Beginning Literacy

Can the Student
  1. Say the alphabet?
  2. Point to the alphabet letter that you name?/name the letter that you point to?
  3. Tell you the sound that each letter makes?
  4. Form the letters him/herself?
  5. Write his/her name?
  6. Recognize written names of other family members?
  7. Identify the initial consonant of a word (e.g. "what letter does the word "baby" start with?")
  8. Sound out 3 letter words?
  9. Fill out a simple personal information form (name, address, phone, birth date, signature)?
  10. Match a simple sight word to a picture or object?
  11. Copy these sight words and read them back to you?
  12. Recognize simple sight words like: book, mother, dog, house, milk?
  13. Read simple signs (stop, men/women, push/pull, danger, etc.)
  14. Recognize words related to: clothing, colors, body parts, family members, foods, animals, household objects, etc.?
  15. Read simple sentences using such vocabulary? (see suggested sentence patterns below)
  16. Copy and read back such sentences?
  17. Complete simple exercises using the patterns below? (scrambled sentences, fill in the __________ s, "yes or no" [true or false], etc.)
  18. Generate sentences by him/herself following patterns such as those below?
Simple Sentence Patterns
You'll need to find out the names of your student's family members/friends in order to generate a series of true sentences. A good way to start is to look at family photos, or work on a family tree diagram.

One series of sentences is usually enough for a day's lesson-don't introduce too much new content at once. Introduce the pattern orally first (to clarify the meaning), then generate 5-10 written sentences using the same pattern. You can write yourself into the pattern too!
  • I am a man/woman.
  • __________ is my sister/brother.
  • __________ is a girl/boy. (etc.)
  • __________ is my father/mother. (etc.)
  • I am __________ years old years old
  • (name of family member) is __________ years old. (etc.)
  • I am wearing (pants, a shirt, shoes...).
  • __________ is wearing (a dress and a sweater). (etc.)
  • I am wearing (a blue shirt).
  • __________ is wearing (a red shirt). (etc.)
  • __________ likes pears. (etc.)
  • I like (apples).
  • I don't like (pears).
  • I like to (play soccer /cook/fix cars/shop).
  • I don't like to ....
  • I have a __________. (names of things in backpack/around house)
  • I have a (color) __________.
  • I have 3 __________ s. (etc.)
  • (arrange household objects and describe using prepositions)
  • The pen is on the book.
  • The keys are in the cup.
  • The cup is under the table. (etc.)
  • Today is Monday, December 3, 2007.
  • Tomorrow will be Tuesday, December 4, 2007.
  • Yesterday was....
  • My birthday is....
  • __________ 's birthday is....
  • Every day I wake up at 6 a.m.
  • Every day I brush my teeth. (etc.)