Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 15 (Grade K ELA): Phonics & Fluency Boost – Phonemes & CVC Words

Kindergarten foundational reading unit: students blend and segment phonemes, map CVC words, learn high-frequency “heart” words, and build early fluency by reading short-vowel emergent texts with understanding.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 14 (Grade K ELA): Main Topic & Key Details (Informational)

Kindergarten informational reading unit: students identify a text’s main topic and choose 2–3 key details from words and pictures, using visual evidence and oral summaries to build comprehension and speaking skills.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 13 (Grade K ELA): Text Features & Book Parts (Informational)

Kindergarten informational reading unit: students identify front and back covers, title pages, authors, and illustrators, using icons and pointing strategies to explain how pictures and text work together to teach information.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 12 (Grade K ELA): Organizing & Closing Opinions

Kindergarten opinion writing unit: students write short pieces with a clear opening, one matching reason, and a simple closing, using revision and editing to strengthen clarity, capitals, spacing, and punctuation.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 11 (Grade K ELA): Reasons that Support Points

Kindergarten informational reading unit: students use pictures and short texts to find evidence-based reasons, ask and answer questions to clarify ideas, and state clear opinions supported by visual details.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 10 (Grade K ELA): Launching Opinion Writing

Kindergarten opinion writing unit: teach “I like ___ because ___” with sentence frames, partner talk, drawing/dictation, and capital-period conventions in a 5-session week.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 9 (Grade K ELA): Phonological Awareness II – Onset–Rime Blend/Segment

Kindergarten phonological awareness unit: students blend and segment onset–rime word parts, recognize rhymes, and read simple patterned texts to strengthen early decoding, fluency, and sound–symbol understanding.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 8 (Grade K ELA): Oral Storytelling with Pictures

Kindergarten writing unit: students create small-moment oral stories by drawing and dictating real-life events, describing who, where, and what happened in order, and expressing feelings with complete sentences.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 7 (Grade K ELA): Informative Beginnings – Labels that Teach

Kindergarten phonics unit: students learn to recognize and match upper- and lowercase letters, produce common consonant sounds, and develop handwriting skills through engaging, multisensory alphabet activities.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 6 (Grade K ELA): Letters & Sounds I – Names and Consonant Sounds

Kindergarten phonics unit: students name and match upper- and lowercase letters, produce common consonant sounds, and practice proper letter formation through multisensory alphabet and sound routines.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 5 (Grade K ELA): Phonological Awareness I – Rhyme & Syllables

Kindergarten phonological awareness unit: students recognize and produce rhymes, clap and tap syllables, and use playful sound activities to strengthen early reading and spelling foundations.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 4 (Grade K ELA): Concepts of Print & Book Handling

Kindergarten foundational skills unit: students learn book parts, directionality, letters vs. words, and spacing through hands-on reading routines that build strong print awareness.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 3 (Grade K ELA): Characters, Settings, and Major Events

Kindergarten story comprehension unit: students describe who, where, and what happened in a story using pictures and words, label key events, and use illustration clues to explain their thinking.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 2 (Grade K ELA): Asking & Answering Questions About Stories

Kindergarten literacy unit where students use who/what/where/when questions and picture clues to understand stories, practice beginning–middle–end retells, and confirm understanding through simple partner Q&A.

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Grade K ELA Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade K ELA): Launching Our Reading–Writing Community

Kindergarten ELA launch unit: students build classroom reading and writing routines, practice book handling and partner talk, strengthen stamina, and begin drawing and labeling to express ideas.

Blog

Mathematical Storytelling: Using Narrative to Teach Abstract Concepts

Imagine a classroom where students eagerly follow a character’s journey rather than stare blankly at equations. In one scenario, learners struggle through isolated computations; in another, they become invested in a protagonist’s quest that requires solving those very equations. Mathematical storytelling transforms abstract concepts into vivid narratives that

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Grade 1 ELA Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade 1 ELA): Publishing Celebration & Reflection

Grade 1 publishing unit: students curate and polish a mini writing portfolio, revise with expressive language, publish digitally, and present short, clear author shares with visuals and strong word choices.

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Grade 1 ELA Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade 1 ELA): Author Study – Voices & Point of View

Grade 1 literature unit: students identify who is telling the story using dialogue and pronoun clues, then compare how authors show characters’ adventures and voices across two stories.

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Grade 1 ELA Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade 1 ELA): Revising & Editing for Clarity

Grade 1 language and writing unit: students revise and edit short drafts for complete sentences, capitals, punctuation, and spelling patterns, producing a clear, polished final copy.

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Grade 1 ELA Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade 1 ELA): Summarizing & Retelling Key Ideas

Grade 1 informational reading unit: students identify the main topic and key details, then create short oral or visual summaries that explain the gist using friendly frames and media support.

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Grade 1 ELA Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade 1 ELA): Writing Information Booklets with Text Features

Grade 1 informational writing: students plan and publish a multi-page booklet with headings, labels, and captions that clearly teach facts using precise vocabulary.

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Grade 1 ELA Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade 1 ELA): Shared Research Project

Grade 1 research and writing unit: students plan questions, gather facts from books and guided web sources, record picture notes, name sources, and help publish a shared digital class page.

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Grade 1 ELA Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade 1 ELA): Reading Science/Social Studies with Visuals

Grade 1 informational reading unit: students use diagrams, maps, and charts to identify key ideas, decode domain vocabulary with context clues, and ask/answer questions about details from visuals and media.

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Grade 1 ELA Units

Unit Plan 29 (Grade 1 ELA): Procedural / How-To Writing

Grade 1 how-to writing unit: students plan materials, write 3–5 steps with First/Next/Then/Last, add a tip, and revise/edit for clear directions.

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Grade 1 ELA Units

Unit Plan 28 (Grade 1 ELA): Cause & Effect and Idea Connections

Grade 1 informational reading and listening unit: students describe cause-and-effect relationships, ask key-detail questions, and practice clarifying information during discussions or media.