Series 1: Foundations
We help you take your child from shapes and colors through letters and numbers, then reading, writing and math. Then in Unit 4, review it all again while learning to use short online lessons in preparation for the Knowledge Series.
For each unit you will receive the instruction manual, tracking forms and printables--flaschcards, coloring pages, charts, booklets and other fun activities. Plus in Unit 4 you also receive 15 easy online lessons to begin the transition to the Knowledge Series.
Think of this as preschool/kindergarten/first grade. Everyone starts here, and everyone stays here until reading fluently (the central skill on the Knowledge Series Entrance Exam). Reading fluency typically happens at age six (a little earlier on average if you have an integrated preschool program) at which point students begin the Foundations Series Transition Program (Unit Four) to polish up any last weak points and start learning how to use the online lessons in preparation for the Knowledge Series.
Here's the funny thing about the Foundation Series: ask any student what they did all day and they'll say "play". That's not just little kids focusing on their favorite parts; even the oldest Foundations students really are playing about half the day. Why? They learn faster that way.
All our Foundations Series lessons are short and focused. After the student or group works on two colors, or counting by tens, or reading words with "ch" they need a break so their brains can process the new knowledge or skills and move it into more permanent memory.
Students progress at their own paces through the four academic levels of the Foundations Series. Their progress on each skill strand is tracked daily, and they absolutely master each item before moving on to the next in the series. So while the class as a whole may sing the entire ABC's song together, each individual student must master the name/sound/tracing/signing of A, B and C before beginning on D, E and F.
In this way each student progresses at his or her own maximum pace, without any knowledge gaps. And overall, the pace of progress is much higher this way than with the format where a teacher attempts to keep the attention of thirty 5- or 6-year-olds simultaneously, for extended periods of time, even though academically their needs are quite diverse.
You can use this program in a regular kindergarten or first grade classroom, with older students who have weak reading skills, with special needs students, in preschool and head start programs, in weekly co-op classes, in day care settings, at home, and at the grandparents' house. All the instructions and materials are included and easy to use.
The number one thing you can do to ensure your child's success in school is to make sure he or she is in the top reading group by the end of first grade.(1) You can do that with the OnSchooler Foundations curriculum.
Unit 1.01
Foundations Unit One covers shapes, colors, numbers to 10, and letter names, sounds and tracing. This is the perfect starting point for new students!
Unit 1.02
Foundations Unit Two covers numbers to 20, starting to tell time, phonics words and handwriting worksheets. Start here if your child has already mastered letter names and sounds.
Unit 1.03
Foundations Unit Three covers numbers to 100 including counting by 2's and 5's, addition and subtraction on the MathGame using number strips, sight words and reading one-page stories.
Unit 1.04
Foundations Unit Four introduces our proprietary online, interactive, multilingual lessons. It includes fifteen online lesson to review the previous three units in shapes, colors, letters, numbers, reading, writing and math.
(1)
Cunningham, A. E., & Stanovich, K. E. (1997). Early reading acquisition and its relation to reading experience and ability 10 years later. Developmental Psychology, 33(6), 934-945.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.33.6.934
Sparks, R.L., Patton, J. & Murdoch, A. Read Writ (2014) 27: 189.
Early reading success and its relationship to reading achievement and reading volume: replication of ‘10 years later’
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-013-9439-2
Schneider, W. & Näslund, J.C. Eur J Psychol Educ (1993) 8: 273. The impact of early metalinguistic competencies and memory capacity on reading and spelling in elementary school: Results of the Munich Longitudinal Study on the Genesis of Individual Competencies (LOGIC)
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03174082