Kindergarten · Level 0 · Literacy acquisition
ELA 0
Print encodes speech — everything stands on this.
Meridian Note
Target states are deliberately shallow: letter names and sounds to KS-4, everything else KS-1 to KS-3. The single non-negotiable is the alphabetic principle — print encodes speech, sound by sound — pushed toward KS-6, because every later state in the entire sequence stands on it. The item bank sees only honest print proxies; genuine phonemic work is the teacher's oral exercise. Discussion norms take their acquisition fix: take a turn, stay on the subject.
The Fix Registry
Skills of This Course
Every skill is pinned to the meridian by fix notation — where along the scale, and at what depth. The highlighted state is this course's target: the state an honest instrument must certify before the skill counts as covered here.
| Skill | Fixes | Target at Level 0 |
|---|---|---|
| Alphabetic principle & letter-sound code | 0-KS614-KS10 | KS-6Understood |
| Discussion, speech & oral defense | 0-KS460-KS790-KS9 | KS-4Recalled |
| Print concepts | 0-KS31-KS5 | KS-3Recognized |
| Letter names, upper- and lowercase | 0-KS414-KS7 | KS-4Recalled |
| Rhyme & syllables in print | 0-KS31-KS5 | KS-3Recognized |
| Retelling & key details | 0-KS314-KS5 | KS-3Recognized |
| First writing: draw, dictate, write | 0-KS31-KS5 | KS-3Recognized |
Course of Instruction
Units
Unit 1.How Books Work
6 practice itemsA book is a little treasure box. The words inside hold the story. But words have rules! They march in one direction, and they always march the same way. This unit shows you which way to go — and what letters, words, and sentences are.
MatchingMultiple choice
Unit 2.Letter Names, Big and Small
7 practice itemsThere are 26 letters, and every letter has a name — just like you! Each letter also has two looks: a big one and a small one. In this unit you will learn the names, the big-and-small partners, and the tricky look-alikes.
MatchingMultiple choiceFill in the blank
Unit 3.Letters Make Sounds: The Big Secret of Reading
12 practice itemsHere is the biggest secret in all of reading: writing is talk you can SEE. Every letter stands for a sound your mouth makes. When you know the sounds, you can read words — even words you have never seen before. This is the key that opens every book in the world.
MatchingMultiple choiceFill in the blankMultiple choice (misconception distractors)Short answer
Unit 4.Rhymes and Word Parts
7 practice itemsWords can play games! Some words rhyme — their endings sound the same, like cat and hat. And every word can be clapped into parts, like rab-bit. Playing with sounds makes your ears strong for reading.
MatchingMultiple choice
Unit 5.Story Time: Telling It Back
9 practice itemsWhen someone reads you a story, the story goes into your head. Can you tell it back? Who was in it? What happened? Telling a story back is how you show the story really got in. This unit makes you a story-teller-backer!
MatchingMultiple choiceShort answer
Unit 6.First Writing — and Talking Together
14 practice itemsYou have things to say! You can say them with pictures, with your voice, and with letters. And when other people have things to say too, we take turns and listen. This unit is about sharing your ideas — on paper and out loud.
MatchingMultiple choiceFill in the blank