Curriculum

Children will name the author and illustrator of a text and define the role of each in presenting the ideas or information in the text. For example, after reading a picture book, the teacher might ask, "Who is the author of this book?" The children would identify the author's name and understand that the author is responsible for writing the story. Then, the teacher might ask, "Who is the illustrator?" and the children would identify the illustrator's name, recognizing that the illustrator creates the pictures that help tell the story or convey the ideas.

Children will distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words. For example, they will be able to identify that the word "hat" contains a short vowel sound (/a/ as in "cat") while the word "cake" has a long vowel sound (/aɪ/ as in "face").

Children will recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. For example, they will be able to read words such as "said," "where," "come," and "live" without relying solely on phonetic decoding, as these words do not follow standard spelling patterns.

Children will add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words. For example, if given the word "bat," they might substitute the /b/ sound for /c/ to create the new word "cat." Alternatively, they could add a sound to create "brat" from "rat" by adding the /b/.

Children will orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends. For example, when given the individual sounds /s/, /t/, and /op/, they will blend them together to say "stop." They might also be prompted to blend sounds like /b/, /l/, and /ock/ to produce the word "block."

Children will read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. For example, as they read aloud, they will focus on pronouncing words correctly, using appropriate pacing, and applying expression to ensure that they understand the text. They might practice reading familiar stories or grade-level texts multiple times to build their confidence and fluency.

Children will know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. For example, they will use their understanding of letter sounds and patterns to read simple words like "cat" and "dog" by sounding them out.

Children will isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words. For example, when given the word "cat," they will identify and say the initial sound /k/, the medial vowel sound /æ/, and the final sound /t/. Similarly, for the word "dog," they will isolate and pronounce the initial sound /d/, the medial vowel sound /ɔ/, and the final sound /g/.

Children will read on-level text with purpose and understanding. For example, when reading a story appropriate for their grade level, they will be able to identify the main idea and details, make predictions about what might happen next, and ask questions about the text. During reading activities, they might discuss the characters and settings, or summarize the story in their own words to demonstrate their comprehension.

Children will demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound for each consonant. For example, when shown the letters, they might correctly say the sounds like /b/ for "B," /k/ for "C," and /t/ for "T."