Foundations

Foundations begins by drawing students' attention to how sounds are formed. Students then learn how to blend and segment words, progressing from CVC to consonant blends, from one-syllable to two-syllable to multisyllabic words. As students progress through the lessons they will learn advanced phonemic awareness skills such as deleting and substituting sounds and rhyming.

Foundations teaches the complete and accurate phonics rules described inUncovering the Logic of English. Foundations A begins with the sounds of A-Z. By the end of Foundations C, students will know all 75 Basic Phonograms and a majority of the Spelling Rules. Foundations D introduces a handful of Advanced Phonograms and the remaining Spelling Rules.

Reliable rules means no sight words! Students learn how to decode every word! Not only that, upon completing Foundations, students are able to explain the phonograms and rules used to spell any word!

Neuroscientists have shown that the fastest way to learn the phonograms and their sounds is to learn to write them. That is why Foundations lessons include integrated handwriting instruction using the Rhythm of Handwriting method.

If you prefer a different handwriting program, we suggest you substitute instruction for how to write the letters into the Foundations lessons.

Foundations lessons include beginning grammar skills such as identifying nouns, adjectives, and verbs, and writing sentences. Lessons also include writing activities based on the Decodable Readers that inspire emerging writers in a variety of genres. These activities are an excellent launching point to another grammar and composition program.

Controlled readers launch students into reading fiction and nonfiction texts. A wealth of ideas in the Teacher's Manuals help model comprehension strategies and develop the skills that enable students to enjoy reading and engage with academic texts with success.

A wealth of teacher tips are provided to answer your questions, support students in pronouncing the sounds, add fun activities, provide ways to challenge students who want to go deeper, and expand students' vocabularies.

Every lesson includes a list of the materials needed to teach.

Teacher's manuals include both manuscript and cursive lessons, so you can teach the handwriting style preferred by you, your school, district, or state.