
Listen and Write
Your child is beginning to experience the printed page and needs your help to develop concepts of how spelling works and how letters are formed and put together to make words. Listen and Write is a fun and natural way to ease your child into the world of English spelling. In this level your child will learn correct pencil grip, correct letter formation, consonants, and short vowels. Listen and Write will provide your child with the foundation they need to become confident, competent spellers.
- Listen and Write Overview
- Placement Guidelines
- Scope & Sequence
- Sample Lesson
Listen and Write provides a gentle introduction to spelling for your young students as they move from the Preliterate Stage into the Phonetic Stage of spelling. Listen and Write provides your students with the foundation they need to become confident, competent spellers.
This level:
- Focuses on lowercase letter formation, consonants, and short vowels
- Moves the student from three-letter words to four-letter and eventually to five-letter words
- Includes the focus of each day’s worksheet at the top for easy reference
While Listen and Write is not a handwriting course, efficient handwriting techniques allow students’ brains to handle these tasks effortlessly and concentrate on more important things, such as sound-to-letter correspondence. This level comes with a handwriting guide for your student.
Another fun feature of Listen and Write are the stickers that are included. Your student can find a sticker to match a word from the day’s lesson, or simply choose one as a reward for a job well done. The sticker page includes suggestions on how to use them with the lesson.
Is my child ready for Listen and Write?
If you can answer “Yes” to all of these questions, your student is ready to begin Listen and Write:
- Can my student focus on a worksheet for at least 10 minutes?
- Can my student identify most of the letters of the alphabet?
- Can my student hold a pencil and write a three-letter word?
- Does my student understand that letters make sounds?
Lessons contained in Listen and Write
- Lessons 1–3: Letter Formation and Consonant Sounds
- Lesson 4: Introduction to Dictation, Focus on Short a
- Lesson 5: Focus on Short i
- Lesson 6: Review of Short a and Short i
- Lesson 7: Reading the Words Back
- Lesson 8: Review of Short a and i, Focus on Short o
- Lesson 9: Review of Short a, i, and o
- Lesson 10: Recording the Student’s Time (Optional)
- Lesson 11: More Review of Short a, i, and o
- Lesson 12: Focus on Short u
- Lesson 13: Review of Short o and Short u
- Lesson 14: Focus on Short e
- Lesson 15: Review of All Short Vowels
- Lesson 16: Introduction to Blends, Short a
- Lesson 17: Beginning Blends, Short i
- Lesson 18: Beginning Blends, Short a, i, and o
- Lesson 19: Beginning Blends, Review of Short a, i, and o
- Lesson 20: Beginning Blends, Focus on Short u
- Lesson 21: Beginning Blends, Review of Short a, i, o, and u
- Lesson 22: Beginning Blends, Focus on Short e
- Lesson 23: Review of Beginning Blends and Short Vowels
- Lesson 24: Digraphs—ch and th
- Lesson 25: Another Digraph—sh
- Lesson 26: End Blends and Review
- Lesson 27: End Blends, Digraphs, and Review
- Lesson 28: Review of End Blends, Short Vowels, and Digraphs
- Lesson 29: Digraph—ck
- Lesson 30: Double Consonant Endings
- Lesson 31: Review
- Lessons 32–34: Five‑Letter Words with Vowel Box Shaded
- Lessons 35–36: Five‑Letter Words with No Vowel Box Shaded
Lesson 4: Introduction to Dictation, Focus on Short a
Activities Include:
- Practice Writing Letters
- Practice Writing Words From Dictation
- Reading Words Aloud and Together
A typical week:
Students in Listen and Write complete one page per day. The student should spend no more than 10 minutes on the given activities, whether the page is completed or not.
Each week the nature and complexity of the activities change, so be sure to follow the directions in the Instructor’s Handbook for each lesson.