1st Grade - Gateway 1

The phonemic awareness scope and sequence in Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1c. The materials contain a clear, research-based sequence for teaching phonemic awareness that progresses from simpler skills to more complex tasks. The scope and sequence follows a cohesive hierarchy aligned to the expected developmental progression and is intentionally coordinated with the phonics scope and sequence, ensuring that oral sound work supports students’ understanding of new letter-sound correspondences. Instruction focuses primarily on phoneme-level awareness, with limited attention to broader phonological activities rather the first two units. 

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

  • In Teacher Resources, Research, The Science of Reading in Open Court Reading, the research summary cites Shaywitz (2003), Stanovich (1986), and NICHD (2000), noting that phonemic awareness is initially taught as an oral skill, and that combining this instruction with letter-sound correspondences strengthens reading and spelling for all students, including English Learners and students with disabilities. It also highlights blending and segmentation as critical early literacy skills and recommends brief, explicit instruction aligned to a developmental progression (Snow, Burns & Griffin, 1998; Mott & Rutherford, 2012). 

  • In the Teacher Resources, Program Overview, Phonological and Phonemic Awareness sections, the materials explain that the key to learning to read is identifying sounds and connecting them to letters. Instruction begins with larger phonological units such as sentences, words, rhymes, and syllables, and then progresses to phoneme-level skills including oral blending, segmentation, deletion, and substitution. 

• 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 and Sequence, Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, the materials provide a daily progression that begins with  broader phonological awareness skills and moves toward more complex phonemic awareness tasks. The sequence across the year includes: 

    • Units 1-2 - Instruction begins with rhyming and listening for initial sounds, then progresses to phoneme blending and segmentation with initial and final consonants. Students also practice phoneme restoration (identifying and supplying a missing phoneme in a spoken word), medial vowel sounds, and simple substitution and deletion tasks. 

    • Units 3-4 - Lessons expand practice to include word families, consonant blends, and additional segmentation tasks (initial, final, and medial positions). Students continue rhyming and riddle activities with applying skills in single-syllable words. 

    • Units 5-6 - Instruction advances to more complex blending and segmentation with single-syllable words and consonant blends, as well as substitution and deletion tasks with both initial and final consonants. 

    • Units 7-8 - Students review short- and long-vowel sounds and practice distinguishing between vowel sounds in initial and medial positions. Activities include Quick Change, Word Families, and Sound/Spelling Chain games. 

    • Units 9-12 - Instruction emphasizes advanced phonemic awareness, including contrasts of short and long vowel sounds, internal consonant substitutions, and digraph riddle games, while continuing to revisit previously taught skills for cumulative practice. 

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

  • According to the Scope and Sequence, Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, the materials introduce a small number of phonological sensitivity activities, such as rhyming games or “Which Doesn’t Belong?” warm-ups, primarily in Units 1-2. 

    • Beginning in Unit 3, lessons focus on phonemic awareness tasks, including phoneme segmentation, blending, substitution, and deletion in initial, medial, and final positions. 

    • Across Units 3-12, phonemic awareness skills are emphasized daily, while phonological sensitivity tasks are limited to brief warm-ups. 

    This evidence shows that the materials provide only limited attention to phonological sensitivity, while the majority of instructional time is devoted to phonemic awareness skills, ensuring that excess time is not spent on broader phonological tasks. 

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

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 1, Phonemic Awareness, students engage in Phoneme Substitution: Initial Consonants by changing the first sound in words such as dinosaur (e.g., /d/ -> /m/ to to minosaur). Students also practice Phoneme Segmentation: Final Consonants by repeating only the last sound in words such as peach (/ch/), rake (/k/), and sob (/b/). In the same lesson, during Phonics and Decoding, the teacher introduces /d/ spelled d using Routine 1: Introducing Sounds and Spellings.

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 3, Phonemic Awareness, Phoneme Segmentation (Individual Sounds), the teacher says words such as price /p/ /r/ /ī/ /s/, rack /r/ /a/ /k/, and act /a/ /k/ /t/, and students repeat each word sound by sound. In the same lesson, Introduce the Sound/Spelling, the teacher introduces the Long A sound spelled ai_ using Sound/Spelling Card 27. 

    This evidence shows that oral phonemic awareness activities are systematically organized to support the phonics scope and sequence. Instruction in skills such as segmentation and substitution parallels the introduction of new letter-sound correspondences, enabling students to apply oral sound analysis as they learn to decode and encode words in print. 

The phonemic awareness instruction in Open Court Reading meets the expectations for Indicator 1d. The materials include systematic, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness through daily lessons and repeated teacher modeling. Lessons follow a consistent structure in which the teacher introduces, models, and guides students in blending, segmenting, and manipulating sounds. Materials provide clear examples and routines to support accurate teacher modeling and student practice. Teacher guidance includes explicit corrective feedback. Instruction is cumulative and structured, reinforcing phoneme-level awareness across the year and building toward student independence with foundational 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. 

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

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 4, Phonemic Awareness, the teacher tells students that they will listen to individual sounds and blend the sounds to make words and signals when students should respond. The lesson begins with two-sound blends. Students blend s and ē to form see. Students continue with three-sound blends. Students blend s, ē, and d to form seed. Students blend s, ē, and k to form seek. The routine continues with additional sets that follow the same explicit blending procedure. Students blend p and īto form pie. Students blend p, ī, and p to form pipe. Students blend p, ī, and l to form pile. Additional sets include blending n and ō to form no, then blending n, ō, and s to form nose, and blending n, ō, and t to form note. The final set includes blending l and ā to form lay, blending l, ā, and t to form late, and blending l, ā, and s to form lace. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 5, Phoneme Substitution, Initial Consonants, the teacher directs students to repeat a word such as fin and then substitute a new sound for the initial phoneme (e.g., /th/ for /f/ to form thin). This routine provides step-by-step oral practice in phoneme substitution. 

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

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 3, Phoneme Blending, Initial Consonant Sounds, the lesson includes a scripted word list with initial sounds and word parts (e.g., /p/ + …rint =print; /d/ + …octor = doctor; /m/ + …uscle = muscle). In Phoneme Segmentation, Initial Consonant Restoration, the lesson provides scripted prompts for using student names (e.g., Susan -> usan), guiding the teacher in how to model and correct the puppet’s mistakes. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 5, Phoneme Substitution, Initial Consonants, the lesson supplies specific word lists and substitution prompts, such as fin -> thin, chin, tin, pin, and provides additional practice with shell, substituting /f/, /t/, /j/, /s/ for /sh/. These examples guide the teacher in how to present substitution tasks clearly and consistently. 

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

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 3, the teacher is directed to take care not to distort consonant sounds by stretching them and to pause between the initial sound and the ending of the word. This guidance supports the teacher in modeling accurate phoneme production and correcting student errors that may arise from distorted articulation.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 2, Phoneme Blending, Consonant Blends, a Teacher Tip provides explicit corrective feedback directions: “Provide feedback for students who need additional support with phoneme blending. Model the sound that students missed. Say the sound, have students repeat the sound, and blend the word with students again. Repeat a few words in the activity to give students additional practice.”

The phonics scope and sequence in Open Court Reading meets the expectations for Indicator 1g. The materials provide a research-based, clearly defined progression for phonics instruction. Instruction in Grade 1 builds from connecting sounds to letters toward connecting sounds to spellings using Sound/Spelling Cards, and progresses systematically from short vowels and consonants to long vowels, digraphs, variant spellings, and morphological elements. The sequence emphasizes high-utility sound-spelling correspondences and specific phonics generalizations. Students apply newly taught patterns through daily blending, decoding, and reading of aligned decodable texts, ensuring a coherent path from simple to complex that supports mastery of foundational reading skills. 

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

  • In the Teacher Resources, Research in Action: The Science of Reading in Open Court Reading, the materials explain that in Grade 1, instruction shifts from connecting sounds to letters to connecting sounds to spellings using the Sound/Spelling Cards. These cards include uppercase and lowercase letters, pictures that represent initial consonant and medial vowel sounds, and action associations to support learning. 

    • The materials emphasize blending as the “heart and soul” of explicit, systematic phonics instruction, consistent with research highlighting the importance of fluent, accurate decoding for reading comprehension (Rack, Snowling, & Olson, 1992; Share & Stanovich, 1995; Adams, Treiman, & Pressley, 1997; Fletcher & Lyon, 1998; Vellutino, Scanlon, & Sipay, 1997). Phonics instruction is designed to build decoding and encoding skills by segmenting words into sounds and connecting those sounds to their spellings reflecting Moats’ (1998) findings on the importance of linking sounds to print. 

    • Students apply newly taught sound-spelling correspondences in pre-decodable and decodable texts, which aligns with recommendations to provide ample opportunities for students to practice blending and segmenting in connected text (NICHD, 2000; Foorman et al., 1996).  

• 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 the Scope and Sequence, phonics instruction in Grade 1 begins in Unit 1 with common consonants and short vowels and progresses across the year to long vowels, variant spellings, silent letters, diphthongs, and morphological elements (e.g., prefixes, suffixes). The sequence is supported by pre-decodable and decodable texts for students to apply newly taught patterns in connected reading. The sequence is as follows: 

    • Unit 1 

      • Lesson 1: /s/ spelled s; /m/ spelled m; /a/ spelled a; /t/ spelled t, tt

      • Lesson 2: /d/ spelled d; /n/ spelled n; /i/ spelled i; /h/ spelled h

      • Lesson 3: /p/ spelled p; /l/ spelled l, ll; /o/ spelled o; /b/ spelled b

      • Practice occurs in decodables (I Can See; Sam, Sam, Sam, Sit; Bob and Bat)

    • Unit 2

      • Lesson 1: /k/ spelled c; /aw/ spelled al, all; /k/ spelled k, ck; /r/ spelled r

      • Lesson 2: /f/ spelled f, ff; /s/ spelled ss; /g/ spelled g; /j/ spelled j

      • Lesson 3: /j/ spelled dge; /ŭ/ spelled u; /z/ spelled z, zz, s

      • Practice occurs in decodables (Nat’s Cap, At the Mall, Buzz and Zip)

    • Unit 3 

      • Lesson 1: /ks/ spelled x; /ĕ/ spelled e; -ed endings: /ed/, /d/, /t/

      • Lesson 2: /ĕ/ spelled ea; /sh/ spelled sh; /th/ spelled th; /ch/ spelled ch, tch

      • Lesson 3: /or/ spelled or, ore; /ar/ spelled ar; /w/ spelled w, wh

      • Practice occurs in decodables (Beth Gets a Snack, Mitch on a Ranch, A Spark in the Dark)

    • Unit 4 

      • Lesson 1: /er/ spelled er, ir, ur, ear; /ng/ spelled ng

      • Lesson 2: /əl/ spelled -al, -el, -il, -le; /nk/ spelled nk; /kw/ spelled qu

      • Lesson 3: /y/ spelled y; /v/ spelled v; /ā/ spelled a, a_e

      • Practice occurs in decodables (Bird Shirts, In the Tank, April’s Bake Shop)

    • Unit 5 

      • Lesson 1: /ī/ spelled i, i_e; /s/ spelled ce, ci; /j/ spelled ge, gi

      • Lesson 2: /ō/ spelled o, o_e; /ū/ spelled u, u_e

      • Lesson 3: /ē/ spelled e, e_e, ee, ea

      • Practice occurs in decodables (A Mess, Frozen, Summer Heat)

    • Unit 6 

      • Lesson 1: /ē/ spelled y, ie, ey

      • Lesson 2: /s/ spelled cy, s, ce, ci, cy; /ā/ spelled ai, ay

      • Lesson 3: /ī/ spelled igh, y, ie

      • Practice occurs in decodables (A Party for Puppies, Wait for Me)

    • Unit 7 

      • Lesson 1: /ō/ spelled oa, ow; /ū/ spelled ew, ue

      • Lesson 2: /m/ spelled mb; /n/ spelled kn, gn; /r/ spelled wr; /f/ spelled ph

      • Lesson 3: /oo/ spelled oo, u, ue

      • Practice occurs  in decodables (Crow and Goat, Little Wren’s Surprise, A Cool Balloon)

    • Unit 8 

      • Lesson 1: /oo/ spelled ew, u_e, oo

      • Lesson 2: /ow/ spelled ow, ou; /aw/ spelled au, aw

      • Lesson 3: /aw/ spelled augh, ough; /oi/ spelled oi, oy

      • Practice occurs in decodables (A New Tune, Paul’s Sauce, Roy and Royal)

    • Unit 9

      • Lesson 1: Prefixes un-, dis-

      • Lesson 2: Prefixes im-, in-, re-

      • Lesson 3: /ā/ spelled a, a_e, ai, ay; /ă/ spelled a

      • Practice in decodables (Mr. Paws Invents, Garden in the Sky)

    • Unit 10

      • Lesson 1: Review /ī/ spellings (i, i_e, igh, ie, y)

      • Lesson 2: Review /ō/ spellings (o, o_e, oa, ow)

      • Lesson 3: Review /ū/ spellings (u, u_e, ew, ue)

      • Practice in decodables (Picking Flowers, Mr. Plant Expert)

    • Unit 11

      • Lesson 1: Review /ē/ spellings (e, e_e, ee, ea, y, ie)

      • Lesson 2: Review consonant digraphs.

      • Lesson 3: Review r-controlled vowels.

      • Practice occurs in decodables (A Family House, A Summer Home)

    • Unit 12 

      • Lesson 1: Review /oo/ and /ŭ/ spellings (ew, u_e, ue, u, oo)

      • Lesson 2: Review /ow/, /aw/, /oi/ spellings

      • Lesson 3: Morphology — base words, prefixes, endings.

      • Practice occurs in decodables (Brave Tony, Camping Out, Andy Lee)

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

  • According to the Grade 1 Scope and Sequence, phonics instruction begins with high-utility consonants and short vowels (/s/, /m/, /ă/, /t/, /d/, /n/, /i/, /h/, etc.) and then systematically introduces long vowels, digraphs, and variant spellings. Multiple spellings for common sounds are explicitly taught, such as /k/ spelled c, k, ck; /j/ spelled j, dge, ge, gi; and /s/ spelled s, ss, ce, ci, cy. 

    • Instruction includes r-controlled vowels (/ar/, /or/, /er/), vowel teams (ai, ay; ee, ea; oa, ow; ew, ue), and diphthongs (au, aw, oi, oy). Later units extend to silent letters (kn, wr, mb, gn), advanced clusters (ng, nk, ph), and morphological generalizations with prefixes (un-, dis-, re-) and inflectional endings (-s, -es, -ed, -ing, -er, -est)

    This sequence shows instruction is organized around high-frequency patterns and widely applicable generalizations, progressing from the most common to more complex forms.

The materials’ exclusion of three-cueing strategies in Open Court Reading 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 Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1i. The materials include a clearly structured and appropriately paced sequence in which new sound-spelling correspondences are introduced one at a time through the use of Sound/Spelling Cards and explicit blending routines. Each lesson provides consistent opportunities for teacher modeling, guided decoding and encoding practice, and cumulative application in reading and writing tasks. Instructional design allocates sufficient time for students to build accuracy and automaticity through distributed, cumulative, and interleaved review across lessons and units.

• Materials include reasonable pacing of newly taught phonics skills. 

  • According to the Teacher Resources, Research in Action, Grade 1 instruction shifts from sounds and letters to sounds and spellings through the use of Sound/Spelling cards. Each card introduces one new sound and its corresponding spelling, with explicit routines for blending and connecting to print. Skills are introduced sequentially, allowing students to focus on one sound-spelling relationship at a time before moving to the next. 

    • For example, in Unit 0, Getting Started, Day 1, students systematically review the alphabet through daily practice of vowel and consonant sounds in isolation. Lessons include identifying vowel and consonant sounds, reciting a modified alphabet song with pauses to reinforce recognition, and engaging with Sound/Spelling Cards that highlight the distinction between vowels and consonants. Each sound is practiced orally, reinforced with visual cards, and connected to print. 

    The pacing and structure is consistent across Grade 1, with each new sound-spelling introduced in isolation through Sound/Spelling Cards, reinforced through systematic blending and spelling routines, and applied in decodable reading and writing tasks. 

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

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 3, Phonics and Decoding: /ă/ spelled a, students repeat /a/ in isolation while associating with the a spelling on the Sound/Spelling card, echo the sound through cumulative chant and song, and practice handwriting by tracing and writing uppercase and lowercase Aa while softly repeating the /a/ sound. Practice continues in blending routines, where students combine /ă/ with consonants (e.g., m -> am, Pam, Lamb) to decode and read words. Students then apply the word am in oral sentences to reinforce fluency and word recognition. Guided practice extends this work in Skills Practice 1, where students identify and write the spelling for /ă/ in pictures and words, trace and write letters, and complete fill-in-the-letter tasks that connect sound to print. 

  • In Unit 11, Lesson 3, Day 1, students review the ar, or, and ir sound-spelling correspondences using Sound/Spelling Cards and blend words from word lines through Whole Word Blending and Blending Sentences routines. Practice extends to multisyllabic words through the Closed Syllable Routines, where students decode words syllable by syllable (e.g., garden, partner, winter). Students then create a class chart of r-controlled vowel words, adding examples from word lines and connected reading. Sentence-level blending further reinforces automaticity, as students expand and reread sentences containing target spellings to strengthen fluency and accuracy. 

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

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 5, Phonics and Decoding, Unit 1 Review, students revisit multiple consonant and short-vowel sound/spellings using Sound/Spelling Cards, identifying letter-sound correspondences and distinguishing between vowels and consonants. Letter Card activities require students to listen to words and signal the correct initial consonant, reinforcing recognition across several previously introduced phonemes. Blending routines engage students in decoding words, sentences, and multisyllabic words that incorporate a mix of new and previously taught sound-spellings. Skills Practice extends review through picture-word writing tasks and sentence completion activities, requiring students to apply accumulated knowledge. Dictation routines further integrate review by having students generate spellings from oral prompts, compare their work to correct models, and correct errors. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 1, Day 2, students revisit the oo spellings (/ōō/ and /oo/) using Sound/Spelling Cards and practice blending words from multiple word lines, applying both Whole-Word and Sentence Blending routines. Instruction includes decoding multisyllabic words through the Closed and Open Syllable routines, reinforcing earlier phonics concepts in connected practice. Students contribute reviewed words to a class Word Chart, building a cumulative resource over multiple lessons. Sentence-level activities and oral language prompts further interleave review by requiring students to identify, read, and apply oo pattern words in context.

The decoding and encoding practice opportunities in Open Court Reading meet expectations for Indicator 1k. The materials include frequent and varied opportunities for students to decode and encode words using common and newly taught sound-spelling patterns. Daily phonics lessons integrate explicit teacher modeling with structured routines that provide repeated decoding practice at both the word and sentence level. Encoding is reinforced through Sounds-in-Sequence, Whole-Word, and Sentence Dictation routines that guide students to segment, spell, proofread, and correct words using taught phonics patterns. Lessons provide cumulative blending and rereading practice that emphasize accuracy and automaticity, supporting students’ fluency and independent application of phonics skills in connected text. 

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 1, Lesson 3, Day 3, Blending, students use Routine 2, Sound-by-Sound Blending and Routine 4, Blending Sentences to decode words with short o spelled o. The teacher displays the word, guides students to identify each phoneme, and models how to blend the sounds to read the word (for example, pot, tot, dot, hot, plop, stop, plot, spot, hop, hip, top, tip). Students practice reading each blended word aloud and rereading for accuracy and natural pacing. After word-level blending, students apply the same pattern in connected text by blending and rereading the sentences “Tom has a map. The pot is hot.” 

  • In Unit 11, Lesson 2, Day 1, Blending, students apply previously learned and newly introduced digraph spellings to decode words using Routine 3, Whole-Word Blending and Routine 4, Blending Sentences. The teacher displays the Sound/Spelling Cards for sh, sl, ch, ng, and sk, reminding students that in each case, two consonants work together to represent one sound. Students practice decoding and rereading words from the word lines (king, long, gong, song, shake, ship, wishbone, shadow) and apply their learning to read sentences such as “Chad will ride on a ship to go whale watching.” Students blend and reread each word or sentence until they can read it fluently and automatically, providing multiple decoding opportunities with common and newly-taught consonant digraphs. 

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

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 3, Dictation and Spelling, students use Routine 7, Sounds-in-Sequence Dictation and Routine 8, Whole-Word Dictation to encode words with the taught short o pattern (not, dot, hop, lot). The teacher dictates each word, provides a sentence for context, and guides students to segment the word by sound, referencing the Sound/Spelling Cards before writing. Students reread their words, circle any misspellings, and rewrite them correctly. These tasks provide structured, repeated opportunities for students to apply sound-spelling knowledge to spelling and writing. Additional encoding practice occurs in Guided Practice on Skills Practice 1, as students write o and O multiple times while saying the /o/ sound, and identify pictures containing the /o/ sound before writing the spelling beneath each one. 

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 1, Day 1, Dictation and Spelling, students apply the Word Building Routine 6 to encode words with the taught long e sound spelled y (leaf, leafy, lazy, hazy, copy, point, breezy, easy). The teacher dictates each word, prompting students to spell the word aloud, write it, and proofread their work for accuracy before proceeding to the next word. Students circle any misspelled words and rewrite them correctly. 

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

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 1, Day 1, Blending, students participate in multiple blending formats that vary in structure and level of support. Using Sound-by-Sound Blending, students blend phonemes in words with y at the end of the syllables. Whole-Word Blending and Sentence Blending extend practice to connected text, allowing students to reread sentences for fluency. The teacher incorporates both open and closed syllable routines to help students blend multisyllabic words (for example, happy, pony, jellybean), providing cumulative blending practice that supports students in independently decoding and reading words containing the new sound-spelling pattern. 

  • In Unit 11, Lesson 2, Day 1, Blending, students engage in structured and varied blending practice through Whole-Word blending, Blending Sentences, and Closed Syllables Routines. Students blend single-syllable words containing digraphs (e.g., ship, shake, gong, song) and apply Routine 10, Closed Syllable to blend multisyllabic words such as wishbone and shadow. This variety of blending formats and syllable structures provides repeated, scaffolded opportunities for students to practice blending using the same sound-spelling patterns within words and in connected text. 

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

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 3, Blending and High-Frequency Word Introduction, students reread the blending words and sentences multiple times to achieve fluency and automatic recognition. The lesson provides explicit guidance for the teacher to “not wait for all students to gain mastery of each sound before going on,” emphasizing that automaticity develops through repeated practice and review. Students blend and reread words containing the short o spelling and high-frequency words such as has until they can read them accurately and automatically. 

  • In Unit 11, Lesson 2, Day 1, Blending, students practice decoding words and sentences until they can read them “fluently and automatically.” Teacher guidance directs the use of Whole-Word Blending to support fluency with previously taught digraphs and the application of syllabication routines for accuracy in multisyllabic words. Students reread word lines and sentences (for example, “Meg said, ‘I think most children wish they could whistle”) to ensure accurate pronunciation and smooth, expressive reading.

The instruction and practice of spelling rules and generalizations in Open Court Reading meet expectations for Indicator 1l. Spelling instruction progresses systematically and aligns with the phonics scope and sequence, introducing one sound-spelling rule or generalization at a time and pacing new learning in a logical progression from phonetic to structural and meaning patterns. Materials include explicit explanations of spelling rules and connect them directly to weekly word lists and dictation routines. Students engage in consistent, structured opportunities to apply and practice spelling rules through modeled instruction, guided dictation, and proofreading. Routine-based activities provide distributed practice, allowing students to build accuracy and automaticity over time. Differentiated guidance extends encoding practice through partner dictation and extension tasks, reinforcing spelling generalizations across multiple contexts. 

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

  • According to the Program Overview, the spelling lessons are organized around specific spelling patterns that progress from phonetic to structural and meaning patterns in a logical sequence. Each week’s word list is derived from the Phonics and Fluency or Word Analysis skills taught in the Foundational Skills portion of each lesson, ensuring that students learn spelling patterns directly connected to their phonics instruction. The overview explains that early lessons emphasize sound-pattern strategies such as pronunciation, consonant substitution, vowel substitution, and rhyming-word strategies. Later lessons introduce structural patterns (e.g., adding -s or -es to form plurals, dropping the final e before -ed or -ing) and meaning patterns (e.g., using prefixes, suffixes, and base words). 

    • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 1, spelling instruction for the /ks/ sound spelled x aligns to the phonics scope and sequence, which designates /ks/ spelled x as the new sound-spelling for this lesson. 

    • In Unit 2, Lesson 2, Day 1, spelling words such as fin, fan, fat, fast, fist, and fit align to the phonics scope and sequence, which designates /f/ spelled f and ff as the focus sound-spellings for this lesson.

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

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 1, Day 1, Introduce the Sound/Spelling and Dictation and Spelling, the teacher explicitly explains the spelling rule for the /er/ sound. Using Routine 1, Introducing Sounds and Spellings, the teacher displays the Bird Sound/Spelling Card and states that it represents “the /er/ sound - er and ir - and explains that these letters spell a “special vowel sound.” Students are prompted to identify the color-coding on the card (red letters, blue background) to reinforce that the pattern represents a vowel sound. The Teacher Tip: Introducing Sounds and Spellings advises the teacher to cover the ur spelling until the next lesson, ensuring that only one generalization is introduced at a time. During dictation, the teacher further explains that “with multiple spellings for a sound, it is especially important that students ask, ‘Which spelling?’ when they are unsure about which spelling to use.” 

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 1, Introduce the Sound/Spelling and Dictation and Spelling, the teacher provides an explicit explanation of the long-vowel spelling rule for /ō/ spelled o and o_e. Using Routine 1, Introducing Sounds and Spellings, the teacher displays the Long o Sound/Spelling Card and explains that a vowel’s long sound is its letter name. The teacher points out that “all long vowels have several spellings” and uses a self-sticking note to cover all but o and o_e to focus on these two patterns. Students are told that the blank in o_e means a consonant comes between the o and e. The teacher then contrasts short o and long o using the Sound/Spelling Cards for Fox (/ŏ/) and Long O (/ō/), and models the difference with the rhyme:

    “O’s my name. 

    Two sounds I know: 

    Short o in stop, 

    Long o in go.” 

    This explanation clarifies the difference between the short o and long o sounds, and then introduces o and o_e as two common spellings that represent the long o sound.

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

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 1, Dictation and Spelling, students engage in multiple structured opportunities to practice spelling words and generalizations through dictation, proofreading, and extension activities. Using Routine 8, Whole-Word Dictation and Routine 9, Sentence Dictation, students spell target words (center, cinder, safe, nice) and the sentence “Stacy saved the kitten from the icy pond.” Students check their work by comparing to the model on the board, circling and correcting errors as needed. Differentiated Instruction provides additional practice through partner dictation and sentence generation with words containing the /s/ sound. 

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 3, Day 1, Dictation and Spelling, students engage in structured encoding practice using the Word Building Structure Routine to spell words with the target, /ōō/ pattern (boo, boot, both, too, tooth, toot, root, roof, room). Students build each word sound by sound, check their spelling, and correct errors by circling and rewriting misspelled words before moving to the next word. The Teacher Tip: Word Chart further extends practice by having students continuously add /ōō/ words to a class or individual chart, reinforcing the rule through repeated exposure and application.

The decodable texts and instructional routines in Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1m. Decodable texts align to the program’s phonics scope and sequence and reflect taught phonics patterns across the year. Lessons provide structured routines for repeated readings, including teacher modeling, guided practice, and partner and choral rereading, supporting accuracy, automaticity, and confidence. Reading practice occurs in decodable texts that maintain consistent phonics control and avoid predictable sentence patterns. Students read decodables multiple times per instructional week through Unit 8, offering frequent opportunities to apply phonics skills in connected text. Beginning in Unit 9, the frequency of decodable texts decreases as students transition into increasingly complex texts while continuing to reinforce decoding in fluency routines.

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 1, Lesson 2, Day 1, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Book, students read Core Decodable 9, Dad Sat to apply previously taught short-vowel and consonant patterns in connected text. The day’s focus includes reviewing high-frequency words and reading the story to reinforce decoding accuracy and automaticity. The Sound-Spelling Correspondence for the lesson emphasizes /d/ spelled d, consistent with the phonics sequence introduced in prior lessons. Students apply taught sound-spelling correspondence and high-frequency words within the context of a short, controlled decodable story that aligns to the program’s phonics scope and sequence, noting that reading practice directly reinforces phonics instruction. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 3, Day 4, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Book, students read Core Decodable 114, Andy Lee to apply advanced phonics skills, including multisyllabic word decoding and review of previously taught sound-spelling correspondences. The Sound-Spelling Correspondences in the Core Decodables chart shows a cumulative sequence through the decodable, progressing from short vowels and consonant patterns to complex vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, digraphs, diphthongs, and inflectional endings. Students also review high-frequency words before reading, noting that both phonics and word recognition components are practiced in context. 

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

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 1, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Book, Core Decodable 9, Dad Sat, lesson guidance directs the teacher to implement Routine 5, Reading a Decodable, a structured, multi-step reading routine that provides repeated reading opportunities. Students preview the story, read silently, and take turns reading aloud by page. The teacher models decoding and comprehension monitoring by demonstrating how to stop, blend, reread, and confirm word understanding. Students reread the story through partner reading and choral reading to build fluency and confidence. Additional practice opportunities include Practice Decodable 9, Tad, which reinforces the same phonics patterns, /d/ spelled d, through extended reading.   

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 3, Day 4, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Book, Core Decodable 114, Andy Lee, the teacher implements Routine 5, Reading a Decodable, which provides detailed steps for multiple readings. Students preview the story, make predictions, and read each page silently and aloud. The teacher models decoding strategies for multisyllabic words, explicitly demonstrating how to decode syllable by syllable, reread for understanding, and reread sentences several times until fluent. Students engage in rereading through partner and choral reading, while comprehension questions and retelling tasks provide additional rereading opportunities for accuracy and fluency. The materials reinforce the importance of repeated reading by reminding the teacher to encourage students to reread stories to make their reading “sound more natural.” Students requiring additional practice read Practice Decodable 91, How the Rabbit Caught the Tiger, which reinforces the same phonics features through extended reading and fluency activities. 

• 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 1, Lesson 2, Day 1, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Book, reading practice occurs in Core Decodable 9, Dad Sat and Practice Decodable 9, Tad, which feature controlled vocabulary aligned to the taught phonics pattern and include high-frequency words introduced in prior lessons. Differentiated guidance provides additional support for approaching-level students through echo reading, ensuring all students engage in connected text practice. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 3, Day 4, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Book, reading practice in Core Decodable 114, Andy Lee integrates multisyllabic words and varied sentence structures, reflecting the culmination of the phonics sequence and the application of advanced decoding strategies. The decodable text maintains strong alignment to taught phonics patterns and includes comprehension routines that require students to locate evidence in the text, retell the story. 

  • In the Unit 1 Knowledge Strand, students engage with the realistic fiction text “First Grade Stinks!” to build comprehension and vocabulary through listening and discussion. By Unit 12, students read from the Student Anthology, Set the Stage!, which includes grade-level selections that expand background knowledge, vocabulary, and text complexity. This design demonstrates that while decodable reading continues for fluency and automaticity, students concurrently transition into knowledge-rich, complex texts that promote broader literacy development.  

    Across Units 1-8, students engage with decodable readers multiple times per instructional week, providing frequent practice with connected text. Beginning in Unit 9, the program shifts to using one decodable per instructional week, reducing the number of opportunities for students to apply taught phonics patterns in decodable texts as instruction progresses. 

The instructional opportunities for high-frequency words in Open Court Reading meet expectations for Indicator 1p. Materials provide regular opportunities for students to decode high-frequency words in isolation and in connected text through consistent routines and repeated reading of decodable texts. Lessons also include explicit opportunities for students to encode high-frequency words through dictated word and sentence-level writing tasks. Together, these routines support the development of accuracy and automaticity through both decoding and encoding of high-frequency words.

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.

• Students practice decoding high-frequency words in isolation. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 2, the teacher begins by reviewing previously introduced high-frequency words from the class Word Bank. The teacher points to each word (for example, a, am, and, can, have, I, is, on, see, the, there, up) and prompts students to read them aloud in isolation before reading the decodable text. Students chorally repeat each word several times, reinforcing accuracy and visual recognition. This inclusion of the cumulative Word Bank routine provides consistent opportunities across lessons for students to practice decoding and reading known high-frequency words independently and fluently. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 2, the teacher reviews previously introduced high-frequency words down, its, and red by pointing to them in the High-Frequency Word Bank and having students read them aloud in isolation. Volunteers use each word in oral sentences, reinforcing pronunciation and meaning before reading connected text. Students are prompted to look through the upcoming story to identify additional familiar high-frequency words and practice reading them aloud “until they can read them automatically and fluently.” 

• Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to decode high-frequency words in context. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 2, students apply decoding of high-frequency words during the reading of Core Decodable 10, Ants. Using Routine 5, the Reading a Decodable Routine, students read and reread pages of connected text containing previously introduced high-frequency words (a, am, and, can, have, I, is, on, see, the, there, up). The teacher facilitates multiple exposures through silent reading, individual reading, and choral rereading. Partner echo reading and fluency practice provide repeated decoding opportunities that promote automaticity with high-frequency words in context. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 2, the students apply decoding of down, its, and red during the reading of Core Decodable 35, A Red Fox. The teacher uses Routine 5, the Reading a Decodable Routine, to guide reading and rereading of the text. Students read pages silently, aloud individually, and chorally, with prompts to check accuracy and reread for understanding. Partner rereading and fluency practice further reinforce automatic recognition of high-frequency words within meaningful sentences such as, “A red fox has a den. A red fox hunts. It sits down.” 

• Lessons provide students with opportunities to encode high-frequency words in tasks, such as sentences, in order to promote automaticity of high-frequency words. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 2, students encode the high-frequency word can through dictated writing using Routine 8, the Whole-Word Dictation Routine. The teacher first says the word can, uses it in a sentence, and repeats the word. Students then say the word and write the spelling as the teacher dictates each sound. After writing the word, students proofread their spelling as the teacher displays the correct spelling on the board. 

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 2, Day 3, during Dictation and Spelling instruction, students encode high-frequency words within sentence-level writing using Routine 9, the Sentence Dictation Routine. The teacher dictates a sentence that includes the high-frequency words is, in, his, and this. Students write the sentence, applying their knowledge of sound-spelling correspondences and referencing Sound/Spelling Cards as needed. The teacher explicitly identifies is, in, his, and this as high-frequency words and directs students to write the words automatically rather than sounding them out. After writing, students proofread their sentences as the teacher displays the correct spelling and make corrections as needed.

The instructional opportunities for oral reading fluency in Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1s. Materials provide regular and varied opportunities for explicit, systematic fluency instruction using grade-level decodable connected text. Across units, lessons consistently follow structured routines that include teacher modeling, guided practice, repeated readings, and partner reading to build accuracy, rate, and prosody. Students hear fluent reading in every decodable lesson, with the teacher modeling appropriate phrasing, expression, and pacing before students engage in echo, choral, and independent rereading. Fluency practice is supported through multiple routines, high-frequency word review, decodable rereading, and supplemental practice decodables, offering consistent and coherent fluency instruction 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 regular and varied opportunities for explicit, systematic instruction in rate, accuracy, and prosody using grade-level decodable connected text. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 2, Fluency: Reading a Pre-Decodable, materials include systematic fluency instruction using Core Pre-Decodable 5: I Can See. The lesson follows explicit routines to build accuracy and rate through repeated reading of connected decodable text. Students first read along as the teacher models fluent reading, then chorally reread with teacher support, and finally read independently and with partners, alternating pages. Practice continues as students reread the same text multiple times, supporting automaticity and developing fluency with familiar high-frequency words. 

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 3, Day 2, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, materials include explicit fluency instruction using Core Decodable 30: Plum Pond. Students engage in repeated readings of connected decodable text that reinforces targeted phonics patterns and high-frequency words. Using Routine 5: Reading a Decodable, the teacher guides students through silent reading, individual oral reading, and choral rereading to strengthen accuracy and rate. Students are prompted to blend and reread unfamiliar words, check comprehension through context, and reread the entire sentence for natural phrasing. 

• Materials provide opportunities for students to hear fluent reading of grade-level text by a model reader. 

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 3, Day 2, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, the teacher models fluent reading of Core Decodable 30: Plum Pond to demonstrate appropriate rate, phrasing, and expression while tracking print under each word. The text integrates previously taught sound-spelling correspondences—including /ŭ/ spelled u, /g/ spelled g, /j/ spelled j or dge, and review of /s/, /m/, /ă/, /t/, and /p/—alongside high-frequency words such as all, am, can, did, got, has, him, in, is, it, see, and the. The teacher reads the story aloud first while modeling accuracy and phrasing, then guides students through repeated readings using echo and choral responses. As the teacher models fluent decoding and natural intonation with familiar words and patterns, students hear and observe how accurate word recognition supports meaning-making and prosody. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 2, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, the teacher models fluent reading of Core Decodable 40: Trish’s Ship using varied expression and intonation to demonstrate natural phrasing and pacing. The lesson explicitly instructs the teacher to “use your voice to show expression and intonation, which are essential to fluency and support comprehension.” As the teacher reads aloud while tracking print, students observe accurate pronunciation and prosodic variation tied to punctuation and meaning. The text’s phonics focus on /sh/ and related vowel patterns, along with high-frequency word repetition, provides a controlled context for modeling smooth, expressive reading. Students then echo-read and chorally reread the text, allowing them to imitate the modeled fluent reading.

• Materials include a variety of resources for explicit instruction in oral reading fluency, supporting skill development across the year. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 2, Fluency: Reading a Pre-Decodable, the lesson incorporates multiple fluency-building routines and resources, including Routine 1A: High-Frequency Words Routine and Reading the Pre-Decodable guidance, as well as Differentiated Instruction recommendations. Students review high-frequency words before reading, practice decoding and rereading decodable text, and engage in partner reading to reinforce fluency. Additional practice is provided through Practice Pre-Decodable 5: See the Bike. Materials also include small-group supports for students who need additional practice. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 2, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, fluency instruction in this lesson incorporates multiple routines and resources, including Routine 5: Reading a Decodable, High-Frequency Word Bank review, Partner Reading, and Choral Reading. Students engage in repeated oral reading and comprehension discussion, then reread the text twice with a partner to practice phrasing, expression, and accuracy. Additional opportunities for fluency development are provided through Practice Decodable 34: A Flash, which reinforces the /sh/ sound in new connected text. Comprehension checks and “Teacher Tip” guidance ensure that students focus on reading the text itself rather than relying on pictures, reinforcing accurate word recognition and fluency. Across lessons and units, these routines provide consistent, explicit fluency practice that supports skill development throughout the year.

The instructional opportunities for supported fluency practice in Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1t. Materials provide varied and frequent opportunities for students to develop automaticity and prosody beginning in mid-Grade 1, including repeated readings of connected decodable texts with structured teacher modeling and guided practice. Lessons consistently integrate echo reading, partner rereading, and multiple reread cycles aligned to Routine 5, with explicit prompts for attending to phrasing, expression, and natural pacing. Students apply fluency skills across units through systematic rereading routines, supported practice with practice decodables, and opportunities to monitor accuracy and expression. Teacher-facing guidance provides clear steps for modeling fluent reading, observing student performance, and delivering corrective feedback, ensuring sustained and developmentally appropriate fluency instruction throughout 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. 

• Varied, frequent opportunities are provided over the course of the year for students to gain automaticity and prosody in connected text, aligned to program expectations and developmental readiness. 

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 1, Day 2, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, materials include systematic fluency instruction using Core Decodable 73: A Party for Puppies. Students engage in supported, repeated reading of connected decodable text that includes newly introduced and previously taught high-frequency words such as every, after, look, make, said, and what. Using Routine 5: Reading a Decodable, the lesson builds upon prior fluency routines by introducing echo reading to strengthen expressive reading and automaticity. Students first listen to the teacher model fluent reading, then reread the same passage with the same phrasing and tone, developing both accuracy and prosody through repeated practice.

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 1, Day 4, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, materials provide structured fluency instruction using Core Decodable 83: Rescue That Cat! Students engage in supported and repeated reading of connected decodable text that includes previously introduced high-frequency words (e.g., look, said, come, could, there, where, you) and new sound-spelling correspondences such as /ū/ spelled ew and ue. Using Routine 5: Reading a Decodable, the teacher explains that echo reading will help students “read expressively and smoothly.” Students follow along as the teacher reads aloud with modeled expression and then echo read the same passage, focusing on matching tone, phrasing, and rate. The repeated and supported reading opportunities build automaticity and prosody in developmentally appropriate, decodable text.

    Materials offer opportunities for students to practice fluency with multiple types of texts, including poetry, nonfiction, and other connected selections, within the Knowledge Strand.

• Materials provide practice opportunities for word reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., repeated readings, dyad or partner reading, continuous reading), with sufficient frequency to support progress towards mastery. 

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 1, Day 4, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, fluency instruction, the lesson includes multiple practice formats that promote mastery. Students engage in echo reading as a whole group, followed by partner rereading, alternating pages of Core Decodable 83 to apply expression, phrasing, and rate in connected text. The teacher is  directed to have students reread the story twice to reinforce automaticity and fluency. Additional practice occurs through Practice Decodable 66: Eva to the Rescue, which extends the phonics and fluency focus (/ū/ spelled ew, ue) in new but related text.

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 1, Day 4, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, fluency practice in this lesson includes partner rereading of Core Decodable 112, where students alternate pages and reread the text “several times” to develop rate, accuracy, and expression. The teacher reinforces that “the more they reread stories, the more natural their reading will sound,” promoting self-monitoring of fluency. Students are reminded to use the context of the story to check word meaning and reread challenging words and sentences until fluent. For additional practice, students read Practice Decodable 89: James and the Books, extending the same skills and fluency focus into new connected text. 

• Materials include teacher-facing guidance on modeling fluent reading and delivering corrective feedback that supports students’ growth in rate, expression, and phrasing. 

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 1, Day 2, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, Core Decodable 73, A Party for Puppies, the fluency section directs the teacher to explain that “echo reading is repeating a passage after it has been read aloud” and that it “helps students read expressively and smoothly.” The teacher is instructed to read a page aloud first “with expression, emphasizing fun, for example, and letting your voice drop at the end of the sentence,” then reread the page and have students echo the modeled reading “using the same expression and tone.” The teacher is  further guided to “observe students and check their reading for accuracy, appropriate rate, and proper expression,” providing feedback as students reread with partners. This explicit, step-by-step modeling and monitoring guidance ensures the teacher knows how to demonstrate fluent reading, scaffold student imitation, and deliver corrective feedback that develops accuracy, rate, and prosody.

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 1, Day 4, Fluency: Reading a Decodable Book, Core Decodable 112, Brave Tony, the teacher is instructed to “model this process as you read the story,” demonstrating how to decode multisyllabic words, reread them in context, and reread sentences “until they can be read accurately and automatically.” This explicit modeling shows students how rereading supports fluency, comprehension, and natural phrasing. The teacher is also prompted to remind students that “the more they reread stories, the more natural their reading will sound,” reinforcing the importance of repeated, expressive practice. The accompanying Teacher Tip: Fluency directs the teacher to “observe students as they read to check for accuracy, appropriate rate, and proper expression.”