The Key Foundations Lesson Book serves as the primary teacher's resource in the Key Foundations by Hatch™ program, offering systematic and explicit 10-minute lessons. These lessons focus on teaching essential foundational skills that are crucial for literacy success.
Lesson Book Content
Comprising 114 daily lessons, the Lesson Book covers oral language, vocabulary, background knowledge, phonological and phonemic awareness, letters and letter–sound knowledge, and social and cooperative skills. It also includes built-in support for English-language learners through mini-lessons and assistance for oral language development and English pronunciation.
A dedicated section within the Lesson Book provides teacher support materials, offering essential background information on child development and literacy instruction. Additionally, it includes assessment information and easy-to-use assessment tools along with various support activities for responsive instruction.
Lesson Structure
The initial lessons in the Lesson Book are introduction lessons that acquaint children with the instructional routines used throughout the program. Following this section, the Lesson Book is then organized by letters, allowing for flexibility in sequencing to align with other literacy programs.
Each lesson within a letter follows a consistent structure, providing a framework for educators to follow. The first lesson, Sound Hunt, focuses on recognizing the primary sound associated with the letter. The subsequent lessons, Letter Hunt, Word Games, and Sound Games, further build on foundational skills.
Lesson 1: Sound Hunt
The objective of Sound Hunt is to recognize the primary sound associated with the letter. Children listen for the sound in their favorite words, including their names, and engage in the rhythmic Alphabet Bop to recognize all the letters and sounds of the alphabet.
Lesson 2: Letter Hunt
Letter Hunt aims to link the focus sound to a letter of the alphabet. Children revisit names containing the focus sound, chant the Alphabet Bop, and practice letter formation using large motor movements.
Lesson 3: Word Games
Word Games focuses on developing oral language, knowledge, and vocabulary while reinforcing the sound and letter using words that contain the focus sound. Support for English-language learners is incorporated through picture cards and teaching vocabulary for oral language games.
Lesson 4: Sound Games
Sound Games concentrates on developing phonological and phonemic awareness skills. Activities include recognizing and clapping syllables, rhyming activities using picture cards, and various phonemic awareness games targeting different skills.
Additional Features
The Lesson Book includes consistent features designed to assist teachers in leading effective lessons:
- Duration and materials needed for each lesson (10 minutes)
- Special notes or information for dealing with unusual spellings or questions
- Support for English-language learners, specifying challenging sounds
- Guidance on using other program resources
- Two follow-up activities for every lesson, reinforcing skills through short, interactive activities for small-group instruction or learning centers
At the end of the Lesson Book, there is a comprehensive resource section providing essential information for teachers on child development, foundations for literacy, and informal observation and assessment techniques. The assessments for pre-K and kindergarten are included, ensuring a thorough understanding of children's developmental progress.