K-2nd Grade - Gateway 1

The letter names and sounds instruction in Open Court Reading meets expectations for Indicator 1a.i. The Teacher Resources, Scope and Sequence for Sound and Spelling Instruction provides a defined and systematic sequence for introducing letter names and their corresponding sounds across the Kindergarten year. Beginning in Unit 3, instruction follows a planned progression in which new letter-sound correspondences are introduced in a deliberate order. This sequence continues through Units 3–9 and is designed to be completed within a reasonable time frame over the school year. Materials also include isolated, systematic, and explicit instruction for students to recognize all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters, with dedicated lessons that support letter recognition across the year. 

• There is a defined sequence for letter recognition instruction to be completed in a reasonable time frame over the school year.

  • In the Teacher Resources, Scope and Sequence for Sound and Spelling Instruction, beginning in Unit 3, the materials provide a defined sequence for introducing letter names and their corresponding sounds across the Kindergarten year. Instruction introduces new letter-sound correspondences in a planned order, with focused practice on initial and final sound positions, embedded review of previously taught letters, and cumulative application through aligned pre-decodable and decodable texts. This sequence continues through Units 3–9 and is designed to be completed within the school year. 

    • The sequence begins in Unit 3 with early consonants and a short vowel and gradually expands to include additional consonants, short vowels, consonant spellings, and long vowel patterns. For example:

      • Unit 3 introduces s, m, d, p, and short a, with instruction moving from initial to final sound positions and including cumulative review of previously taught letters and sounds.

      • Unit 4 introduces h, t, n, l, and short i, with continued review and application in decodable texts.

      • Unit 5 introduces b, k spelled c, short o, and r, with cumulative review and expanded decoding practice.

      • Unit 6 introduces g, j, f, and short u, with review of previously taught sounds and spellings.

      • Unit 7 introduces w, k spelled k, and z spelled z and s, with cumulative review of consonants and vowels.

      • Unit 8 introduces long vowel patterns, including long a, long i, and long o, with instruction on initial and medial vowel positions.

      • Unit 9 introduces long u and long e, along with contrast lessons comparing short and long vowel sounds.

    • Each new letter-sound correspondence is introduced using a consistent instructional routine that explicitly connects the letter name to its sound. For example, in Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 1, the materials direct the teacher to introduce the letter Ss using the Introducing Sounds and Letters Routine. The teacher displays the Alphabet Sound Card Ss (upper and lowercase letter), names the letter, and states the sound of the letter, explicitly modeling the connection between the letter name and its sound

• Materials contain isolated, systematic, and explicit instruction for students to recognize all 26 lowercase and uppercase letters. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 1, Letter names Aa and Bb, the teacher displays the front side of the alphabet sound cards Aa and Bb and uses the Lion Puppet to engage students in repeating the names. Students identify A and B in their own name necklaces and distinguish between capital and lowercase forms. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 1, Letter Names Ii and Jj, the teacher displays Alphabet Sound Cards Ii and Jj and directs students’ attention to identifying each letter. The lesson includes guidance for distinguishing vowels by color coding (e.g., red for vowels) and prompts students to recall other vowels already learned. The teacher writes names on the board (e.g., Jillian, Isabella, Ian, Timmy, Benjamin) and asks students to locate uppercase and lowercase i and j within the words. 

The student practice opportunities for letter names and their corresponding sounds in Open Court Reading  meet expectations for Indicator 1a.ii.  Materials provide consistent opportunities for students to practice recognizing all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters with accuracy and automaticity. Instruction incorporates a variety of activities and resources, and cumulative review is embedded throughout lessons to reinforce and apply alphabet knowledge across contexts. 

• Materials include sufficient practice opportunities for students to recognize all 26 lowercase and uppercase letters accurately and automatically. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 3, Letter Names, Ee and Ff, students sing the “Alphabet Song” with the Lion Puppet to identify the target letter E, then are asked to provide the name of F. Teachers direct students to compare uppercase and lowercase forms, identifying similarities and differences between E and F, and locate capital and lowercase forms in a set of names written on the board (e.g., Faith, Eduardo, Hailey, Sofia, Fred). 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 4, Letter Names, Gg and Hh, students sing the “Alphabet Song,” pausing at designated letters, then use the “Sing Your Way to H” game with the Lion Puppet to identify Gg and Hh. Teachers display Alphabet Sound Cards Gg and Hh and prompt students to name both the uppercase and lowercase forms. Students locate capital and lowercase G and H in a list of names written on the board (e.g., Gabriella, Angela, Henry, Greg, Ethan). 

• Materials incorporate a variety of activities and resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) alphabet knowledge. 

  • In Unit 0: Getting Started, Day 10, The Alphabet, students recall letters they already know while the teacher points to Alphabet Sound Cards, sing the “Alphabet Song” while tracking the cards, and participate in a “Word Tour” to identify letters in environmental print (e.g., Exit, Library, Office). 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 5, Reviewing Letter Names, Aa-Hh, students sing the “Alphabet Song” while pointing to each letter, play the “Sing Your Way to H” game using Alphabet Sound Cards, and use the Lion Puppet to locate matching letters around the classroom. Differentiated activities extend practice opportunities, including worksheets with scattered uppercase and lowercase letters (approaching level), matching uppercase and lowercase Letter Cards (on level), and sequencing Letter Cards Aa-Hh on an Individual Pocket Chart (beyond level). 

The instruction and teacher modeling for letter formation Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1a.iii. The Kindergarten Handwriting Scope and Sequence includes a defined plan for introducing and reviewing all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters across Units 1-9, aligned with the letter recognition sequence. Penmanship and handwriting lessons occur on Day 1 of each lesson, with review days that provide cumulative practice of previously taught letters. Teacher materials provide clear, step-by-step directions for modeling correct letter formation, including descriptions of starting points and stroke directions, with repeated opportunities for students to observe, practice, and review each letter.

• There is a defined sequence for letter formation, aligned to the scope and sequence of letter recognition, to be completed in a reasonable time frame over the school year. 

  • The Unit 1 Scope and Sequence provides a day-by-day, sequenced plan for teaching the formation of all uppercase and lowercase letters (A-Z). The sequence is as follows: 

    • Units 1-2 - Letter Names and Shapes and Penmanship/Handwriting Lessons introduce and review all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters in sets of two to three at a time, with review days after each set (e.g., Review Aa-Hh, Review Aa-Pp, Review Aa-Zz)

    • Units 3-6 - Penmanship/Handwriting lessons connect letter formation to sound-spelling instruction. Students practice forming letters in relation to initial and medial positions of sounds (e.g., Ss, Mm, Dd, Pp, Aa, Hh, Tt, Nn, Ll, Ii, Bb, Cc, Rr, Gg, Jj, Ff, Uu, Xx, Zz) with review days that provide cumulative practice of multiple previously taught letters. Penmanship and handwriting lessons occur on Day 1 of each lesson and align to the scope and sequence by connecting letter formation to sound-spelling instruction.  

    • Units 7-9 - Lesson continue handwriting practice with additional letters and sounds (e.g., Ww, Kk, Yy, Oo, Uu, Ee) and extend practice to initial, medial, and contrast activities, with review lessons that revisit and reinforce groups of letters and sounds. Penmanship and handwriting lessons occur on Day 1 of each lesson and align to the scope and sequence by connecting letter formation to sound-spelling instruction.  

    All 26 uppercase and lowercase letters are introduced, practiced, and reviewed through a defined sequence across Units 1-9. 

• Materials include clear directions for the teacher concerning how to explain and model how to correctly form each of the 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase). 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 3, Letter Shapes, the teacher points to the alphabet sound cards Ee and Ff and displays ball-and-stick models of the letters. The teacher is directed to trace uppercase E while saying, “Start at the top, and go down to make a vertical line. Start here, and go straight across to make a horizontal line (right). Start here, and make a horizontal line (right). Start here, and make a horizontal line (right). Uppercase E.” Teachers repeat the steps for lowercase e, saying, “Start here, and go straight out (right). Then go around like this (left). Lowercase e.” Teachers also model formation of uppercase and lowercase f, using stroke-by-stroke directions. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 3, Penmanship/Handwriting, the teacher models the formation of uppercase M by saying, “Begin here and make a vertical line. Now start here, and draw a diagonal line down right. Next, slant back up to the right. Then draw a vertical line. Uppercase M.” The teacher then models the formation of lowercase m. As students write, the teacher circulates and observes students who may need help with letter formation, and has students circle the best examples of their uppercase and lowercase m for additional review. 

The student practice opportunities for letter formation in Open Court Reading meet expectations for Indicator 1a.iv. The materials provide frequent opportunities for students to practice printing all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters through tracing, air formation, and handwriting routines. Cumulative review is embedded across units, with lessons revisiting previously taught letters and providing structured practice and self-correction activities to reinforce accuracy and automaticity. 

• Materials include frequent opportunities for students to practice forming all of the 26 uppercase and lowercase letters. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 2, Letter Shapes, students trace uppercase K and lowercase k in the air several times as the teacher models each stroke. Students also trace the formation of Ll in the air following teacher guidance.

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 1, Penmanship/Handwriting, students practice writing the capital S on the top line of their paper or board from left to right. Students then practice writing the lowercase s multiple times on the next line, saying the /s/ sound aloud as they form each letter. 

• Materials include cumulative review of previously learned letter formation. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 5, Reviewing Letter Shapes, students review and practice all uppercase and lowercase letters Aa-Hh through tracing on the board and completing the Skills Practice 1 activities that require circling and writing letters within a picture scene. 

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 1, Day 3, Penmanship/Handwriting, students practice forming uppercase C and lowercase c by writing rows of each letter on their paper or board. After completing the rows, students are directed to proofread their work, circling one uppercase C and one lowercase c that they would like to improve, and then rewrite them. Because the letter C/c was first introduced in Unit 1 during the Letter Shapes lessons, the handwriting practice in Unit 5, Lesson 1, Day 3 represents cumulative review of previously taught letter formation. 

The phonemic awareness scope and sequence in Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1c. The materials contain a clear, research-based sequence for teaching phonemic awareness that progresses from broader phonological skills to more complex phoneme-level tasks. The scope and sequence follows a cohesive hierarchy grounded in evidence-based research and aligns to phonics instruction across units. Instruction focuses on phoneme-level awareness, with limited emphasis on broader phonological activities after the first two units. 

• Materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected sequence for teaching phonemic awareness skills. 

  • In Teacher Resources, Research, The Science of Reading in Open Court Reading, the research summary cites Shaywitz (2003), Stanovich (1986), and NICHD (2000), noting that phonemic awareness is initially taught as an oral skill, and that combining this instruction with letter-sound correspondences strengthens reading and spelling for all students, including English Learners and students with disabilities. It also highlights blending and segmentation as critical early literacy skills and recommends brief, explicit instruction aligned to a developmental progression (Snow, Burns & Griffin, 1998; Mott & Rutherford, 2012). 

  • In the Teacher Resources, Program Overview, Phonological and Phonemic Awareness sections, the materials explain that the key to learning to read is identifying sounds and connecting them to letters. Instruction begins with larger phonological units such as sentences, words, rhymes, and syllables, and then progresses to phoneme-level skills including oral blending, segmentation, deletion, and substitution. 

• Materials have a cohesive sequence of phonemic awareness instruction based on the expected hierarchy to build toward students’ immediate application of the skills. 

  • According to the Scope and Sequence, Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, the materials provide a daily progression of instruction that begins with broad phonological sensitivity tasks and advances to more complex phonemic awareness skills. The sequence across Units 1-12 includes: 

    • Units 1-2 - Students begin with phonological skills such as listening for sounds, rhyming, identifying words in spoken sentences, and blending/segmenting syllables. 

    • Units 3-4 - Instruction introduces early phoneme-level tasks, including matching, blending, and segmenting initial and final consonant sounds, while continuing rhyme and syllable review. 

    • Units 5-6 - Lessons expand phoneme segmentation and manipulation with initial and final sounds, onset-rime blending, and continued practice with phoneme matching and restoration. 

    • Units 7-8 - Instruction provides increased practice in phoneme segmentation, matching, and manipulation of initial, final, and medial sounds, as well as distinguishing vowel sounds. 

    • Units 9-10 - Students engage in more complex phonemic awareness skills, including substitution, deletion, and addition of phonemes in initial, medial, and final positions, while reviewing earlier skills cumulatively. 

    • Units 11-12 - The sequence culminates with frequent opportunities for phoneme substitution, deletion, and addition across initial, medial, and final positions, along with oral language extensions and review of blending and segmentation skills. 

• Materials attend to developing phonemic awareness skills and avoid spending excess time on phonological sensitivity tasks. 

  • According to the Scope and Sequence, Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, the materials introduce phonological sensitivity tasks such as rhyming, listening for sounds, and identifying words in spoken sentences mainly  in Units 1-2. 

    • Beginning in Unit 3, the focus shifts toward phonemic awareness skills including phoneme matching, blending, and segmentation with initial and final sounds. 

    • From Units 5-12, instruction continues to emphasize phoneme-level skills such as blending and segmentation across initial, medial, and final positions, with occasional opportunities for students to apply manipulation tasks (for example, substituting or deleting a phoneme) as brief extensions of core instruction. Phonological awareness tasks, such as rhyming or syllable identification, appear only as short warm-ups (for example, Unit 7, Lesson 1, Day 4, includes a phonological awareness warm-up labeled Phoneme Blending, Initial Sounds, which still provides practice at the phoneme level). 

    This evidence shows that while phonological awareness tasks occasionally reappear as brief warm-ups later in the year, the materials devote the majority of instructional time to phoneme-level skills, particularly blending and segmentation, avoiding excess time on broader phonological tasks. 

• Materials contain a phonemic awareness sequence of instruction and practice aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 1 - Phonological Awareness: Oral Blending (Onset and Rime), students practice blending individual sounds to form words (e.g., Teacher: /s/; Puppet: ad; Students: sad). On the same day, the phonics lesson, Alphabetic Principle: Introducing the Sound of Ss. 

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 3, Day 1, Phonemic Awareness, Phoneme Matching (Final Sounds), students listen to three spoken words (e.g., crab, wave, rub) and identify the two that end with the same sound (e.g., crab, rub). On the same day, the phonics lesson Alphabetic Principle: Introducing the Sound of Zz. 

    This evidence shows that phonemic awareness activities are directly paired with the introduction of specific letters and sounds in phonics lessons. The sequence demonstrates alignment between phonemic awareness practice and the phonics scope and sequence across the year.

The phonemic awareness instruction in Open Court Reading meets the expectations for Indicator 1d. The materials include systematic, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness through daily lessons with consistent routines and repeated teacher modeling. Lessons provide clear examples for instruction. Instruction is cumulative and structured, progressing from initial to final sound blending and segmentation. Materials also include teacher guidance for corrective feedback, with prompts to model the correct sound, have students repeat it, and blend the word again. 

Note: This indicator is analyzed at the lesson level to examine the instructional progression within and across lessons. Repeated references to a single week or lesson reflect the structured sequence of explicit instruction and guided practice, which is representative of how the materials support this skill throughout the year. 

• Materials include systematic, explicit instruction in sounds (phonemes). 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 3, Phoneme Blending, Final Sounds, the teacher introduces a blending game by telling students that the Lion Puppet will say all but the last sound of a word, and the teacher will add the final sound. The teacher models with the example bluebir… + /d/ = bluebird. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 3, Day 2, Phonemic Awareness, the teacher tells students that they will add a sound to a word to make a new word and reviews the procedure before beginning the activity. The teacher says the word pot and students repeat the word. The puppet prompts students to add l between p and o to form plot. The lesson continues with a sequenced set of examples that progressively apply the same phoneme addition routine. Students change sip by adding k between s and i to form skip. Students change dip by adding r between d and i to form drip. Students change bet by adding s between e and t to form best. Additional examples include forming pest from pet, guest from get, vest from vet, slow from so, blow from Bo, clap from cap, and frame from fame. Each example uses a consistent routine that supports explicit instruction in adding phonemes to change words.

• Materials provide the teacher with examples for instruction in sounds (phonemes). 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 3, Phoneme Blending: Final Sounds, the materials supply a teacher script and word list for phoneme blending with final sounds (e.g., bluebird, dad, friend, keyboard). 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 3, Day 2, the materials supply numerous teacher-facing examples that guide phoneme addition instruction. The teacher models how to form a new word by adding a phoneme before students attempt additional examples. The sequence of words such as pot to plot, sip to skip, and dip to drip provides clear demonstrations of how to add a sound within a word. The teacher tells students that the puppet is not saying the last sound of his words and prompts them to supply the missing phoneme. When the puppet says daydrea, students identify the missing m and state the word daydream. 

• Materials include teacher guidance for corrective feedback when needed for students. 

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 2, Day 4, Phoneme Blending: Initial Sounds, a Teacher Tip provides explicit corrective feedback guidance: if a student misses a sound, the teacher should model the correct phoneme, have students repeat it, and then blend the word again together. 

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 3, Day 5, Phoneme Segmentation, the Teacher Tip offers explicit corrective feedback steps: “Provide feedback for students who need additional support with phoneme segmentation. Repeat the word phoneme by phoneme. Use your fingers to count the phonemes as you say each one. Say, “How many sounds does the word have? Three. The word has three sounds.’ Say each phoneme again and then say the complete word. Have students repeat after you.” 

The phonics scope and sequence in Open Court Reading meets the expectations for Indicator 1g. The materials provide a research-based, clearly defined sequence for phonics instruction. Instruction progresses systematically from letter-sound correspondences to more complex phonics patterns such as long vowels, consonant blends, and digraphs. The sequence emphasizes high-utility sound-spelling correspondences introduced in a clear developmental order, with frequent opportunities for students to apply skills through decoding and reading connected text. The order of instruction reflects a coherent progression from simple to complex, supporting the systematic development of foundational reading skills. 

• Materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected sequence for teaching phonics skills. 

  • In the Teacher Resources, Research in Action: The Science of Reading in Open Court Reading, the materials explain that learning to read depends on students’ phonological and phonemic awareness, and that explicit phonics instruction should begin in Kindergarten or Grade 1 following a developmental progression (Shaywitz, 2003; Stanovich, 1986; Mott & Rutherford, 2012; NICHD, 2000). 

    • The overview states that instruction begins with common consonants and short vowels in Kindergarten, introduced through Alphabet Wall Sound Cards that link sounds to letters with pictures, action associations, and color coding. 

    • Research cited in the materials (Moats, 1998; Adams, 1990; Nagy & Anderson, 1984; NICHD, 2000) highlights the importance of teaching high-utility sound-spelling correspondences in a clear, sequential order, moving from simpler to more complex patterns and connecting phonemes to print. 

• Materials provide a cohesive, intentional phonics sequence that progresses from simple to more complex skills and includes ample opportunities to apply skills through decoding in connected text. 

  • According to the Scope and Sequence and Introduction to Letters and Sounds, phonics instruction in Kindergarten begins in Unit 10 after students have developed alphabet knowledge and phonemic awareness skills. The sequence introduces high-utility consonants and short vowels through word building, blending, and sentence extension activities, with immediate application in decodable texts. Instruction continues in Units 11-12, gradually adding additional consonants and vowels, consonant blends, and generalizations, while reinforcing skills through connected decodable reading.  

    • Unit 3

      • Lesson 1: /s/ spelled s (initial and final); /m/ spelled m (initial and final). 

      • Lesson 2: /d/ spelled d (initial and final); /p/ spelled p (initial and final). 

      • Lesson 3: /ă/ spelled a; cumulative review of /s/, /m/, /ă/, /d/, /p/

      • Practice occurs in decodable (Sam and Pam)

    • Unit 4

      • Lesson 1: /h/ spelled h (initial); /t/ spelled t (initial and final). Review of /h/ and /t/

      • Lesson 2: /n/ spelled n (initial and final); /l/ spelled l (initial and final). 

      • Lesson 3: /ĭ/ spelled i. Cumulative review of /h/, /t/, /n/, /l/, /i/

      • Practice occurs in decodables (A Hat; Nan and Lad; Tim in Sand)

    • Unit 5

      • Lesson 1: /b/ spelled b (initial and final); /k/ spelled c (initial /k/). 

      • Lesson 2: /ŏ/ spelled o; /r/ spelled r (initial and final). 

      • Lesson 3: /g/ spelled g (initial and final). Cumulative review of /b/, /k/ (spelled c), /ŏ/, /g/, /r/

      • Practice occurs in decodables (Cal Can Bat; Ron Hops; Glad Pam)

    • Unit 6

      • Lesson 1: /j/ spelled j (initial); /f/ spelled f (initial and final). 

      • Lesson 2: /u/ spelled u; /ks/ spelled x. 

      • Lesson 3: /z/ spelled z (initial); /z/ spelled s (final). Cumulative review of /j/, /f/, /ŭ/, /ks/, /z/

      • Practice occurs in decodables (Jam Pot; Bud and Max; Liz and Tad)

    • Unit 7

      • Lesson 1: /w/ spelled w (initial); /k/ spelled k (initial and final). 

      • Lesson 2: /ĕ/ spelled e; /kw/ spelled q. 

      • Lesson 3: /y/ spelled y (initial); /v/ spelled v (initial). Cumulative review of /w/, /k/ (spelled k), /ĕ/, /kw/, /y/, /v/

      • Practice occurs in decodables (Kim and Sam; Quin and the Jets; Vic Yelps)

    • Unit 8 – Introducing long vowels

      • Lesson 1: /ā/ spelled a, a_e (initial and medial)

      • Lesson 2: /ī/ spelled i, i_e (initial and medial)

      • Lesson 3: /ō/ spelled o, o_e (initial and medial)

      • ​​Practice occurs in decodables (Jake Plants Grapes; Mike and Spike; An Old Flag)

    • Unit 9 – Continuing long vowels and cumulative review

      • Lesson 1: /ū/ spelled u, u_e (initial and medial)

      • Lesson 2: /ē/ spelled e, e_e (initial and medial)

      • Lesson 3: Cumulative review of short and long vowels: /a/ and /ā/, /i/ and /ī/, /o/ and /ō/, /u/ and /ū/, /e/ and /ē/

      • Practice occurs in decodables (Cute Little Mule; We Did It!; Steve)

    • Units 10–12

      • Phonics focus shifts to cumulative blending, reading, and application using previously taught sounds and spellings. No new sound–spelling correspondences are introduced in the curriculum at this point decodables provided; instruction emphasizes review and application.

      • Practice occurs in decodables (Nat Ran; Big Meg Can Help; Wet Bandit; Pine Lake; A Big Bike; A Box; Jake and Quin; Babe and I; The Fox and the Grapes) 

• Phonics instruction is based on high utility patterns and/or specific phonics generalizations. 

  • According to the Scope and Sequence and Introduction to Letters and Sounds, instruction emphasizes single consonants (/m/, /t/, /s/, /p/), short vowels (/a/, /i/, /o/, /u/, /e/), and frequent digraphs (/ch/, /th/, /sh/), which represent the most common and transferable correspondences in English. 

    • The sequence incorporates generalizable spelling patterns such as double consonants (ll, ss, ff) and long-vowel patterns (a_e, i_e), helping students apply consistent rules across multiple words. 

    The emphasis on high-frequency and generalizable sound-spelling patterns reflects research-based best practices for maximizing student success in early decoding.

The materials’ exclusion of three-cueing strategies in Open Court Reading meets expectations for Indicator 1h. Materials do not include instructional language or routines that rely on the three-cueing system. Lessons focus on explicit instruction in phoneme-grapheme correspondences and phonics-based decoding. When students encounter unfamiliar words, instruction emphasizes attention to letter-sound relationships rather than relying on context or visual cues to guess the word. 

• Materials do not contain elements of instruction that are based on the three-cueing system for teaching decoding. 

  • The materials do not contain elements of instruction that are based on the three-cueing system for teaching decoding.

The pacing and practice opportunities of phonics instruction in Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1i. The materials include a clearly structured and sequential progression in which each sound-spelling is introduced one at a time through explicit routines using Alphabet Sound Cards and connected blending and spelling activities. Lessons provide consistent opportunities for teacher modeling, guided practice, and independent application in reading and writing tasks. Instructional design allocates sufficient time for students to practice new sound-spelling relationships to accuracy and automaticity through oral blending, handwriting, and dictation routines. Materials also include regular distributed, cumulative, and interleaved review to reinforce mastery of previously taught skills across lessons and units.

• Materials include reasonable pacing of newly taught phonics skills. 

  • In the Teacher Resources, Research in Action, materials describe phonics instruction in Kindergarten as systematic and sequential, with sounds and spellings introduced one at a time in a clear order. Children connect sounds to letters using Alphabet Sound Wall Cards, and each newly taught skill is immediately applied in reading and writing tasks. 

    • For example, in Unit 3, Lesson 3, Day 1, materials introduce the short a sound in isolation using the Alphabet Sound Card Short Aa with the “Introducing Sounds and Letters” routine. The lesson explicitly explains that vowels are special because every word requires a vowel, beginning instruction with short vowels for accessibility. Students listen to and repeat the /a/ sound multiple times, supported by the Lamb story that reinforces the connection between sound and letter. Instruction progresses to distinguishing between short and long a in spoken words (e.g., rack vs. rake) and linking the sound to spelling through word-building tasks with -ad (e.g., sad, pad, mad, dad). Students practice blending and adding initial consonants to create and read decodable words. 

    This pacing and structure is consistent across Kindergarten, with each new sound-spelling introduced in isolation, reinforced through decoding and encoding routines, and applied in connected reading and writing tasks. 

• The lesson plan design allots time to include sufficient student practice to work towards automaticity. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 3, Introducing the Sound of Mm, students engage with the Alphabet Sound Card Mm to connect the sound to its uppercase and lowercase forms, use word-pair activities (e.g., me/he) to identify which word begins with m, and reinforce recognition of the sound-symbol relationship through signaling and explanation. Additional written practice is included in Skills Practice 1, where students trace and write uppercase and lowercase M and m and identify pictures that begin with /m/. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 3, Day 1, Dictation and Spelling, using the Sounds-in-Sequence Dictation Routine, students segment dictated words into sounds, reference the corresponding Alphabet Sound Cards for spellings, and write each word. Students then proofread their spellings against the teacher model, circling and correcting errors. Additional guided practice occurs in Skills Practice 2, where students blend and write words in context, work with partners to review accuracy, and revise by rewriting words for improvement. 

• Materials contain distributed, cumulative, and intervleaved opportunities for students to practice and review all previously learned grade-level phonics. 

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 1, Day 5, Reviewing the Sounds of Hh and Tt, students revisit the sounds of Hh and Tt by echoing the sounds during the Alphabet Sound Card routine, then identify initial sounds in spoken words by signaling with Letter Cards. Additional cumulative practice occurs in Skills Practice 1, where students write the letters h and t and determine whether pictured words begin with /h/ or /t/. Opportunities for distributed review continue in Workshop activities, where students match Letter Cards to objects in the room, locate target letters in rhymes, and label drawings with the appropriate beginning sound. 

  • In Unit 9, Lesson 3, Day 5, Reviewing the Short and Long Sounds of Ee, students revisit previously taught vowel sounds through the Alphabet Sound Card routine, chanting along with the short and long vowel rhyme. Using Letter Cards, students actively distinguish between /ĕ/ and /ē/ by signaling and pronouncing the correct sound when hearing words such as wet versus we. Additional practice occurs in the Whole-Word Blending Routine, where students segment, blend, and reread words with both short and long e spellings (e.g, bed, be), reinforcing recognition of the vowel sounds in multiple contexts.

The decoding and encoding practice opportunities in Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1k. The materials include frequent and varied opportunities for students to decode and encode words using common and newly taught sound-spelling patterns. Daily phonics lessons incorporate explicit teacher modeling, guided blending and dictation routines, and structured encoding tasks that reinforce letter-sound relationships. Students engage in regular practice decoding short- and long-vowel words and applying those same patterns in spelling through the Sounds-in-Sequence and Sentence Dictation routines. Lessons provide multiple opportunities for oral and written blending, rereading, and sentence-level application that promote accuracy, fluency, and automaticity with taught phonics skills. 

Note: This indicator is analyzed at the lesson level to examine the instructional progression within and across lessons. Repeated references to a single week or lesson reflect the structured sequence of explicit instruction and guided practice, which is representative of how the materials support this skill throughout the year.

• Lessons provide students with regular opportunities to decode words with taught phonics patterns. 

  • In Unit 11, Lesson 1, Day 1, Blending, students use Routine 6, Whole-Word Blending and Routine 7, Sentence Blending to practice decoding words with short a and long a_e spelling patterns. The teacher displays each word, prompts students to sound out and blend phonemes (e.g., at, mat, sat, Sam, ate, mate, make), and guides them to reread the words naturally. Students identify the shared spelling pattern a_e and its long vowel sound /ā/,and then contrast short- and long-vowel pairs such as at/ate and mat/mate to reinforce decoding accuracy with new sound-spelling patterns. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 1, Day 3, Blending, students use Routine 6, Whole-Word Blending and Routine 7, Sentence Blending to decode words with short u and long u_e patterns as well as words containing the two spellings of /k/ (c and k). The teacher displays each word, prompts students to sound out and blend the phonemes (for example, cast, crabs, cubs, bask, case, cakes, cubes, bake), and guides them to reread each word naturally. Students identify the shared vowel or consonant pattern and contrast pairs such as cubs/cubes to reinforce understanding of the role of final e in making the vowel long. 

• Lessons provide students with regular opportunities to encode words with taught phonics patterns. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 1, Day 1, Dictation and Spelling, students apply the Sounds-in-Sequence Dictation Routine to encode words using previously taught sound-spelling correspondences (mats, maps, taps, pats). The teacher dictates each word, provides a sentence for context, and has students repeat the word aloud. Students identify the first sound, locate the corresponding Alphabet Sound Card, and record the spelling. After writing, students compare their spelling to the teacher model, circle any errors, and rewrite the corrected word. Differentiated guidance extends encoding practice through multisensory routines in which students use magnetic letters to form each dictated word before writing it. Students segment the words into individual phonemes and match each sound to its corresponding graphemes as they write. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 1, Day 3, Dictation and Spelling, students apply the Sound-in-Sequence Dictation Routine 9 and Sentence Dictation Routine 10 to encode words using previously taught phonics patterns (cut, cute, rake, take). The teacher dictates each word, provides a sentence for context, and guides students to identify each phoneme and reference the corresponding Alphabet Sound Card before writing. Students proofread their work by comparing their spelling to the model and correct any errors. Sentence dictation extends encoding practice through application of capitalization and punctuation. 

• Student-guided practice and independent practice of blending sounds using the sound-spelling pattern(s) is varied and frequent. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 1, Day 1, Guided Practice, students engage in blending words using previously taught sound-spelling correspondences. The teacher reads each word aloud from the sentence and supports students in orally blending the individual phonemes to form the complete word. Students repeat the process independently, blending each sound to decode the word before confirming accuracy. In partner work, students take turns blending words aloud and listening for accurate blending as their peers read the same words. 

  • In Unit 11, Lesson 1, Day 1, Blending, students engage in varied and frequent blending practice using short a and long a_e patterns. Students first blend sounds within individual words using Whole-Word Blending, then apply the same routine to read a complete sentence, Sam sat on the mat. The Teacher Tip provides guidance to differentiate between whole-word and sound-by-sound blending based on student fluency needs. 

• Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in word-level decoding practice focused on accuracy and automaticity. 

  • In Unit 11, Lesson 1, Day 1, Blending, students reread sentences containing target words (Sam sat on the mat) with natural expression and intonation. The lesson includes teacher guidance for supporting fluency, instructing the teacher to “drop back to sound-by-sound blending until students are able to blend with fluency.” These rereading and fluency supports emphasize decoding accuracy and build automaticity with taught sound-spelling patterns. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 1, Day 3, Sentence Blending, students reread the sentence “The cakes were in the case” naturally, with expression and intonation. Teacher guidance directs rereading “until students are able to blend with fluency,” emphasizing both accuracy and automaticity. In the Developing Oral Language, the teacher prompts students to identify and extend sentences using words from the blending activity (for example, He has a cast on his right arm), encouraging fluent application of decoding within spoken language.

The instruction and practice of spelling rules and generalizations in Open Court Reading meet expectations for Indicator 1l. Spelling instruction progresses systematically and aligns with the phonics scope and sequence, introducing sound-spelling correspondences and generalizations in a logical order. Materials provide explicit explanations of spelling rules and connect them directly to weekly dictation and practice activities. Students receive frequent, structured opportunities to apply these rules through modeled instruction, guided dictation, and independent writing. Routine-based instruction supports ongoing review and distributed practice, promoting accuracy and automaticity with grade-level spelling generalizations.

• Spelling rules and generalizations are aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. 

  • According to the Program Overview, the spelling lessons are organized around specific spelling patterns that progress from phonetic patterns to structural and meaning patterns in a logical sequence. Each week’s word list is derived from the Phonics and Fluency or Word Analysis skills taught in the Foundational Skills lessons, ensuring alignment between phonics instruction and spelling. The overview states that “students learn skills that directly apply to the spelling portion of each lesson,” and that sound-based spelling patterns are introduced first, followed by conventions such as adding endings and, later, morphological patterns. 

    • In Unit 10, Lesson 1, Day 1, spelling words such as mats, maps, taps, and pats align to the phonics scope and sequence which emphasizes building and reading words using previously taught sounds and spellings. 

    • In Unit 12, Lesson 2, Day 1, dictation instruction aligns to the scope and sequence by using the Sounds-in-Sequence Dictation Routine as students review the sounds and letters on the Alphabet Cards and apply them to words such as led, pen, ten, and unset, and to the sentence I can rest on the bed. 

• Materials include explanations for spelling of specific words or spelling rules. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 1, Day 2, Dictation and Spelling, before dictation, the teacher explicitly reviews the spelling rule that s can represent the /z/ sound. The Teacher Tip directs the teacher to model this using the Alphabet Sound Cards and to display the letter s under the Zz card to reinforce the concept visually. During dictation, students are guided to say each sound, identify the matching sound-spelling card, and then write the spelling. 

  • In Unit 11, Lesson 2, Day 1, Dictation and Spelling, before beginning the Sounds-in-Sequence Dictation routine, students are reminded that they “know two letter patterns, or spellings, for /ō/: o and o_e,” and the teacher clarifies that /ō/ is spelled with the letter o in the words post and most. This explanation connects directly to the dictation wordlist and reinforces the understanding that a single vowel sound can be represented by more than one spelling pattern. 

• Students have sufficient opportunities to practice spelling rules and generalizations. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 1, Day 3, students receive multiple opportunities to practice spelling words through dictation, proofreading, and revision. After writing each dictated word, students compare their spellings to the model on the board, circle incorrect words, and rewrite them accurately. The Teacher Tip states that the activity, Alphabetical Order, extends practice by having students rewrite dictation words in a new context. Guided Practice on Skills Practice page provides additional sentence-level writing and proofreading tasks. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 1, Day 1, Dictation and Spelling, during dictation, students practice writing each word sound by sound and receive immediate feedback as they check their spelling against the teacher model. The Sentence Dictation Routine extends this practice into connected text, allowing students to apply sound-spelling rules while writing complete sentences such as, “They resume the mule to go up.” Students proofread their own sentences, verifying capitalization, punctuation, and spelling of high-frequency words.

The decodable texts and instructional routines in Open Court Reading meet the expectations for Indicator 1m. Beginning in Unit 10, when explicit phonics instruction is introduced, decodable texts align to the program’s phonics scope and sequence and provide opportunities for students to apply newly taught sound–spelling patterns in connected text. Lessons include structured routines for repeated readings that support accuracy, automaticity, and comprehension through teacher modeling, partner reading, and multiple rereading formats. As units progress, instruction appropriately incorporates increasingly complex text while continuing to reinforce decoding and fluency skills through controlled decodable reading.

Note: This indicator is analyzed at the lesson level to examine the instructional progression within and across lessons. Repeated references to a single week or lesson reflect the structured sequence of explicit instruction and guided practice, which is representative of how the materials support this skill throughout the year.

• Decodable texts reflect grade-level phonics patterns aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 1, Day 5, students read Core Decodable 20, Nat Ran, which introduces the high-frequency word then and reinforces previously taught words such as a, am, can, and see. The Sound-Spelling Correspondence in Decodables chart outlines the cumulative phonics sequence addressed across Decodable 20 (e.g., /s/, /m/, /d/, /p/, /a/ - /e/, /kw/ spelled qu -> long vowels a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e, e_e). The decodable story integrates these patterns into connected text to reinforce previously taught correspondences and high-frequency words, noting alignment to the program’s phonics scope and sequence. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 3, Day 5, Reading a Decodable, students read Core Decodable 28, The Fox and the Grapes to apply phonics skills introduced earlier in the sequence, including long vowel spellings and consonant blends. The Sound-Spelling Correspondences in Decodables chart confirms that the decodable aligns to the cumulative scope and sequence, which progresses from single consonant and short vowel sounds to complex vowel spellings (e.g., long a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e, e_e) and final blends. Before reading, students review the high-frequency words has, her, we, there,the, she, can ,up, and, but, a, and be, reinforcing previously taught sight words in connected text. 

• Lessons include detailed plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to reinforce accuracy, automaticity, and confidence. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 1, Day 5, Reading A Decodable, Core Decodable 20 Nat Ran, lesson guidance includes explicit directions for reading and rereading decodable texts. The teacher is directed to implement Routine 4, Reading a Decodable, which includes modeling fluent reading, having students read each page silently and aloud, and using multiple rereading approaches such as partner reading, choral reading, and turn-taking to build fluency and confidence. Students respond to comprehension questions, retell the story, and engage in vocabulary discussion after reading. The teacher is reminded to have students reread the decodable using varied formats to reinforce accuracy and automaticity. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 3, Day 5, Reading a Decodable, Core Decodable 28, The Fox and the Grape, lesson guidance directs the teacher to implement Routine 4, Reading a Decodable, which provides a structured plan for repeated readings. Students browse the text, make predictions, and read each page silently and aloud while tracking print from left to right and top to bottom. The teacher models fluent reading and guide rereading through partner reading, choral reading, and turn-taking to strengthen fluency and confidence.Comprehension prompts and retelling activities follow the initial reading, giving students opportunities to revisit the text multiple times while discussing story events, vocabulary and high-frequency words. Students who need additional practice are assigned Practice Decodable 28, Zip, Zap, Blip to reinforce the same phonics patterns through extended reading and blending tasks. 

• Reading practice occurs in decodable texts aligned to the taught phonics patterns and reflects an absence of predictable texts. Use of decodable texts decreases over time as students demonstrate decoding proficiency and transition into increasingly complex texts. 

  • In Unit 10, Lesson 1, Day 5, Reading a Decodable, Core Decodable 20, Nat Ran, reading practice is embedded in decodable stories that match the taught phonics patterns and high-frequency words, rather than relying on repetitive or predictable sentence frames. Students apply decoding skills in connected text that corresponds to explicit phonics instruction from earlier lessons. The Core Decodable 20 routine guides the teacher to review newly introduced and previously learned high-frequency words, have students read the story, locate specific words in context, and connect the story’s events to personal experiences. The decodable structure supports authentic reading practice and comprehension development without pattern guessing. 

  • In Unit 12, Lesson 3, Day 5, Reading a Decodable, Core Decodable 28, The Fox and the Grape, reflects authentic application of taught phonics patterns and high-frequency words in connected text rather than reliance on repetitive or predictable sentence frames. Students apply decoding skills through routines that integrate word blending, rereading, and comprehension checks using words from the story (e.g., likes, grapes, jump, cannot). The blending and practice lists for the lesson (e.g., zap, yap, yams, flags, size, froze, zone) reinforce the same long-vowel and blend patterns represented in the decodables, supporting transfer between isolated practice and text reading.

The instructional opportunities for high-frequency words in Open Court Reading meet expectations for Indicator 1p. Materials provide frequent and systematic opportunities for students to decode high-frequency words in isolation through a consistent instructional routine, as well as repeated opportunities to apply decoding in connected text through pre-decodable and decodable reading. Lessons also include explicit opportunities for students to encode high-frequency words through dictated writing and sentence-level tasks, supporting accurate spelling and application of words in context. Together, these routines support the development of accuracy and automaticity through both decoding and encoding of high-frequency words.

Note: This indicator is analyzed at the lesson level to examine the instructional progression within and across lessons. Repeated references to a single week or lesson reflect the structured sequence of explicit instruction and guided practice, which is representative of how the materials support this skill throughout the year.

• Students practice decoding high-frequency words in isolation. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 2, High-Frequency Word and, students practice decoding the word in isolation through Routine 8. The teacher writes the word on the board, reads it aloud, and guides students to read and spell it together. Students repeat the word multiple times and add it to the class Word Bank, providing repeated opportunities to recognize and decode the word automatically outside of connected text.

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 5, High-Frequency Words him and on, students practice decoding the words in isolation using Routine 8. The teacher writes each word on the board and guides students to read and spell the words multiple times. Students identify the letter–sound correspondences in each word (for example, /h/–h, /i/–i, /m/–m and /ŏ/–o, /n/–n) before reading the full words repeatedly for accuracy and automaticity. The new words are added to the class Word Bank, and students read previously learned high-frequency words to strengthen cumulative recognition.

• Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to decode high-frequency words in context. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 2, High-Frequency Word and, students apply decoding of the word and during the reading of Core Pre-Decodable 5, School. The teacher directs students to locate and within sentences and to reread it in connected text. Students point to and read the word as it appears in the story and participate in choral rereading, supporting accurate recognition of and within meaningful sentences.  

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 5, High-Frequency Words him, on, students apply decoding of him and on during the reading of Core Decodable 6, Ron Hops. The teacher prompts students to locate the words within connected text, reread them chorally, and point to them during shared reading. Students partner-read the story, identify the words him and on on specific pages, and answer comprehension questions requiring them to find and reread the words in context such as , “On what page does Ron hop on a ramp?” This guided practice provides repeated decoding of high-frequency words within meaningful sentences and stories. 

• Lessons provide students with opportunities to encode high-frequency words in tasks, such as sentences, in order to promote automaticity of high-frequency words. 

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 5, students encode the high-frequency words him and on using the High-Frequency Word Routine. During this routine, the teacher dictates each word, one letter at a time, and students write the word, supporting accurate spelling of newly introduced high-frequency words. The teacher then has students use each word in a sentence, and students generate and extend sentences that include the target words, for example, “I saw him on the playground.” Students work with partners to create additional sentences, supporting repeated application of the words in context.

  • In Unit 7, Lesson 1, Day 5, students work with the high-frequency words look and with as part of the High-Frequency Word Routine. Following introduction of each word, students generate sentences that include the new high-frequency words, such as “I look with my eyes” and “Look with Kim and Sam.” As students dictate their sentences, the teacher writes them on the board, and peers identify and circle the high-frequency words within each sentence. This process reinforces attention to the spelling of the words within connected text and supports encoding through guided sentence construction and visual identification.