Print Concepts and the Alphabet
Letters, words, spaces and reading left to right
English Language Arts
Aligned to CCSS-ELA. 105 tools.
Nothing here is built yet. Everything on this page is still on the bench.
Rhymes and Sounds
Rhyme, syllables, and beginning, middle and ending sounds
Letter Sounds and Sight Words
Letter-sound correspondence and high-frequency words
Story Time: Characters and Setting
Retell stories; identify characters, setting and events
All About Books
Main topic, key details, author and illustrator
Draw, Tell and Write
Opinion, informative and narrative pieces with drawing and words
Talk It Over
Conversations, questions and describing
Words and Sentences
Nouns, verbs, plurals, capitals and word sorting
Phonics: Blends and Digraphs
Decode one-syllable words, digraphs and final-e
Reading Fluency
Read grade-level text with accuracy and expression
Story Elements and Lessons
Retell with key details; central message; characters' feelings
Who Is Telling the Story?
Identify narrator; compare characters' adventures
Text Features
Headings, tables of contents, glossaries and icons
Writing Sentences and Stories
Opinion, informative and narrative writing with sequence words
Grammar Basics
Nouns, verbs, adjectives, conjunctions and punctuation
Word Meanings
Context clues, root words and categories
Long Vowels and Two-Syllable Words
Vowel teams, prefixes and suffixes
Fables and Folktales
Recount stories and determine the lesson or moral
Story Structure and Point of View
Beginning, middle and end; characters' points of view
Main Idea and Connections
Main topic of multi-paragraph text; cause and effect; steps
Author's Purpose
What the author wants to answer, explain or describe
Paragraph Writing
Opinions with reasons, informative facts, narratives with details
Grammar and Spelling
Collective nouns, irregular verbs, contractions and apostrophes
Word Building
Prefixes, compound words and shades of meaning
Multisyllable Decoding
Latin suffixes and irregular spelling
Characters and Their Choices
Describe characters' traits, motivations and actions
Chapters, Scenes and Stanzas
How parts of a text build on each other
Main Idea and Key Details
Determine main idea and supporting details
Text Structure and Search Tools
Sequence, cause and effect, comparison; keywords and links
Opinion and Informative Writing
Organized writing with reasons, facts and linking words
Narrative Writing
Stories with dialogue, sequence and closure
Parts of Speech
Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs; verb tense
Literal and Figurative Language
Nonliteral phrases, word relationships and root words
Theme and Summary
Determine theme and summarize
Poetry, Drama and Prose
Structural differences across genres
Myths and Allusions
Words and phrases that allude to mythology
Text Structures
Chronology, comparison, cause and effect, problem and solution
Firsthand and Secondhand Accounts
Compare accounts of the same event
Writing with Evidence
Opinion and informative writing with facts and quotations
Short Research Projects
Build knowledge through investigation; take notes
Grammar in Use
Relative pronouns, progressive tense, modals, prepositional phrases
Greek and Latin Roots
Use affixes and roots to determine meaning
Quoting and Inferring
Quote accurately to explain what the text says and infers
Comparing Characters and Themes
Compare characters, settings and themes across stories
Figurative Language
Similes, metaphors and their effect
Multiple Sources
Integrate information from several texts; compare accounts
Reasons and Evidence
How authors use reasons and evidence to support points
Organized Essays
Logically ordered opinion and informative writing
Narrative Craft
Pacing, dialogue and sensory details
Conjunctions, Tense and Commas
Perfect tenses, correlative conjunctions, commas
Plot and Character Development
How plot unfolds and characters respond and change
Point of View
How an author develops narrator or speaker point of view
Central Idea and Summary
Central idea, supporting details, objective summary
Tracing an Argument
Claims, reasons and evidence; supported vs unsupported
Argument Writing
Claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
Research and Citing Sources
Gather from multiple sources; quote and paraphrase; credit
Collaborative Discussions
Prepared discussion, follow rules, pose questions
Pronouns and Sentence Variety
Pronoun case and agreement; varied sentence patterns
Connotation and Context
Word nuance, context clues and reference materials
Setting, Plot and Character Interplay
How elements of a story interact
Fiction vs History
Compare fictional and historical accounts of a time and place
Sound and Form in Poetry
Rhyme, repetition and form in poems and drama
Evaluating Arguments
Assess reasoning and the relevance of evidence
Comparing Authors
How two authors shape their presentations of key information
Argument with Counterclaims
Acknowledge alternate claims; logical reasoning
Informative Writing
Organize ideas with definition, classification, comparison
Phrases, Clauses and Sentence Types
Simple, compound, complex and compound-complex sentences
Figurative Language and Allusions
Interpret figures of speech and allusions
Dialogue and Dramatic Irony
How dialogue and events reveal character; suspense and humor
Modern Takes on Classic Stories
How modern works draw on myths and traditional stories
Analyzing Structure and Paragraphs
How sentences and paragraphs develop and refine ideas
Conflicting Information
Where texts disagree on fact or interpretation
Argument and Rebuttal
Distinguish claims from opposing claims; formal style
Narrative Techniques
Reflection, pacing, flashback and point of view
Presentations and Media
Present claims with evidence; evaluate media motives
Verbals and Voice
Gerunds, participles, infinitives; active and passive voice; mood
Complex Characters
How characters with conflicting motivations develop theme
Author's Choices: Structure and Time
Parallel plots, flashbacks and pacing create tension
Source Material and Transformation
How authors draw on and transform source material, including Shakespeare
Rhetoric and Purpose
Author's point of view and use of rhetoric
Seminal US Documents
Foundational documents and their themes
Argumentative Essay
Precise claims, counterclaims and formal style
Research Paper
Sustained research, synthesis and citation
Parallel Structure and Phrases
Parallel structure; types of phrases and clauses
World Literature
Cultural experience reflected in literature from outside the US
Figurative Language and Tone
How word choices shape meaning and tone
One Story, Two Media
Compare a subject in two artistic mediums
Evaluating Arguments and Fallacies
Validity of reasoning; false statements and fallacies
Literary Analysis
Analysis essays supported by textual evidence
Debate and Discussion
Propel conversations, respond to diverse perspectives
Semicolons, Colons and Style
Advanced punctuation; style guides
American Literature
Foundational American works and literary movements
Satire, Irony and Point of View
Distinguish what is directly stated from what is meant
Founding Documents and Rhetoric
Analyze 17th-19th century US documents and their premises
Integrating Sources
Integrate and evaluate sources in different media
Synthesis and Rhetorical Analysis
Synthesize multiple sources; analyze rhetorical strategies
College Personal Essay
Narrative writing for real audiences
Usage and Contested Language
Usage conventions can change and be contested
British and World Literature
Shakespeare and major works from British and world traditions
Complex Structure and Ambiguity
How structure choices contribute to meaning and aesthetic impact
Analyzing Complex Explanations
Evaluate structure and effectiveness of an author's argument
Extended Research Project
Self-generated inquiry with sustained research
Formal Presentations
Present a perspective with strategic use of media
Media Literacy
Evaluate sources, bias and persuasion in media
Advanced Vocabulary and Etymology
Etymology, nuance and academic vocabulary