Print Concepts Checklist: Observational rubric during shared reading and independent reading; record accuracy of page turning, directional tracking (left-to-right, top-to-bottom), and understanding of book parts (title, author, pages).

Concepts of Print Interview/Checklist: Ask targeted questions (e.g., “Where do you start reading?” “What does this space between words mean?”) to gauge understanding of print conventions and meaning.

Running record with print-focused prompts: While child reads or speaks about a text, note for evidence of understanding of directionality, word boundaries, and the concept that print carries a message.

Strategy: Explicit, with-scripting print concepts mini-lessons embedded in daily read-alouds and shared reading.

Part of the skill taught: Directionality and one-to-one print-to-sound correspondence at the word level; understanding that spaces separate words; book conventions (title, author, pages).

How it’s taught:

• Quick, targeted 5–7 minute mini-lesson at the start of literacy block.

• Use a big-book or enlarged text to model tracking with a finger as you read left to right, top to bottom.

• Pause to ask questions like “Where do we start reading?” and point to the first word.

• After modeling, have students practice with predictable/choral reading while pointing to words.

 Visual supports and manipulatives: Use page-tracking tools (color-coded finger sliders or tracking sticks) to help with directionality; provide bilingual print cards showing print concepts in home language as appropriate for ELs.

Explicit multi-sensory practice: Combine tracing letters/words in sand or on their desk while saying the sentence aloud to reinforce print-to-sound mapping; for students with dyslexia, provide multisensory cues (sound-out, finger-tracking, and oral recitation) to reinforce concepts of print.

Rhyme and Alliteration Tasks: Quick screening of ability to hear rhymes and alliteration in familiar words; note accuracy and fluency.

Syllable Count Task: Clap or tap syllables in spoken words; track accuracy across a word set.

Phoneme Manipulation Probes (short, simple tasks): For example, “Say 'cat' without the /k/ sound.” Use standardized short probes or researcher-developed checklists.

Strategy: Explicit Phonological Awareness Instruction with a focus on blending and segmenting sounds, starting at larger units and moving to smaller units.

Part of the skill taught: Phoneme-level awareness (blending and segmenting) after establishing larger units (rhymes, syllables).

How it’s taught:

• Warm-up with rhymes and songs to build auditory discrimination.

• Use sound-by-sound blending games (e.g., blending phonemes to form words: /s/ /a/ /t/ → sat).

• Progress to segmenting sounds in one-syllable words, and then manipulating phonemes (substituting/deleting).

• Provide immediate corrective feedback and repeated practice with plenty of modeled examples.

ELs: Use bilingual or dual-language rhyme patterns; provide visuals and gestures to represent sounds; pair with native-language phonological awareness tasks when possible.

Dyslexia support: Emphasize explicit, systematic practice with decodable texts, small-group guidance with deliberate practice on specific phoneme clusters; use multisensory activities (tapping, clapping, letter tiles).

Phonemic Awareness Probes: Quick tasks targeting blending, segmentation, and manipulation of phonemes in one-syllable words; record accuracy and time to complete.

Dynamic Assessment of Phonemic Awareness: Observational approach to assess how well students apply strategies to manipulate phonemes in unfamiliar words.

Progress Monitoring Probes: Short, frequent checks to track improvement (Example: every 4–6 weeks) for specific phonemic tasks.

Strategy: Explicit Phoneme Manipulation Instruction with guided practice.

Part of the skill taught: Focus on phoneme manipulation (blending and segmentation) in single-syllable words, building toward more complex word structures.

How it’s taught:

• Begin with blending: orally present phonemes one by one and have students blend them to form words.

• Move to segmentation: have students break a spoken word into its phonemes.

• Expand to manipulation: substitute, add, or delete phonemes to create new words.

• Use concrete supports (letters on magnets, sound boxes) to reinforce phoneme positions.

ELs: Provide concrete examples and bilingual phoneme cards; use pronunciation guides and modeling in both languages when possible; pair with bilingual peers for practice.

Dyslexia: Short, frequent practice with explicit feedback; use multisensory techniques (air-writing, letter tiles) to anchor phoneme awareness; scaffold with simpler words first.

Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) Probes: Timed tasks to name as many letters as possible in a set period; track progress across weeks/months.

Letter-Sound Association Checks: Quick checks to see if students can name the letter and its most common sound; suitable for quick screening.

Alphabet Knowledge Inventory: A broader assessment that includes naming letters, identifying uppercase/lowercase, and recognizing letters within words or on cards.

Strategy: Systematic Letter-Sound Instruction integrated with letter naming.

Part of the skill taught: Letter naming as a foundation for phonemic awareness and decoding; linking visual letter forms to sounds.

How it’s taught:

• Use explicit modeling of letter names and sounds with visual aids (letter cards, alphabet wall, magnetic letters).

• Engage in daily short routines: letter of the day, quick naming checks, and sound association tasks.

• Incorporate multi-sensory practice (air writing, tracing letters, saying sounds aloud) and quick dictation of sounds to build automaticity.

ELs: Provide letter-name and sound support in home language when possible; pair with bilingual buddy; use visuals and realia to anchor letters.

Dyslexia: Short, high-frequency, multisensory practice; emphasize automaticity and rapid naming of letters; scaffold with letter-sound correspondences and decoding practice; provide sentence-level practice once letter naming is stable.