Curriculum

Children will segment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes). For example, when the teacher says the word "bat," the children will listen and then break it down into its individual sounds by saying "/b/ /a/ /t/." Similarly, for the word "ship," they will segment it into "/sh/ /i/ /p/."

Children will read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. For example, after practicing a short story multiple times, they will be able to read it aloud accurately, using a steady pace and clear pronunciation. They will also incorporate expression, such as raising their voices for exciting parts or using softer tones for quieter moments.

Children will associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels: A, E, I, O, and U. For example, they will learn that the short sound for "A" is heard in "cat," while the long sound is in "cake."

Children will know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. For example, they will use their understanding of letter-sound relationships to read words like "cat," "fish," and "jump" by sounding out each letter. Additionally, they will recognize common digraphs such as "sh" in "ship" and "ch" in "chat," allowing them to decode those words effectively.

Children will use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. For example, if they come across a word they don't recognize while reading a sentence, they might use the surrounding words to figure it out. If the sentence reads, "The dog wags its ___," and they hesitate at the word "tail," they could think about the context and reread the sentence to understand that "tail" makes sense in that context.

Children will be able to read high-frequency words by sight. For example, they will recognize common words like "the," "and," "is," and "you" without needing to sound them out.

Children will know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs. For example, they will understand that the letters "sh" create the /sh/ sound, as in "shoe," and that "ch" makes the /ch/ sound, as in "chair." They will be able to identify and read words that contain these digraphs during phonics lessons or reading activities.

Children will, with prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. For example, after listening to a story, they might ask questions like, "What happened to the main character?" or "Where did the story take place?" In response to questions from the teacher, they might answer by saying, "The cat climbed the tree," demonstrating their understanding of the key details of the story.

Children will distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ. For example, they might compare the words "bat" and "bet," noting that the sounds of the letters "a" and "e" are different.

Children will ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.For example, during a conversation about a story they just read, if a child hears a classmate mention a character they don't understand, they might ask, "Can you tell me who that character is?"