Fundations

Level 3 Fundation Goals

Identify parts of words (syllables, basewords, suffixes)

Identify word structures such as vowels, consonants, blends, digraphs, digraph blends, trigraphs (tch, dge)

Identify all six syllable types: closed, vowel-consonant-e, open, r-controlled, vowel digraph/diphthong, consonant-le

Identify the “exceptions” to these six syllable types

Read and spell words with these unexpected vowel sounds (exceptions)

Segment syllables into sounds (phonemes) and divide multisyllabic words

Read and spell words with short and long vowel sounds

Read and spell words with r-controlled vowels (ar, er, ir, or, ur)

Read and spell words with vowel teams (ai, ay, ee, ey, ea, ei, eigh, ie, igh, oi, oy, oa, ow, oe, ou, oo, ue, ew, au, aw)

Identify schwa

Read and spell words with the unexpected vowel sound of schwa in unaccented syllables

Read and spell phonetically regular words

Read words with sound options for the grapheme representation

Spell words with options for the grapheme representation for sounds with use of a spell checker or dictionary

Read and spell words with additional sounds of a and ch, the suffix -ed, and the soft sounds of c and g

Read and spell words with ph, nge, nce, tion, sion, ture, tu, ti, ci

Read and spell words with silent letters (wr, rh, gn, kn, mn, mb, gh)

Read and spell words with suffixes, including most common Latin suffixes (-s, -ed, -ing, -est, -ish, -able, -ive, -y, -ful, -ment, -less, -ness, -ly, -ty, -er, -en, -es, -ous, -al, -ent, -an, -ward, -or)

Identify and know the meaning of most common Latin suffixes

Read and spell words with suffixes added to unchanging basewords (strongest)

Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns

Apply spelling rules for adding suffixes to basewords that change (sliding)

Read and spell contractions, reduce two words into a contraction, and identify the words from which a contraction was made

Read and spell trick words or targeted high frequency words

Read and know meaning of sound-alike words (homophones)

Determine and clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words (patient)

Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root

Construct simple, compound and complex sentences using vocabulary words using proper capitalization, punctuation, and incorporating coordinating and subordinating conjunctions

Apply correct punctuation and capitalization rules for beginning of sentences and names of people

Know meaning of targeted vocabulary words (Word of the Day) and different inflected forms of words when a known affix is added (confuse, confusing)

Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives, adverbs, and regular verbs

Acquire and use accurately grade-level conversational and general academic words

Identify real-life connections between words and their use

Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase (Home Support Packet)

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing and reading

Apply dictionary skills and consult reference material to check and correct spelling and to determine and/or clarify precise meaning

Use correct writing position and pencil grip

Write clear, legible cursive at an appropriate rate