Fundations utilizes a structured literacy approach grounded in the science of reading to make learning to read fun while laying the groundwork for lifelong literacy. The program’s research-based approach and extensive materials allow K–3 teachers to confidently present a carefully structured reading, spelling, and handwriting curriculum using engaging, multisensory techniques. Fundations is aligned with the science of reading and guides teachers to provide effective instructional practices.
Level 1 of Fundations reinforces the essential components of structured literacy that were learned in Kindergarten and progresses further into the study of word structure. Teachers combine Fundations with a wide variety of text experiences, and expose students to poetry and narrative and informational text.
By the end of Level 1, students will be able to:
Segment syllables into sounds (phonemes)–up to 5 sounds
Name sounds of primary consonants, consonant digraphs, and short and long vowels when given letters
Name and write corresponding letter(s) when given sounds for consonants, consonant digraphs, and short and long vowels
Print all uppercase and lowercase letters
Distinguish long and short vowel sounds
Name sounds for r-controlled vowels
Name sounds for vowel digraphs and vowel diphthongs
Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words
Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions
Read and spell the first 100 high frequency words, including irregular words (Trick Words)
Identify word structures such as blends, digraphs, basewords, suffixes, syllable types (closed and vowel-consonant-e syllables)
Read and spell CVC, CCVC, CVCC, CCVCC, CVCe words
Read and spell compound words and other words with two syllables by breaking them into syllables
Read and spell words with -s, -es, -ed, -ing suffixes when added to non-changing basewords
Apply correct punctuation (period, question mark, exclamation point)
Apply capitalization rules for beginning of sentences and names of people, places, and dates
Explain major differences between fictional stories and informational text
Explain narrative story structure including characters, settings, and main events
Retell key details of a fictional story and demonstrate understanding
Use illustrations and/or details in a story to describe its characters, settings, and events
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text
Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text
Identify specific words in a story that tell or suggest details
Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text
Identify the main topic and retell key details of informational text
Identify and explain new meanings for familiar words and newly taught words
Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences in response to prompts
Construct complete sentences using vocabulary words
Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
Identify frequently occurring root words (e.g., look) and their inflectional forms (e.g., looks, looked, looking)
Sort words into categories to gain a sense of the concept the category represents
Define words by category and by one or more key attributes
Apply beginning dictionary skills
Identify real-life connections between words and their use
Use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future
Read controlled stories with fluency, expression, and understanding
Level K Fundations provides early learners with a structured literacy approach to develop sound- and word-level skills so they progress into proficient readers and writers. Teachers should combine Fundations with a wide variety of text experiences and expose students to poetry and narrative and informational text.
By the end of Level K, students will be able to:
Recognize and produce rhyming words
Segment words in a spoken sentence
Segment words into syllables
Segment and pronounce initial, medial, and final phonemes in spoken CVC words
Manipulate phonemes with additions or substitutions in one-syllable words
Name all letters of the alphabet
Write all manuscript letters in lowercase and uppercase
Sequence letters of the alphabet
Fluently produce sounds of consonants (primary) and short vowels when given the letter
Fluently produce sounds for basic digraphs (wh, sh, ch, th, ck)
Name and write corresponding letter(s) when given sounds for consonants, consonant digraphs, and short vowels
Distinguish long and short vowel sounds within words
Read and spell approximately 200 CVC words
Spell other words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of sound-letter relationships
Identify 75% of first 100 high frequency words, including 25–30 Trick Words (high frequency words) such as the, was, of
Identify and name correct punctuation at end of sentence
Capitalize the first letter of people’s names and of words at the beginning of sentences
Name the author and illustrator of a story and define their roles
Explain narrative story structure including character, setting, and main events
Use a combination of drawing and dictating to narrate linked events to tell about a story in sequence
Retell key details of narrative and informational text, using pictures or prompts as a guide
Identify characters, settings, and main events in a story, with pictures or other prompts
Describe what happened in a story when given a specific illustration
With prompts, compare and contrast the experiences of characters in two stories
Explain the differences between narrative and informational text
Echo-read a passage with correct phrasing and expression
Identify and explain new meanings for familiar words and newly taught words
Produce and expand complete sentences in shared language activities