First Steps In Reading & Stepping Up In Reading

While specifically written to coordinate with Preventing Academic Failure (PAF), these books may be used with any beginning phonics/reading program. First Steps in Reading is used in lessons 1-16 of the PAF program and introduces the following letters and sounds: c, a, t, d, g, s, f, m, l, h, p, n as well as the sight words "a" and "I" using a variety of exercises. Students read their first word ("cat") after introduction of the first three letters. The book also supplies word lists to be read as well as short "stories". The Stepping Up in Reading books are more geared toward building accuracy and fluency in reading. They contain word lists, phrase lists, sentence lists and activities using them. Stepping Up in Reading 1 is used in lessons 17-96 of the PAF program. It introduces the rest of the short vowels and consonants, provides practice decoding and encoding CVC words, introduces consonant digraphs th, ch, and sh, final blends, VCCV syllable division, compound words, suffixes (-s, -es, -ing, -ed, -er), 20 high-frequency sight words, and sentences that focus on sentence types and basic grammar. Stepping Up in Reading 2 is used for lessons 97-158. It covers beginning consonant blends; long vowels; VCV syllable division; open, closed, silent e, r-controlled, and vowel team syllables; suffixes (-est, -ful, -less, -ly, -y); 35 high-frequency sight words; and sentences that focus on multiple-meaning words and idioms. The final book, Stepping Up in Reading 3, is used for lessons 159-245. It covers vowel digraphs, vowel diphthongs, soft c and g, silent letters, three+ multisyllabic root words, additional sight words, and sentences that focus on content-based vocabulary.