Unit 1 — Curious About Kindergarten

• Teacher observation during collaborative discussions and small group instruction
• Graphic organizer completion for story elements and comprehension
• Phonological awareness activities and oral language demonstrations
• Running records and individual reading observations

Module assessment at end of unit; teacher observation of overall learning

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Students may demonstrate understanding of kindergarten expectations and story elements through oral responses, picture sorting activities, or teacher-led conversations in place of written or drawn responses. Visual supports such as picture cards and simplified graphic organizers may be provided as needed.

During phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge activities, provide multisensory supports such as letter tiles, sound boxes, or manipulatives to help students process and respond without relying solely on written output. For narrative writing and story element tasks, allow students to dictate their ideas to a teacher or aide, or respond through drawing with a verbal explanation. Use visual supports such as picture-supported anchor charts and simple graphic organizers with icons to scaffold comprehension of informational texts and story elements. Break directions into small, numbered steps and check in frequently at the start of tasks to ensure understanding and build confidence.

Provide preferential seating during whole-group read-alouds and collaborative discussions to minimize distractions and support attention to phonological awareness and comprehension tasks. Allow extended time during individual reading observations and any oral language demonstrations. Offer a visual schedule or timer to support transitions between activities throughout the unit.

Support vocabulary development connected to the unit's themes of school, learning, and community by pairing key words with pictures, gestures, and real objects whenever possible. Provide simplified directions with visual cues before collaborative discussions or story element activities, and invite students to demonstrate understanding through pointing, drawing, or responding in their home language when needed. Building background knowledge about kindergarten routines and classroom expectations through pictures and nonverbal demonstrations will help MLL students access the informational and narrative texts in this unit.

Connect phonological awareness activities and early reading tasks to familiar sounds and words from students' everyday experiences to build confidence and activate prior knowledge. Offer reduced-complexity entry points for story element and narrative tasks, such as beginning with a single-element focus (e.g., identifying a character) before moving to multiple elements. Use frequent, brief check-ins and positive reinforcement to keep students engaged and to identify areas where additional repetition or a different mode of response—such as oral rather than written—may be needed.

Invite students to go beyond identifying story elements by beginning to compare how two informational or narrative texts approach a similar idea about school, learning, or differences. Encourage deeper thinking about vocabulary by exploring how word choice affects meaning across texts read aloud in the unit. For phonological awareness and high-frequency word work, offer opportunities to apply their knowledge in more complex oral language contexts, such as composing and sharing multi-sentence narratives or reflections about what they find most interesting about kindergarten.