Focus Skills™

Know words are sequences of letters with meaning

ELAGSEKRF1b

Understand that words are specific sequences of letters that carry meaning

40

Know letters symbolize spoken sounds

ELAGSEKRF1b

Understand that letters in print symbolize spoken sounds in words (e.g., students find the letter that starts their name in environmental print and identify the sound it makes)

41

Track printed words

ELAGSEKRF1a

Track printed words from left to right and top to bottom on a page

44

Name letters of alphabet automatically

ELAGSEKRF1d

Name, rapidly and automatically, the letters of the alphabet

46

Compare word lengths based on number of letters

ELAGSEKRF1c

Compare the lengths of different words based on how many letters they contain (e.g., explain that sit is longer than it because sit has more letters)

47

Note differences of upper- and lowercase letters

ELAGSEKRF1d

Distinguish between the shapes of upper- and lowercase letters (e.g., pick the letter that is different in S, S, C; pick the letter that is different in E, f, f)

48

Recognize upper- and lowercase letters

ELAGSEKRF1d

Name all the letters of the alphabet and recognize their lower- and uppercase forms (e.g., pick another way to write the letter G from q, g, j)

49

Recognize the sounds of lower / uppercase letters

ELAGSEKRF2

Recognize the sounds of letters in lower- and uppercase form

50

Say initial or final phonemes in CVC words

ELAGSEKRF2d

Isolate, say, and distinguish initial or final phonemes in spoken CVC words (e.g., say the initial sound in hat, the final sound in cup)

54

Count syllables in multisyllable words

ELAGSEKRF2b

Count syllables in multisyllabic words (e.g., count the three syllables in potato)

55

Identify onsets and rimes in 1-syllable words

ELAGSEKRF2c

Identify and blend onsets and rimes in single-syllable words (e.g., identify the sounds /m/ /an/ in man and blend the sounds /m/ /an/ to produce man)

57

Blend, count, and segment syllables in words

ELAGSEKRF2b

Blend, count, and segment syllables in spoken words (e.g., from an oral prompt, students identify that /spi/-/der/ makes the word spider)

58

Blend phonemes to produce words / count sounds

ELAGSEKRF2c

Blend phonemes orally to produce words (e.g., blend the sounds /b/ /u/ /g/ to produce bug) and segment and count the sounds in words

59

Isolate short vowel sounds in 1-syllable words

ELAGSEKRF2d

Isolate and distinguish short vowel sounds in single-syllable words in spoken language (e.g., from a verbal prompt, identify that hat has a different middle vowel sound than hit)

61

Isolate short vowel sounds in 1-syllable words

ELAGSEKRF2e

Isolate and distinguish short vowel sounds in single-syllable words in spoken language (e.g., from a verbal prompt, identify that hat has a different middle vowel sound than hit)

61

Say long vowel sounds in 1-syllable words

ELAGSEKRF2d

Isolate and say long vowel sounds in single-syllable words in spoken language

62

Identify / match / distinguish consonant blends

ELAGSEKRF2

Identify, match, and distinguish consonant blends

63

Change initial / final phonemes to make new words

ELAGSEKRF2e

Add or substitute initial or final phonemes in order to produce new one-syllable words in spoken language (e.g., change the /k/ in cat to /h/ to make hat; change the /g/ in bug to /s/ to make bus)

64

Produce the most common sounds of consonants

ELAGSEKRF3a

Understand that consonants make different sounds and be able to produce the most common ones (e.g., c as /k/ and /s/) when combined with the different vowels)

65

Identify / match short vowel sounds with letters

ELAGSEKRF3b

Identify and match the short vowel sounds with the letters that represent them

66

Distinguish short vowel sounds to decode words

ELAGSEKRF3b

Decode regularly spelled single-syllable words by distinguishing between short vowel sounds

67

Note different consonant sounds in similar words

ELAGSEKRF3c

Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the consonants that differ (e.g., pick the word that has the /k/ sound: cat, pat, pat)

70

Note letters that represent long vowel sounds

ELAGSEKRF3b

Identify the letters that most commonly represent long vowel sounds (e.g., a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e)

71

Match letters for final consonant sounds

ELAGSEKRF3a

Identify and match letters for final consonant sounds in single-syllable words (e.g., pick the letter for the last sound in fan by reading from choices: f, v, and n)

74

Note different vowel sounds in similar words

ELAGSEKRF3c

Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the vowels that differ (e.g., pick the word that has the /a/ sound: cat, cot, cut)

75

Decode single-syllable CVC words

ELAGSEKRF4

Decode single-syllable (CVC) words (e.g., cat, get, mom)

68

Read high-frequency words by sight

ELAGSEKRF4

Read grade-appropriate high-frequency (e.g., Dolch, Fry) words by sight

69

Recognize purpose for reading and comprehend text

ELAGSEKRF4

Identify purpose for reading (e.g., listening comprehension, enjoyment) by choosing with direct support an appropriate book to read, and read and comprehend emergent-reader texts (i.e., predictable texts with rhyme, repetition, illustration support, simple sentences, familiar topics, clear ideas) demonstrated by answering questions during and after the reading that reflect on the purpose (e.g., what parts of the story did you like?)

87

Explain differences in similar action words

ELAGSEKL5d

Explain or act out the differences in the meanings of words that can describe the same general action (e.g., go, walk, march, strut, prance)

77

Use acquired vocabulary

ELAGSEKL6

Use vocabulary acquired from listening, conversing, reading, and responding to texts

81

Apply context clues to recognize vocabulary

ELAGSEKL4a

Apply foundational skills to recognize vocabulary in context (e.g., use context clues such as illustrations, sounding out)

82

Use affixes with support to predict word meaning

ELAGSEKL4b

Use frequently occurring inflections (e.g., -ing, -ed, -s) and affixes with prompting and support to predict the meanings of unfamiliar words (e.g., use the inflectional ending to determine that birds means more than one bird)

83

Ask / answer with aid questions about key details

ELAGSEKRL1

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about a story's key details (e.g., what is the cow doing in Goodnight Moon?)

103

Identify major events in a story with support

ELAGSEKRL3

With prompting and support, identify and retell major events including beginning, middle, and end of a story

109

Retell stories including key events and details

ELAGSEKRL2

Retell familiar stories with prompting and support including key events and details

110

Ask / answer questions to clarify word meaning

ELAGSEKRL4

Ask and answer questions to clarify the meanings of words when listening to literary texts, and apply foundational skills and strategies when encountering new vocabulary (e.g., use context clues, apply decoding strategies)

84

Identify senses to which descriptions appeal

ELAGSEKRL4

Identify the senses to which specific words or descriptions appeal

106

Explain with aid how images relate to the story

ELAGSEKRL7

With prompting and support, describe how illustrations relate to the story in which they appear

95

Begin to engage with books independently

ELAGSEKRL10

Begin to read and engage with books independently as well as in groups

88

Use strategies with aid to understand text

ELAGSEKRL10

With assistance, confirm or correct understanding of a text by using illustrations and other strategies (e.g., looking back, checking for clues)

89

Retell key details of text with support

ELAGSEKRI2

With prompting and support, retell key details of an informational text

105

Compare with aid two people / ideas / events / facts

ELAGSEKRI3

With prompting and support, tell how two individuals, events, ideas, or facts in an informational text are alike or different

107

Apply a variety of skills to clarify new words

ELAGSEKRI4

Ask and answer questions to clarify the meanings of words when listening to informational texts, and apply foundational skills and strategies when encountering new vocabulary (e.g., use context clues, apply decoding strategies)

85

Tell with aid how author supports points in text

ELAGSEKRI8

With prompting and support, answer questions about the clearly stated reasons an author gives to support points in a text (e.g., answer the question "why does the author think you should brush your teeth?" after listening to a text about brushing your teeth)

112

Begin to engage with books independently

ELAGSEKRI10

Begin to read and engage with books independently as well as in groups

88

Use strategies with aid to understand text

ELAGSEKRI10

With assistance, confirm or correct understanding of a text by using illustrations and other strategies (e.g., looking back, checking for clues)

89