Welcome to the Lumen English Department!
We are excited to inspire your children’s love of reading, on their journey to knowledge through reading.
We will begin with an excellent fundamental phonics program while simultaneously reading to and with them from classics, old and new. The most recent educational studies indicate that phonics-based curricula are the most effective in teaching life-long learning skills. Lumen Academy is very enthusiastic about its reading program and we believe that you, as parents, will be enthusiastic as well.
Our English Language Arts curriculum will use From Phonics to Reading® (Kindergarten – Grade 3) and Fishtank Learning (Grades 4 – 6)
Below are a general list of topics covered in each grade, which are aligned to Common Core Standards and the Massachusetts Frameworks. Topics are introduced and developed over multiple grades.
Kindergarten
Reading Foundations |
Reading Strategies |
Vocabulary |
Grammar and Mechanics |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Letter identification Lowercase and uppercase letters Word recognition Consonants and vowels Syllables Rhyming Blending and segmenting Beginning and ending sounds Letter-sound associations Consonant blends and digraphs Short vowels Long vowels Sight words |
Text features Reality vs. fiction Main idea Inference and analysis Setting and character Sequence Point of view Read-along literary and informational texts Read-alone literary and informational texts |
Color and number words Adjectives and verbs Location words Question words Synonyms and antonyms Categories Multiple-meaning words |
Sentences Capitalization Nouns Verbs |
Grade 1
Reading Foundations |
Reading Strategies |
Vocabulary |
Grammar and Mechanics |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Consonants and vowels Syllables Rhyming Phoneme blending, segmenting, and substitution Consonant sounds and letters Consonant blends and digraphs Short and long vowel sounds Silent e Vowel teams Short and long vowel patterns R-controlled vowels Diphthongs: oi, oy, ou, ow Two-syllable words Sight words |
Reality vs. fiction Main idea Sequence Point of view Inference and analysis Setting and character Text features Read-along literary and informational texts Read-alone literary and informational texts |
Nouns and adjectives Categories Synonyms and antonyms Multiple-meaning words Shades of meaning Prefixes and suffixes Context clues Reference skills |
Sentences Nouns Pronouns Verbs Subject-verb agreement Verb tense Articles Adjectives Prepositions Linking words Contractions Capitalization |
Grade 2
Reading Foundations |
Reading Strategies |
Writing Strategies |
Vocabulary |
Grammar and Mechanics |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Syllables Rhyming Consonant blends and digraphs Short vowels Silent e Vowel teams Short and long vowel patterns Long vowel patterns R-controlled vowels Diphthongs: oi, oy, ou, ow Variant vowels Soft g and c Two-syllable words Consonant-l-e Sight words |
Sequence Inference and analysis Theme Setting and character Topic and purpose Cause and effect Compare and contrast Text features Read-along literary and informational texts Read-alone literary and informational texts |
Organizing writing Topic sentences Linking words Author’s purpose Opinion writing Descriptive details Sentence variety |
Prefixes and suffixes Compound words Categories Synonyms and antonyms Homophones Multiple-meaning words Shades of meaning Idioms Context clues Reference skills |
Sentences, fragments, and run-ons Nouns Pronouns Verb types Subject-verb agreement Verb tense Articles Adjectives and adverbs Prepositions Contractions Punctuation Capitalization Abbreviations |
Grade 3
Reading Foundations |
Reading Strategies |
Writing Strategies |
Vocabulary |
Grammar and Mechanics |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Short and long vowels Blends, digraphs, and trigraphs Multisyllabic words Variant, diphthong, and r vowel patterns Irregular words |
Main idea Theme Author’s purpose Text structure Sensory details Literary devices Point of view Inference Story elements Visual elements Text features Rhyme Literary and informational texts |
Organizing writing Topic sentences Writer’s purpose Linking words Opinion writing Descriptive details Sentence variety Editing and revising |
Prefixes and suffixes Greek and Latin roots Compound words Categories Synonyms and antonyms Homophones Multiple-meaning words Shades of meaning Idioms Context clues Reference skills |
Sentences, fragments, and run-ons Nouns Pronouns Verb types Subject-verb agreement Verb tense Articles Adjectives and adverbs Prepositions Conjunctions Contractions Commas Capitalization Abbreviations Formatting |
Grades 4 – 5
Reading Strategies |
Writing Strategies |
Vocabulary |
Grammar and Mechanics |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Main idea Theme Author’s purpose and tone Text structure Sensory details Literary devices Point of view Inference Story elements Text features Visual elements Poetry elements Literary and informational texts |
Organizing writing Introductions and conclusions Summarizing Linking words Developing and supporting arguments Descriptive details Sentence variety Editing and revising Research skills |
Prefixes and suffixes Greek and Latin roots Compound words Categories Synonyms and antonyms Analogies Homophones Multiple-meaning words Idioms and adages Shades of meaning Context clues Reference skills |
Sentences, fragments, and run-ons Nouns Pronouns Verb types Subject-verb agreement Verb tense Articles Adjectives and adverbs Prepositions Conjunctions Contractions Commas Capitalization Abbreviations Formatting |
Grades 6 – 8
Reading Strategies |
Writing Strategies |
Vocabulary |
Grammar and Mechanics |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Main idea Theme Author’s purpose and tone Point of view Text structure Literary devices Analyzing literature Analyzing informational texts Analyzing arguments Novel study Nonfiction book study Comparing texts Visual elements |
Expository writing Persuasive and opinion writing Descriptive and creative writing Writing clearly and concisely Active and passive voice Editing and revising Research skills |
Prefixes and suffixes Greek and Latin roots Synonyms and antonyms Homophones Idioms and adages Word choice and usage Analogies Context clues Domain-specific vocabulary Reference skills |
Sentences, fragments, and run-ons Phrases and clauses Nouns Pronouns and antecedents Pronoun types Verb types Subject-verb agreement Verb tense and mood Adjectives and adverbs Prepositions Direct and indirect objects Conjunctions Contractions Misplaced modifiers Restrictive and nonrestrictive elements Commas Semicolons, colons, and commas Dashes, hyphens, and ellipses Capitalization Formatting |