprehension questions about community, places Charlie visited, and reasons for Charlie's notes. In Option 2, students are prompted to read a list of community vocabulary words and to read each sentence to fill in the appropriate community word, which requires reading for meaning. Students also draw and write or dictate sentences about a new community place (Activity 3), demonstrating understanding of the text content in their own writing.
Lesson 2
My Community Environment
Students are read Me on the Map and then trace paths on a community map while discussing the purpose of buildings and the people who work there. Students look through books in their home library, select three with different types of communities, copy the titles, and draw simple illustrations describing the communities. Students label places on a poster and write or dictate brief descriptions of how each place serves the community and answer questions after interviews or field trips.
Lesson 3
Jobs in the Community
Students are asked to "read or help you read the name of each community helper" and to "attempt to read the names" on multiple activity pages (Activity 1 and Activity 2). Students are asked to read their dictated paragraph aloud for the family and to "attempt to read what he wrote" (Activity 4). Students are directed to read books about community workers (Activity 6) and to say each sentence aloud when recording how a worker helps (Activity 5). The skills list explicitly includes "Read or attempt to read own story" and "Understand letters, words, and story."
Lesson 4
Goods and Services in the Community
Students are asked to read the names of buildings, goods, and services on the activity page and, if needed, sound out words with adult help. Students circle the beginning letter for each word, cut out cards, and match each building to its corresponding goods or services, then glue the pairs on a titled sheet. Students read price labels in the 'Money' activity, count out dollars, and decide which items they can buy based on the prices.
Lesson 5
Resources
Students read headings and item labels on the student activity pages (e.g., the "Natural or Manmade Resources" title and item names like grapes, honey, firewood, clothes) as they sort pictures into columns. Students read and follow instructions on the "Counting on Resources" sheet to count objects, write numbers, mark each as "N" or "M," and order boxes from least to greatest. Students are prompted to read prompts well enough to collect real objects, explain how each resource is used, and write a sentence about gathered resources.
Lesson 7
A Citizen with Character
Students attempt to read the Respect activity pages (with Option 1 labeled as shorter/easier and Option 2 as longer/more complex) and mark each scenario as respectful or disrespectful to show comprehension. Students read "A Lesson in Honesty," answer prediction and comprehension questions, and discuss what should have happened. Students read or listen to "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," then sequence beginning/middle/end (or create their own version) and read books with characters to record actions and consequences, showing understanding across multiple texts.
Lesson 8
Rules and Laws
Students are asked to read each rule sentence by herself or with assistance (Activity 1). Students read and sort short statements into Laws or Rules aloud and decide category membership (Activity 2). Students listen to or hear a short narrative about a house with no rules and answer comprehension questions, then generate 3–5 rules and discuss them with family (Activity 3).
Lesson 9
Caring for Our Communities
Students listen to and follow the story "When One Person Cares" while being asked to study the activity sheet, and then answer targeted text-based questions (beginning/middle/end, setting, actions Katy takes). Students sequence story events and identify setting and character actions through the guided Q&A, and they compare two illustrated community scenes to mark good/bad elements, drawing conclusions about the text and images. Extension activities ask students to examine picture books' settings and explain whether those settings portray safe or happy communities, reinforcing purpose-driven comprehension.
2: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Amazing Attributes
Lesson 1
Describe It
Students are asked to circle the first letter and sound out words from the Word Box and to copy or paste words beneath pictures (Activity 3 Option 1), which requires decoding and word-level reading. In Option 2 students must write words from the Word Box beneath pictures and add two additional descriptive words, practicing independent word reading and production. Activity 4 asks students to write or copy a sentence that describes an object, requiring them to read (or reproduce) a simple sentence form.
Lesson 2
Animal Attributes
Students read picture labels (e.g., Lizard, Tree, Butterfly, Dog, Flower) and follow written directions to "circle all the things that are living," showing they read single-word items to complete tasks. In Option 2 activities, students write the names of living and nonliving objects and place animals into chart columns by body covering, requiring them to read and produce words for categorization. In Animal Parts (Option 2) students write the name of the body part that helps the animal move and, in Activity 4, students trace and copy the letter A and the words "animal" and "ant," demonstrating word-level reading and purposeful writing.
Lesson 4
How Does It Feel?
Students read and identify texture words from a provided word box (the activity directs the child to read each word and circle the beginning letter and to copy or paste words beneath pictures). Students read back the descriptive words they used during the blindfolded feeling activity and read example sentences that contrast plain and descriptive wording (We jumped in the lake vs. We jumped in the icy, cold lake and got wet). Students also write or copy a sentence about an object's texture, which involves reading and producing a short, on-topic sentence.
Lesson 5
How Old?
The Skills list explicitly includes "Attempt to read written text (LA)." In Activity 2 (Option 1) students are asked to "read each of the questions" or have them read aloud, to "reread the questions" and to "attempt to read them independently," with teacher prompting to notice question marks. Students also read numbers and match ages to pictures, and in Option 2 they read, sort, and write questions that begin with a capital letter and end with a question mark.
Lesson 6
The Measure of Things
Students read and follow written directions for multiple hands-on activities (e.g., instructions for measuring length, weight, and capacity). Students read and complete short written sentences and prompts on activity pages (fill-in-the-blank comparison sentences, 'Which Weighs More?' directions, and the 'Measuring with a Ruler' labels). Students read and copy/trace vocabulary words (length, long) during handwriting practice and explain measurement terms orally when prompted.
Lesson 8
Amazing Attributes
Students receive a Student Activity Page titled "MAGNETIC OR NOT" that lists object names (pencil, cup, pillow, spoon, paper clip, nickel, scissors, thumbtack, nail) and has columns for "Prediction" and "Results," which requires them to read the labels and fill in responses. The lesson includes a written "Facts and Definitions" section (definitions of magnet, sink, float, density) that students could read and reference. The skills list explicitly names a language-art skill: "Use words that describe in speech and writing (LA)."
Lesson 10
Earth Materials: Rocks, Soil, and Water
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions after a read-aloud of Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt and Over and Under the Pond, demonstrating reading for meaning. The plan asks the child to read the title page and the first sentence aloud and to complete sentences on preposition activity pages, giving the student short, on-text reading practice. The skills list explicitly includes identifying who is telling the story, comparing two texts, and using text features to locate information, all of which require reading with purpose and understanding.
Unit 2: Senses
Lesson 1
My Five Senses
Students preview the book My Five Senses by locating the title and author and predicting what the story will be about, establishing a purpose for reading. Students are asked to attempt to read the text using a provided Senses Word List, copy words, and identify beginning letters of words to support accurate reading. Students answer post-reading questions about senses and body parts and write or dictate sentences describing sensory experiences to demonstrate understanding of the text.
Lesson 4
Hearing and Seeing
Students hear The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses read aloud and answer targeted comprehension questions about events and characters, showing practice in reading-for-understanding. The skills list explicitly includes "Attempt to read written text (LA)" and several activities ask students to read their own ideas aloud (e.g., read his ideas about walking blindfolded; attempt to read his sound-description aloud to others). Activities ask students to reread specific book pages (e.g., reread pages 12-19 and 21-27) and discuss content, supporting comprehension through guided rereading.
Lesson 5
Touch
Students read and follow written instructions and questions in the Getting Started and Activities sections (e.g., prompts like 'Why do similarities and differences make the world more interesting?' and directions for Activity steps). Students read and identify single-word labels and adjectives on the Student Activity Pages (items labeled 'oven,' 'rock,' 'bubbles,' 'coffee pot,' 'ice,' 'pillow,' and descriptors like 'hot,' 'cold,' 'wet,' 'dry,' 'hard,' 'soft'). Students practice reading and writing the words 'touch' and 'taste' on the handwriting practice page and trace/write the letter T while associating it with those words.
Lesson 6
Experimenting With Our Senses
Students are asked to attempt to read the name of each spice on the labels of the jar and to copy the name onto index cards (Activity 2). Students are encouraged to read aloud the story that was recorded as they told it about a favorite flavor (Activity 3). Students also copy or write a sentence about something they smelled or tasted (Activity 4), which creates text for reading practice.
Lesson 8
Writing About Our Senses
Students are asked to read the clues in the "Sensing Logic" activity (or listen and follow along) and to cross out items that do not match, then reread clues to confirm their choice. Students are instructed to read through the paragraph on the "A Sensible Report" page and then attempt to read their completed report aloud, with assistance as needed. Students are also prompted to look through books to identify sensing words authors use and the skills list includes "Attempt to read written text."
Final Project
A Sensible Party
The lesson instructs an adult to "Read the sample sheet with her so that she gets an idea of what a plan looks like," which orients reading toward the purpose of planning a party. Student Activity Pages contain written instructions, labeled charts (senses, ideas, supplies), and game prompts that students must read and use to record their own plans and compare similarities and differences. After the party students are asked comprehension questions (e.g., "Did the party go well? Why or why not?" and "Did your guest use all of their senses? How?"), requiring them to reflect on and explain events described or experienced.
Unit 3: We're the Same, We're Different
Lesson 1
You're Special
Students are asked to attempt to read each question aloud on the "You Are Special" activity and then fill in answers to complete a personal paragraph, which they then read and share. In Activity 2 (Option 1) students are instructed to read each sentence on the "Your Numbers" page and record the numbers, then compare those numbers with another person. Activity 3 directs students to practice reading numbers found in books, houses, and the community (tens, hundreds, thousands) to apply reading to real-world text.
Lesson 3
Different Personalities
Students are asked to read through a list of personality words and attempt to sound out unfamiliar words (Activity 1). They circle words that describe themselves and explain meanings of words, which requires them to read and demonstrate understanding of vocabulary. Students trace and practice the word "quiet" and the letter q (Activity 4) and are encouraged to read/sing a short song that uses personality words.
Lesson 4
Interests and Hobbies
Activity 3 asks students to read the Hobby Survey questions aloud when interviewing three people, giving students a clear, real-world purpose for reading short, simple text. Activity 2 directs students to find books at the library about an interest and then use prior and new knowledge to answer the five prompts on the "My Interest" sheet, which requires comprehension of informational text. The handwriting page exposes students to the words "you" and "yes," providing a brief opportunity to read and recognize simple high-frequency words.
Lesson 5
Shapesville
Students are asked to point to the title and sound out letters, and the skills list explicitly includes "Read or attempt to read own story or simple text." As you read the story, students identify shapes, count sides and angles, and describe physical characteristics, which requires attending to text details. After reading, students answer comprehension questions (e.g., Did you enjoy the story? What doesn't matter in Shapesville? How are the shapes' personalities different?) and explain which shape represents them and why, then attempt to read and share their own description aloud.
Lesson 7
Different Homes
Students are asked to read pages 26–35 of A Life Like Mine and then identify and describe the different homes shown, which requires them to extract information from text. Students are asked to explain why people have homes and to identify materials used to build homes, connecting text details to prior knowledge about natural resources. Students complete follow-up tasks that require comprehension of the text, including finding similar homes, recording country names, sketching a dream home, and writing a sentence about their home.
Lesson 8
Different Holidays and Traditions
Students are asked to "read about the holidays in encyclopedias or on websites" and to look online for pictures and descriptions of holidays (Activities 1 and 2), giving them a clear purpose for reading. Students answer guided comprehension questions (e.g., What are the people celebrating? What activities are they engaged in? What foods are they eating?), which requires extracting meaning from the texts and images. Students use information they read to create a "Book of Holidays" with a sentence about each holiday and to place pages in chronological order, demonstrating comprehension of what they read.
Lesson 9
Different Modes of Transportation
Students complete word-level reading tasks in the 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles' activity by filling in missing letters or writing full labels for modes of transportation. Students read and choose or write appropriate modes in the 'Getting from Point A to Point B' scenarios, requiring them to read the options or generate words. Students produce an original short story about a trip and are asked to attempt to read that recorded story aloud, and they copy/write a sentence about transportation in the Handwriting activity.
Lesson 10
Wants and Needs
Students are instructed to read specified pages (pages 46–51, 56–61, and 66–71) and then discuss why children need education, play, and love and care, which gives reading a clear purpose. Students complete comprehension tasks that require understanding the text: they identify and explain wants versus needs, make lists of their own wants and needs and explain which is more important, and conduct a survey of four people and then sort and discuss the responses. Several activities ask students to write or draw responses based on information and discussions from the readings (e.g., Meeting Needs drawings, Wants and Needs webs).
Lesson 11
Being Part of a Group
Students are asked to read pages 98–113 of A Life Like Mine and then discuss the meanings of identity, nationality, and religion, which requires comprehension of the text. The skills list explicitly includes "Read or attempt to read own story or simple text (LA)." Students are encouraged to read the paragraph they compose about a group (Activity 2) and to answer and discuss comprehension questions about groups and similarities/differences throughout activities.
Final Project
Differences Make the World Go 'Round
Students are instructed to "Read about it in a book or on the Internet" and to read about the food, clothing, activities, transportation, and environment of the country they select. Students are asked to discuss the difference between fiction and nonfiction, which frames reading with a specific purpose. Activity pages provide sentence prompts (e.g., "I live in...", "I like to eat...") that require students to read informational material and extract facts to complete their book.
3: Patterns
Unit 1: Identifying and Creating Visual Patterns
Lesson 1
What Is a Pattern?
Students are asked to look at the cover of Busy Bugs and identify the title and author and to guess what the story is about. The adult reads the story aloud while students follow along, then the child attempts to read the story aloud with assistance as needed. Students are asked content questions about pages 6–11 and 12–25 (e.g., what types of patterns they see and to explain patterns found) which require them to demonstrate understanding of the text.
Lesson 2
Recognizing Types of Patterns
Students are asked to reread the book Busy Bugs and to point out ABAB and AABB patterns, which asks them to read with a specific purpose (to find patterns). Students are also asked to write or copy a sentence about Busy Bugs on handwriting paper, which requires them to process the text content. Several activities prompt students to label sequences (A/B) and explain how they decided whether a sequence is a pattern, which requires comprehension of the presented sequences.
Lesson 4
Extending a Pattern
Students are asked to "read the words for each pattern" (Option 2) and to gather objects and create the given pattern based on those words. The Student Activity Page presents sequences written as words (e.g., "fork, spoon, fork, spoon" and "penny, penny, paper clip, paper clip") and asks students to identify the first, second, and third items, requiring them to read and comprehend the sequence. Activity 2 also instructs students to read (or be read) the pattern and then extend it, linking reading to a purposeful task.
Lesson 6
Shapes and Patterns
Students read and sound out words that name shapes in the "Reading Patterns" activities (Option 1) and circle the beginning letter of each word before creating the pattern. In Option 2, students read the words that describe a pattern and then build that pattern with attribute blocks, following both shape and color instructions. Students also copy or write a sentence about a pattern (Activity 3) and practice writing words such as shape, color, and size.
Lesson 8
Creating and Writing About Patterns
Students read and use an on-page word list of object words (eye, nose, mouth, apple, orange, banana, worm, bug, hat) to create patterns and to write the first letter of each object. Students read and complete sentence stems such as "First comes ___," "Then comes ___," and the prompt "This pattern is made up of ___, ___, and ___." Students follow written instructions to illustrate and describe patterns and to copy or write the object words in Option 2.
Unit 2: Patterns in Sounds, Words, and Actions
Lesson 1
Word Patterns
Students read or reread nursery rhymes and the book Bear Hugs and are asked to identify rhyming words they hear in each rhyme. Students pick a favorite nursery rhyme and act out or illustrate it, and they are encouraged to record rhyming words from texts. Students copy or dictate animal names from Bear Hugs and sort them into habitats, and some options explicitly ask the child to read the poems or text herself.
Lesson 2
Making Word Patterns
Students read each completed sentence aloud after unfolding the "It's Time to Rhyme" page to check answers. Students attempt to read lists of words, cut them apart, and sort them into word families, then use the words to practice reading within each family. Students read picture books to identify and record rhyming words and groups that share sound or spelling patterns.
Lesson 3
Poetry Patterns
Students are asked to read poems on the "Patterns in Poetry" sheet aloud (read each poem at least twice) and to say what each poem is about, identifying and circling rhyming words. Students sing and pause during "A-Hunting We Will Go" to guess the next rhyming word and then recite words that follow the same pattern. Students reread a book with missing rhyming words and supply the omitted words, and they write another line from the song on handwriting paper.
Lesson 4
Sentence Patterns
Students read sentences aloud from the activity pages (Making Sentences and Completing a Sentence Pattern) and decide which words complete each sentence, checking that the sentence "makes sense." Students read simple picture-book sentences, point to capital letters and periods, and identify sentences with one subject and one action verb (Activity 4). Students read sentences aloud when acting out or describing situations and when copying or dictating sentences to record on handwriting paper (Activities 2 and 6).
Lesson 5
Story Patterns
Students are asked to read short storybooks (Activity 1) and to make predictions after the beginning and before the ending, showing they read for a purpose. In Activity 2 (Option 2) students are encouraged to read the short story twice independently (with guidance as needed) and then fill beginning/middle/end boxes to show comprehension. In Activity 3 students attempt to read their own created story and then copy or write a sentence from it (Activity 4), providing additional opportunities to read and demonstrate understanding.
Final Project
Patterns Video
The lesson asks the child to read words from a book or poem for the word/rhyming and book patterns and to explain the pattern. Students write or dictate a script for each pattern and then practice what they will say on video, including reading their selected text aloud. The guidance to practice multiple times and to stop between patterns for review provides opportunities for repeated oral reading and purposeful reading for explanation.
Unit 3: Patterns in Your World
Lesson 1
Patterns in Nature
The lesson lists a skill to "Practice reading simple texts (LA)" and instructs an adult to "Read aloud pp. 1-11 of Pattern by Henry Pluckrose," with follow-up questions that ask the child to identify and describe patterns in each picture. Activity 1 includes comprehension questions (e.g., which patterns were seen before/after) that require the child to discuss and reflect on the text/images. Activity 4 asks the child to write or copy a sentence from the day's reading, reinforcing connection to the text.
Lesson 2
Patterns of Growth
Students read and follow short procedural directions on activity pages (for example, "Draw the plant every few days and write a sentence to record its growth"). Students read and use the word box to label plant parts and are asked to write/copy target words (plant, grow, part) multiple times. Students read prompts to cut and sequence pictures of growth stages and write sentences describing how the plant or person is changing.
Lesson 5
Calendar Patterns
Students are asked to name the days of the week and months of the year in order and to review them daily, which requires reading and oral recall of calendar words. Students use a physical or online calendar to identify the month, date, and day of the week and to record scheduled activities, which requires reading calendar entries. Students read and sequence ten different dates on index cards and arrange days/months cards in order, which involves decoding date and word forms and using them for a purpose.
Lesson 6
Seasonal Weather Patterns
Students read and use a laminated calendar to write and identify today's date and circle the weather, which requires reading calendar labels and weather words. Students read month and season names on activity sheets, cut and sequence months, and fill in missing season names, matching pictured cues to written words. Students read the word box on the "Weather Patterns" page and place months beneath seasonal/weather categories, and they copy the months of the year on handwriting paper.
Lesson 11
Patterns in Graphs
Students are instructed to identify and mark the title and axis labels on bar graphs and charts and to follow written directions on the student activity pages. Students read and use short text labels (days of the week, numbers for books, gender, shirt color codes) and answer comprehension questions about what the graph or chart tells them. Students write short responses (mark S/F, fill in sink/float results, and write a sentence describing an object's sink/float outcome), which requires reading the page prompts and understanding their purpose.
4: Change
Unit 1: Changes on Planet Earth
Lesson 1
What Causes Change?
The Skills list explicitly includes "Read or attempt to read own dictated story (LA)." Activity 3 directs students to complete sentences about a change and then attempt to read the paragraph aloud. Activity 2 and the activity pages include printed labels and prompts (e.g., "fast or slow?", "before", "after", sentence starters like "Once I saw __________ change.") that students can read or use when answering.
Lesson 2
What Changed?
Students are asked to read (or be read to) Part 1: Things Change (pp. 3-26) and to answer specific comprehension questions about physical and chemical changes (e.g., pages 20, 23). After reading, students are prompted to name examples of physical and chemical changes, explain differences (burning vs. freezing), and discuss which changes they have seen. In Activities 2 and 3 students analyze picture pairs, circle applicable changes, and record sentences describing examples, showing purposeful engagement with the text content.
Lesson 3
Changing Position
Students are asked to look at the book cover, predict what the book will be about, and (if able) read Zoom! Zip! Whoosh! themselves or listen while answering questions. Students answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., How do we get objects to start moving? What force keeps us on Earth?) that require understanding of the text. In Activity 1 students locate words in the index, turn to the listed pages, and copy sentences from the book, demonstrating purposeful reading to extract information.
Lesson 4
Changes in the Environment
Students are asked to read (or be read to) "Part 2: Seasons Change" (pp. 27-44) and to answer specific questions about physical and chemical changes on several pages, which requires comprehension of the text. The skills list includes "Listen responsively to text read aloud," and activities prompt students to read situational prompts (e.g., weather scenarios) and explain how the weather would change their activities. Students are asked to illustrate or write two sentences about a time when weather caused them to change an activity and to write a sentence about their favorite season, supporting reading-for-understanding and purposeful response.
Lesson 5
Changes in Location
Students are asked in Activity 2 (Option 2) to read each sentence and move the mouse to the described location, and the instructions note providing assistance with reading if needed. The wrapping-up activity asks that directions be written for the child to read and follow, and Activity 1 (Option 2) requires the child to write entire prepositional phrases after a subject, which involves reading and producing simple sentences. Several student pages contain short, decodable sentences (e.g., "The mouse is in front of the TV") that students read to perform a purposeful task.
Lesson 7
Living Things Change
Students are asked to review specific pages (pages 30-31 and 34-37) in Changes Happen All Around You and to look closely at examples on the "Living Things Change" page, which prompts them to explain how and why animals change. Students respond to targeted comprehension prompts (e.g., Did it change in size? Did the number change? Was it fast or slow?) and circle words that describe the changes, demonstrating interpretation of text-linked images. The skills list includes "Present dramatic interpretations of ideas presented in text," indicating opportunities for students to derive meaning and purpose from text.
Lesson 8
Plants and Change
Students are directed to read specific pages of National Geographic Readers: Seed to Plant and Changes Happen All Around You and then answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., What are some things plants are used for? How are plants similar to and different from animals?). Students use a table of contents to locate the section "What Do Plants Need?" and read pages 14–15 for that purpose. Students demonstrate understanding by sequencing cut-out pictures to show plant life stages, making and recording predictions for a planting experiment, and writing a list describing plant parts and needs.
Lesson 9
Heat Causes Change
The lesson directs review of pages 14-15 and 18-19 in the book Changes Happen All Around You, prompting the child to engage with book content and answer questions. The Student Activity Page "Ice, Water, Steam" asks students to label three bowls using the word box containing "ice," "steam," and "water," which requires reading and applying vocabulary in context. Activity 4 asks the child to write or copy a sentence about an observation, involving sentence-level decoding and reproduction.
Lesson 10
Chemical Changes
Students read short informational text (Facts and Definitions and Introduction) that defines physical and chemical changes. Students read the Student Activity Page listing six paired scenarios and must classify each as chemical or physical, using reading to complete a task. Students are asked to explain how they made each decision and to describe the difference between a physical and a chemical change, which requires comprehension of what they read.
Unit 2: Characters Change
Lesson 1
What's in a Name
Students listen to the story read aloud at the provided link and answer four comprehension questions about plot, feelings, and character change. Students read short text segments in Activity 3 (Feeling Phrases) and interpret what the author is communicating about Chrysanthemum. Students examine vocabulary words in Activity 4, read the listed words, guess meanings from context, and match them to definitions, and students complete a Characters Change page describing how the character's traits shift.
Lesson 2
Why Worry?
Students watch a read-aloud video of Wemberly Worried and answer four comprehension questions that ask whether Wemberly needed to worry and what can be learned, demonstrating understanding of story events. Students complete a "Characters Change" activity in which they write how Wemberly was at the beginning and at the end and explain why she changed, using text details. Students use examples from the story to combine sentences with conjunctions and are asked to state which story they preferred and why, showing purposeful engagement with the text.
Lesson 3
Is It a Problem?
Students are asked to read What Do You Do With a Problem? and answer specific comprehension questions about how the author illustrates the problem, how it grows, how the boy handles it, and what he learns. Students practice demonstrating understanding by identifying beginning, middle, and end for multiple stories, comparing character changes, and completing activity pages that require citing pages and illustrating how the problem progresses. Students explain figurative language (personification and idioms) and combine sentences orally and in writing using conjunctions tied to the book, showing purposeful engagement with the text.
Lesson 4
Comparing Characters
Students retell each story in three or four sentences, dictating beginning/middle/end summaries and answering comprehension questions on the "Two Stories, Same Problem" page. Students compare and contrast characters using Venn diagrams, citing similarities and differences in situations, personalities, and illustrations. Students match causes and effects from the stories and produce a personal cause/effect example, demonstrating understanding of plot relationships and story lessons.
Lesson 5
The Raft
Students are directed to read The Raft across three days, with explicit read-aloud and independent reading steps (read the Author's Note, read through the page where the boy discovers the raft, pick up where you left off, finish the story). After each reading segment, students answer targeted comprehension questions (who, what, why) linked to plot, characters, and setting. Students perform purposeful comprehension tasks: identifying the narrator by selecting sentences with "I," using context clues in a vocabulary matching activity, interpreting idioms/figurative language, and completing story-element and character-change organizers to show understanding.
Lesson 6
Positive and Negative Change
Students are asked to "attempt to read" statements on the Matching Cause and Effect activity sheets and match causes and effects, indicating practice decoding short texts. Students hear or read the brief character passage twice and then answer comprehension questions about the rat's feelings and possible responses. Students create and dictate an ending, then read the story with the new ending and discuss how and why the character changed, connecting reading to comprehension and purpose.
Unit 3: A First Look at History - Change Over Time
Lesson 1
People and Families Change
The lesson's skill list explicitly includes "Read or attempt to read a dictated story" and "Use listening skills when being read to," which involve student reading/listening practice. Multiple activities ask students to read their own ideas aloud (Activity 5 and Activity 6) and to read/write sentences about changes (Activity 3 and the Student Activity Page). Students are also prompted to discuss and recount events tied to pictures and growth data, which requires some reading of their recorded information.
Lesson 2
Understanding Time
Students are asked to read specific pages (pages 6–13 and the last three pages) of the book Telling Time: How to Tell Time on Digital and Analog Clocks and to discuss ideas from the text. Students activate prior knowledge before reading and answer targeted comprehension questions (e.g., Were you born in the past, present, or future? Tell me about a change happening now). Students complete follow-up tasks that connect text information to personal experience (cutting/ordering time units, explaining past/present/future) and are asked to explain differences between past, present, and future.
Lesson 3
Communities Change
Students are asked to read the book The House on Maple Street aloud (Activity 1) and to read the title and author's name. Students answer comprehension questions about setting, characters, environmental change, and preferences, demonstrating understanding. Students sequence events from the story using a timeline (Activity 2) and identify communities, animals, and artifacts from the text (Activities 3 and 4), showing purposeful engagement with the text. The lesson offers two reading options (beginning and stronger readers) so students work at an appropriate level.
Lesson 4
Past and Present
Students preview and predict the book's content by analyzing the cover and are asked to "predict the content of a story by analyzing the cover." Students listen to and/or read specified sections of The Usborne Time Traveler and answer directed comprehension questions about differences in dress, homes, transportation, and schooling; they also dictate and sequence a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Students create clues from a selected time period and read those clues aloud to family, and they use text features and refer back to the book to locate facts.
Lesson 5
Exploring the Past
Students are instructed to skim or read specific pages of The Usborne Time Traveler (for example, pp. 104-105; 72-73; 8-10) to learn about elements of culture. Students will look through each section to find information and then draw and write or dictate descriptions of the information they found. Students will write one sentence about each element of culture for a chosen time period and use those sentences in a assembled book and presentation to show understanding.
Lesson 6
Predicting Future Change
Students are asked to "read each example of change" on the What Will Happen? sheets and to answer follow-up questions that require comprehension and prediction. Activity 2 directs students to reread each situation and their predictions, decide if outcomes are positive or negative, and write sentences describing results. Activity 3 asks students to dictate a personal change and then "attempt to read the description he dictated," and Activity 4 has students write or copy a sentence about a change.
Lesson 7
People of the Past
Students are asked to select and read a simple biography and then answer specific questions about whether the person lived in the past or present, descriptions of the person, and what the person did to make a positive change (Activity 1). Students read the "People in History" sheet, reread descriptions, point to the individual described, cut and order the squares from oldest to most recent, and glue descriptions beneath pictures (Activity 2). Students write a sentence about a historical person they learned about, showing comprehension of the text (Activity 4).
Final Project
My Past, Present and Future
Students are asked to "read through her book or comparison pages" during the Wrapping Up and to present the book or comparison pages to her family, which requires reading their written text aloud and reviewing its content. The lesson also tells students they can use The Usborne Time Traveler for reference when describing elements of culture, which would require them to read an informational text to gather details for their comparisons.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Letter Sounds Review I
Students read the Weekly Message aloud while pointing to each word, practicing left-to-right tracking and exposure to high-frequency words. Students read the decodable reader Tap and Pat: the teacher models pointing to each word, students read the book twice, and they are prompted to perform actions shown on pages to support meaning. Students are given comprehension prompts and strategies (e.g., "Does that word make sense here?," use the pictures, sound it out) and are asked to identify and name words they learned to demonstrate understanding.
Lesson 2
Letter Sounds Review II
Students read the "Weekly Message #2" aloud while pointing to each word, circling punctuation, and tracking left-to-right through the text. Students read the decodable reader The Pig Can, starting on the first page, read it a second time, use rising intonation for questions, and answer a comprehension question about whether the pig and cat can fit in the box. Students locate and read sight words in connected text and are encouraged to reread previous readers to build fluency and understanding.
Lesson 3
Letter Sounds Review III
Students read the Weekly Message aloud while pointing to words and use the hint to identify the vowel, showing purposeful reading to find information. Students read the reader The Bug aloud, point to each word as they read, and answer literal comprehension questions about what the bug can do and wants to do. Students read and write simple sentences (What's Missing?) and read words they build or write (word lists, word families, writing pages), demonstrating reading for understanding and practice with connected text and vocabulary.
Lesson 4
Letter Sounds Review IV
Students are asked to read The Cat, the Pig, the Dog, and the Fox on their own and then read it aloud to an adult (Activity 5.2), and they are asked comprehension questions about why characters are napping. Students read the Weekly Message aloud while pointing to words and identify sentence end marks (Activity 1.1). Students also read sight-word sentences aloud while pointing to each word and circle specified sight words before reading the sentences (Activity 3.1), and they read and build words and sentences using word and letter cards (Activities 3.2, 5.3).
Lesson 5
Adding s, More Word Families, Ending with ck
Students read a decodable reader (Ducks Are Fun) independently and then read it aloud to an adult (Activity 4.3). Students reread previous readers and the Weekly Message aloud with a purpose (Activity 1.1) and practice using punctuation and sentence features to guide expression. Students read and practice sight words and decode words in multiple activities (Activities 1.3, 2.1, 4.2, Day 5), and they answer a comprehension question about which duck is having the most fun and explain why.
Lesson 6
Open Syllables and Digraph th
Students are instructed to read the decodable reader This Is... on their own and then read it aloud while pointing to each word (Activity 5.2). The lesson asks students to read words and sentences aloud in multiple activities (Weekly Message #6, Activity 1.2 pairs, Activity 3.2 writing words and reading them, Activity 5.3 sentence dictation). Activity 5.2 includes specific comprehension questions about the text (why names start with uppercase letters, what kind of pet Dan has, and a preference question), which requires students to demonstrate understanding of the text.
Lesson 7
Consonant Digraphs ch, sh, wh, ph
Students are asked to read Reader #7 — They Get Wet on their own, to point to each word as they read, and to answer predictive and comprehension questions (e.g., "What do you think will happen in this book?" and questions about where the ship is and why characters are wet). Students read the Weekly Message aloud with the adult and read along as able, identifying digraphs and words they know. Multiple activities require students to read words aloud (digraph sorting, sight-word search, reading columns of sorted words) and to read sentences they have written during sentence dictation.
Lesson 8
Blends with s
Students read short, on-level texts aloud and independently: they are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with the adult and to read Reader #8 (Meg and Dan and the Sled) on their own before reading it aloud. After reading Reader #8, students answer comprehension questions about events and motivations (why they fell off the sled, why they stopped for a snack, what they would want). Students also perform targeted reading tasks with purpose—pointing to each word as they read, underlining sight words in the Weekly Message, and highlighting digraphs and short-vowel words.
Lesson 9
Blends with l
Students are asked to read Reader #9 — The Club on their own and then read it aloud, with explicit instruction to take their time and point to each word as they read. After reading, students answer comprehension questions about details (e.g., flag colors, what kids do at the club, and a personal response question). In Activity 1.1 students read the Weekly Message along with the adult, identify words they know, and complete tasks (underline sight words, highlight digraphs and short-vowel words) that require attending to meaning and features of the text.
Lesson 10
Blends with r
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud and read along, then perform targeted reading tasks (circle periods, underline sight words, highlight digraphs and blends) that give a clear purpose for reading. Students are directed to re-read a prior reader and to read the reader "One Can" on their own, with instructions to point to each word as they read and then answer comprehension questions about the text. Students are also asked to read aloud words they build and to read back words they create in the "Alphabet Soup" activity, reinforcing purposeful reading of connected text.
Lesson 11
Ending Blends
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud and point to words as they read along (Activity 1.1). Students read words and word lists aloud, spell and write dictated words, and are asked to read all words on the "nd/mp/lf/nt Words" pages (Activities 2.1, 2.2, 4.1). Students read Reader #11 — At Camp on their own before reading it aloud and then answer comprehension questions about the text (Activity 4.2), and they read dictated sentences aloud/written during Sentence Dictation (Activity 5.2).
Lesson 12
Double ll, ss, ff, zz (FLOSS)
Students read the Weekly Message aloud with the adult, point to words they know, and re-read it to find FLOSS words. Students read the reader Huff and Puff on their own and then aloud, pointing to each word and answering comprehension questions about insects and events. Students read words they build in Alphabet Soup and the word-building activities, find and read sight words in the Sight Words Search, and read back sentences after sentence dictation.
Lesson 13
Glued Sounds ng and nk
Students are asked to re-read the Weekly Message #13 and to point to and read any words they know, then read along as an adult reads it aloud. Students read Reader #13 — King Hank on their own before reading it aloud and then answer comprehension questions about characters and events. Students read and sort word-family pages and sight-word cards, read words aloud during word-building activities, and read dictated sentences aloud after writing them.
Lesson 14
Three-Letter Beginning Blends
Students are asked to read Spring Has Sprung! on their own and then read it aloud, with instructions to point to each word as they read and to answer comprehension questions about the text (Activity 4.3). Students are prompted to read the Weekly Message aloud, point to and read words they know, and re-read the message multiple times to build meaning and fluency (Activity 1.1). The skills list and multiple activities require students to read sight words, read word-sorted lists aloud, and read dictated sentences back to the teacher, all of which practice reading connected text with attention to meaning.
Lesson 15
More Ending Blends
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud with prompting and to point to words as they read, then to re-read it multiple times and identify multisyllabic words (Activity 1.1). Students read Reader #15 (The Raft Trip) on their own before reading it aloud, are instructed to point to each word as they read, and are asked specific comprehension questions about the text (Activity 5.2). Students write and then read dictated sentences, attending to sentence boundaries and reading the sentences aloud (Activity 5.1).
Lesson 16
R-Controlled Vowels (ar)
Students are asked to read the decodable reader Which? When? What? independently and then aloud, with instructions to point to each word as they read and to answer the question on each page. Students read and re-read the Weekly Message, are prompted to point to and read known words, and to find three words that demonstrate the Bossy R rule. Students also read sight words, read word sorts aloud, and read dictated sentences after writing them.
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students are asked to reread and read aloud named readers (Activity 4.1) and to reread the Weekly Message and point to words (Activity 1.1 and Wrapping Up). Students are directed to page through and read pages from their Word Collection (Activity 2.1), read sight words and find them in a word search (Activity 5.1), and write then read dictated sentences (Activity 3.2). Comprehension is checked when students are asked which reader is their favorite and why, to identify characters and what they do, and to underline or choose correct words (there/their) in context.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Long Vowels a and i with Silent e
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and then read the message aloud with the adult (Activity 1.1). Students read Reader #1 — In the Fall independently and then aloud, are instructed to point to each word as they read, and answer specific comprehension questions about the text (Activity 5.1). The Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding," "Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary," and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings."
Lesson 2
Long Vowels o, u, and e with Silent e
Students read the reader They Chose To Doze on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by answering specific comprehension questions about the story (what the family did, who fell off the mule, and a preference question). Students reread the Weekly Message aloud while listening for and identifying words that include long vowel sounds, giving them a clear reading purpose. Students also read sight word cards, find and read sight words in a word search, and read dictated sentences aloud after writing them.
Lesson 3
Hard and Soft c and g
Students are asked to read the Weekly Message aloud and sound out unknown words (Activity 1.1) and to re-read a previous reader for practice. On Day 5 (Activity 5.2) students read the on-level reader These Mice independently and then aloud to an adult, followed by explicit comprehension questions about the text. The Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings," and activities prompt re-reading and use of context to confirm word recognition.
Lesson 4
More R-Controlled Vowels (er, ir, or, ur)
Students are asked to read The Bird Is Third on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by specific comprehension questions about who won the race and which animal came in last (Activity 5.2). The Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings," and activities ask students to reread the Weekly Message and previous readers. Several activities require students to read words aloud, read sight words, and read word lists (Activities 1.1, 1.3, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1), providing practice with oral reading and basic comprehension checks.
Lesson 5
Long a Spellings ai, ay
Students are asked to reread the previous reader and to read the Weekly Message aloud, pointing to words they know and sounding out unknown words. Students read The Gray Day independently and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by specific comprehension questions about events and characters. Students are prompted to point to long a words in the Weekly Message and in the reader and to explain which letters make the long a sound, linking decoding to meaning.
Lesson 6
Long e Spellings ee, ey, ea
Students read the Weekly Message aloud and follow along, pointing to known words and sounding out unknown words (Activity 1.1). Students read Reader #6 (What Do You Eat?) independently and then aloud, and answer comprehension questions about details (Day 5, Activity 5.1). Students read and sort words by sound, read sight word cards, read sentences they build or are given, and reread words and sentences for accuracy and fluency (Activities across Days 1–4). The Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings."
Lesson 7
Long i Spellings y, igh, ie
Students are asked to read The Dark Night independently and then read it aloud to an adult (Day 5, Activity 5.1), followed by comprehension questions about characters and events. The lesson directs students to reread the Weekly Message and to point to long i words, asking them to read words they know and sound out unknown words (Activity 1.1 and Wrapping Up). The Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings."
Lesson 8
Long o Spellings ow, oa, oe
Students read The Slow Boat independently and then read it aloud to an adult, after which they answer specific comprehension questions about the story (e.g., number of boats, color of winning boat). Students reread the Weekly Message and are asked to point to and read words they know and to identify long o words in the message. Students also read grade-level word lists, sight words, and decodable texts across activities (word pages, sight word cards, and the spelling test), and the skills list explicitly includes reading grade-level text with purpose, understanding, and appropriate oral expression.
Lesson 9
Long u Spellings ue, ew, ou
Students read the Weekly Message aloud and are asked to point to and read words they know and sound out unknown words, practicing purposeful reading. Students read the reader "Would You Eat It?" on their own and then aloud and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., "What does Tom add to the stew?"), demonstrating understanding. Students also read sight words, sentences for dictation, and activity-page texts and are asked to point to words with the long u sound and explain word meanings, showing connection between decoding and meaning.
Lesson 10
Other Long Vowel Patterns
Students read and re-read short texts: the Weekly Message, a previous reader, and Reader #10 (The Wild Colt), with instructions to read the story independently and then aloud to an adult. They are asked to point to and read known words, to sound out unknown words, and to identify long-vowel words in the Weekly Message to give their reading a clear purpose. Comprehension is checked with specific questions about The Wild Colt, and the Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and using context to confirm or self-correct understanding.
Lesson 11
Long Vowel Sounds Review
Students read the Weekly Message aloud and point to words they know, then identify and point to words that contain long vowel sounds, showing reading with a clear purpose. Students reread multiple second-semester readers (named by number) while searching for long vowel words, write those words on a laminated sheet, and then read them aloud to check understanding. Students complete Fill in the Blanks activities using a word bank and then read the completed sentences, demonstrating use of context to choose words that make sense. Students also practice sight word cards and word-sorting tasks that require reading words to categorize them by vowel patterns.
Lesson 12
Other Vowel Sounds oi, oy
Students are asked to point to and read words in Weekly Message #12 and to read the message aloud along with an adult, identifying long-vowel words as they read. Students read word lists and sight words (did, am, long), complete a word search and read the found words aloud, and read words they build during word-building and sorting activities. Students read Reader #12 — The New Toy independently and then aloud, and answer literal and inferential questions about the story (e.g., what sound does the toy make; what do you think Dan's new toy is?).
Lesson 13
Other Vowel Sounds ou, ow
Students are asked to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and to re-read it, reading along as able and identifying words with the target sound. Students read Reader #13 (The Hound and the Owl) on their own and then aloud to an adult, and they answer comprehension questions about the story (e.g., what the hound does during the day and night; why the hound howls at the owl). Multiple activities require students to read words and texts aloud (word sorting, word-building, sight word practice, sentence dictation) and the Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding."
Lesson 14
Other Vowel Sounds aw, au
Students are asked to read Reader #14 (The Pups) on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by specific comprehension questions about where the pups sleep and what the puppies do. Activity 1.1 directs students to point to and read words in the Weekly Message and re-read the previous lesson's reader to build familiarity. The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings."
Lesson 15
These Make More Than One Sound: oo and ea
Students read Reader #15 (The Bad Bear) independently and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by literal comprehension questions about plot details and consequences. Students reread the Weekly Message, point to and read words, and answer targeted wrap-up questions that check understanding of specific words and meanings. The skills list and several activities also require students to read word lists, sight words, and dictated sentences aloud, reinforcing reading with purpose and comprehension.
Lesson 16
Silent Starts: kn, wr, gn
Students read a week message aloud and reread a previous reader, pointing to and reading words they know and sounding out words they do not (Activity 1.1, Activity 1.3). Students read Reader #16 (The Gnats) on their own and then read it aloud to an adult, followed by literal comprehension questions about story events (Activity 5.2). Students also read sight-word cards and sentences aloud while pointing to words, and are asked to find and read words in other on-level books (Sight Words activities, Life Application).
Lesson 17
Year-End Review
The lesson explicitly asks students to read the Weekly Message aloud and to point to and read words they know, and it directs students to select three readers (Activity 3.2 and 5.2) to read independently and then aloud. The Skills list explicitly includes "Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding" and "Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings." Several activities require reading connected text (weekly message, readers) and reading their own written sentences aloud after composing them from picture prompts.