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For use in break-out rooms to guide your conversations!

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To practice all 44 phonemes.

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Working in small groups, unpack your upcoming unit to gain a deeper understanding.

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Skim through a lesson of choice:
-What key phonological awareness skills are students learning?
-How do they learn them?
*Note ideas on google doc.

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For ML Inquiry

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Anticipate, Observe, and Support Phonics Development (including English Learners)

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Access multiple resources

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Login - Heinemann | Publisher of professional resources and a provider of educational services for teachers, kindergarten through college

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Heinemann is a publisher of professional resources and a provider of educational services for teachers, kindergarten through college.

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Lucy Calkins and Colleagues Units of Study

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Home / Our Series - Phonics

Grades K-2

To create these new phonics units, Lucy and her coauthors have drawn on all that they know from decades of teaching reading and writing in thousands of classrooms across the world, and they've relied on proven, research-based practices-especially on the work of Isabel Beck, Donna Scanlon, Pat and Jim Cunningham, Rollanda O'Connor, Marilyn Adams, Tim Rasinski, Donald Bear, Wiley Blevins, and the late Marie Clay.

The new Units of Study in Phonics, Grades K-2:

provide a lean and concise instructional pathway in phonics that is realistic and doable, and that taps into kids' skills and energy for tackling the fabulous challenge of learning to read and write,

introduce high-leverage phonics concepts and strategies in a way that keeps pace with students' reading and writing and helps them understand when, how, and why they can use phonics to read and write,

offer delightfully fun and engaging storylines, classroom mascots, songs, chants, rhymes, and games to help students fall head over heels in love with phonics and to create a joyous community of learners,

align with state-of-the-art reading and writing workshops for a coherent approach in which terminology, tools, rituals, and methods are shared in ways that benefit both teachers and kids.

In the hurly-burly of classroom life, every minute you spend on one subject is less time spent on another subject. Lucy and her coauthors aim to protect time for authentic reading and writing, while also helping you teach a rigorous, research-based phonics curriculum.

Principles Undergirding the Units of Study in Phonics

Teaching for Transfer

Phonics instruction supports children's reading and writing: to be useful, phonics must be transferred. Every message you send during phonics instruction needs to be angled to support transfer to reading and writing. Your goal is not for your kids to become linguistic scholars. Instead, phonics instruction only matters because it enables reading and writing.

Building on the Research of Experts

The Units of Study in Phonics series has grown out of the TCRWP's decades of research and practice in the teaching of reading and writing. Given that phonics is important only insofar as it transfers to reading and writing, it is essential that a phonics curriculum draw on broad, deep, applied knowledge of how students develop as writers, readers, speakers and listeners. In addition, the sequence of the Units of Study in Phonics follows a pathway that is widely supported by an enormous body of research including the work of Bear, Beck, Blevins, Cunningham, Fountas, Pinnell, Rasinski, and others.

A Lean and Efficient Curriculum

Phonics instruction benefits children when it supplements and does not replace reading and writing instruction. Phonics instruction needs to be lean and efficient. Every minute you spend teaching phonics (or preparing phonics materials to use in your lessons) is less time spent teaching other things. The Units of Study in Phonics recommends twenty minutes for explicit phonics instruction, with time outside of phonics for small-group instruction in phonics.

Going Beyond Item Knowledge

Children benefit from being taught not only item knowledge (such as blends and digraphs), but also the strategies and purposes that allow them to draw on that item knowledge as they read and write. In Units of Study in Phonics, children are taught the most high-utility phonics, and they are taught to use what they know to be problem solvers, word scientists, super-power readers, and writers.

Game-changing Engagement

Children benefit most from phonics work that is engaging: phonics need not be taught through worksheets but can instead involve singing, pretending, inventing, talking, writing, and spelling. Instead of channeling students to circle the number of syllables in pictures on ditto sheets, we're more apt to suggest that they plop their backpacks in front of them, and work with a partner to touch each part of each child's backpack, clapping the syllables to zipper, pocket, strap, and applesauce.

Supporting All Learners

All our teaching, and especially our teaching of something as foundational as phonics, must be flexible enough and have scope enough to support all the member of a learning community. Your bottom-line assumption needs to be that it is important to provide students with a variety of ways to express what they know. The most important way in which the Units of Study in Phonics supports all learners is by building in flexibility and choice.

Read More . . .

To read more about the principles undergirding the Units of Study in Phonics, download the sample chapter from A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study.

Grades K-2 include five units, which are each designed to be taught roughly at the same time as the corresponding reading and/or writing unit of study, keeping pace with those units.

A Guide to the Phonics Units of Study

Describes the essential principles, methods, and structures that undergird this phonics curriculum along with an overview of the developmental progression that the series supports.

Small Groups to Support Phonics

Offers support in coaching into the work that students do during each session and in leading small groups to support students in transferring their phonics learning to their ongoing reading and writing.

Resource Pack & Mentor Texts

Each resource pack contains a variety of full-color, illustrated, posters; charts; picture, photo, word, and letter cards; copies of poems and songs; assessment materials; and much more. Each boxed set of the Units of Study in Phonics also comes with a trade book to be used as a demonstration text for teachers to model the skills and strategies students will try.

Each unit includes downloadable, printable pdfs of the materials included in the resource packs, links to videos, assessment tools, small group resources, and more.

Virtual Teaching Resources
(Available for Separate Purchase)

These resources offer teacher, student, and family/caregiver videos. In the student-facing videos, TCRWP staff developers teach each minilessons on camera as "co-teachers," freeing classroom teachers up for live conversations, small group work, and more.
Watch a sample student minilesson video
Purchasing Options

Ordering Guidance:

Each teacher will need one set of Units and one Resource Pack. (Note: The Resource Pack materials for each grade level are extensive and come packed in two boxes.)

In addition, schools will need to plan for some other resources including a stuffed elephant or lion (Mabel and Rasheed-our K and grade 1 mascots) for each classroom, plus some other classroom materials, such as white boards and magnetic letters, that many classrooms already have. For a complete list of resources, see inventory/shopping lists: Grade K, Grade 1, and Grade 2.

Scope and Sequence Document

Resource Pack Unboxing Video: Part 1

Resource Pack Unboxing Video: Part 2

Phonics Bundles for Grades K-2

School Supply Shopping List (not available from Heinemann)

Phonics Units for Grades K-2

Resource Packs for Each Grade Level

A Note About Resource Packs: The Resource Packs are composed of resources made from good-quality card stock, all beautifully illustrated and printed in 4-color. Resources include alphabet charts, many other types of other charts, letter cards, word cards, picture cards, printed copies of poems and songs, other cards such as onset rime cards and vowel picture cards, and much more-about 40 pounds of resources per grade level! (Note: Resources for each grade level come packed in two boxes.)

Related Resources

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Units of Study for Teaching Phonics Grades K-2

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Home / Our Series - Phonics To create these new phonics units, Lucy and her coauthors have drawn on all that they know from decades of teaching reading and writing in thousands of classrooms across the world, and they've relied on proven, research-based practices-especially on the work of Isabel Beck, Donna Scanlon, Pat and Jim Cunningham, Rollanda O'Connor, Marilyn Adams, Tim Rasinski, Donald Bear, Wiley Blevins, and the late Marie Clay.

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Key understandings of differences in early literacy development in English and Spanish.

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Guide to lessons for whole class and small group instruction based on phonics concept.

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Large snap shot, helpful for decision making and vertical alignment.

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How long should we continue phonological awareness through 1st grade? (as a whole group)

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How long should we continue phonological awareness through 1st grade? (as a whole group)

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Gots: Importance of rhyme and phonological awareness and phonemic awareness.
Wants: Continue learning strategies and ways of teaching phonics to have successful lessons.

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Gots - Time to discuss with colleagues (especially helpful with English and Spanish speakers sharing different insights)
-Time to dig into some current lessons and feel prepared for what's coming soon.

Wants - More digging into future upcoming lessons since doing it for this time was very helpful.
-Maybe some more insight on the Kinder trajectory and what we can expect them to be solid in by 1st grade or what we should keep in mind to review.

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Got: The importance of the different aspects to phonological awareness and how lots of examples of how to teach intentionally. Speaking with colleagues and hearing about what has worked for them and the gaps we see.

Want: The continue learning how to dig deeper into each of the concepts so the knowledge is solid and can be transferred successfully. How to teach the transfer into their writing and reading.

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Gots- The phonological awareness progression ! Very helpful

Wants- How does a 2nd grade "Phonics" lesson look like when teaching it.

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Got: A deeper understanding of phonological awareness. Time to reflect on students learning, along with knowledge on Spanish teaching and learning.
Want: How to balance moving forward with unit 3 and beyond and making sure my students who are struggling with learning are not falling behind or feeling lost.

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Gots- Greater and deeper understanding of phonological awareness.

Wants- Learning more different strategies on teaching phonics to have greater impact on students.

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Got: Understanding phonological awareness in a deeper way
and seeing differences between English and Spanish.

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Got: Phonological Awareness Progress.

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Gots - Knowledge about the difference for Bilingual learners

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Gots - Knowledge about the difference for Bilingual learners

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The importance of phonological awareness. Rhyme and builing and breaking words.

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Wondering if attention and memory play an important role when talking about phonological awareness? I have a student that really struggles with these components (attention & memory) of learning and has also struggled with phonological awareness.

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Wants- Are there any strategies/tricks that could work to improve students' performance via zoom?

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If I have a student who is not acquiring new phonics "rules" (example: reading and spelling words with silent e) does that mean they still need more time and repetition on other areas, before understanding 'new rules'? 

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If I have a student who is not acquiring new phonics "rules" (example: reading and spelling words with silent e) does that mean they still need more time and repetition on other areas, before understanding 'new rules'? 

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At the end of a unit, should we assess snap words or phonic blending?

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What is the difference? Are snap words high frequency words or sight words?

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Gots: English language development vs Spanish

Wants: Connecting phonology and morphology.
Wants: Ways to connect phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension so that we are truly teaching balanced literacy.

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I have students with Memory and attention difficulties, these two have been affecting reading and other subjects. Any suggestions?

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I have students with Memory and attention difficulties, these two have been affecting reading and other subjects. Any suggestions?

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Lupita

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I wish Spanish curriculum could be designed in a different way in order to support our bilingual students. This will help them have a stronger foundation in their first language and therefore be able to transfer to English. 

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I wish Spanish curriculum could be designed in a different way in order to support our bilingual students. This will help them have a stronger foundation in their first language and therefore be able to transfer to English. 

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Lupita

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I was wondering how often do you recommend to assess children?

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Continuum for phonics development

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Guide to the Phonics Units of Study p. 86

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Working in teams, plan an upcoming minilesson.

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Additional resources for phonics instructiion, including reviews and decodable texts.

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First Grade Unit 1 and 2 Phonics Cumulative Review.pdf

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Session 9: Looking Closely at Snap Words
Session 17: Making More New Words Using Blends and Digraphs

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Session 4: Word Detectives Practice their New Skills
Session 6: Word Detective Investigate Words with the Vowel O

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Got better understanding of the structure of the lesson
Want activities for DL

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got - chance to hear what is happening in reading writing and phonics with other teaching friends
wants- to continue learning about how to best teach my students during distance learning

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I was looking forward to learning how a Phonics lesson looked like since in 2nd grade we are starting with this program next year, so with the example provided I got a better idea of what's expected. Very similar to the structure of reader's and writer's workshop.

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It was helpful to think of the affirmations and the challenges we are facing during this process.  Understanding that there are no rules is something I will carry with me.

Next time I will like to get more support when planning the lesson to use!

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Got: Play with the patterns as long as needed until it shows in students' reading and writing.

Phonics difficulty progression.

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Got: Instead of teaching rules, we need to teach patterns! Phonics progression chart.

Want: Be able to adapt these lessons for older students (fourth graders).

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Got: a clear understanding of characteristics of good phonics instructions: I loved changing the wording from RULES to PATTERNS.

Want: To get strategies to incorporate the learning into their writing.

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Unit 3 From Tip to Tail Orientation to the Unit

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Unit 3 From Tip to Tail Orientation to the Unit

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Please read before Jan. 29.

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Working together, document shared understanding of your upcoming unit.

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Unpacking Example - G1 Talking and Thinking about Letters

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Unpacking Example - G1 Talking and Thinking about Letters

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G1 Unit 1 -Unpacking Phonics Unit of Study Examples

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Use these to better understand key ideas while unpacking the units.

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Explore G1 assessments in folder. Come with wonderings to next session.

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Explore the assessment. Consider how you will try this out with your students.

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Gots- Important key points to talk about during an unpacking. The importance of reading the "Orientation to the Unit" section before unpacking or beginning with the first lesson.
Wants- I understand that for 2nd grade there are some "mini-lessons" embedded in the Units, but I'm not clear what they mean with "mini-lessons" ? and where exactly can I find them in the book?

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A better and deeper understanding of unit 3.

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A better and deeper understanding of unit 3.

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Got: Looking at the information from each Bend and using it to focus on student needs and planning mini lessons.
Wants: Being able to plan mini lessons in a more fluent way and becoming an expert with those topics so I can teach them clearly and in an engaging way!

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Got: More insight into looking all the way through a unit when planning.
Want: more and new ideas for implementation, pacing, etc.

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Got: A clear understanding of how to start planning a phonics lesson and the importance of reading the Unit Overview to understand the bends and what the unit is going to focus on. I was presented to the assessment My Dog Max, I'm looking forward to trying it out!
Want: To learn innovative ways to incorporate extensions into the phonics teaching, which extensions should be taken into consideration, and how to make snap words stick!

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Got: Was able to understand and unpack a lesson focusing in our students needs and getting a whole overview of the unit in order to make sure our students achieve them.

Wants: Be able to create mini lessons with more fluency.

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Formative Boxes for Analyzing Student Data

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Formative Boxes for Analyzing Student Data

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Choose to look at a few students or whole class to consider needs and next steps.

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For easy access to assesments

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My Dog Max - Assessments for Practice (if you don't have your own students)

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My Dog Max - Assessments for Practice (if you don't have your own students)

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Click on link - it will make a copy so you can practice.

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Gots- I learned how to score the assessments (0, 1, 2, 3).
Wants- Learn about the small grouping which is next session =)
- How often should we change students from groups?
- What other ways for grouping  besides by "levels" and "needs"?

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Got a different range and assessments to merge and get more information for next steps

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Got a different range and assessments to merge and get more information for next steps

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Want to get more ideas of groups for SGI

claudia

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Got - Marking off snap words once they can be read and written by the student.

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Got - Marking off snap words once they can be read and written by the student.

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Gots- Was able to understand how to grade the different type of assessments, which will then help see on which areas each student needs to work.

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Got - Scoring and strategically grouping students based on their needs

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Skim through this before our session next Friday, Feb.19

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Click on the planning guide to design a transfer minilesson, phonics small group or coaching conference for your students.
1A
1B
1C
1D
1E
1F
1G
1H