Literacy

In kindergarten and first grade, students engage in the Core Knowledge Language Arts Program (CKLA), which focuses on enhancing skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Additionally, CKLA aims to expand students' knowledge and vocabulary in literature, history, geography, and science.

Key Skills Developed in Kindergarten and First Grade Reading

• Phonological awareness skills 

  • Discriminating and producing rhyming words

  • Discriminating sounds in words, putting them together and taking them apart

• Phonics skills

  • ​​​​​​​Exposure to digraphs and some long vowel patterns

  • Mastering the alphabet and sounds that are represented both by consonants and vowels

• Trick words

• Expanding vocabulary

• Engaging meaningful discussion with peers

• Increasing content knowledge

During most of kindergarten and first grade children will be reading decodable texts.  These are texts created by our curriculum that only include phonics skills and trick words strategically taught by our curriculum, CKLA.  This allows children to feel successful and confident when reading.  Towards the end of first grade some children might start to read more authentic texts.  They will continue to work towards this goal in second and third grade.

 

Supporting K-1 Students at Home

Reading to your Child Book Suggestions:

Reading to your child is equally as important as your child reading aloud themselves.  Here are some suggestions for books for parents to read aloud to their children…

26 Perfect Read Alouds for Kindergarten (Pragmatic Mom)

Kindergarten Book Lists (Goodreads)

Popular 1st Grade Read Aloud Books (Goodreads)

First Grade Book Lists (Goodreads)

Decodable Texts

Many decodable texts can be purchased through Amazon or Barnes and Noble etc.  These can be tricky because while they are considered “decodable” they might not match our current curriculum (CKLA).  If you would like to read truly decodable texts, make sure to read the texts sent home by your child’s teacher!  If you choose to purchase decodable texts on your own, your child might need some assistance with certain words as they will not exactly match our curriculum.  Some suggestions for decodables for purchase are:

• Bob Books

• Charge into Reading Decodable Books

• Orton Gillingham Decodable Books

• Starfall Decodable Phonics Books

• Developing Decoders

• Junior Learning Decodable Readers

Digital Texts

Your child has a district paid subscription to:

• Pebble Go // Research tool for primary grades with a variety of nonfiction texts; contact your child's teacher for login information​​

• Big Universe // Digital library with a wide range of fiction and nonfiction texts // Click here for help signing in

• RazKids // Contact your child's teacher for more information.​​

Trick Words

The links below are the words that show up most often in texts.  Students will learn them over the course of their K-2 years through our CKLA reading program.  If you feel inclined to practice extra at home, start with the pre-primer list.  Have your child practice and learn 5 words at a time.  Once they have memorized those words, add another five.  Once the entire pre-primer list is memorized feel free to move onto the primer list, and then the first grade list.

• Practice reading and spelling pre-primer Dolch sight words. Download the word list and flashcards.

• Practice reading and spelling primer Dolch sight words. Download the word list and flashcards.

• Practice reading and spelling grade 1 Dolch sight words. Download the word list and flashcards.

Read to learn more...​

• CKLA Curriculum 

• The Guide to Kindergarten (Scholastic)

• Tips for Parents of Kindergartners (Reading Rockets)

• All About Kindergarten Reading (Great Schools)

• All About First Grade Reading (Great Schools)

• The Guide to 1st Grade (Scholastic)

• ​​Tips for Parents of First Graders (Reading Rockets)

• 25 Activities for Reading and Writing Fun (Reading Rockets)

• 6 Games for Reading (Reading Rockets)

• Reading Aloud to Build Comprehension (Reading Rockets)

• Getting the Most Out of Nonfiction Reading Time (Reading Rockets)

In second and third grade, students engage in the Core Knowledge Language Arts Program (CKLA), which focuses on enhancing skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Additionally, CKLA aims to expand students' knowledge and vocabulary in literature, history, geography, and science.

Key Skills Developed in Second and Third Grade Reading

• Phonemic awareness skills, including blending and segmenting sounds in words 

• Phonics skills

  • Decoding and encoding multisyllabic words proficiently

  • Decoding and encoding words with short vowels, digraphs, blends, long vowel patterns, r-controlled vowels, prefixes and suffixes, schwa sounds, -le syllables, and alternative vowel and consonant spellings

• Read and spell grade level trick words

• Read decodable and grade-level texts accurately and fluently

• Expand vocabulary and background knowledge of a wide range of topics

• Engage in meaningful discussions with peers

• Analyze texts to discover deeper meanings and messages

Key Skills Developed in Second and Third Grade Writing

• Identify and use parts of speech, including: nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs

• Identify and form complete sentences with proper punctuation, grammar, and capitalization

• Plan and compose narrative, opinion, and informational sentences paragraphs

• Develop descriptive writing skills

• Cite evidence from the text to support thinking

• Engage in the notetaking process

During most of second grade, children will read decodable texts during their skills block. These texts only include phonics skills and trick words taught within the CKLA Scope and Sequence. This allows children to feel successful and confident when reading. Students will transition from decodable to non-decodable texts in second grade. While the third grade curriculum does not use decodable texts, the program front loads vocabulary and builds background knowledge with the interactive read alouds and class discussions to ensure student success.

At Home Resources

• ​​Reading Tips for Parents of Second Graders (Reading Rockets)

• Reading Tips for Parents of Third Graders (Reading Rockets)

• Reading Aloud to Build Comprehension (Reading Rockets)

• Great Read Alouds for Second Graders (Reading Rockets)

• Second Grade Book Lists (Goodreads)

Decodable Texts

Many decodable texts can be purchased through Amazon or Barnes and Noble, etc. These can be tricky because while they are considered “decodable” they might not match our current curriculum (CKLA). If you would like to read truly decodable texts, make sure to read the texts sent home by your child’s teacher!

Digital Texts

Your child has a district paid subscription to:

• PebbleGo- Research tool for primary grades with a variety of nonfiction texts; contact your child's teacher for login information​​

• Big Universe- Digital library with a wide range of fiction and nonfiction texts

  • Click here for help signing in

• RazKids- Contact your child's teacher for more information.​​

Trick Words

The link below shows the words that appear most often in texts. These trick words are taught in the CKLA curriculum until the end of second grade. However, some third grade students may benefit from continuing to practice these words if they have not mastered reading and spelling them independently. If you feel inclined to practice trick words at home, talk to your child’s teacher about the appropriate starting point for your child. Have your child practice and learn 5 words at a time. Once they have memorized those words, add another five. Download the K-2 Trick Word List.

Read to learn more...

• CKLA Curriculum Overview for Caregivers

• Grade 2 CKLA Skills Scope and Sequence

• Grade 2 CKLA Knowledge Scope and Sequence

• Grade 3 CKLA Scope and Sequence

• The Guide to 2nd Grade (Scholastic)

• The Guide to 3rd Grade (Scholastic)

• Second and Third Graders Reading Milestones (PBS Parents)

 

Fourth Grade Language Arts Program Overview

In fourth grade, students engage in the Core Knowledge Language Arts Program (CKLA), which focuses on enhancing skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Additionally, CKLA aims to expand students' knowledge and vocabulary in literature, history, geography, and science. An overview of CKLA can be found here

Key Skills Developed in Fourth Grade Reading

• Decoding and encoding multisyllabic words proficiently

• Reading grade-level texts accurately and fluently

• Analyzing texts to discover deeper meanings and messages

• Critically approaching texts to derive meaning

• Understanding sentence structures

• Expanding vocabulary

• Engaging in meaningful discussions with peers

Key Writing Skills Developed in Fourth Grade

• Developing descriptive writing skills

• Crafting personal narratives and adventure stories

• Composing explanatory, informative, and cause-effect essays

• Forming opinions and writing persuasive essays

• Engaging in the note-taking process

At home resources

• ​​The Guide to 4th Grade (Scholastic)

• Reading Aloud to Build Comprehension (Reading Rockets)

Reading Development in 5th and 6th Grade

By the time students reach fifth and sixth grade, they are advancing in their reading skills. They should read accurately, fluently, and expressively while understanding the content. These students can utilize advanced decoding and morphology skills to tackle unfamiliar words and comprehend more complex texts. It is expected that they read a diverse range of materials, including grade-level novels, nonfiction books, articles from magazines, and online research. As they encounter various types of texts, their vocabulary naturally expands.

Key Reading Skills Developed in 5th and 6th Grade:

• Identifying themes in fiction and central ideas in nonfiction

• Locating specific details to support concepts

• Understanding text organization

• Analyzing multiple texts to extract meaning and patterns

• Interpreting figurative and subtle language

• Making inferences to form conclusions and interpretations

• Recognizing the tone and mood set by the author through language

• Integrating information from various sources

• Participating in meaningful discussions and citing evidence

At home resources

• The Guide to 5th Grade (Scholastic)

• ​​The Guide to 6th Grade (Scholastic)

• ​Reading Aloud to Build Comprehension (Reading Rockets)

 

What is Phonological Awareness? 

Phonological awareness skills are foundational skills necessary for reading. Students work to learn the sounds of language by understanding how sentences are made of individual words, that syllables are the parts of a word, and finally that letters make up the individual sounds within a word. A child with strong phonological awareness skills can recognize these different parts to spoken language and begin to compare and contrast how words are connected. Children who have strong phonological awareness skills tend to be strong readers.

Examples

Recognizing when words rhyme 

• "Do the words rug and mat rhyme?"

• "What rhymes with fun?"

Segmentation of words in sentences 

• "Take a giant step (or clap) for each word you hear in the sentence. This flower is yellow."

Blending syllables 

• "I am going to say parts of a word.  What's the word? Com-pu-ter."

Segmentation of syllables 

• "Clap for each syllable you hear in the word fantastic." (fan-tas-tic)

Deletion of syllables 

• "Say the word paper.  Now say it without saying pa." (per)

Identifying sounds in the beginning, middle, and end of words 

• "What sound do you hear at the beginning of hat?" (/h/)

• “What sound do you hear at the end of hat?” (/t/)

• “What sound do you hear in the middle of hat?” (/a/)

Blending sounds 

• "Put these sounds together to make a word. /p/ /i/ /g/." (pig)

​Segmentation of sounds 

• "Tell me each sound you hear in the word dog." (/d/ /o/ /g/)

​Manipulating Sounds

• "Say age with a /p/ at the beginning." (page)

• "Say wall without the beginning sound." (all)

Support learning at home

• Rhyming

  • Read or recite Nursery Rhymes and play Rhyming Games (Reading Rockets)

  • Read rhyming books, such as Sheep in a Jeep or Dr. Seuss books like Hop on Pop

  • Play Rhyme Me Out:  Think of a rhyming word ("king") and say the word.  Have your child think of a matching rhyming word like "sing".  Continue saying words that rhyme.  This is a great game to play in the car!

• Syllables

  • Syllable Games (Reading Rockets) and Syllables Game (Spelling City)

• Beginning Sounds

  • Do activities that focus on sounds associated with letters 

  • Play Sound Scavenger Hunt:  Have your child find objects around the house whose names start with the same beginning sound (e.g., bowl and button both start with /b/).  As each object is found, your child should say its name and beginning sound.

  • Play I Spy with beginning sounds of words.  "I spy something that begins with /t/".

  • Make up your own silly sentences with words that begin with the same sound, such as, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

• Blending and Segmenting

  • Play Guess My Word:  Have your child guess a word that you say very slowly (e.g. "rrrrrrruuuuuuuug")

  • Play with Word Sounds and Blending and Segmenting Games

Read to learn more...

• Parent Resources: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness (Five From Five)

• ​Phonemic Awareness-Kindergarten (Make Take Teach)

• Phonemic Awareness First Grade (Make Take Teach)

What is Phonics?

The National Center of Improving Literacy (2022) defines phonics instruction as a way to teach readers how “letters and groups of letters link to sounds to form letter- sound relationships and spelling patterns.” These skills are essential for children to learn to read (decode) and spell (encode) (National Center on Improving Literacy, 2023). Therefore, phonics skills are heavily supported in kindergarten through second grade. The amount of phonics instruction students need varies. Some children learn phonics skills rapidly while other students need explicit teaching of phonics for longer periods of time. 

_{National Center on Improving Literacy. (2023). The Educator’s science of reading toolbox: How to use systematic phonics instruction in your classroom. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Center on Improving Literacy. Retrieved from http://improvingliteracy.org.} 

_{National Center on Improving Literacy (2022). The Science of Reading: The Basics. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Special Education Programs, National Center on Improving Literacy. Retrieved from http://improvingliteracy.org.}

Examples

Phonics instruction should be explicitly and systematically taught. Instruction will begin with letter sounds and build to more complex letter patterns by the time students are in second grade. 

The National Literacy Trust provides the following example of phonics instruction:

“Teaching children to blend the sounds of letters together helps them decode unfamiliar or unknown words by sounding them out. For example, when a child is taught the sounds for the letters t, p, a and s, they can start to build up the words: ‘tap’, ‘taps’, ‘pat’, ‘pats’ and ‘sat.’”

https://literacytrust.org.uk/information/what-is-literacy/what-phonics/

Support Learning at Home

• Starfall

• abcya

• Boost (Log in through Clever)

• Word Families​ (Spelling City)​

• Phonics Games (PBS)

• Literacy Apps (Reading Rockets)

Read to Learn More...​

• Basics: Phonics and Decoding (Reading Rockets)

• ​Letters and Sounds: Practical Ideas for Parents (Reading Rockets)

• Word Decoding and Phonics: What Parents Can Do to Help at Home (Reading Rockets)

• What is Phonics? (IMSE Journal)

• Raising Readers: Tips for Parents--Phonics (Literacy Clinic)

 

What is fluency?

Overview of Fluency

According to the National Reading Panel, fluency refers to reading accurately at a conversational pace while incorporating meaningful expression. Fluency is developed upon fundamental reading abilities such as phonological awareness, understanding letter-sound relationships, and efficient decoding.

 

Characteristics of a Fluent Reader

• Easily recognizes words without the need to sound them out

• Reads words in meaningful phrases

• Concentrates on understanding the text rather than focusing on decoding individual words

Importance of Fluency

Fluency plays a crucial role in reading comprehension as it serves as the link between accurately decoding words and understanding the text.

Support learning at home

Read to Learn More...

• Instructional Guidelines and Student Activities (Reading Rockets)

• Oral Reading Fluency (Make Take Teach)

• Fluency (Reading Rockets)

• Fluency Matters (Reading Rockets)

• Summer Reading and Fluency: Tips for Parents (Reading Rockets)​

Resources…

• Poetry4kids

• Poetry Foundation

• Splash Learn

• Reader’s Theater Scripts

• Reader’s Theater All Year

Reading Comprehension

Reading comprehension is the skill of analyzing written text, grasping its significance, and connecting it with the reader's existing knowledge. It stands as the fundamental objective of reading.

Key elements of reading comprehension comprise:

• Decoding

• Fluency

• Vocabulary

• Knowledge

Examples

During Reading Comprehension, Readers:

• Monitor their Understanding: Readers keep track of their understanding, recognizing when they are struggling to comprehend and employing strategies to help them regain comprehension.

 

• Actively Construct Meaning: Readers engage with the text by actively thinking about it while reading, which aids in understanding.

 

• Integrate Prior Knowledge with New Information: Readers connect the information in the text with what they already know, considering how it relates to their existing knowledge.

 

• Make Inferences: Readers draw conclusions by identifying links within the text (like connections between sentences or paragraphs) and between the text and their background knowledge.

Support learning at home

 

Read to Learn More...

• Reading Comprehension (Make Take Teach)

• Reading for Meaning with Your Child (Reading Rockets)

• Seven Strategies to Teach Students Text Comprehension (Reading Rockets)

• ​Reading Aloud to Build Comprehension (Reading Rockets)

• Picture This! Using Mental Imagery While Reading (Reading Rockets)

What is Vocabulary?

Vocabulary refers to the words in language that people need to orally communicate (Florida Center for Reading Research, 2022). According to Reading Rockets (n.d.), vocabulary instruction is essential for developing reading skills. Readers make connections between the words they hear and words they see in text. Therefore, “kids who hear more words spoken at home learn more words and enter school with better vocabularies. This larger vocabulary pays off exponentially as a child progresses through school” (Reading Rockets, n.d.) Additionally, in order to comprehend what they are reading, children need to know what the words mean (FCRR, 2022). Vocabulary instruction also includes the explicit teaching of word parts called morphemes. The study of morphemes known as morphology teaches prefixes, suffixes, and/or roots and base words (Foorman et al., 2016). 

 

_{Florida Center for Reading Research. (n.d.). Vocabulary Resources. https://fcrr.org/sites/g/files/upcbnu2836/files/media/projects/essentials-for-reading-success/reading-components/Vocabulary%20Resources.pdf} 

_{Foorman, B., Coyne, M., Denton, C., Dimino, J., Hayes, L., Justice, L., Warnick, L., & Wagner, R. (2016, July). Foundational skills to support reading for understanding in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Institute of Education Sciences. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/WWC/Docs/PracticeGuide/wwc_foundationalreading_040717.pdf} 

_{Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (2023). Vocabulary and morphology. Skills for Early Reading: Vocabulary and Morphology- Evidence Based Early Literacy. https://www.doe.mass.edu/massliteracy/skilled-reading/language-comprehend/vocab-morphology.html#:~:text=Vocabulary%20refers%20to%20%22all%20of,most%20of%20the%20words%20mean} 

_{Reading Rockets. "Vocabulary." Reading Rockets. n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2018. <http://www.readingrockets.org/reading-topics/vocabulary>}

 

Examples

Reading Rockets (n.d.) shares a simple example of how vocabulary is essential for students learning to read: 

“Consider, for example, what happens when a beginning reader comes to the word dig in a book. As she begins to figure out the sounds represented by the letters d, i, g, the reader recognizes that the sounds make up a very familiar word that she has heard and said many times. It is harder for a beginning reader to figure out words that are not already part of their speaking (oral) vocabulary.”

The best ways to increase children’s vocabulary are by reading and talking with them everyday. Reading Rocket suggests introducing new vocabulary naturally in conversations and texts and sharing kid-friendly definitions and examples.

Support Learning at Home

• Vocabulary Apps (Reading Rockets)

• Vocabulary Games (PBS kids)

Read to Learn More...

• 101 Guide for Parents: Vocabulary (Reading Rockets)

• Target the Problem: Vocabulary (Reading Rockets)

• The Vocabulary of Science (Reading Rockets)

• Building Your Child's Vocabulary (Reading Rockets)

• Grocery Store Literacy Activity Worksheets (Reading Rockets)

• 7 Ways to Improve Vocabulary (Understood)

• Raising Readers: Tips for Parents--Vocabulary (Literacy Clinic)​

 

What are Sight and Trick Words? 

A sight word is a word that you know by sight.  This means you can look at the word and know it without sounding it out within 3 seconds.  Sight words can be decodable or they can be trick words (non-decodable).  A decodable sight word is one where the student knows all the sounds and could sound it out if they needed to, but is able to read it with one look and doesn’t sound it out (even though they could).  A trick word (non-decodable sight word) is a word that the student must memorize because they do not know all the letter patterns.  An example of a trick word for a kindergartener might be “out” (they do not know what sound /ou/ makes), although to a second grader, “out” might be considered a decodable sight word since they do know what sound /ou/ makes.

The Dolch Sight Words list is the most commonly used set of sight words. These words comprise 80% of the words you would find in a typical children’s book and 50% of the words found in writing for adults. Once a child knows this list of words, it makes reading much easier, because the child can then focus his or her attention on the remaining words.

The Dolch words are commonly divided into groups by grade level. By second grade most students have mastered the Dolch lists and are learning new sight vocabulary as the volume of reading increases. While the words are introduced systematically through the CKLA reading program, students may move at their own pace through these lists reflective of their reading level.

Support learning at home

• Review lists--preprimer, primer, grade 1, and grade 2.

• Use flashcards--preprimer, primer, grade 1, and grade 2.

  • Use in addition to traditional board games--draw a sight word card before each turn.

  • Use 2 sets and play games like Memory and Go Fish.

• Play online games.

  • sightwords.com

  • starfall.com

  • education.com​

  • wordgameworld.com

Read to Learn More...

• Sight Words 101 (Parents)

• Benefits of Sight Words (Sight Words Game)

• ​Learning Sight Words (Make Take Teach)

• Summer Reading Lists (Understood/ List for reluctant readers)

• Choices Reading Lists (International Literacy Association)

• 2024 Nutmeg Award Winners

• 100 Best Children's Books of All Time (Time Magazine)

• 100 Great Children's Books (NY Public Library)

• Themed Booklists (Reading Rockets) // book lists organized by theme

• The Best Children's Books  book lists organized by reading level, academic area, or topic

• Book List for Every Letter of the Alphabet (Measured Mom)

• The Guide to Early Chapter Books (Measured Mom)

• Family Read Alouds (Measured Mom)

• Summer Reading Guide 2024 (Reading Rockets) // book lists organized by age

• Book Finder (Reading Rockets) // search by age, reading level, genre, topic, or format

• Reading Suggestions (Teachers First) // search by grade level

• Book Lists (Great Schools) // book lists organized in a variety of ways

Public Library Information

Check out Hall Memorial Public Library in Ellington, CT.

• Getting a Library Card

• Children's Books & Resources