Kindergarten - Gateway 1

The letter names and sounds instruction in Letterland meet the expectations for Indicator 1a.i. The materials provide a defined yearlong sequence for systematically introducing all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters. Instruction occurs in isolation, with explicit teacher modeling of each letter names, sound, and shape. Lessons consistently use picture mnemonics, picture code cards, and routines to reinforce connections between letters and sounds. Review and consolidation lessons are embedded throughout the sequence. The lowercase letter sequence follows an alphabetical order, while the uppercase sequence reflects a more intentional instructional order. Lowercase letters are introduced alphabetically and uppercase letters in an intentional order, providing full coverage of all letters but limiting early opportunities to form common word patterns. 

• There is a defined sequence for letter recognition instruction to be completed in a reasonable time frame over the school year.

  • According to the Scope, Sequence and Skills, each new letter is introduced in isolation with direct teacher modeling of its sound and shape, explicit guidance for formation (lowercase and uppercase), and practice supported by picture mnemonics and consistent routines. 

    • Lowercase sequence (Section 1: a-z Fast Track, Units 1-5, Lessons 1-25): 

      • Unit 1, Lessons 1-5: a, b, c, d, e 

      • Unit 2, Lessons 6-10: f, g, h, i, j

      • Unit 3, Lessons 11-15: k, l, m, n, o

      • Unit 4, lessons 16-20: p, q, r, s, t

      • Unit 5, Lessons 21-24: u, v, w, x, y, z; Lessons 25 Review and Assessment 

    • Uppercase sequence (Section 2, Part 1: Units 6-23):

      • Unit 6, Lessons 27-28: Cc Clever Cat

      • Unit 7, Lessons 31-32: Dd Dippy Duck; Lessons 33-34 Hh Harry Hat man

      • Unit 8, Lessons 36-37: Mm Munching Mike; Lessons 38-39 Tt Talking Tess; Lesson 40 Review and Consolidation

      • Unit 9, Lessons 41-42: Ss Sammy Snake; Lesson 45 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 10, Lessons 46-47: Ii Izzy Ink; Lessons 48-49: Nn Noisy Nick; Lesson 50 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 11, Lessons 51-52: Gg Golden Girl; Lessons 53-54 Oo Oscar Octopus; Lesson 55 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 12, Lessons 56-57: Pp Peter Puppy; Lessons 58-59 Ee Eddy Elephant

      • Unit 13, Lessons 63-64: Uu Uppy Umbrella; Lesson 65 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 14, Lessons 66-67: Kk Kicking King; Lesson 70 Assessment for Section 2, Part 1

    • Uppercase sequence (Section 2, Part 2: Units 15-23)

      • Unit 16, Lessons 78-79: Ll Lucy Lamp Light; Lesson 80 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 17, Lessons 81-82: Ff Firefighter Fred; Lesson 85 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 18, Lessons 86-87: Bb Bouncy Ben; Lessons 88-89 Jj Juggling Jen; Lesson 90 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 19, Lessons 91-92: Rr Red Robot; Lessons 93-94: Qq Quarrelsome Queen; Lesson 95 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 20, Lessons 96-97: Vv Vicky Violet; Lesson 100 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 21, Lessons 101-102: Ww Walter Walrus; Lesson 105 Review and Consolidate 

      • Unit 22, Lessons 106-107: Xx Fix-it Max; Lessons 108-109: Yy Yellow Yo-yo man; Lesson 110 Review and Consolidate

      • Unit 23, Lessons 111-112: Zz Zig Zag Zebra; Lesson 113 Review and Consolidate  

    The lowercase letter sequence follows an alphabetical order (a-z) rather than a high-utility instructional sequence. While the uppercase sequence reflects a more intentional instructional order. The alphabetical progression of letters may limit opportunities for early word building and practice with more common sounds. 

• Materials contain isolated, systematic, and explicit instruction for students to recognize all 26 lowercase and uppercase letters. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Section 1: a-z Fast Track - Abbie Apple, the materials provide step-by-step guidance to introduce the lowercase letter a. The teacher points to the classroom train frieze and explains, “This frieze shows all the letters that make up all words in our language. All those letters are called the alphabet…Each of these 26 letters have names-letter names.” The materials direct: 

    • I do: The teacher points to the train frieze and names the letters a, b, c

    • We do: The teacher and students say the letters together while pointing to the frieze. 

    • You do. Students say the letter names independently. The teacher then prompts students to point to the picture code card for Abbie Apple and name the letter a. 

  • Unit 6, Lesson 27, Section 2, the teacher displays the K Poster: Alphabet as a visual reference for the pairings and relative sizes of the a-z letter shapes. The lesson explicitly states, “All the a-z letters have two shapes that make the same sound. Here are Clever Cat’s letters. This one is called uppercase C, and we use it to start important words like someone’s name or the start of a sentence.” Students compare the plain letters C and c using picture code cards or Phonics Online. The teacher models the “uppercase trick” by saying: “Every character does an uppercase trick when they start an important word, the start of a sentence, or a name. Here is Clever Cat’s trick. She takes a deep breath and gets bigger.” Students imitate the motion by pretending to “get bigger” like Clever Cat, then explain when uppercase C is used, responding: “At the start of a sentence or a name.” 

The student practice opportunities for letter names and their corresponding sounds in Letterland meet the expectations for Indicator 1a.ii. Materials provide frequent, varied, and systematic practice through activities that integrate character mnemonics, picture code cards, action tricks, and songs. Students practice recognizing letters, producing corresponding sounds, and connecting the two across multiple modalities. Lessons include review routines and cumulative activities. Cumulative practice is embedded throughout the year, reinforcing both new and previously taught letters through interactive routines and digital resources. 

• Materials include sufficient practice opportunities for students to recognize all 26 lowercase and uppercase letters accurately and automatically. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 4, Section 1, d Dippy Duck, Section 1, Let’s Review Cards (a, b, c), students listen to the teacher say a sound, repeat the sound, and guess the character’s name using hidden picture code cards. After the teacher reveals the plain letter side, students say the letter name and practice identifying and connecting the sound, character, and letter shape. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 56, Section 2, Uppercase Trick, students compare the plain letters P and p using picture code cards or Phonics Online and observe both letter forms together. The teacher displays the character sides and models the “uppercase trick,” prompting students to act out the routine: “Let’s all pop up from our seats and pose like a puppy with our paws up.” Students repeat when uppercase P is used, responding, “At the start of a sentence or a name.” Students explain the relationship between the two letter shapes, stating that the uppercase and lowercase P make the same sound but have different shapes. The lesson concludes with partner discussion as students compare the two letter forms and describe how they are the same and different, reinforcing recognition through verbal explanation and repetition. 

• Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) alphabet knowledge. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 14, n Noisy Nick, Section 1, Let’s Learn Name, Character, and Sound, the lesson begins with whole-class cumulative review as students go through the class Train Frieze, naming previously learned letters aloud in sequence. The teacher models each name and students repeat it together (e.g., “aye, bee, see, dee, eee….”).  The lesson then introduces n through the character Noisy Nick. Students describe the character, say his name, and connect him to the /n/ sound. Students practice the Action Trick by banging one fist on the other while saying the /n/ sound, reinforcing the kinesthetic connection between sound and symbol. They practice with both sides of the picture code card-saying Noisy Nick’s Alphabet Song on Phonics Online, repeating the character name, sound, and action as they flip the card. 

  • In Unit 14, Lesson 66, Section 2, Wrap It Up: Quick Review, students use the picture code cards K and k to review the character (showing the character side), the sound (showing the plain letter side), the type of sound (consonant), and the Uppercase Trick. 

The instruction and teacher modeling for letter formation in Letterland meet expectations for Indicator 1a.iii. The program provides a defined sequence for handwriting instruction that is aligned with the introduction of letter recognition. Students first learn the initial formation of all lowercase letters in Section 1 and then continue with both uppercase and lowercase letters in Section 2. Each letter lesson includes explicit teacher modeling supported by Handwriting Song Lyrics, air-tracing, and digital animations through Phonics Online. Teacher-facing materials provide stroke-by-stroke guidance, corrective feedback, and extension activities for all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters. 

• There is a defined sequence for letter formation, aligned to the scope and sequence of letter recognition, to be completed in a reasonable time frame over the school year. 

  • According to the Teaching Overview & Assessment Objectives and Scope, Sequence, and Skills, the materials provide a defined sequence for handwriting instruction that is aligned to the introduction of letter recognition. In Section 1, students learn the initial formation of all lowercase letters. In Section 2, students continue handwriting instruction with both lowercase and uppercase forms. 

    • Section 1: a-z Fast Track - Writing Initial Formation of Lowercase Letters (Units 1-5, Lessons 1-25)

      • Unit 1, Lessons 1-5: a, b, c, d, e

      • Unit 2, Lessons 6-10: f, g, h, i, j

      • Unit 3, Lessons 11-15: k, l, m, n, o

      • Unit 4, Lesson 16-20: p, q, r, s, t

      • Unit 5, Lessons 21-24: u, v, w, x, y, z

      • Lesson 25: Review and Assessment 

    • Section 2, part 1 - Writing Lowercase and Uppercase Letters (Units 6-14)

      • Unit 6, Lessons 27-28: Cc 

      • Unit 7, Lessons 31-32: Dd; Lessons 33-34: Hh

      • Unit 8, Lessons 36-37: Mm; Lessons 38-39: Tt

      • Unit 9, Lessons 41-42: Ss

      • Unit 10, Lessons 46-47: Ii; Lessons 48-49: Nn

      • Unit 11, Lessons 51-52: Gg; Lessons 53-54: Oo

      • Unit 12, Lessons 56-57: Pp; Lessons 58-59: Ee

      • Unit 13, Lessons 63-64: Uu

      • Unit 14, Lessons 66-67: Kk

    • Section 2, Part 2 -Writing Lowercase and Uppercase Letters (Units 16-23)

      • Unit 16, Lessons 78-79: Ll

      • Unit 17, Lessons 81-82: Ff

      • Unit 18, Lessons 86-87: Bb; Lessons 88-89: Jj

      • Unit 19, Lessons 91-92: Rr; Lessons 93-94: Qq

      • Unit 20, Lessons 96-97: Vv

      • Unit 21, Lessons 101-102: Ww

      • Unit 22, Lessons 106-107: Xx; Lessons 108-109: Yy

      • Unit 23, Lessons 111-112: Zz 

• Materials include clear directions for the teacher concerning how to explain and model how to correctly form each of the 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase). 

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 28, Cc Clever Cat, Section 2, Let’s Learn Shape Cc, the materials provide explicit modeling steps for both lowercase and uppercase c. For the lowercase letter, the teacher writes a large c on the board and describes the strokes using the Handwriting Song lyrics: “Curve ‘round Clever Cat’s face to begin. Then gently tickle her under her chin.” Students then join in as the teacher plays the lowercase c song on Phonics Online, singing and air-tracing the shape together as it forms on screen. 

    • The same process is repeated for the uppercase C. The teacher models writing the large uppercase C on the board while describing the strokes with the Handwriting Song lyrics: “Come, make a big curve ‘round Clever Cat’s face, to show us her letter when it’s uppercase.” Students sing the uppercase C song while air-tracing the shape together. 

    • Teacher guidance also includes corrective feedback (e.g., practicing large circles and large cs for students who struggle with curves) and extension activities (e.g., challenging students to write on lined paper without support and in smaller sizes). 

    This routine of teacher modeling, handwriting song lyrics, air-tracing, and corrective feedback is repeated throughout Section 2: a-z Word Building and Consonant Digraphs, with each uppercase and lowercase letter having its own individual Handwriting Song. 

The student practice opportunities for letter formation in Letterland meet expectations for Indicator 1a.iv. The program includes frequent and varied opportunities for students to practice forming uppercase and lowercase letters through finger-tracing, air-tracing, and handwriting pages. Practice is systematically integrated with letter-sound instruction and supported by multimodal strategies that combine motor movement with oral rehearsal. Cumulative review is embedded through activities that reinforce previously introduced letters and support automaticity in forming both lowercase and uppercase shapes. 

• Materials include frequent opportunities for students to practice forming all of the 26 uppercase and lowercase letters. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 49, Nn Noisy Nick, Section 2, You Do, students complete the nN K-Handwriting Practice page. Students finger-trace the plain letter side of the phonics code card, finger-trace the large hollow letter on the page, and then write the letter three times in different colors while saying the /n/ sound. 

  • In the Kindergarten Tricks & Strategies Manual, Air-Tracing (Letter Formation), students practice forming both new and previously introduced letters through large-motor routines. Students hold their arms out straight, extend two fingers, and air-trace a large version of the target letter displayed on the board or projected on Phonics Online. As they trace, students repeat the letter sound aloud, reinforcing the connection between sound and formation. Students then close their eyes and air-trace again, imagining the shape while saying the sound. 

• Materials include cumulative review of previously learned letter formation. 

  • In Unit 23, Lesson 113, Review and Consolidation, students engage in self-managed station activities that include K-Handwriting Practice to complete handwriting not finished during small group time. Students are encouraged to review and self-check their work and to extend earlier writing activities. These review and consolidation lessons occur throughout the year, providing cumulative opportunities for students to revisit and reinforce formation of all 26 letters. 

  • In the Kindergarten Tricks & Strategies Manual, Uppercase Trick in Section 2, students practice associating lowercase and uppercase forms by retelling the Uppercase Trick story. For example, after the teacher introduces Golden Girl’s trick - getting into her go-cart to start an important word - students are asked to re-tell the story to a partner, reinforcing recognition and formation of the uppercase G alongside the lowercase g. 

    • Students review previously taught uppercase letters through similar routines, such as E, Eddy Elephant does his “elephant-on-end trick”, I, Izzy Ink starts words with her long, thin ink pen, and Y, Yellow Yo-yo Man empties yo-yos to step up on the line. 

    The repeated practice of retelling and connecting stories supports cumulative review of uppercase formation and reinforces the connection between lowercase and uppercase letters.

The assessment opportunities in Letterland for letter recognition and letter formation meet the expectations for Indicator 1b. The materials include regular and systematic assessment opportunities across the year that align to the program’s scope and sequence. Assessments address both letter-name and handwriting, with defined mastery criteria and procedures for progress monitoring. The materials provide clear guidance for recording and interpreting assessment results to inform instruction and pacing. The teacher receives explicit support for using data to adjust instruction, including targeted review, additional practice, and ongoing monitoring for students who have not yet reached mastery. Instructional flowcharts outline next steps based on performance thresholds, ensuring assessments are used purposefully to support student progress toward mastery. 

• Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of letter recognition, and letter formation. 

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 25, Section 1, Assessment, Letter Name Accuracy (Visual), students complete an individual assessment in which the teacher prompts them to identify letter names, using record sheets to track correct responses. The assessment includes defined mastery criteria and guidance for repeated administration to monitor growth.

  • In Unit 23, Lessons 114-115, Section 2, Part 2 Assessment - Handwriting aA - zZ, materials provide a whole-group, small-group, or 1-1 handwriting assessment. Students are asked to write both uppercase and lowercase versions of dictated letters within 15-20 minutes. The teacher records student performance on an individual handwriting chart, which is retained for ongoing progress monitoring throughout the year. 

  • In the Kindergarten Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, the Letter-Sound Correspondence section identifies supplementary assessments that can be used as needed to monitor progress in small group instruction and embedded intervention. These include Character Names, Letter Name Accuracy-Auditory (Writing Letter Names), and Matching Upper and Lowercase Letters. Each subtest contains several batteries so they can be re-administered throughout the year without repeating the same items. 

• Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of letter recognition, and letter formation. 

  • In the Kindergarten Assessment & Progress Monitoring Manual, Section Assessments Overview, assessment guidance instructs the teacher to record student responses on an individual record: a checkmark for correct sounds, the incorrect response written above the letter if wrong, and a blank if the sound was skipped or required prompting. The teacher is also directed to note frequent hesitations, self-corrections, or unusual behaviors to inform instructional behaviors. 

    • The manual advises the teacher to use assessment data to adjust class pacing, reteaching, instructional delivery, and small-group instruction. 

    • In Finding Time to Assess, the guidance specifies that in Section 2 and beyond, Day 5 of each week-long unit is a review day with no new spelling patterns introduced, allowing the teacher to complete unfinished assessments and ensure all students are assessed. 

    • In addition, mastery is defined for each assessment. For example: 

      • Unit 5, Lesson 25: Letter Name Accuracy, Visual, mastery is defined as 75% graphemes said correctly recorded on an student individual record used for progress monitoring. 

      • In Unit 23, Lessons 114-115: Handwriting aA-zZ Assessment, mastery is defined as 50/52 letters written correctly (96%), recorded on an individual handwriting chart used for progress monitoring. 

• Materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress towards mastery in letter recognition, and letter formation. 

  • In the Kindergarten Assessment & Progress Monitoring Manual, Section 1, Assessment Flowchart, materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students progress toward master in letter recognition and formation. 

    • For letter-name accuracy, the teacher is directed to continue instruction as designed when students correctly identify letters 75% of the time, or to provide additional daily practice when accuracy falls below that level. Suggested supports include focused review in whole- and small-group lessons, explicit modeling of letter names following sounds in Quick Dash routines, and practice with letter-name spelling during live spelling and word-building activities. Materials also reference using Letter Name Verses from the Tricks & Strategies Manual and ongoing progress monitoring with the Letter Naming - Visual assessments. 

    For handwriting, the flowcharts direct the teacher to continue regular instruction for students demonstrating 75% accuracy and to provide additional kinesthetic and tactile practice for those below mastery, with continued monitoring using the Handwriting a-z chart.

The phonemic awareness scope and sequence in Letterland meets the expectations for Indicator 1c. The materials contain a clear, evidence-based sequence for teaching phonemic awareness that progresses from simpler to more complex skills. Instruction begins at the phoneme level rather than emphasizing broader phonological tasks, with students progressing through isolating, blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes in a logical hierarchy. Phonological awareness activities are limited to initial exposure in Unit 1, with all subsequent lessons focusing on phoneme-level skills. Daily Ears Ready routines are systematically aligned to the phonics scope and sequence, allowing students to connect oral sound manipulation to letter-sound correspondence. 

• Materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected sequence for teaching phonemic awareness skills. 

  • In the Kindergarten Teacher’s Guide, Phonological & Phonemic Awareness Evidence-Based Phonemic Awareness Sequence section, materials explain that “the consensus of researchers today is that Kindergarten students should begin learning the phoneme level as early as possible. Awareness of larger chunks of language such as syllables, rhyming, onsets and rimes, once seen as prerequisites to phonemic awareness, are no longer considered necessary or effective in building phonemic awareness” (Brady, 2021; Gillon, 2018; IDA, 2022; Moats, 2019). The materials also state that “the most effective order of phonemic skills training is widely agreed upon based on scientific studies accumulated over several decades” (Ashby et al., 2024; Brady, 2021; Gillon, 2018; IDA, 2022; O’Conner, 2014). 

    • As a result, the materials follow the evidence based sequence as shown below: 

      1. Isolate phonemes (e.g., say a word, then identify the initial/b/ in bat, final /t/ in bat, and medial /a/ in bat)

      2. Blend phonemes (say separate sounds, then blend them to form a word)

      3. Segment phonemes (say a word, then break it into individual sounds)

      4. Manipulate phonemes (add, delete, or substitute phonemes in words) 

• Materials have a cohesive sequence of phonemic awareness instruction based on the expected hierarchy to build toward students’ immediate application of the skills. 

  • According to the Scope, Sequence, and Skills, the materials follow a consistent phoneme-level hierarchy: 

    • Section 1: a-z Fast Track

      • Units 2-5: isolate initial, final, and medial phonemes

    • Section 2: Part 1 and 2 a-z Word Building & Consonant Digraphs 

      • Units 6-15: blend and segment 2-3 phonemes, including short vowels and final consonants 

      • Units 16-23: blend and segment with consonant digraphs 

    • Section 3: Word Families 

      • Units 24-27: substitute, add, and delete phonemes; blend 3-phoneme words 

      • Unit 28: blend and segment 4-phoneme words with consonant blends 

    • Section 4: Consonant Blends 

      • Units 29-30: blend and segment 4-phoneme words with consonant blends

    The sequence builds from simple to complex phonemic awareness skills, ensuring students progress from isolation to blending, segmenting, and manipulation in a logical and research-based order.

• Materials attend to developing phonemic awareness skills and avoid spending excess time on phonological sensitivity tasks. 

  • According to the Scope, Sequence, and Skills,instruction in blending and segmenting syllables is limited to Unit 1. From Unit 2 onward, the focus shifts to phonemic-awareness level instruction, ensuring students spend the majority of instructional time isolating, blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes. 

    • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Section 1, Ears Ready, Phonological Awareness - Listen, Repeat, Respond, students engage in activities such as listening carefully to words, repeating them together, and responding to teacher prompts (e.g., repeating “Moo, Moo” and identifying cow as the animal that makes the sound). This brief introduction to syllable- and sound-level listening is presented as a way to set the stage for daily phonemic awareness instruction.

      •  In the Let’s Practice Phonemic Awareness and Letter Sounds section, the teacher introduces early phoneme-grapheme connections. The guidance states that these activities will begin fully in Lesson 3 once students have learned three letters. The teacher places the Abbie Apple character card at the top of the pocket chart, prompting students to name the character, then turns to the plain letter side for students to say the sound. The teacher models isolating the first sound of a key word using the Rubber Band technique before sorting the picture card beneath the matching letter. Students repeat the process and two students are invited to demonstrate with additional cards. As more letter sounds are introduced, cards are sorted under the corresponding sound in a recurring Pocket Chart Sort routine.

    • Beginning immediately in Unit 2, Lesson 6, Section 1, Ears Ready, Phonemic Awareness, Isolate Initial Phonemes, materials shift to phoneme-level instruction. Students use the rubber band trick to stretch out a word, cave, and isolate the first sound /k/. The teacher models the routines, and students repeat the sound and practice with new examples. 

    This progression demonstrates that the program gives students initial exposure to larger sound units in Unit 1 but quickly transitions into phonemic awareness skills by Unit 2, devoting instructional time to isolating, blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes rather than spending extended time on broader phonological tasks.

• Materials contain a phonemic awareness sequence of instruction and practice aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. 

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 24, Section 1, Ears Ready, Phonetic Awareness, Isolate Medial Phonemes, the teacher models the task by saying a word (dog), prompting students to repeat it, stretch the word using the Rubber Band Trick, and identify the middle vowel sound. Students then apply the same process independently with additional words as the teacher provides correct support and models as needed. Instruction builds on earlier lessons (e.g., Lesson 21). The Ears Ready phonemic awareness instruction is intentionally aligned with the phonics portion of the lesson, which introduces new letter names, characters, and sounds (e.g., Yellow Yo-Yo Man and Zig Zag Zebra). Students continue connecting oral phoneme work to print through phonics activities such as isolating initial sounds using the Rubber Band Trick and identifying letter-sound correspondence in the Eyes Shut Riddle Game. 

  • In Unit 24, Lesson 117, Section 3, Word Families at, an, ap, the Ears Ready phonemic awareness lesson focuses on blending and substituting phonemes using words from the same word families. The teacher models each example as students tap sounds on their arms /k/, /a/, /n/ -> can, and slide their hand to blend the sounds into a word. Students then practice substituting initial phonemes orally (e.g., pan -> change /p/ to /f/ -> fan), reinforcing flexibility with phoneme patterns. This phonemic awareness sequence directly supports the phonics lesson in the same section, Let’s Learn Words with an, where students build and blend the same word family patterns (ban, can, fan, ran, tan, pan, van). The alignment between oral manipulation and print-based blending ensures that students first rehearse sound patterns through phonemic awareness and then apply them to decoding and encoding in phonics instruction. 

The phonemic awareness instruction in Letterland meets the expectations for Indicator 1d. The materials include systematic, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness through consistent, teacher-led routines that focus on isolating, blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes. Lessons follow a clear sequence with repeated teacher modeling and opportunities for guided students practice. The materials provide detailed, scripted guidance for instruction and modeling of phonemes, ensuring consistency across lessons. Embedded corrective feedback supports the teacher in addressing student errors and providing scaffolds as needed. Phonemic awareness instruction is explicit, cumulative, and consistently reinforced across the year. 

Note: This indicator is analyzed at the lesson level to examine the instructional progression within and across lessons. Repeated references to a single week or lesson reflect the structured sequence of explicit instruction and guided practice, which is representative of how the materials support this skill throughout the year. 

• Materials include systematic, explicit instruction in sounds (phonemes). 

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 7, Section 1,  Ears Ready, Phonemic Awareness: Isolate Initial Phonemes, students follow a structured, step-by-step routine: the teacher says a word (fog), students repeat the word, stretch the word with the rubber band trick, and then isolate the initial sound, “fff.” Students identify the first phoneme, /f/, and continue the same process with additional words (fan, coat, door, bell, goat, elf, gum, az, gas). 

  • In Unit 21, Lesson 104, Section 2, Ears Ready, Phonemic Awareness: Blend 2 or 3 Phonemes, the teacher  leads students through a structured blending routine: tapping sounds on the arm (/k/, /ĭ/, /k/), sliding down the arm to blend “kick”, and repeating the word more quickly. Students practice additional words, (wet, rack, cup, ill) using the same explicit routine. 

    • In the same lesson, students segment phonemes through another structured procedure. The teacher  models stretching the word (back), then demonstrates segmenting each sound (“b…aaa…ck”), before prompting students to identify all three phonemes.

• Materials provide the teacher with examples for instruction in sounds (phonemes). 

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 19, Section 1, Ears Ready, Isolate Initial and Final Phonemes, materials provide detailed, scripted examples for instruction in sounds. The teacher models how to stretch and segment words such as sock and bun to identify the first and last phonemes. Students repeat the process orally, isolating the target sounds with teacher guidance and corrective feedback. The routine includes multiple example words and consistent modeling language. 

  • In Unit 21, Lesson 104, Section 2, Ears Ready, Phonemic Awareness: Blend 2 or 3 Phonemes, the lesson provides detailed, scripted modeling language. For example, “Put these sounds on your arm: /k/, /ĭ/, /k/” and direct references for the teacher to review additional examples, (“see Lesson 29 for more details” for blending, “see Lesson 34 for more details” for segmenting). 

• Materials include teacher guidance for corrective feedback when needed for students. 

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 7, Section 1, Ears Ready, Phonemic Awareness: Isolate Initial Phonemes, the Corrective Feedback section provides specific feedback strategies for students who struggle with isolation tasks. For example, the guide recommends beginning with continuant initial sounds (/f/, /l/, /m/, /n/, /r/, /s/, /v/, /z/) because they are easier to hold and identify, before returning to words with stop sounds (/b/, /c/, /d/, /g/).

    • In the Order Please! Activity, if a student lines up with the wrong plain letter sound card, the teacher is directed to use the sound trick as a corrective scaffold: “Look at the character again. Start to say the character name and stop at the first sound.” 

  • In Unit 28, Lesson 136, Section 3, Ears Ready, Phonemic Awareness: Add Initial Phonemes, Corrective Feedback, the teacher provides scaffolded support for students who struggle to blend or recall four phonemes. The teacher models by first blending the initial two sounds (/s/, /l/ -> sl), then the final two (/ĭ/, /p/ -> ip), and finally combining all four to form the complete word (sl…ip, slip). The guidance notes that students who have already automatized letter-sound correspondences may blend four-phoneme words more easily with letters than with oral sounds alone. 

The daily phonemic awareness lessons in Letterland meet the expectations for Indicator 1e. Materials provide brief, systematic phonemic awareness instruction that aligns to the phonics sequence and supports development of phoneme-grapheme correspondence. Lessons include explicit teacher modeling of isolating, blending, and segmenting phonemes, with consistent opportunities for students to connect sounds to letters through multisensory routines. Teacher directions include clear articulation guidance for accurate pronunciation, with modeled descriptions of mouth and tongue placement and visual support from sound wall cards. Students regularly practice identifying, building, and blending words using picture code cards, reinforcing accurate sound-letter connections across the year. 

Note: This indicator is analyzed at the lesson level to examine the instructional progression within and across lessons. Repeated references to a single week or lesson reflect the structured sequence of explicit instruction and guided practice, which is representative of how the materials support this skill throughout the year.

• Daily phonemic awareness instruction aligns to the scope and sequence, progressing from isolation, blending, and segmenting to more advanced phoneme manipulations, with phoneme-grapheme correspondences introduced to connect sounds to letters. 

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 8, Section 1, Ears Ready, Phonemic Awareness - Isolate Initial Phonemes (4 minutes), students engage in a short, daily routine where the teacher models isolating the first phoneme in words. For example, the teacher says extra, students repeat, stretch the word with the rubber band trick (“eeexxtra”), and stop on the first sound /ĕ/. Students then practice with additional words (gas, fill, hat). In the Let’s Learn portion of the lesson, students are introduced to the corresponding grapheme /h/ using the picture code card. Students connect sounds to letters in an activity called Out Word Out using letters and Kindergarten (K)-Word Card pictures. 

  • In Unit 35, Lesson 173, Section 5, Ears Ready, Phonemic Awareness - Blend 2 or 3 Phonemes (4 minutes), the teacher model blending by saying each sound separately (/ē/, /t/), prompting students to repeat while tapping their arms, and then sliding their hands down their arms to blend into the word eat. Students then repeat the process more quickly to reinforce fluent blending. Additional practice includes team, meant, and bean. 

    • Additionally, students practice segmenting 2 or 3 phonemes. the teacher model stretching the whole word (sea -> ssseeea), then segmenting each phoneme separately (/s/, /ē/), before prompting students to repeat the segmentation. Additional examples include heal, /h/, /ē/, /l/, and seat /s/, /ē/, /t/. 

    •  In the Let’s Learn portion of the lesson, students are introduced to the corresponding grapheme /ea/ using the picture code card for this vowel team. Students connect sounds to letters by building and blending words in a pocket chart using picture code cards (for example, /b/ + /ea/ +/ t/ are blended into beat). 

    Ears Ready lessons provide daily phonemic awareness instruction throughout the year, with each routine lasting 4 minutes. Instruction progresses systematically across the scope and sequence, beginning with phoneme isolation and moving to blending, segmenting, and manipulation. 

• Materials include opportunities for students to practice connecting sounds to letters.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 8, Section 1, Ears Ready, Phonemic Awareness - Isolate Initial Phonemes (4-5 minutes), students participate in the Order Please! Activity. The teacher distributes picture code cards (letters a-i taught so far). The teacher calls out a series of three sounds (e.g., /h/, /b/, /e/), and students holding the corresponding letter cards line up in the correct order. The rest of the class checks their sequence. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 11, Section 1, Let’s Practice Phonemic Awareness and Letter Sounds (4-5 minutes), students complete a Pocket Chart Sort. The teacher displays character cards for i, k, and f, and students say the character names. The cards are then flipped to the plain letter side for students to say the sounds. Using K-word picture cards, students isolate the initial phoneme of each word and sort the picture under the matching letter. Each time a student places a card, they point to the letter and the pictures below it for the whole class to say the sound and words together. 

• Materials include directions to the teacher for demonstrating how to pronounce each phoneme (articulation/mouth formation). 

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 31, Section 2, Articulation, the teacher models how to form the sound and leads students to analyze articulation features: “Let’s think about how we make the /d/ sound. We feel it in our teeth coming together. Do you feel your tongue tapping? Is it tapping behind your teeth?” The script prompts students to compare /d/ to other sounds to clarify its properties, “Can you stretch /d/ like sss or mmm, or is it a quick, stop sound like /k/? Yes, it is a quick sound. Your tongue stops the air just for a second. So we call it a stop sound.” The directions encourage multisensory observation and peer interaction: students say the sound three times to a partner while watching for teeth and tongue placement. The teacher displays the corresponding sound wall card, adds it to the consonant sound wall, and reinforces correct mouth formation by having students connect the tactile and visual features of the /d/ sound. 

  • Unit 8, Lesson 36, Section 2, Articulation, the teacher models how to form the sound by explaining, “We say it with our mouth closed and we keep our lips closed. Let’s stretch and hold this sound as long as we can -/mmmm…./.” The lesson explicitly identifies /m/ as a nasal sound, explaining that “air is pushed up through the nose.” The teacher is instructed to guide students in tactile check for airflow by having them hold their noses to feel the sound stop, reinforcing awareness of nasal resonance. The teacher then displays the corresponding sound wall card and adds it to the consonant sound wall, supporting ongoing visual reference and consistent articulation practice.

The assessment opportunities for phonemic awareness in Letterland meet the expectations for Indicator 1f. The materials provide regular and systematic assessments throughout the year to monitor student progress in phonemic awareness. Assessments include subtests for identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes, administered individually at key instructional benchmarks. The teacher is supported with clear scoring guidance, class benchmarks, and progress monitoring tools to evaluate current skill levels. Materials also provide specific instructional suggestions and flowcharts outlining next steps based on results, including reteaching, small-group lessons, and targeted practice activities to support student mastery. 

• Materials provide a variety of assessment opportunities throughout the year (e.g., at least three times per year or aligned to key instructional benchmarks) to monitor student progress in phonemic awareness. Assessment types may include oral tasks, encoding assessments, decoding activities requiring phoneme manipulation, and teacher observations. 

  • According to the Kindergarten Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, phoneme-level assessments are administered individually throughout the year to measure students’ progress in phonemic awareness. The Identify Initial, Final, and Medial Sounds assessments occur in Section 1, Unit 5, Lesson 25. The Blend and Segment – Without Blends assessment is administered in Section 2, Part 2, Unit 23, Lessons 114–115, and the Blend and Segment – With Blends assessment is administered in Sections 3–4, Unit 30, Lesson 150.

    • In the Kindergarten Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, Unit 5, Lesson 25, Section 1, Assessment (1:1 setting, 6-8 minutes total), students complete three subtests at the phoneme level: 

      • Initial sound identification: The teacher says a word, and students repeat it, stretching the word orally using the Rubber Band Trick to make each sound more distinct, then identify only the first sound (e.g., bug -> buuug -> /b/). The Rubber Band Trick is a consistent multisensory support used across lessons and assessments to help students isolate and articulate individual phonemes.

      • Final sound identification: The teacher stretches the word orally, and students identify the last sound (e.g., mess -> messs -> /s/). 

      • Medial sound identification: The teacher stretches the word to emphasize the vowel sound, and students identify the middle vowel sound (e.g., catch -> caaatch -> /ă/). 

      • Each subtest includes 5-6 test words (e.g., mountain, fish, queen, tooth for initial sounds; back, pop, push, that, some for final sounds; catch, did, rim, name for medial vowels). 

    • In the Kindergarten Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, Unit 23, Lessons 114-115: Section 2, Part 2, Assessment (1:1 setting, 1-2 minutes per subtest), students are assessed on two phonemic awareness skills: 

      • Blending phonemes: The teacher says a series of sounds slowly (/m/ /ă/ /p/ ), and students blend them to say the word (map). Test items include sad, fin, nods, shut, and then. If students are unable to blend, the teacher models the process, practices it with the student, and may suggest using the roller coaster trick to support blending. 

      • Segmenting phonemes: The teacher says a whole word (e.g., name) and prompts students to produce each individual sound. Test items include dogs, pick, caps, rub, and check. 

    This type of assessment is repeated again in Unit 30, Lesson 150: Sections 3 and 4, with different test word sets. 

  • In the Kindergarten Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, the Phonological & Phonemic Awareness section explains that supplementary assessments can be used to dig deeper into phonological skills that should have been mastered before Kindergarten as well as those from the current section. These include Sentence, Rhyme, Syllable and Onset-Rime Level subtests as needed, Phoneme Level: Identify Initial Sound, Phoneme Level: Identify Final Sound, and Phoneme Level: Identify Medial Sound.  Each subtest has multiple alternate forms so they can be administered several times throughout the year without repeating the same items. 

• Assessment materials provide the teacher-and, when appropriate, caregiver-with clear information about student’s current skill levels in phonemic awareness. 

  • In the Kindergarten Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, Unit 5, Lesson 25, Section 1, Assessment, the teacher records responses on an individual record form, marking correct sounds and noting errors. The structure allows the teacher to see whether students can consistently identify, initial, final, and medial phonemes with a mastery of 4/5.

  • In the Kindergarten Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, the “What Do I Do if My Class Does Not Reach Desired Mastery?” section, the teacher is  given benchmarks and guidance for interpreting results. If less than 80 percent of the class demonstrates proficiency on the subtests, the teacher is told not to reteach the entire section. Instead, the teacher is directed to use the data to identify individual students struggling with phonological awareness and provide additional practice. Suggestions include targeted support during small group instruction, partner work, or within Review and Consolidation lessons in Section 2. 

• Materials support the teacher with instructional suggestions or next steps based on assessment results to support student progress toward mastery. 

  • In the Kindergarten Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, Unit 5, Lesson 25, Section 1, Assessment, if students cannot identify a sound, the teacher is directed to model the process with the rubber band trick, repeat it with the student, and then return to the test items. 

  • In the Kindergarten Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, Unit 23, Lessons 114-115: Section 2, Part 2, Assessment, Unit 23, Lessons 114-115: Section 2, Part 2, Assessment Flow Charts, the teacher is guided through specific instructional pathways based on student performance. If a student cannot blend 2-3 phoneme words without blends, the teacher moves to testing sound isolation. If a student struggles, materials direct the teacher to provide daily small group practice three to four times per week using the modified phonemic awareness small group lesson plan. Suggestions include multisensory routines such as the roller coaster trick, Sammy Snake’s slide and say, manipulatives, and fluency list practice. If decoding is the primary need, the teacher uses the modified decoding small group lesson plan with daily blending practice. The teacher is also directed to monitor progress using the supplementary phonemic awareness assessments. 

The phonics scope and sequence in Letterland meets the expectations for Indicator 1g. Materials provide a clear, evidence-based explanation for the order in which phonics skills are taught, grounded in research on early reading development. Instruction prioritizes high-utility letter–sound relationships and introduces graphemes in an intentional sequence that supports early decoding success while separating easily confused letters. Phonics instruction is cumulative and application-based, with students regularly applying skills through blending, segmenting, spelling, and decoding connected text. The materials explain that core Kindergarten phonics expectations are met through consolidation of short-vowel word reading and word families, supporting students’ transition from phoneme-level decoding to reading by analogy. More complex phonics patterns are introduced only after students demonstrate mastery of simpler skills and are positioned as extension content to support accelerated pacing or preparation for Grade 1. Overall, the sequence reflects a coherent progression from simple to more complex phonics skills and provides systematic opportunities for students to develop accurate and automatic word reading.

• Materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected sequence for teaching phonics skills. 

  • According to the Teacher Guide, Phonics, Letter Sounds & Letter Names, the materials explain that many students enter Kindergarten with uneven letter-sound knowledge and therefore establish an initial alphabetic foundation to ensure readiness for systematic phonics instruction. This approach is supported by research cited in the materials, including Linnea Ehri’s work on orthographic mapping (Learning to Read and Spell Words, 2022), which emphasizes the importance of explicit grapheme–phoneme instruction and cumulative practice in early reading development.

    • The core Phonics sequence begins in Section 2: A–Z Word Building and Consonant Digraphs, where letter–sound instruction is intentionally ordered to support early decoding success. Letters are introduced based on high utility for building short-vowel words, allowing students to quickly apply new phonics knowledge through blending, segmenting, and encoding. Short vowels and common consonants are prioritized, followed by high-frequency consonant digraphs, with less common letters introduced later. Letters with confusable shapes or sounds are deliberately spaced apart to reduce cognitive load and support accurate learning. From this point forward, phonics instruction is cumulative and application-based. Students repeatedly practice the same and similar words across blending, segmenting, spelling, fluency lists, sentences, and decodable readers, reflecting Ehri’s (2022) findings that repeated decoding and encoding support the development of automatic word recognition.

    • Section 3: Word Families is designed to consolidate phonics learning rather than introduce new graphemes, supporting students’ transition from phoneme-by-phoneme decoding to reading by analogy. This progression reflects research indicating that instruction should move across grain sizes, from phoneme-level decoding to onset–rime and whole-word recognition, as students build fluency.

    • Sections 4 and 5 extend the sequence to more complex phonics patterns, including consonant blends and long-vowel spellings, only after students demonstrate sustained mastery of simpler word structures. This progression from simple to more complex patterns aligns with research-based models of decoding development and early reading acquisition.

• Materials provide a cohesive, intentional phonics sequence that progresses from simple to more complex skills and includes ample opportunities to apply skills through decoding in connected text. 

  • According to the Teacher Guide, Letter Sounds & Letter Names and the Scope, Sequence, and Skills, instruction begins with the most useful graphemes and intentionally separates easily confused letters. Students first sound out and blend short-vowel words using a limited set of consonants and vowels while practicing both segmenting and spelling. Decodable text is introduced at the start of Section 2 and used daily for reading and rereading, reinforcing accuracy and automaticity as skills progress from simple to more complex.

  • According to the Scope, Sequence, and Skills, the materials begin with single-letter sounds before progressing to short vowels, digraphs, blends, rimes, and long vowels. The scope and sequence is as follows::

    • Section 2: Part 1, a-z Word Building & Consonant Digraphs

      • Unit 6: Cc, Aa  - Blending, Long Vowel Preliminary

      • Unit 7: Dd, Hh - Segmenting One-Syllable CVC Words

      • Unit 8: Mm, Tt - Blending and Segmenting One-Syllable CVC Words

      • Unit 9: Ss /s/ /z/, suffix -s - Plural Nouns, Isolating Ending Sounds

      • Unit 10: Ii,  Nn - Short Vowel CVC Words, Long Vowel Preliminary

        • Note: Long vowel preliminary signals early oral introduction to long vowel sounds prior to formal long-vowel instruction.

      • Unit 11: Gg, Oo - Isolating Medial Sounds, Long Vowel Preliminary 

      • Unit 12: Pp, Ee - Suffix -s, -es, Long Vowel Preliminary 

      • Unit 13: Ss, Uu - CVC, CVCC words, Long Vowel Preliminary 

      • Unit 14: Kk, ck - CVC, CVCC Words, First Digraph

    • Section 2: Part 2, a-z Word Building & Consonant Digraphs 

      • Unit 15: ng, sh, ch - Consonant Digraphs, Suffix -ing, Two-Syllable Words 

      • Unit 16: th, Ll - Consonant Digraphs, CVCC, CCVC Words 

      • Unit 17: Ff, ff, ll - Double Final Consonants, CVCC Words

      • Unit 18: Bb, Jj - Short Vowel CVC Words 

      • Unit 19: Rr, Qq, qu - Short Vowel CVC, CCVC Words

      • Unit 20: Vv, ve o /ŭ/ - Short Vowel CVC Words, New Spelling Patterns 

      • Unit 21: Ww, wh - CVC CCVC and CCVCC Words, Consonant Digraphs 

      • Unit 22: Xx, Yy - Short Vowel CVC Words 

      • Unit 23: Zz - Short Vowel CVC Words 

    • Section 3: Word Families

      • Unit 24: ă Word Families -  -at, -an, -ap  Rimes

      • Unit 25: ĭ Word Families - -ig, -in, -ip Rimes 

      • Unit 26:ŏ Word Families - -op, -ot, -ock Rimes

      • Unit 27: ŭWord Families - -un, -ug, -ut Rimes

      • Unit 28: ĕ Word Families - -et, -ell, -eck Rimes

    • Section 4: Consonant Blends 

      • Unit 29: Blends with S and I - sc, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, st, sw; bl, cl, fl, gl, pl 

      • Unit 30: Blends with r, Final Blends - br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr; -nd, -nt, -st

    • Section 5: Long Vowels, Magic e, & Vowel Teams 

      • Unit 31: Short and Long Vowels - Compare a, e, i, o, u

      • Unit 32: a_e - One-Syllable Long Vowel Words 

      • Unit 33: e_e, i_e - One-Syllable Long Vowel Sounds 

      • Unit 34: o_e, u_e - One-Syllable Long Vowel Sounds

      • Unit 35: ai, ay, ea, ee - One- and Two-Syllable Long Vowel Words

      • Unit 36: ie, oa, ue - Review and Assessment 

• Phonics instruction is based on high utility patterns and/or specific phonics generalizations. 

  • According to the Teacher Guide, Letter Sounds & Letter Names and the Scope, Sequence, and Skills, early phonics instruction prioritizes high-utility word patterns, beginning with CVC and CVCC structures that allow students to read and spell a large number of words early. 

    • Common consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, ng) and high-frequency inflectional endings (-s, -es, -ing) are introduced in early-to-mid units, reflecting patterns that occur frequently in early reading and writing. 

    • Double final consonants (-ff, -ll) and consonant blends are introduced systematically after students demonstrate accuracy with simpler word forms.

    • Units 24–28 focus on short-vowel word families to reinforce the phonics generalization that shared rimes can be used to decode unfamiliar words by analogy, supporting fluency and automaticity.

    The materials note that completion of instruction through Section 3 fulfills Kindergarten phonics expectations. Subsequent sections introduce consonant blends and long-vowel patterns as extension content designed to prepare students for Grade 1 or support accelerated pacing, rather than as required Kindergarten instruction.

The materials’ exclusion of three-cueing strategies in Letterland meets expectations for Indicator 1h. Materials do not include instructional language or routines that rely on the three-cueing system. Lessons focus on explicit instruction in phoneme-grapheme correspondences and phonics-based decoding. When students encounter unfamiliar words, instruction emphasizes attention to letter-sound relationships rather than relying on context or visual cues to guess the word. 

• Materials do not contain elements of instruction that are based on the three-cueing system for teaching decoding. 

  • The materials do not contain elements of instruction that are based on the three-cueing system for teaching decoding.

The pacing and practice opportunities of phonics instruction in LetterLand meet the expectations for Indicator 1i. Materials introduce one new phonics skill at a time in a clearly defined and developmentally appropriate sequence. Lessons progress from individual letter-sound correspondences to digraphs, blends, and short vowels, with visually or auditorily similar sounds intentionally spaced apart. Daily lessons follow a consistent structure of explicit modeling, guided practice, and independent application, allowing sufficient time for students to develop accuracy and automaticity. Instruction integrates multisensory blending and segmenting routines, providing repeated opportunities to connect sounds to print. Cumulative review and distributed practice are embedded across units through word-building, blending, and decodable reading activities, ensuring ongoing reinforcement of previously taught phonics patterns. 

• Materials include reasonable pacing of newly taught phonics skills. 

  • According to the Teacher Guide, Phonics:  Letter Sounds & Letter Names section, materials introduce one new phonics element at a time in a logical and defined order: 

    • In Section 2 (Units 6-23), students begin a second cycle through the alphabet emphasizing phonemic decoding and encoding. The pacing prioritizes high-utility letter-sound correspondences early in the sequence (c, a, d, h, m, t, s, i, n, g), enabling immediate practice with short-vowel word structures while additional consonants and common digraphs (sh, th, ch, ng) are introduced gradually.

    • Letters and sounds that are visually and auditorily confusable are intentionally separated by several weeks of instruction. In addition, the sequence concludes with less frequently used letters (q, x, z), ensuring that foundational phonics patterns are secure before new or complex correspondences are introduced. 

    Each section concludes with built-in review lessons to reinforce mastery before progressing to the next set of phonics skills. 

• The lesson plan design allots time to include sufficient student practice to work towards automaticity. 

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 26, Section 2, Blending, Let’s Practice, students participate in a multi-step blending routine using the Roller Coaster Trick to connect oral blending with printed words. Students first segment sounds in isolation by saying each phoneme while moving their hand from shoulder to wrist (e.g., /s/ /ă/ /t/). They then slide their hand down their arm as they blend the sounds together, gradually increasing speed until they can hear the full word, “sat”. After blending orally, students repeat the process while looking at the printed letters on phonics cards. The lesson continues with letter manipulation, as students change initial letters to form and read new words (e.g., hat, mat), applying the same blending routine each time. 

  • In Unit 26, Lesson 134, Section 3, Let’s Practice, Segmenting, students use the Rubber Band Trick to stretch and segment the phonemes in target words (hut, hug, mug, bug, bun, fun, run, rug, rut, shut) while viewing plain letter cards on a pocket chart. Students repeat the word aloud, identify each sound, and determine the letters needed to represent those sounds. The class then builds each word together, reading and spelling examples with common rime patterns (-un, -ug, -ut). 

• Materials contain distributed, cumulative, and interleaved opportunities for students to practice and review all previously learned grade-level phonics. 

  • In Unit 30, Lesson 147, Section 4, Let’s Practice, students build and read words containing r-blends (trap, bran, brat, grin, grip, trip, drop), applying previously taught short vowel and blend patterns. Students identify each sound in sequence, blend the full word aloud, and use the decoded word in a connected sentence, reinforcing phoneme-grapheme correspondences in context. Materials include optional review extensions using Phonics Online blends songs and chants for br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, and tr, giving students repeated exposure to familiar blend patterns across varied activities.  

  • In Unit 34, Lesson 169, Section 5, Let’s Read Words, Sentences, and Stories, students review previously introduced K-Word Cards (e.g., rope, flute, bike, tube, nose, hike), including those identified as difficult in prior lessons. Students read each word aloud, applying blending routines independently and confirming decoding accuracy using illustrated word cards. Practice extends to Decodable Reader 47, June and Luke, where students reread the text chorally and with partners, reinforcing automatic word recognition through repeated reading. 

The phonics instruction in Letterland meets the expectations for Indicator 1j. Materials provide systematic and explicit teacher modeling of newly taught phonics patterns through consistent blending, segmenting, and live spelling routines. Daily lessons guide the teacher to model sound-by-sound analysis before students practice the same routines independently or with support. Materials also include structured dictation aligned to new phonics patterns and provide clear corrective feedback guidance to support accurate encoding and decoding.

Note: This indicator is analyzed at the lesson level to examine the instructional progression within and across lessons. Repeated references to a single week or lesson reflect the structured sequence of explicit instruction and guided practice, which is representative of how the materials support this skill throughout the year. 

• Materials contain explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of newly taught phonics patterns. 

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 35, Section 2, Live Spelling, the teacher says the target word (had), uses it in a sentence to establish meaning, and repeats it for clarity. Students repeat and the teacher explicitly models stretching the word using the Rubber Band Trick, segmenting each sound slowly: “haaad, /h/ /ă/ /d/.” The teacher prompts students to identify the letters that represent each sound, guiding them one at a time to form the word. The same procedure is applied to the additional word (dad).

  • In Unit 29, Lesson 142, Section 4, Let’s Learn Consonant Blends with s, the teacher writes two lists of words on the board: Column 1 (spin, skip, stop, snug, slam) and Column 2 (chick, shell, thick, song, when). The teacher models decoding by reading the first list aloud to students, then rereading together while underlining s-p in spin and explaining, “We can hear both letters’ sounds in a blend. We call it a blend because the sounds blend together.” The teacher continues modeling with skip and stop, prompting students to identify the blend and explain why both sounds are heard. The teacher contrasts this with Column 2 by reading the digraph words aloud and explaining: “We have two consonants here, but we do not hear their separate sounds. Instead, they make one sound together.” The teacher labels and underlines digraphs on the board, draws boxes around the two-letter combinations, and models decoding additional examples (which, shed, thick, song, when) while students read along.  

• Lessons include blending and segmenting practice using structured, consistent blending routines with teacher modeling. 

  • In Unit 26, Lesson 127, Section 3, Let’s Practice Blending and Segmenting, students engage in a structured phonics routine that reinforces short vowel o word families. The teacher displays the plain letter picture code card (cot, dot, got, hot, lot, not, pot, rot) on a pocket chart and introduces the rhyming pattern -ot, explaining that it helps students both read and spell words. The teacher models by saying the first word, using it in a brief sentence for meaning, and repeating it. Students repeat the word, then blend the sounds aloud using the “Roller Coaster Trick” (/d/ /ŏ/ /t/, /d/…ot, dot). The teacher quickly changes one card at a time (e.g., dot to  cot) and repeats the blending and reading process. Optional extensions such as Flip Flap Phonics provide additional practice as students manipulate initial phonemes to build and read new words, identifying whether each word is real or nonsense. 

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 35, Section 2, Let’s Practice: Segmenting, The Rubber Band Trick, materials include guided practice in phoneme segmenting and blending using a consistent routine. The teacher first models the routine with the word had, using it in a sentence, stretching the word aloud, and isolating each phoneme. Students then actively participate by repeating the word, stretching it, identifying each sound, selecting the corresponding Picture Code Cards, and reblending the sounds using the Roller Coaster Trick. 

• Lessons include dictation of words and sentences using the newly taught phonics pattern(s). 

  • In Unit 22, Lesson 106, Section 2, Let’s Practice: Segmenting, Live Spelling, the teacher dictates a sequence of words (fix, six, mix, fox, foxes, box, boxes, wax), uses each word in a sentence to establish meaning, and guides students to orally segment phonemes using the Rubber Band Trick before building each word with Picture Code Cards. Students then participate in sentence dictation and sentence-building using K-Word Cards and the pocket chart (e.g., How many foxes? How many boxes?), rereading sentences multiple times while attending to the plural -es ending.

  • In Unit 32, Lesson 159, Section 5, Let’s Practice Blending and Segmenting a_e Words, students participate in a live spelling routine to apply the newly taught vowel-consonant-e pattern. The teacher distributes picture code cards (m, a, k, Magic e, l, g, c, sh, t, d, s) and calls students to the front to build words in sequence (make, lake, take, cake, shake, gate, date, late, skate). For each word, the teacher prompts: “Who do we need to stand up and come to the front? To make this new word, who needs to sit down?” guiding students to substitute or add letters as they segment and spell each new word. The teacher uses brief sentences for meaning and includes a nonword (gake) to reinforce blending and ensure students are attending to letter-sound correspondences. Students read each completed word aloud and check accuracy through guided blending and rereading. 

• Materials include teacher guidance for corrective feedback when needed for students. 

  • In Unit 32, Lesson 159, Section 5, Corrective Feedback, the materials state that if students are unsure of the letter needed to match the sound, the teacher models stretching the vowel sound “/aaa/, Mr. A” to prompt students to recall the character name and correct grapheme. After modeling, the teacher directs students to repeat the process, asks for the letter name, and attempts another sound independently. 

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 35, Section 2, Corrective Feedback, when students struggle with segmentation, the teacher is prompted to model and practice again using additional words (sad, mat) before returning to the target word. Feedback focuses on re-modeling the process, encouraging students to listen carefully for each phoneme and connect it to its corresponding letter or character. 

The decoding and encoding practice opportunities in Letterland meet the expectations for Indicator 1k. Materials provide frequent and varied opportunities for students to decode and encode words using taught phonics patterns through consistent blending, segmenting, and live spelling routines. Daily lessons include explicit modeling followed by guided and independent practice that reinforces sound–spelling correspondences. Students engage in word- and sentence-level decoding as well as connected text reading to build accuracy and automaticity. Materials also provide cumulative and distributed practice to support ongoing application of previously taught skills.

Note: This indicator is analyzed at the lesson level to examine the instructional progression within and across lessons. Repeated references to a single week or lesson reflect the structured sequence of explicit instruction and guided practice, which is representative of how the materials support this skill throughout the year.

• Lessons provide students with regular opportunities to decode words with taught phonics patterns. 

  • In Unit 9, Lesson 41, Section 2, Let’s Read, Words, Sentences, and Stories, students read decodable word cards (sad, cat, mat) using the Roller Coaster Trick to blend each word independently. The teacher displays each K-word card for approximately five seconds while students orally blend and read the word aloud. The teacher then flips the card to confirm the picture match, reinforcing word recognition and decoding accuracy. 

  • In Unit 30, Lesson 148, Section 4, Final Blend: -nd, -nt, -st, students decode and blend words with final consonant blends. The teacher builds the words and, sand, and strand with picture code cards, prompting students to blend each new word aloud. Additional decoding practice occurs when students read ant, pant, and plant, extending application of the taught final-blend patterns.

• Lessons provide students with regular opportunities to encode words with taught phonics patterns. 

  • In Unit 9, Lesson 41, Section 2, Let’s Practice Blending and Segmenting, students engage in Live Spelling to segment and spell words that contain the newly taught /s/ sound. The teacher says the word sat in a sentence, “I sat in a chair,” and students repeat it. Using the Rubber Band Trick, students stretch the word /s/ /a/ /t/ to segment individual sounds. Students holding picture code cards line up to build the word, physically representing the encoding process from sound to spelling. Encoding practice continues as the class spells additional short-a CVC words (hat, cat), reinforcing transfer of the taught sound-spelling pattern to new words. 

  • In Unit 30, Lesson 148, Section 4, Segmenting - Live Spelling, students encode final-blend words (band, hand, land, sand, send, bend, sent, dent). For each word, the teacher says the word in a sentence, students repeat, segment, and then construct the word using letter cards. The procedure is repeated for each example, providing cumulative encoding practice across multiple final blends. 

• Student-guided practice and independent practice of blending sounds using the sound-spelling pattern(s) is varied and frequent. 

  • In Unit 9, Lesson 44, Section 2, Let’s Learn: Plural Nouns, students identify the base word hat and use the Roller Coaster Trick to blend the sounds and read the word. Students then add the suffix -s using the Sammy Snake Picture Code Card and blend the base word and suffix together to read hats. As students work with additional words, they separate the base word and suffix, read the base word independently, and then reread the base word with the suffix added. Students are prompted to apply the same blending process across words. 

  • In Unit 30, Lesson 148, Section 4, students participate in Consonant-Go-Marching, a kinesthetic chaining routine in which the initial consonant in each word is replaced to form a new word (band -> hand -> land -> sand). The game maintains student engagement while blending flexibility and accuracy across multiple words.  

• Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in word-level decoding practice focused on accuracy and automaticity. 

  • In Unit 20, Lesson 98, Let’s Read Words, Sentences, and Stories, the Tractors, Trains, Planes and Helicopters routine builds fluency through multiple speeded rereads: students first read slowly for accuracy, then rapidly “dart” between words for automatic recognition. Students reread Story K-Decodable Reader 26: Viv the Vet using echo-reading and choral-reading routines. Each reread increases independence as the teacher fades support, promoting automaticity and expression. 

  • In Unit 30, Lesson 148, Section 4, Let’s Read Words, Sentences, and Stories students engage in timed decoding practice with K-word cards (hand, sand), reading each card within three seconds before the teacher points to the next word. Students reread the words in a pocket chart for repeated exposure and accuracy. 

    • Sentence-level decoding extends the practice through Sentence Building with K-word Cards: students read My hand is in the sand and reread the sentence multiple times as the teacher substitutes new prepositions (on, off, by) to build automaticity and comprehension. 

The instruction and practice of spelling rules and generalizations in Letterland meet the expectations for Indicator 1l. Spelling instruction is aligned to the phonics scope and sequence and progresses logically from simple sound–spelling patterns to more complex patterns, including blends, digraphs, inflectional endings, and common vowel spellings. Materials provide explicit explanations of spelling rules and generalizations that connect spelling to reading and sound analysis. Students have regular opportunities to practice spelling patterns through structured routines that include word- and sentence-level application, rereading, and cumulative use, supporting the development of accurate and increasingly automatic spelling.

• Spelling rules and generalizations are aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. 

  • According to the Introduction, Segmenting and Spelling, materials introduce segmenting and spelling concurrently with blending so that encoding is directly aligned to phonics instruction. Students begin segmenting words (e.g., map, sun, dog) at the same time as they learn to blend, reinforcing sound-symbol correspondence from the outset. 

    • Section introductions show a logical and cumulative progression of spelling instruction that mirrors the phonics scope and sequence: 

      • Section 2: Students read and spell high-frequency open-syllable words (hi, me, so) and words with inflectional endings -s and -es. 

      • Section 3: Students spell closed-syllable words without blends, learn to spell tricky words. 

      • Section 4: Students spell words with initial and final blends (sp, st, bl, gr, nd, nt), segmenting each sound in the blend and using sound boxes to distinguish blends from digraphs. 

      • Section 5 (“For students who are able to access content from Section 5”): Students spell words with vowel-consonant e (Magic e) and vowel teams (ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ie, ue), building on prior segmenting and blending skills. 

• Materials include explanations for spelling of specific words or spelling rules. 

  • In Unit 24, Lesson 116, Section 3,  Let’s Learn Words with at, the teacher explicitly introduces the concept of a rime as “the vowel and the consonants after it,” explaining that a-t forms the rime -at found in many words (cat, hat, rat). The lesson connects reading and spelling logic, stating, “When we learn rhyming patterns like -at, it helps us spell the words just like it helps us read them.” 

  • In Unit 29, Lesson 142, Section 4, Let’s Learn Consonant Blends with s, the teacher explicitly models the difference between blends and digraphs. Students examine two word lists: one with blends (spin, skip, stop, snug, slam) and one with digraphs (chick, shell, thick, song, when). The teacher underlines s-p in spin and explains, “We can hear both letters’ sounds in a blend. We call it a blend because the sounds blend together.” The teacher then underlines ch in chick and explains, “Two letters make one sound /ch/, We call this a digraph.” This explicit contrast between blends (two letters, two sounds) and digraphs (two letters, one sound) demonstrates a clear, developmentally appropriate explanation of spelling rules and generalizations. Students participate in guided analysis by identifying additional examples, such as stop for blends and shell or thick for digraphs, reinforcing the generalization through multiple examples. 

• Students have sufficient opportunities to practice spelling rules and generalizations. 

  • In Unit 21, Lesson 104, Section 2, Let’s Learn Digraph wh, after the wh spelling pattern is introduced, students repeatedly apply the pattern while reading and building sentences using K-Word Cards. Students participate in sentence-building activities such as “Who would like a doll?,” where they identify words containing the wh spelling pattern, line up to form the sentence in correct order, and read the sentence together. Students then reread the sentence multiple times, pushing their cards forward and saying each word aloud, and repeat the activity with new partners to increase fluency.

  • In Unit 31, Lesson 152, Section 5, Let’s Learn Spelling Pattern ē and ī, after the spelling pattern ē is introduced, students blend and read words where ē appears at the end of a word and represents its long vowel sound, including he, me, be, we, and she. Students repeatedly blend these words using the Roller Coaster Trick, read the words in brief sentences, and reread them as they are written on the board, reinforcing application of the spelling pattern across multiple opportunities.

    • Students also practice the spelling pattern ī as a word and within words. Students read and use ī as a standalone word in sentences and blend and read hi, applying the generalization that īīcan represent its long vowel sound in specific, familiar word contexts. Students reread these words during guided practice and digital activities, including animated scenes, providing repeated exposure and practice with the spelling patterns.

The decodable texts and instructional routines in Letterland meet the expectations for Indicator 1m. Decodable texts consistently reflect taught phonics patterns and align with the program’s scope and sequence. Lessons include structured routines for repeated readings that build accuracy, automaticity, and confidence through teacher modeling, guided practice, and independent rereading. Texts are phonetically controlled rather than predictable, and support gradually decreases as students’ decoding skills develop, enabling a transition to more complex reading.

Note: This indicator is analyzed at the lesson level to examine the instructional progression within and across lessons. Repeated references to a single week or lesson reflect the structured sequence of explicit instruction and guided practice, which is representative of how the materials support this skill throughout the year.

• Decodable texts reflect grade-level phonics patterns aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. 

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 33, Section 2, Let’s Learn Letter Sound (and Shape) Hh, students practice blending and reading decodable words (had, dad) aligned to previously taught consonants and short vowels. The lesson introduces K-Decodable Reader 1, Dad, which includes words that match the phonics content taught to date (short a words, simple CVC patterns, and high-frequency words previously introduced). The Phonics Focus for each decodable is previewed before reading, ensuring that decoding practice aligns directly to the scope and sequence of phonics instruction. 

  • In Unit 33, Lesson 164, Section 5, Let’s Learn, Silent Magic e, students practice reading words with the Magic e spelling patterns (line, lime, like, bike, hike, hide). The phonics instruction directly connects to the K-Decodable Reader 45, The Chase, which contains words that apply the silent e pattern and previously taught short- and long-vowel correspondences. Lessons include both word-level blending practice and text-level application, ensuring that decodable texts reflect phonics patterns aligned to the taught sequence. 

• Lessons include detailed plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to reinforce accuracy, automaticity, and confidence. 

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 33, Section 2, Let’s Learn Letter Sound (and Shape) Hh, the teacher first models fluent reading while pointing to each word, demonstrating decoding strategies, "Let me say the sounds I see, then blend them together: /d/ /ă/ /d/ - dad.” After teacher modeling, students reread the text, “Dad,” in multiple formats: whole-class choral reading, partner reading, and small-group rereading sessions. Lessons also include opportunities to revisit the same decodable during later review periods to reinforce fluency and confidence. 

  • In Unit 33, Lesson 164, Section 5, Let’s Learn, Silent Magic e, the teacher is directed to read The Chase multiple times using structured rereading routines. During the first reading, the teacher models fluent reading and decoding strategies, and in later readings, students participate through echo reading and choral reading, gradually taking on more responsibility. The teacher is prompted to fade their voice and circulate during choral reading to monitor individual student progress, reinforcing fluency and accuracy through repeated exposure. 

• Reading practice occurs in decodable texts aligned to the taught phonics patterns and reflects an absence of predictable texts. Use of decodable texts decreases over time as students demonstrate decoding proficiency and transition into increasingly complex texts. 

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 33, Section 2, Let’s Learn Letter Sounds (and Shape) Hh, the K-Decodable Reader 1, Dad, and associated word cards provide controlled vocabulary that supports decoding rather than relying on predictable sentence patterns or picture cues. Students practice reading with attention to sound-spelling correspondences rather than memorized phrasing.

  • In Unit 33, Lesson 164, Section 5, the K-Decodable Reader 45, The Chase, provides controlled vocabulary with words following the Magic e pattern and previously taught high-frequency words (or, into, about, some), minimizing reliance on predictable phrasing or picture cues. Discussion prompts following the story focus on comprehension and vocabulary application, ensuring students read for meaning in fully decodable contexts. 

    Across the year, materials show a clear progression in the use of decodable texts, with controlled stories early in the sequence and more complex texts introduced as students’ decoding skills develop. As proficiency increases, teacher scaffolds are gradually reduced and texts become longer and more linguistically varied, supporting a smooth transition from highly controlled decoding practice to fluent, independent reading. 

The phonics assessment opportunities in Letterland meet the expectations for Indicator 1n. Materials regularly and systematically assess students’ mastery of taught phonics skills, including decoding and spelling of decodable words, through both whole-group and individual assessments administered across the year. Assessment materials provide the teacher with clear guidance for administration, defined mastery criteria, and structured tools for recording and analyzing student performance at the individual and group levels. Materials also include explicit instructional guidance for responding to assessment results, with targeted routines, modified small group lesson plans, and supplemental assessments that support students in progressing toward mastery and independence in phonics.

• Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonics. 

  • In Unit 14, Lesson 20, Section 2, Part 1: Word Spelling Accuracy - Decodable Words, students complete a short spelling assessment designed to measure mastery of taught phonics patterns. The assessment is administered to the whole class or small group, untimed (approximately 7-10 minutes), and mastery is defined as 3 out of 5 decodable words spelled correctly. The teacher provides explicit administration guidance, “I am going to say a word and then use that word in a sentence. Then, I will say the word again. After that you will write the word on your paper.” Examples items include: 

    • net -Layla used a large net to catch fish. 

    • dog - Kai loves his big, hairy dog. 

    • hut - Hairy Hat Man lives in a hut, halfway up a hill. 

  • In Unit 23, Lessons 114 and 115, Word Reading Accuracy, the assessment is administered individually and requires students to read aloud a set of decodable words by blending sounds to produce each whole word. Students are instructed that they may sound out the decodable words in their heads using the Roller Coaster Trick before saying the complete word aloud.

• Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of phonics. 

  • According to the Assessment and Progress Monitoring Manual, each assessment includes a corresponding individual record form for the teacher to document student performance. The teacher records specific responses, behaviors, and notes during administration to capture evidence of students’ current phonics understanding and mastery of sound-spelling correspondences. The teacher then transcribes mastery scores from the individual record into the digital K–Assessment Group Record, an Excel-based tool that compiles data for all students across core phonics assessments throughout the year. This allows the teacher to analyze results for individual students and identify class-wide trends or patterns in skill development.

    • For Word-Reading Accuracy, the teacher records student performance on an Individual Record, marking correct responses, writing exact substitutions for errors, and noting skipped words, hesitations, or timed prompts when students remain on a word for more than five seconds. The assessment includes defined mastery criteria, such as accurately reading nine out of ten decodable words, and is completed in approximately two to three minutes. The systematic documentation of students’ blending accuracy and word reading behaviors provides clear evidence of phonics progress over time.

    • The manual also notes that the fifth day of each week-long unit is a designated review day when no new spelling patterns are introduced, allowing the teacher additional time to complete assessments and record data for all students.

• Materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in phonics. 

  • According to the Section 2, Part 1 Assessment Flow Charts, the Word Spelling Accuracy – Decodable Words assessments include explicit teacher guidance for next instructional steps based on student performance. For Word Spelling Accuracy – Decodable Words, 

    • If students correctly spell 3 out of 5 words, the teacher is instructed to continue instruction as designed, with no further assessment needed.

    • If students do not meet mastery, the teacher provides daily practice in both whole group and small group settings using target words. 

    • If spelling is identified as a primary need, the teacher uses the Modified Spelling Small Group Lesson Plan 3–4 times per week, incorporating multisensory strategies such as the Rubber Band Trick to support segmenting.

    • During Let’s Practice routines, the teacher guides students to build words sound-by-sound, check for accuracy, and spell them back.

    • Additional segmenting activities, such as The Great Sound Race from the Tricks & Strategies Manual, are recommended to reinforce accuracy.

    • The teacher monitors progress using the Word Spelling – Decodable Words Supplementary Assessments

    For Word Reading 

    • When students correctly decode at least 90 percent of the decodable words, the teacher is directed to continue instruction as designed without additional assessment. 

    • If students do not meet the mastery threshold, materials direct the teacher to provide daily practice with target words in both whole group and small group settings.

    • For students whose primary need is decoding, materials guide the teacher to use a modified decoding small group lesson plan three to four times per week. Suggested supports include the use of multisensory blending strategies, such as the Roller Coaster Trick, to reinforce accurate blending. During Let’s Review, the teacher is directed to guide students through blending the decodable words on the fluency list prior to partner practice. 

    • Materials also reference additional blending strategies, such as Star Words from the Tricks and Strategies Manual, and recommend ongoing individual monitoring using the Word Reading Accuracy–Decodable Words supplementary assessments to track progress over time.

The high-frequency word instruction in Letterland meets the expectations for Indicator 1o. Materials provide a systematic and explicit instructional routine for introducing and reviewing high-frequency and tricky words, with consistent teacher modeling that connects phonemes to graphemes and supports identification of regularly spelled and temporarily irregular parts of words. High-frequency word instruction is aligned to the phonics scope and sequence and includes spiraling review across lessons and units. This consistent approach supports the development of accurate recognition and increasing automaticity with high-frequency words over time.

• Materials include systematic and explicit instruction of high-frequency words with an explicit and consistent instructional routine. 

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 29, Section 2, Let’s Read Words, Sentences, and Stories, materials provide explicit instruction for teaching new high-frequency and tricky words through a consistent procedure titled New Tricky Word Procedure (Oral Spelling). The teacher models by saying each word, using it in a sentence, segmenting it, and representing its sounds in sound boxes. For example, the lesson introduces the word the by prompting the teacher to say the word, use it in context (“the sun,” “the sky”), and then repeat it with students (“the, /th/, /ŭ/”). The teacher draws two sound boxes, representing each phoneme, and explicitly discusses which sounds are familiar and which are tricky. The teacher guides students to identify the tricky part of the word, writes the letters in the boxes, and says the word again.

  • In Unit 21, Lesson 103, Section 2, Let’s Read Words, Sentences, and Stories, materials provide explicit instruction for introducing new tricky words and cumulative review of previously taught words. The teacher reviews the K-Word Cards are, your, here, went, and would before introducing new tricky words where and these using the New Tricky Word Procedure. The lesson directs the teacher to segment and map each word, discuss the tricky parts, and note that the word these becomes fully decodable after Lesson 162 while the word where remains tricky. Sentence-building activities extend instruction as students manipulate the question words when and where to observe how meaning and capitalization change when word order shifts. The lesson concludes with K-Decodable Reader 29: “Who Will Win?”, in which students preview the phonics focus and review the high-frequency and tricky words appearing in the story.

• Materials include teacher modeling of the spelling and reading of high-frequency words that includes connecting the phonemes to the graphemes. 

  • In Unit 16, Lesson 78, Section 2, Let’s Read Words, Sentences, and Stories, materials provide explicit modeling and guided practice for identifying the tricky parts of high-frequency words and connecting phonemes to graphemes. The teacher displays the K-Word Cards there and their and guides students in analyzing which letters represent unexpected sounds. The lesson prompts discussion of meaning (“Stay there,” “That is their car”) to reinforce accurate use and understanding. The teacher models pronunciation and explains that their remains a tricky word because the vowel team ei does not represent its usual sound. Before reading K-Decodable Reader 19: “What Is for Lunch?”, the teacher directs students to review the phonics focus and blend words in isolation, followed by a review of the high-frequency and tricky words appearing in the text. 

  • In Unit 15, Lesson 72, Let’s Read Words, when introducing a new tricky word, such as looking, the teacher follows a structured routine in which the word is said, used in a sentence, and repeated by students. The teacher guides students to stretch and segment the word into individual sounds and identifies which sounds are spelled as expected and which are spelled in an unexpected way. The teacher models mapping sounds to letters using sound boxes, writing the corresponding graphemes for each phoneme and explicitly marking the letter or letters that represent an irregular spelling. The teacher then runs a finger beneath the graphemes as students say the word slowly, reinforcing the connection between sounds and letters. Students spell the word aloud using letter names, reread the word, and repeat the process multiple times, including with a partner. The teacher displays the K-Word Card and prompts students to identify which letter or letters are tricky and explain why, reinforcing understanding of the regularly spelled and irregularly spelled parts of the word through repeated modeling and application.

• Materials include a sufficient quantity of high-frequency words for students to make reading progress. 

  • According to the Introduction: High-Frequency and Tricky Words, the program introduces 102 high-frequency or tricky words during the Kindergarten year. Of these, 24 are regular and decodable when introduced, 51 become fully decodable during the course of the year, and 51 contain temporarily irregular spellings. These words are drawn from the most common 50 words on Fry’s list, ensuring that students learn and review the most frequent, high-utility words needed for reading fluency. The materials state, “By introducing a larger number of High Frequency/Tricky Words, higher achieving children can advance their reading material markedly.” 

  • According to the Scope, Sequence, and Skills, ​instruction begins in Unit 6 with the and continues through Unit 36 with words such as want, made, came, away, and two. High-frequency and tricky words appear consistently across units, with explicit lesson instruction including a, and, of, to(Unit 6), see, was, his (Unit 9), with, you, are (Unit 11), have, this, be (Unit 12), and said, your, when (Unit 15). Lessons follow a consistent routine in which the teacher introduces, segments, maps, spells, and reads each word, guiding students to identify both the regularly spelled and tricky parts.

    • Section 2: Part 1:

      • Unit 6: the; Unit 7: a, had, and, of; Unit 8: to, me, is, can; Unit 9: I, see, as, was, his; Unit 10: it, in, did, that, an, on, like; Unit 11: with, you, mom, they, are; Unit 12: got, for, get, he, be, this, have; Unit 13: or, from, up, my, by; Unit 14: look, words, one, not, what, but

    • Section 2: Part 2: 

      • Unit 15: all, were, looking, she, said, your, when; Unit 16: then, them, there, their; Unit 17: use, if, will, do; Unit 18: which, him, has; Unit 19: Mr., Ms., how, out, about; Unit 20: her, here, give, many, some, come; Unit 21: went, would, where, these, who; Unit 22: make, into, time; Unit 23: play

    • Section 3:

      • Unit 24: more; Unit 25: way, than; Unit 26: could; Unit 27: people; Unit 28: been, water, called

    • Section 4: 

      • Unit 29: its, find, long; Unit 30: down, now

    • Section 5: 

      • Unit 32: want, made, came; Unit 33: didn’t, don’t; Unit 35: away; Unit 36: two