The Skills strand of the Core Knowledge Language Arts program teaches students the decoding skills needed for (future) independent reading. Each Skills lesson begins with a warm-up, reviewing previously taught content in reading, writing, and/or grammar.

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Ask and answer questions (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how), orally or in writing, requiring literal recall and understanding of the details and/or facts of a fictionr or nonfiction/informational text read independently;
2. Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph nonfiction/informational text read independently, as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text;
3. Describe the connection between a series of historical text in a nonfiction/informational text read aloud or independently;
4. Determin the meaning of unknown words and phrases in nonfiction/informational text read aloud or independently;
5. Identify and use text features (e.g., captions, bold print, suheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a nonfiction/informational text;
6. Identify the main purpose of a nonfiction/informational text read independently, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe;
7. Interpret information from diagrams, charts, timelines, graphs, or other organizers associated with nonfiction/informational text read aloud or independently, and explain how these graphics clarify the meaning of the text;
8. Describe how reasons or facts support specific points the author makes in a nonfiction text read aloud or independently;
9. Read independently and demonstrate understanding of nonfiction/informational text in the grades 2–3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range;
10. Listen to and demonstrate understanding of nonfiction/informational read-alouds of appropriate complexity for grades 2–4;
11. Use knowledge of the letter-sound correspondences that have been taught to distinguish and correcly read long and short one-syllable words: 'a' > /a/; 'e' > /e/; 'i' > /i/; 'o' > /o/; 'u' > /u/; 'a_e' > /ae/; 'ee' > /ee/; 'i_e' > /ie/; 'o_e' > /oe/; 'u_e' > /ue/;
12. Read and write words spelled with the following vowel teams: long vowel sounds: ‘ai’, ‘ay’ > /ae/; ‘ea’, ‘ey’, ‘ee’ > /ee/; ‘oa’, ‘oe’, ‘ow’ > /oe/; ‘ie’, ‘igh’ > /ie/; short vowel
sounds: ‘ou’, ‘o_e’ > /u/; ‘ea’ > /e/; other vowel sounds: ‘oi’, ‘oy’ > /oi/; ‘aw’, ‘au’, ‘augh’, ‘al’ > /aw/; ‘ow’ > /ou/; r-controlled
vowel sounds: ‘er’ > /er/; ‘or’ > /or/; ‘ar’ > /ar/;
13. Decode two-syllable words with any combination of the following syllable types: closed syllables, magic –e syllables, vowel digraph syllables, r-controlled syllables, open syllables, and consonant –le syllables;
14. Read and write words with the following letter-sound correspondences: ‘a’ as /a/ (hat), /ae/ (paper), /ə/ (about), or /o/ (water); ‘i’ as /i/ (hit), /ie/ (item), or /ee/ (ski); ‘o’ as /o/ (hop), /oe/ (open), or /u/ (son); ‘e’ as /e/ (pet), /ee/ (me), or /ə/ (debate); ‘u’ as /ue/ (unit) or /u/ (but); ‘y’ as /y/ (yes), /ie/ (try), /i/ (myth), or /ee/ (funny); ‘ir’ (bird), ‘ur’ (hurt), or ‘er’ as /er/ (her); ‘ar’ > /ar/ (car) or /or/ (war); ‘al’ > /ə/ + /l/ (animal) or 'aw' (wall); ‘il’ > /ə/ + /l/ (pencil); ‘ul’ > /ə/ + /l/ (awful); ‘el’ > ə/ + /l/ (travel), ‘le’ > /ə/ + /l/ (apple); ‘tion’ > /sh/ + /ə/ + /n/; ‘ph’ > /f/ (phone); ‘ch’ > /k/ (school); ‘al’ > /aw/ (wall);
15. Read the following Tricky Words: Great Britain, Europe, native, Americans, war, signature, imagine, soldier, Washington, iron, special, shoe, Fort McHenry, early, whose, broad, bomb, Andrew, new;
16. Read decodable text that incorporates the letter-sound correspondences taught with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension;
17. Read and understand decodable text that incorporates the letter-sound correspondences taught with purpose and understanding;
18. Read decodable text that incorporates the letter-sound correspondences taught with increased accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
19. Use phonics skills in conjunction with context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary;
20. Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification;
21. Use both regular and irregular past-, present-, and future-tense verbs orally and in own writing;
22. Use adjectives appropriately orally and in own writing;
23. Use adverbs appropriately orally and in own writing;
24. Use and expand complete simple and compound sentences orally and in own writing;
25. Spell and write one-syllable words using the letter-sound correspondences taught in grade 2, using the Individual Code Chart as needed; and
20. Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases.

Skills strand - Core knowledge language arts, skills