English Speaking and Writing for Kids

Track English print from left to right and from the top to the bottom of a page.

Identify the first sound in a familiar spoken one-syllable word.

Blend two or three separately spoken phonemes into a word orally.

Segment a spoken consonant-vowel-consonant word into its individual phonemes orally.

Form lowercase s, a, t, p, i, and n from memory with correct starting points and direction.

Select the correct letter from s, a, t, p, i, and n when hearing its sound.

Blend printed sounds to read regular vowel-consonant and consonant-vowel-consonant words made from s, a, t, p, i, and n.

Spell regular consonant-vowel-consonant words made from s, a, t, p, i, and n by segmenting their sounds.

Respond correctly to common one-step classroom directions in English.

Read the high-frequency words “I,” “a,” and “is” automatically.

Read a simple sentence made from taught letter-sound patterns and demonstrate its meaning.

Give the most common sound represented by each of the letters m, d, and g.

Give the most common sound represented by each of the letters o, c, and k.

Form lowercase m, d, g, o, c, and k from memory with correct starting points and direction.

Decode regular consonant-vowel-consonant words containing the taught letters and short vowels.

Spell regular consonant-vowel-consonant words containing the taught letters and short vowels from dictation.

Read the high-frequency words “the,” “to,” and “my” automatically.

Ask for an object or help using a polite sentence frame.

Give the most common sound represented by each of the letters e, u, r, and h.

Give the most common sound represented by each of the letters b, f, and l.

Distinguish /b/ from /p/ at the beginning of spoken English words.

Form lowercase e, u, r, h, b, f, and l from memory with correct starting points and direction.

Ask and answer “What is this?” about familiar objects.

Introduce family members orally using “This is my…” sentences.

Complete a written sentence frame about a family member using a suitable word.

Give the most common sound represented by each of the letters j, v, and w.

Give the most common sound represented by each of the letters x, y, and z.

Recognize that q is normally followed by u to represent /kw/ in beginner words.

Distinguish /f/ from /v/ at the beginning of spoken English words.

Form lowercase j, v, w, x, y, z, and q from memory with correct starting points and direction.

Decode regular short-vowel words using the full set of common single-letter consonant sounds.

Spell regular short-vowel words using the full set of common single-letter consonant sounds from dictation.

Choose he, she, or it correctly when speaking about a pictured person, animal, or object.

Give the common sounds represented by sh and ch in beginner words.

Give the two common sounds represented by th in familiar words.

Give the common sounds represented by wh and ng and recognize ck as a final /k/ spelling.

Produce the English th sounds without replacing them with /s/, /t/, or /d/ in practiced words.

Decode one-syllable words containing the taught consonant digraphs.

Spell familiar one-syllable words containing the taught consonant digraphs from dictation.

Ask and answer simple who, what, and where questions about a picture.

Perform a short illustrated dialogue with a partner using an audible voice.

Blend and decode one-syllable words beginning with common l-blends such as bl, cl, and fl.

Blend and decode one-syllable words beginning with common r-blends such as br, cr, and tr.

Blend and decode one-syllable words beginning with common s-blends such as sk, sl, and st.

Blend and decode one-syllable words ending in two consonant sounds.

Spell familiar words containing taught initial or final consonant blends from dictation.

Read sentences containing taught blends without pausing between every sound.

Follow spoken directions that use in, on, under, and next to.

Write one sentence describing an object’s location in a picture.

Identify the short vowel sound in a spoken consonant-vowel-consonant word.

Spell mixed short-vowel words from dictation by selecting the correct vowel.

Read the high-frequency words “was,” “said,” “are,” “you,” and “they” automatically.

Use a capital letter at the beginning of a written sentence and for the pronoun I.

Separate words with visible spaces when writing a sentence.

Choose a period or question mark to complete a simple sentence.

Write two or three connected sentences about a detailed picture.

Decode one-syllable words containing the a_e and i_e patterns.

Decode one-syllable words containing the o_e and u_e patterns.

Distinguish a short-vowel word from its silent-e partner when reading, such as cap from cape.

Spell familiar one-syllable silent-e words from dictation.

Read a short passage containing taught silent-e patterns accurately.

Use can and can’t in complete sentences to describe abilities.

Ask and answer “Can you…?” questions in a brief conversation.

Write a three-sentence description of personal abilities using can or can’t.

Decode familiar one-syllable words containing ee and ea.

Decode familiar one-syllable words containing ai and ay.

Decode familiar one-syllable words containing oa and ow.

Decode familiar one-syllable words in which oo represents /uː/.

Use common word-position patterns to choose ai or ay and oa or ow in familiar dictated words.

Read a short passage containing taught vowel teams accurately.

Retell three pictured events orally using first, next, and last.

Write three ordered sentences about a familiar sequence of events.

Describe a daily routine orally using simple present-tense sentences.

Ask and answer questions about likes and dislikes.

Ask and answer basic personal-information questions in complete sentences.

Place a familiar adjective before a noun when describing a person, animal, place, or object.

Join two related ideas with and in a spoken or written sentence.

Transcribe a teacher-read sentence containing taught spelling patterns and high-frequency words.

Draft a four-sentence paragraph about a familiar topic using a picture organizer.

Revise a short paragraph for capitals, word spacing, and end punctuation.

Read a short decodable story aloud accurately and in meaningful phrases.

Answer literal who, what, and where questions about a short story.

Infer a character’s basic feeling from an illustration or stated action.

Retell a short story orally in beginning-middle-end order.

Plan an original story by choosing a character, setting, and simple problem.

Write a four- or five-sentence story from a completed picture plan.

Deliver a one-minute show-and-tell presentation and answer one related question.

Transcribe three teacher-read sentences that use taught sound-spelling patterns, high-frequency words, and sentence conventions.