FREE

Yearlong Guide
To Teaching
Phonics in
Kindergarten
Learning
At The
Primary
Pond
Dear Teacher,

Thanks for downloading this freebie! I hope it’s helpful to you in

teaching phonics to your Kindergarten students!

You can also refer back to this blog post for more information:
https://learningattheprimarypond.com/blog/a-yearlong-guide-to-
teaching-phonics-in-kindergarten

There are many more posts and freebies on my blog, too!

LearningAtThePrimaryPond.com.

If you’re looking for a more detailed scope and sequence + tons of

other materials for teaching reading and writing in Kindergarten,
check out my Kindergarten Literacy Club here:
KindergartenLiteracyClub.com

Last but not least, if you have any trouble printing this file, please
follow these directions:
1. Update your Adobe Reader and restart your computer.
2. Use the “print as image” option to print the file (find
directions here).

Happy Teaching!
Alison
LearningAtThePrimaryPond.com
 OVERVIEW
Important: while students tend to learn phonics skills in a predictable order,
they don't all learn these skills at the same pace. ALWAYS adjust this guide
to meet your students’ needs!!

Timeframe Topic(s) Mode of Instruction

Initial Alphabet Instruction

Whole group
(Letter Sounds, Letter
Names, Letter Formation)
Weeks 1-9 (can begin small group
+
towards end of this
Beginning Blending for CVC
period)
Words

Alphabet Review Brief whole group

lessons / review
Digraphs
Weeks 10-15 Mostly differentiated
(other relevant topics in instruction incorporated
small group) into small group / guided
reading
Brief whole group
lessons / review
CVC Words
Weeks 16-31 Mostly differentiated
Word Families instruction in small groups
(can begin dedicated
phonics groups, if helpful)

Brief whole group

Long Vowel Sounds lessons / review
Weeks 32-36
Review CVC Words, Mostly differentiated
Digraphs, Word Families instruction in guided
reading / phonics small
groups
 WEEKS 1-9
• Teach letter name, letter sound, and letter formation for each alphabet
letter (see below for suggested scope and sequence)

• Teach a daily whole group minilesson, including brainstorming some words

that begin with the target letter (10 mins)

• Follow up the minilesson with some independent practice (i.e. letter tracing/
writing, a picture sort, etc.)

• Around Week 4-5, begin teaching blending to read CVC words, using only the
letters you’ve taught (do LOTS of modeling - students are not expected to be
proficient with CVC words yet!)

• Goal of this time period is to introduce all letters - many students will not
yet have fully mastered them (you’ll review in small groups)

• Accompany this instruction with daily phonological awareness practice

Possible Scope & Sequence for Introducing Letters

Week 1 of School Alphabet song, practice identifying first letters in students’ names
Week 2 Letters Mm, Ss
Week 3 Aa, Rr
Week 4 Ff, Ll, Nn
Week 5 Ii, Zz, Tt
Week 6 Oo, Bb, Cc, Hh
Week 7 Uu, Pp, Kk, Gg
Week 8 Ee, Dd, Xx, Jj
Week 9 Vv, Ww, Yy, Qu
 WEEKS 10-15
• Review alphabet letters

• Teach digraphs when students are ready (ch, sh, th, wh + possibly ck - can
also wait until later in the year to teach ck)

• Shift to quicker / less frequent whole group phonics instruction; incorporate

more phonics instruction and practice into small groups (so you can
differentiate and target what students need to work on - you’ll need to have
some kind of assessment data so you know what letters/sounds students
need to practice)

• Can usually incorporate phonics practice into your pre-existing small groups /
guided reading groups

• To learn more about what small group / guided reading can look like for pre-
readers, check out this post: https://learningattheprimarypond.com/blog/
what-does-a-pre-a-guided-reading-lesson-look-like/
 WEEKS 16-31
• Focus on CVC words and word families (some students may still be working
on letter sounds in small group)

• Continue with quicker / less frequent whole group phonics instruction;

incorporate differentiated phonics instruction and practice into small groups

• Can incorporate phonics practice into your pre-existing small groups / guided
reading groups OR add in a separate block of time (20 mins) for dedicated
phonics groups and see 2 groups per day

• Can begin simple word sorts with students who are ready
 WEEKS 32-36
• Teach long vowel sounds whole group, if required / many students are ready
for it

• Review CVC words, digraphs, word families

• Continue with quicker / less frequent whole group phonics instruction;

incorporate differentiated phonics instruction and practice into small groups