As a recognized leader in multisensory, structured language programs, Wilson brings more than a decade of systematic and explicit instruction to the K-3 classroom. Based on the Wilson Reading System® principles, Wilson Fundations® provides research-based materials and strategies essential to a comprehensive reading, spelling, and handwriting program.

Wilson Fundations makes learning to read fun while laying the groundwork for life-long literacy. Students in grades K-3 receive a systematic program in critical foundational skills, emphasizing:

• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics/ word study
• High frequency word study
• Reading fluency
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension strategies
• Handwriting
• Spelling

The instruction aligns with states’ rigorous college- and career-ready standards.

Although Fundations includes comprehension strategies, it must be combined with a core/literature-based language arts program for an integrated and comprehensive approach to reading and spelling.

For students who will be entering Fundations Level K in kindergarten, the Pre-K Activity Set introduces Fundations activities for learning letter-keyword-sound, alphabetic order, and letter-formation skills.

Fundations serves as a prevention program to help reduce reading and spelling failure. It is integral to a Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RTI) framework, providing research-based instruction in Tier 1 as well as early intervention (Tier 2) for students at risk for reading difficulties. To support the implementation of an MTSS or RTI framework, progress monitoring is built into Fundations. This allows students requiring a more intensive program to be identified early before undergoing years of struggle.

Level K of Fundations® will set a very strong foundation for reading and writing. Teachers should combine Fundations with a wide variety of text experiences, and expose students to poetry, narrative and informational text.

By the end of Level K, students will be able to:

• Recognize and produce rhyming words
• Segment words in an oral 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 irregular (trick words) such as the, was, of
• Identify and name correct punctuation at end of sentence
• Capitalize words at beginning of sentences and names of people
• 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
• Re-tell 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 difference 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 sentence