Level 1
Basic Alphabet Knowledge
Description
In this section, students build a strong foundation in the alphabet by learning all 26 letter names and their sounds. We explore the difference between vowels and consonants and practice recognizing letters in a variety of fonts and styles—both in print and in the real world, such as signs and advertisements. Each lesson focuses on three letters at a time.
Student Activities
- Practice matching letters to sounds
- Trace uppercase and lowercase letters
- Clap out syllables in spoken words
- Read short stories featuring target letters
- Learn heart words—high-frequency words that must be memorized "by heart"
- Practice early spelling with simple words
- Engage in interactive games and complete sticker charts to track progress
Skills Covered
- Letter recognition (all 26 letters)
- Letter-sound correspondence
- Distinguishing vowels vs. consonants
- Print awareness (different fonts and styles)
- Phonological awareness (syllables)
- Reading and remembering high frequency heart words
- Fine motor skills (tracing)
- Early reading and spelling foundations
- Motivation and engagement through games and rewards
Level 2
Using Letter Sounds & Patterns
Description
In this section, students begin to build real reading power by using individual letter sounds and recognizing common word patterns. Each lesson begins with a quick review of previously learned content and then moves into more focused phonics activities that help students sound out and blend words independently.
Student Activities
- Practice segmenting and blending sounds using Elkonin boxes (CVC words)
- Explore common letter patterns like -at, -an, and -ap
- Read real and nonsense words by marking sounds with dots and blending
- Apply new skills in short, decodable sentences and stories
- Learn heart words—important high frequency words to memorize
- Practice early spelling based on learned patterns
- Begin distinguishing between short and long vowel sounds
- Enjoy games and sticker charts to reinforce learning
Skill Covered
- Phoneme segmentation and blending
- Pattern recognition in words (e.g., -it, -op, -ed)
- Reading and spelling CVC words
- Short vs. long vowel sound identification
- Early decoding and encoding strategies
- Reading and remembering heart words
- Reading fluency with simple sentences
- Motivation and engagement through visual progress tools
Level 3
Blends & Digraphs
Description
In this section, students deepen their decoding skills by working with more complex sound combinations. They’ll explore digraphs (two letters that make one sound) and blends (two consonants said quickly together) to unlock longer words. Lessons begin with a review of earlier concepts and then move into targeted phonics practice, engaging reading passages, and fun decoding challenges.
Each lesson includes opportunities to apply skills in spelling, reading, and listening—with playful nonsense words, real stories, and newly introduced compound words. We also continue practicing heart words (high-frequency words to remember by heart) and using games and sticker charts to celebrate learning progress.
Throughout this unit, we also reinforce positive class behavior and teamwork by setting expectations and working as a group—so students feel encouraged, supported, and proud of their progress.
Student Activities
- Identify and read common digraphs (e.g., sh, ch, th) and blends (e.g., bl, st, cr)
- Sound out and blend multi-letter words by marking dots and connecting sounds
- Practice real and nonsense words to strengthen decoding
- Read engaging stories that include targeted phonics patterns
- Continue learning heart words and building high-frequency word recall
- Learn and decode compound words (e.g., sunset, backpack)
- Practice spelling based on current patterns and sound chunks
- Participate in games, storytime, and sticker challenges for motivation
- Develop classroom habits like listening, trying again, and working together
Skills Covered
- Digraph and blend recognition and usage
- Decoding 3–5 letter words
- Compound word identification
- Reading fluency in longer and more natural sentences
- High-frequency word mastery
- Spelling with blends and digraphs
- Engagement and collaboration skills in an online setting
Level 3
R-controlled Vowels
Description
In this unit, students take a big step forward in their reading skills by learning to recognize and decode R-controlled vowels—vowels that change their sound when followed by the letter R (like in car, fork, and bird). Students will work with all five common R-controlled patterns: AR, OR, ER, IR, and UR.
Each lesson begins with a review of previously learned concepts and then moves into focused decoding practice using real and nonsense words. We mark individual sounds with dots, then arc the R-controlled vowels to show they work together, blend the word, underline it, and read it aloud.
We also explore multi-syllable words with R-controlled patterns (like market, carpet, and forget), learning how to split syllables, identify open and closed vowels, and decode longer, more complex words. These skills are reinforced through storytelling, spelling, and lighthearted nonsense word activities. As always, students continue to learn heart words, play phonics games, and track progress with sticker charts.
Student Activities
- Identify and read R-controlled vowels: AR, OR, ER, IR, UR
- Blend R-controlled vowels using visual arcing strategies
- Practice real and nonsense words with R-controlled patterns
- Read short stories that use target R controlled words
- Learn and apply heart words (high-frequency words to memorize)
- Spell words using R-controlled vowel chunks
- Decode multi-syllabic R-controlled words by breaking into syllables
- Recognize open and closed vowel patterns in longer words
- Celebrate learning with games, stickers, and team encouragement
Skills Covered
- R-controlled vowel recognition and blending
- Multi-syllabic word decoding and syllable division
- Reading and spelling longer R-controlled words
- Syllable identification and open/closed vowel marking
- Reading fluency with natural story texts
- High-frequency word memory
- Motivation through group interaction and progress tracking
Level 5
Vowel Consonant E
Description
In this unit, students are introduced to the Vowel-Consonant-E pattern, a foundational decoding rule that helps them understand how vowels can change sound. They learn that when a word ends in E, the vowel typically makes a long sound (like in cake or bike), and when there’s no silent E, the vowel often stays short (like in cat or bit).
We begin each lesson with a short review, then move into VCe word sorting, where students hear words like name and decide if they match a short vowel word (like cap) or a long vowel word (like cape). Instead of sounding out every word aloud, students begin to practice mental sorting and categorization—a key bridge into fluent reading.
We continue with silly nonsense words and fun sentences to flex their decoding skills, plus storytime texts that reinforce VCe decoding naturally. Students also learn and apply new heart words, and our spelling section focuses on contrasting short and long vowel patterns. For decoding, students are taught to mark up VCe words by identifying each part (V–C–E), crossing out the silent E, and drawing a line to show the long vowel sound. Students may also begin applying earlier decoding rules (like R-controlled vowels or syllable splitting) as words become more complex.
Each lesson ends with games and sticker charts to celebrate progress and maintain momentum.
Student Activities
- Understand how the VCe pattern creates long vowel sounds
- Practice identifying short vs. long vowel sounds in spoken words
- Sort words like cap, cape, kit, kite
- Read silly sentences using VCe and heart words
- Learn and remember heart words (irregular high-frequency words)
- Decode VCe words by marking V–C E, crossing out the E, and tracking the long vowel
- Continue dividing words into syllables and applying earlier phonics rules
- Practice targeted spelling of short and long vowel words
- Reinforce learning with games and visual progress tools
Skills Covered
- Short vs. long vowel sound identification
- Understanding and decoding VCe patterns
- Visual word sorting and mental processing
- Marking up words with vowel patterns (e.g., V–C–E)
- Applying multiple decoding strategies in real texts
- Recognizing and spelling with heart words
Level 6
Vowel Teams
Description
In this final unit, students unlock the power of vowel teams—two letters (usually vowels, sometimes with consonants) working together to create a single, new vowel sound (like ai in paint, or ee in feet). This section emphasizes pattern recognition and decoding fluency with more complex, multisyllabic words.
Each lesson begins with a short review before diving into vowel team matching, where students match a new word (like rail) with a known anchor word (paint) to identify the vowel team and its sound. This visual and auditory comparison builds recognition and decoding confidence.
We then practice nonsense sentences and silly words to stretch students’ decoding flexibility. Students also continue to review and learn new heart words, apply their skills to a themed story, and work on spelling one or more words that use the vowel teams of the day.
In our decoding section, students learn to underline vowel teams, mark syllables, and identify previously learned features like VCe patterns and r-controlled vowels. At this stage, we also introduce prefixes and suffixes, helping students understand how affixes change word meaning and structure.
As always, students stay engaged with games and sticker charts that track progress and celebrate their growth.
Student Activities
- Identify and read vowel teams
(e.g., ai, ee, oa, igh) - Match unfamiliar words to known anchor words to reinforce patterns
- Read silly sentences and nonsense words using vowel team patterns
- Learn and review heart words
- Read short stories that highlight vowel team use
- Spell words that contain the target vowel teams
- Underline vowel teams and mark other phonics features in complex words
- Decode multisyllabic words using syllable division, affix recognition, and vowel pattern rules
- Build vocabulary by exploring prefixes and suffixes
- Stay motivated with visual progress tools like games and sticker charts
Skills Covered
- Vowel team recognition and decoding
- Matching vowel sounds across different words
- Multisyllabic word decoding
- Affix identification (prefixes & suffixes)
- Continued mastery of VCe, r-controlled vowels, short vs. long vowels
- Visual marking of complex word structures
- Reading fluency with patterned stories
- Motivation through game-based reinforcement
Friday Group
Friday Group
Description
Student Activities
Skills Covered
