Adult ESL Phonics:

Literacy Level
Units 1-4

by Jen Sacklin

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0

International License.

To request a Google Doc copy of this book, to report errors, or to request changes,
please email jensacklin@gmail.com

p. 1
 Unit 1:

M and N pages 3-5

D and T pages 6-8
R and L pages 9-11
F and V pages 12-14
Short A pages 15-16
Unit 1 Review pages 17-18

Adult ESL Phonics: Literacy Level by Jen Sacklin

CC BY-NC 4.0

p. 2
Mm and Nn in class

M
m

ap an ad ar

N
n

ight ine eck i

p. 3
Mm and Nn in class
Listen and write m or n:
1. __at 4. __ine
2. __ow 5. __ine
3. __eat 6. __eat

Listen and circle the word:

1. note moat 4. nap map
2. might night 5. an am
3. mine nine 6. son some

Match the words on the left to the words on the

right. Then, write m or n in the blank:
● January ● __ovember
● June ● Ja__uary
● September ● Septe__ber
● November ● Ju__e

p. 4
Mm and Nn homework
Practice writing m and n:

M
m
N
n
Copy these words with m and n:
January __ __ __ __ __ __ __
June __ __ __ __
September __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
November __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
December __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Take a picture of a sign with M and a sign with N.

p. 5
Dd and Tt in class

D
d

esk own entist ma

T
t

able en wo ca

p. 6
Dd and Tt in class
Listen and write d or t:
1. __ake 4. __oor
2. __esk 5. ca__
3. __ool 6. ma__

Listen and circle the word:

1. ten den 4. bat bad
2. to do 5. fat fad
3. town down 6. kit kid

Match the words on the left to the words on the

right. Then, write t or d in the blank:
● August ● __ecember
● September ● Ja__uary
● December ● Augus__
● Friday ● Fri__ay

p. 7
Dd and Tt homework
Practice writing d and t:

D
d
T
t
Copy these words with d and t:
August __ __ __ __ __ __
Tuesday __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Friday __ __ __ __ __ __
December __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Take a picture of a sign with D and a sign with T.

p. 8
Rr and Ll in class
R
r

ain ead ed hai

L
l

eft ight augh bow

p. 9
Rr and Ll in class
Listen and write r or l:
1. __ead 4. __oom
2. __ead 5. __ude
3. __oad 6. __oad

Listen and circle the word:

1. lead read 4. feel fear

2. light right 5. ball bar

3. lain rain 6. stole store

Match the words on the left to the words on the

right. Then, write r or l in the blank:
● March ● Apri__
● April ● Ju__y
● July ● Ma__ch
● October ● Octobe__

p. 10
Rr and Ll homework
Practice writing r and l:

R r
L l
Copy these words with r and l:
March __ __ __ __ __
April __ __ __ __ __
October __ __ __ __ __ __ __
December __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● left
● red
● rain

Take a picture of a sign with R and a sign with L.

p. 11
Ff and Vv in class

F
f

ish an ire lea

V
v

acuum dri er ri er egetables

p. 12
Ff and Vv in class
Listen and write f or v:
1. __ery 4. __acuum
2. __eel 5. ri__er
3. __an 6. __ree

Listen and circle the word:

1. fan van 4. safe save
2. ferry very 5. leaf leave
3. fat vat 6. half have

Match the words on the left to the words on the

right. Then, write f or v in the blank:
● February ● __riday
● November ● date __f birth
● Friday ● No__ember
● first name ● __ebruary
● date of birth ● __irst name
p. 13
Ff and Vv homework
Practice writing f and v:

F f
V v
Copy these words with f and v:
February __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
November __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
finish __ __ __ __ __ __
very __ __ __ __

Match the word on the left with the picture on the

right:
● fire
● river
● vegetables
Take a picture of a sign with F and a sign with V.
p. 14
Short Aa in class

A
a

s d m d h t c t

bl ck b ck m p rel x

v cuum l ugh f n m n

p. 15
Short Aa in class
Listen and write m, n, d, t, r, l, f, or v in the blank:
(Note to tutor: don’t say words that end with “r” or “l” because those change the sound of the “a”)

1. __an 6.__at 11. ta__

2. __an 7. __ap 12. ra__
3. __an 8.__ap 13. la__
4. __at 9. __ap 14. fa__
5. __at 10. ma__ 15. va__

Listen and circle the word:

1. man van 5. sad Sam
2. fat vat 6. fan fad
3. sad mad 7. mat man
4. tan ran 8. ran ram

p. 16
Unit 1 Review homework
Practice writing m, n, d, t, r, l, f, v and a:

M m
N n
D d
T t
R r
L l
F f
V v
A a

p. 17
Unit 1 Review homework
Write the word for each picture.
Write m, n, d, t, r, l, f, v, or a:

__ __p m__ __ m__ __ a__ __

__i__e __e__ __i__e__ i__

__esk __ish __ab__e c__ __

__ai__ __ea__ __e__ f__ __

p. 18
 Unit 2:
Story: I am Dan pages 20-23
P and B pages 24-26
B and V pages 27-29
K and G pages 30-32
S and Z pages 33-35
Short E and Short A pages 36-37
Days & Months page 38
Unit 2 Review pages 39-40

Adult ESL Phonics: Literacy Level by Jen Sacklin

CC BY-NC 4.0

p. 19
Story: I am Dan in class

I am Dan.

My family lives in Eugene.

I learn English at LCC.

I am very happy here.

p. 20
Story: I am Dan in class
Listen and circle the word:
1. Dan tan 4. here happy
2. am an 5. fan family
3. ferry very 6. at ad

Match the words on the left with the pictures on the right:

Eugene

happy

family

p. 21
Story: I am Dan in class
Circle Yes or No about the story:

Dan is sad here.

Yes No

Dan learns English at LCC. Yes No

Dan’s family lives in
Portland.
Yes No

Write about you:

I am ________________________________. (your name)

My family lives in _____________________.

I learn ____________________ at LCC.

p. 22
Story: I am Dan in class
Read the story again:

I am Dan. My family lives in Eugene. I learn

English at LCC. I am very happy here.

Find and circle these short a words in the story:

am Dan family at am happy

Copy these short a words:

am __ __
Dan __ __ __
family __ __ __ __ __ __
happy __ __ __ __ __
at __ __
p. 23
Pp and Bb in class

P
p

ark ma en aint

B
b

ed eans jo ee
p. 24
Pp and Bb in class
Listen and write p or b:
1. __ake 4. __ean
2. __et 5. __oat
3. __ig 6. __ig

Listen and circle the word:

1. pea bee 4. cap cab
2. pin bin 5. tap tab
3. pig big 6. slop slob

Match the words on the left to the words on the

right. Then, write p or b in the blank:
● February ● Se__tember
● September ● date of __irth
● November ● Novem__er
● computer ● Fe__ruary
● date of birth ● com__uter
p. 25
Pp and Bb homework
Practice writing p and b:

P p
B b
Copy these words with p and b:
September __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
November __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
computer __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
date of birth __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● map
● bed
● computer

Take a picture of a sign with B and a sign with P.

p. 26
Bb and Vv in class

B
b

ird ed jo ig

V
v

acuum olume an egetables

p. 27
Bb and Vv in class
Listen and write b or v:
1. __an 4. __est
2. __an 5. __at
3. __est 6. __at

Listen and circle the word:

1. very berry 4. curve curb
2. van ban 5. verve verb
3. vest best 6. revel rebel

Match the words on the left to the words on the

right. Then, write v or b in the blank:
● February ● Septem__er
● September ● date of __irth
● November ● No__ember
● notebook ● Fe__ruary
● date of birth ● note__ook
p. 28
Vv and Bb homework
Practice writing v and b:

B b
V v
Copy these words with v and b:
vegetables __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
September __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
November __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
job __ __ __
very __ __ __ __

Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● bird
● van
● vegetables

Take a picture of a sign with B and a sign with V.

p. 29
Kk and Gg in class

K
k

ey iss itchen for

G
g

as old irl ba
p. 30
Kk and Gg in class
Listen and write k or g:
1. __ing 4. bac__
2. __ain 5. ba__
3. __oal 6. __reen

Listen and circle the word:

1. kill gill 4. back bag
2. kale gale 5. duck dug
3. tack tag 6. lock log

Match the words on the left to the words on the

right. Then, write k or g in the blank:
● English ● des__
● book ● ba__
● desk ● cloc__
● bag ● En__lish
● clock ● boo__
p. 31
Kk and Gg homework
Practice writing k and g:

K k
G g
Copy these words with k and g:
go __ __
English __ __ __ __ __ __ __
kitchen __ __ __ __ __ __ __
notebook __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Match the word on the left with the picture on the

right:
● kitchen
● book
● bag

Take a picture of a sign with K and a sign with G.

p. 32
Ss and Zz in class
S
s

bu ing tairs alt

Z
z

ipper ero ebra ucchini

p. 33
Ss and Zz in class
Listen and write s or z:
1. __ame 4. __eal
2. __ing 5. __eal
3. __oo 6. __one

Listen and circle the word:

1. sip zip 4. bus buzz
2. sink zinc 5. seal zeal
3. sap zap 6. sewn zone

Sometimes s sounds like z! Listen

and check ✓ if the the s in the word
sounds like s or z:
WORD Sounds like s? Sounds like z?
classroom ✓
is
easy
eraser
p. 34
Ss and Zz homework
Practice writing s and z:

S s
Z z
Copy these words with s and z:
bus __ __
zipper __ __ __ __ __ __
class __ __ __ __ __
books __ __ __ __ __
zero __ __ __ __

Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● zero
● books
● class

Take a picture of a sign with S and a sign with Z.

p. 35
Short Ee and Short A in class

E
e

n ck s ven m n l mon

r d d sk p n t n

A a

s d m d bl ck c t
p. 36
Short Ee and Short A in class
Listen and write e or a:
1. p__t 6. f__t 11. v__t
2. m__t 7. g__t 12. ch__t
3. l__t 8. v__t 13. gl__ss
4. n__t 9. b__t 14. gr__ss
5. s__t 10. s__t 15. z__p

Listen and circle the word:

1. bad bed 4. had head
2. man men 5. tack tech
3. tan ten 6. met mat

Read these words. They all have short e!

-ell bell, fell, sell, smell, spell, tell

-est best, nest, pest, rest, test

p. 37
Days & Months in class
There are the 7 days of the week. Read these
words silently and write the missing letters:
Su__day Thur__day
__onday __riday
Tue__day Sa__urday
Wednes__ay

There are the 12 months of the year. Read these

words silently and write the missing letters:
Ja__uary Ju__y
__ebruary Augus__
Ma__ch Se__tember
A__ril Octo__er
__ay Nove__ber
Ju__e __ecember

p. 38
Unit 2 Review homework
Practice writing p, b, v, k, g, s, z, e and a:

P p
B b
V v
K k
G g
S s
Z z
E e
A a

p. 39
Unit 2 Review homework
Write the word for each picture.
Write a, b, d, e, f, g, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, and z:

m__ __ m__ __ m__ __ a__ __

__ __ __c__ t__ __ p__ __ b__ __

d__ __ __ v__ __ __u__ __itche__

m__ __ __e__o r__ __ f__ __

p. 40
 Unit 3:
H and W pages 42-44
C and G pages 45-47
Sounds of C pages 48-51
Short I and Short E pages 52-54
Story: My Name is Kelly pages 55-58
Unit 3 Review pages 59-60

Adult ESL Phonics: Literacy Level by Jen Sacklin

CC BY-NC 4.0

p. 41
Hh and Ww in class

H
h

and ot ug eart

W
w

ine allet alk ash

p. 42
Hh and Ww in class
Listen and write h or w:
1. __atch 4. __atch
2. __ill 5. __all
3. __ill 6. __all

Listen and circle the word:

1. will hill 4. way hay
2. wall hall 5. woe hoe
3. we he 6. wow how

Some words in English start with wh.

Listen and check ✓ if you can hear
the w or the h:
WORD Hear the w? Hear the h?
what ✓
where
who
white
p. 43
Hh and Ww homework
Practice writing h and w:

H h
W w
Copy these words with w and h:
we __ __
what __ __ __ __
where __ __ __ __ __
heart __ __ __ __ __
hand __ __ __ __

Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● walk
● heart
● hand

Take a picture of a sign with H and a sign with W.

p. 44
Cc and Gg in class
C
c

oat old lass at

G
g

reen old lass rass

p. 45
Cc and Gg in class
Listen and write c or g:
1. __ar 4. __ross
2. __reen 5. __ood
3. __reek 6. __lue

Listen and circle the word:

1. cold gold 4. back bag
2. class glass 5. muck mug
3. cram gram 6. tack tag

Match the words on the left to the words on the

right. Then, write c or g in the blank:
● English ● __alendar
● calendar ● En__lish
● classroom ● ba__
● bag ● __lassroom
● music ● musi__
p. 46
Cc and Gg homework
Practice writing c and g:

C c
G g
Copy these words with c and g:
go __ __
bag __ __ __
green __ __ __ __ __
cold __ __ __ __
classroom __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
grass __ __ __ __ __

Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● grass
● glass
● class

Take a picture of a sign with C and a sign with G.

p. 47
Sounds of C in class
C has two di erent sounds. Sometimes it
sounds like k and sometimes it sounds
like s. Listen and ✓ if it sounds like k or s.
WORD Sounds like k? Sounds like s?
class ✓
city
country
December
October
sentence
computer
pencil
divorced
exercise
music
niece

p. 48
Sounds of C in class
These words have s or c that sounds like s. Match
the words on the left to the words on the right.
Then, write c or s in the blank:
● eraser ● __ity
● bus ● pen__il
● classroom ● cla__ __room
● pencil ● era__er
● city ● bu__

These words have k or c that sounds like k. Match

the words on the left to the words on the right.
Then, write c or k in the blank:
● computer ● __alendar
● book ● boo__
● calendar ● __omputer
● kitchen ● __itchen

Ck always sounds like k. Practice these words:

back black clock neck sick
p. 49
C, K, and S in class
Read these silly stories:
(If the direct links below don’t work, go to portal.flyleafpublishing.com, click on “Students,” and scroll
down to the first section: “Emergent Reader Series: Part 1: VC, CVC Words”)

1. I am Sam:
https://portal.flyleafpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads
/books/1-i-am-sam/mobile/index.html#p=1

2. Cam and Sam:

https://portal.flyleafpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/
books/2-cam-and-sam/mobile/index.html#p=1

3. C and K:
https://portal.flyleafpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/
books/4-c-and-k/mobile/index.html#p=1

Find words with c in the stories. Copy them here:

Find words with s in the stories. Copy them here:

Find words with k in the stories. Copy them here:

Watch this silly video:

The Electric Company “c”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTyvwhdIodQ

p. 50
Sounds of C homework
Practice writing c:

C c
Copy these words that end with ck:
back __ __ __ __
black __ __ __ __ __
clock __ __ __ __ __
neck __ __ __ __
sick __ __ __ __
Copy these words with c that sounds like s:
city __ __ __ __
pencil __ __ __ __ __ __
exercise __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
niece __ __ __ __ __
Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● city
● pencil
● neck
p. 51
Short I and Short E in class

I
i

s ck s x d nner s t

s lver ch ps s sters c ty

E e

r d d sk p n p ncil
p. 52
Short I, Short E, and Short A in class
Listen and circle the word:
1. bad bed bid 5. rad red rid
2. pat pet pit 6. tack tech tick
3. had head hid 7. hack heck hick
4. pan pen pin 8. met mat mitt

Listen and write a, e, or i:

1. p__t 6. s__t 11. m__t
2. s__t 7. p__t 12. w__t
3. m__t 8. v__t 13. gl__ss
4. f__t 9. b__t 14. gr__ss
5. s__t 10. z__p 15. z__p

Read these words. They all have short i!

-ick click, kick, lick, pick, Rick, sick, stick
-ill bill, fill, grill, hill, kill, mill, pill, spill, still
-ip drip, flip, hip, lip, rip, skip, slip, trip, zip

p. 53
Short I and Short E homework
Practice writing i and e:

I i
E e
Copy these words with short i and short e:
city __ __ __ __
pencil __ __ __ __ __ __
music __ __ __ __ __
dinner __ __ __ __ __ __
sick __ __ __ __
red __ __ __
Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● sick
● city
● six

Take a picture of a sign with I and a sign with E.

p. 54
Story: My Name is Kelly in class

My name is Kelly.

I live in Junction City with my family.

Junction City is fifteen miles north of
Eugene.

I have six sisters. One of my sisters is married and has one

kid, so I have one brother-in-law and one nephew.

We have two pets: a cat and a

rabbit. Our cat’s name is Len and
our rabbit’s name is Fred.

p. 55
Story: My Name is Kelly in class
Circle Yes or No about the story:

Kelly’s family lives in

Eugene. Yes No

Kelly has red hair.

Yes No

Len and Fred are pets.

Yes No
Write about you:
My name is ________________________________.

I live in ____________________________________.

I have _____________ pet / pets.

p. 56
Story: My Name is Kelly in class
Read the story again:
My name is Kelly. I live in Junction City with my
family. I have six sisters. One of my sisters is married
and has one kid, so I have one brother-in-law and one
nephew. We have two pets: a cat and a rabbit. Our
cat’s name is Len and our rabbit’s name is Fred.

Find and circle these short a words in the story:

am cat has
have family rabbit

Find and circle these short e words in the story:

Kelly nephew pets Len Fred

Find and circle these short i words in the story:

is in live six city sisters kid

p. 57
Story: My Name is Kelly homework
Copy the words from the story that have short a:
am _______ cat _________ family ____________
has _________ have ________ rabbit ____________

Copy the words from the story that have short e:

Kelly ______________ nephew _________________
pets _________ Len __________ Fred __________

Copy the words from the story that have short i:

is _______ in ______ live ___________ six _______
city _________ sisters _____________ kid ________

Draw a picture of Kelly’s family:

p. 58
Unit 3 Review homework
Practice writing h, w, c, g, i, e and a:

H h
W w
C c
G g
I i
E e
A a
Write about you:
My name is ______________________________.
I am from ________________________________.
I live in __________________________________.

p. 59
Unit 3 Review homework
Write the word for each picture. Write a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h,
i, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, and z:

h__ __ __ n__ __ __ __al__ __ __ __y

g__ __ s__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ers c__ __ __ __

__ir__ b__ __ __ __ee__ __ __ __ __er

c__ __ s__ __ __ __ __x __o__

p. 60
 Unit 4:
T, Th, and D pages 62-65
J, Ch, and Y pages 66-71
Short O, Short I, and Short A pages 72-74
Sounds of A page 75
Short O and Au/Aw/Alk/All page 76-77
Story: This is Beth pages 78-81
Unit 4 Review page 82-83

Adult ESL Phonics: Literacy Level by Jen Sacklin

CC BY-NC 4.0

p. 61
T, Th, and D in class
T t

ea en ime oes

Th
th

ree ink umb irty

ma ear mou ba
p. 62
T, Th, and D in class
D d

og own entist esk

Watch these silly videos:
1. The Electric Company “d”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-29oi5V-wU

2. The Electric Company “th”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYhHp5hZrnE

Listen and write t, th, or d:

1. ____in 5. ____row 9. ma____
2. ____ool 6. ma____ 10. ra____
3. ____ale 7. tee____ 11. ba____
4. ____in 8. ma____ 12. rea____
p. 63
T, Th, and D in class
Listen and circle the words:
1. tis this 4. dose those
2. wit with 5. mad math
3. boat both 6. clod cloth

Count the sounds:

1. tea = t - ea = 2 sounds
2. ten = t - e - n = 3 sounds
3. toes = t - oe - s = 3 sounds
4. math = m - a - th = 3 sounds
5. bath = b - a - th = _____ sounds
6. mouth = m - ou - th = _____ sounds
7. dog = d - o - g = ______ sounds
8. desk = d - e - s - k = ______ sounds
9. dentist = d - e - n - t - i - s - t = _____ sounds

p. 64
T, Th, and D homework
Practice writing t, th, and d:

T t
Th th
D d
Copy these words with th:
this __ __ __ __ math __ __ __ __
three __ __ __ __ __ mouth __ __ __ __ __
tooth __ __ __ __ __ the __ __ __

Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● math
● mouth
● three

Take a picture of a sign with Th.

p. 65
Jj and Yy in class

J or J
j

eans ump uice acket

Y
y

ear ellow ogurt esterday

p. 66
Jj and Yy in class
How are j and y di erent?
j y
air stops: air flows:

round lips: flat lips:

Listen and write j or y:

1. __ake 4. __our
2. __ak 5. __udge
3. __ellow 6. __ou

Count the sounds:

1. jeans = j - ea - n - s = 4 sounds
2. jump = j - u - m - p = _____ sounds
3. yellow = y - e - ll - ow = _____ sounds
p. 67
J and Y homework
Practice writing j and y:

J or J j
Y y
Copy these words with j and y:
July __ __ __ __ jacket __ __ __ __ __ __
June __ __ __ __ you __ __ __
jeans __ __ __ __ __ your __ __ __ __
juice __ __ __ __ __ yes __ __ __

Match the word on the left with the picture on the right:
● juice
● jacket
● yellow

Take a picture of a sign with J and a sign with Y.

p. 68
J, Ch, and Y in class

J or J
j

ump ar am acket

Ch
ch

urch ild ips icken

p. 69
J, Ch and Y in class
Listen and write ch, j, or y:
1. ___ur___ 5. ___our
2. ___acket 6. ___udge
3. ___icken 7. ___ou
4. ___ob 8. tea___er

Listen and circle the word:

1. chore yore 4. char jar
2. chess yes 5. cheer jeer
3. chard yard 6. chump jump

Match the words on the left to the words on the

right. Then, write ch, j, or y in the blank:
● January ● ___ildren
● March ● ___anuary
● your ● Mar___
● children ● ___our

p. 70
J, Ch and Y homework
Practice writing j, ch, and y:

J or J j
Y y
Ch ch
Copy these words with j, ch, and y:
January __ __ __ __ __ __ __
June __ __ __ __
child __ __ __ __ __
children __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
chicken __ __ __ __ __ __ __
you __ __ __
yes __ __ __
yesterday __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
yellow __ __ __ __ __ __
year __ __ __ __

Take a picture of a sign with Ch.

p. 71
Short O, Short I, and Short A in class

O
o

live s cks h t sh p

m p p p p t m m

I i

s ck s x s lver s t
p. 72
Short O, Short I, and Short A in class
Listen and write a, i, or o:
1. b__d 5. s__ck
2. b__d 6. s__ck
3. b__dy 7. s__ck
4. j__b 8. j__b

Listen and circle the word:

1. sock sick sack 4. top tip tap

2. hot hit hat 5. rod rid rad

3. rock Rick rack 6. sop sip sap

Read these words. Which words have short a? Which

words have short i? Which words have short o?
-ap cap, clap, lap, map, nap, snap, tap
-ill bill, fill, grill, hill, kill, mill, pill, spill, still
-op cop, drop, mop, pop, stop, top
-ot dot, got, hot, lot, not, pot, rot, spot

p. 73
Short O, Short I, and Short A homework
Write the short a word for each picture:

h__ __ __ c__ __ g__ __ b__ __ __ __

Write the short i word for each picture:

__ __ __y c__ __ __ __ __ __x __ __ __ __ers

Write the short o word for each picture:

p__ __ s__ __ __ __ h__ __ s__ __ __

p. 74
Sounds of A in class
A sometimes sounds like black (short a), sometimes
sounds like walk (same sound as short o). Listen and
check ✓ what sound you hear:
WORD Sounds like Sounds like
black? walk?
August ✓
address
last
sister-in-law
talk
trash
daughter
afternoon

Count the sounds:

1. address = a - dd - r - e - ss = 5 sounds
2. last = l - a - s - t = _____ sounds
3. August = Au - g - u - s - t = _____ sounds
p. 75
Short O and Au/Aw/Alk/All in class
Words with the short o (sounds like olive) sound sometimes
have these spelling patterns. Practice these words:
Sound: Sound: Sound: Sound: Sound:
olive olive olive olive + k olive + l
Spelling: Spelling: Spelling: Spelling: Spelling:
o au aw alk all
olive August sister-in-law talk mall
socks daughter brother-in-law walk call
hot laundry awesome talked small
shop Paul lawn walked wall

Listen and see how adding u, w, lk, or ll changes the

sound of a:
1. pal → Paul 4. mass → malls

2. fan → fawn 5. sad → sawed

3. tack → talk 6. cat → caught

p. 76
Short O and Au/Aw/Alk/All homework
These words have the short o (sounds like olive)
sound. Match the words on the left with the words
on the right. Then, write o or a in the blank:
1. shopping ● __ugust
2. co ee ● sh__pping
3. August ● bl__ck
4. watch ● st__p
5. father ● d__ughter
6. block ● __ffice
7. talk ● m__ll
8. mall ● w__tch
9. stop ● c__ffee
10. o ce ● f__ther
11. daughter ● t__lk

p. 77
Story: This is Beth in class

1. This is Beth. Beth 2. Their daughter is 3. Their older son is

and her husband ten years old. She is nine years old. He is
have three children. in fifth grade. She in fourth grade. He
loves math. loves reading.

4. They both have a

lot of homework. Beth
helps them with their
homework every
5. Their younger son 6. Beth thinks her
evening. is four years old. He is family is awesome!
in pre-school.
p. 78
Story: This is Beth in class
Match the words on the left with the pictures on the right:

math

fourth

fifth

Beth’s daughter

Beth’s older son

Beth’s younger son

Listen and circle the word:

1. fourth four 4. homework husband
2. fifth five 5. every evening
3. math mat 6. younger older

p. 79
Story: This is Beth in class
Circle Yes or No about the story:

Beth and her husband

have four children. Yes No

Beth’s daughter loves

math. Yes No

Beth’s older son is four Yes No

years old.

Beth’s younger son is four Yes No

years old.

Writing: Do you have any children? Tell your tutor about

your family. Your tutor will write your words. Then, copy
your story into your notebook for homework.

p. 80
Story: This is Beth homework
Copy these words with th:

1. this __ __ __ __ 7. three __ __ __ __ __
2. Beth __ __ __ __ 8. their __ __ __ __ __
3. they __ __ __ __ 9. fifth __ __ __ __ __
4. both __ __ __ __ 10. math __ __ __ __
5. them __ __ __ __ 11. fourth __ __ __ __ __ __
6. them __ __ __ __ 12. thinks __ __ __ __ __ __

Match the words on the left with the words on the

right. Then, write the missing letter in the blank:
1. both ● __on
2. three ● hus__and
3. homework ● fami__y
4. daughter ● __oth
5. son ● d__ughter
6. husband ● th__ee
7. family ● __omework

p. 81
Unit 4 Review homework
Write the word for each picture.
Write a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, v, w, and z:

j__ __ d__ __ __ea d__ __ __

t__ __ t__ __ __ __ m__ __ __ __ b__ __ __

j__ __ __ j__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ow s__ __ __s

c__ __ __ __ __ c__ __ __s m__ __ p__ __

p. 82
The Alphabet homework
Here are all the letters of the alphabet, Capital and small:
. A . a . . J . j . S . s
. B . b . . K . k . . T . t
. C . c . . L . l . . U . u
. D . d . . M . m . . V . v
. E . e . . N . n . . W . w
. F . f . . O . o . . X . x
. G . g . . P . p . . Y . y .
. H . h . . Q . q . . Z . z .
. I . i . . R . r .

Write all the small letters of the alphabet:

A _____ J _____ S _____
B _____ K _____ T _____
C _____ L _____ U _____
D _____ M _____ V _____
E _____ N _____ W _____
F _____ O _____ X _____
G _____ P _____ Y _____
H _____ Q _____ Z _____
I _____ R _____

p. 83
 Good Stu at the End
Book Credit:
This book was inspired by and remixed/expanded from "Adult ELL Phonics" Ryan Yates, 2017, CC BY-NC 4.0.

Book Purpose:
I wrote this book for a particular student in my beginning ESL class who wasn’t literate in either her
first or second languages. She’s now gaining literacy in her third language, English. At first, I tried LEA and
whole-part-whole activities with her, but the student’s beginning grasp of alphabetics made those activities
frustrating for her. Then, I went to the trusty What’s Next? series by New Readers Press, but even the
Introductory Level books were too challenging. She was able to recognize, write, and sound out several letters,
but she couldn’t read or write whole words (neither common sight words nor words with common spelling
patterns). So, I wrote this book to 1) systematically (re)introduce her to all the letters of the alphabet and most
of the English phonemes and 2) encourage whole-word recognition and reading.
This book is meant to be used by a tutor working with an individual student or small group of students
who have similar literacy levels. There are flashcards at the end of each document; I highly recommend doing
activities such as Memory, Go Fish, grouping pictures of things that start with the same letter, grouping
pictures of rhyming words, grouping words by categories like “animal, ” etc. The book is broken into two
documents (Units 1-4 and Units 1-8) because of the file sizes of the high quality images used. If you find any
errors or have any feedback for me on improving the book, please email me at jensacklin@gmail.com.

Literacy Skills:
This list and this chart go into wonderful detail about the skills that emergent readers acquire on their way to
literacy.

This book (Units 1-8) covers the following reading skills:

● Identify and name all upper and lower case alphabet letters when seeing the letter(s) both in isolation
and in context.
● Relate letters to corresponding sounds by identifying/selecting/writing the correct letter when hearing
short words with the target sound.
● Say the primary or most frequent sounds for the 21 single consonants, common consonant digraphs,
and all vowels (lax/“short,” tense/“long,” and diphthongs) when seeing the letter(s) both in isolation and
in context.
● Segment words into their individual sounds.
● Decode regularly spelled, short words.
● Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.

This book (Units 1-8) covers the following writing skills:

● Write each letter of the alphabet accurately and legibly.
● Copy words, writing each letter legibly and placing words correctly on lines.
● Copy sentences accurately and legibly on lines using spacing, capital letters, and end punctuation.

p. 84
Table of Contents:

Units 1-4:
● Unit 1
○ M and N pages 3-5
○ D and T pages 6-8
○ R and L pages 9-11
○ F and V pages 12-14
○ Short A pages 15-16
○ Unit 1 Review pages 17-18
● Unit 2
○ Story: I am Dan pages 20-23
○ P and B pages 24-26
○ B and V pages 27-29
○ K and G pages 30-32
○ S and Z pages 33-35
○ Short E and Short A pages 36-37
○ Days & Months page 38
○ Unit 2 Review pages 39-40
● Unit 3
○ H and W pages 42-44
○ C and G pages 45-47
○ Sounds of C pages 48-51
○ Short I and Short E pages 52-54
○ Story: My Name is Kelly pages 55-58
○ Unit 3 Review pages 59-60
● Unit 4
○ T, Th, and D pages 62-65
○ J, Ch, and Y pages 66-71
○ Short O, Short I, and Short A pages 72-74
○ Sounds of A page 75
○ Short O and Au/Aw/Alk/All page 76-77
○ Story: This is Beth pages 78-81
○ Unit 4 Review page 82-83

Units 5-8 (email jensacklin@gmail.com to get a copy of Units 5-8):

● Unit 5: Sh, Ch, X, Q, Short U, Long A
● Unit 6: Long E, Silent E, Long I, Y as a Vowel
● Unit 7: Ng, Nk, Long O, Long U, Vowels with R
● Unit 8: Ph, Oi, Oy, Ow, Ou, Oo, U

p. 85
Story Credits:
Story: I am Dan pages 20-23 = Story by Jen Sacklin. Photos of Dan by artur84 at freedigitalphotos.net. Photo of
Eugene by Jsayre64 CC BY-SA 3.0. Photo of LCC: screenshot from video on lanecc.edu/esl
Story: My Name is Kelly pages 55-58 = Story by Jen Sacklin. Photo of Kelly cropped from a photo by Zackary
Drucker from The Gender Spectrum Collection, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Photo of Fred and Len by Ed Brey from
Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-NC 4.0. Photo of Eugene by Jsayre64 CC BY-SA 3.0.
Story: This is Beth pages 78-81 = Story adapted from “School and Homework: Digraph th” by Marn Frank.
Photos from Alyssa Sieb via https://nappy.co/alyssasieb, Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license.

Image Credits (Alphabetical Order by Caption):

Arm page 3, 18, 40, 89 = Photo by @artofsinn via Unsplash
Back page 15, 91 = Photo by @kristapsbx via Unsplash
Bad page 72, 99 = Clip art edited from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Bag page 30, 32, 60, 93 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Bath page 62, 97 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Beans page 24, 91 = Photo by @omidopari via Unsplash
Bed page 24, 26, 27, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Bee page 24, 91 = Photo by Jen Sacklin
Big page 27, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Bird page 27, 29, 93 = Photo by John Sacklin, used with permission
Book page 32, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Books page 35, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Bowl page 9, 89 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Bus page 33, 40, 93 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Cat page 6, 15, 18, 36, 45, 73, 89 = Photo by @madhatterzone via Unsplash
Chicken page 68, 99 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Child page 68, 99 = Photo by @miekelauren via Unsplash
Chips page 52, 68, 73, 95 = Photo Kampus Productions via Pexels.com
Church page 68, 97 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
City page 51, 52, 54, 60, 73, 99 = Photo by @benobro via Unsplash
Class page 35, 45, 47, 93 = Photo by @nci via Unsplash
Coat page 45, 95 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Cold page 45, 95 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Computer page 26, 91 = Photo by @nordwood via Unsplash
Dentist page 6, 63, 89 = Photo by @geodays via Unsplash
Desk page 6, 18, 36, 52, 63, 89 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Dinner page 52, 60, 95 = Photo by @jimmydean via Unsplash
Dog page 63, 97 = Photo by @victor_vector via Unsplash
Down page 89 = Photo by Jen Sacklin
Driver page 12, 91 = Photo by @jfeiber via Unsplash
Earth page 62, 97 = Clip art edited from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0

p. 86
Eugene pages 21, 22, 56 = Photo by Jsayre64 CC BY-SA 3.0.
Fan page 12, 15, 18, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Fire page 12, 14, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Fish page 12, 18, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Fork page 30, 93 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Gas page 30, 60, 73, 93 = Photo by @wesleyphotography via Unsplash
Girl page 30, 60, 93 = Photo by @hozae via Unsplash
Glass page 45, 47, 95 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Gold page 30, 45, 93 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Grass page 45, 47, 95 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Hair page 9, 89 = Photo by @alipzn via Unsplash
Hand page 42, 44, 60, 73, 95 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Hat page 15, 93 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Heart page 42, 44, 93 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Hot page 42, 60, 71, 73, 95 = Clip art edited from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Hug page 42, 95 = cropped from a photo by Zackary Drucker from The Gender Spectrum Collection, CC
BY-NC-ND 4.0.
In page 3, 18, 89 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
J page 67 = Photo and graphics by Jen Sacklin
Jacket page 65, 67, 68, 95 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Jam page 68, 97 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Jar page 68, 97 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Jeans page 65, 97 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Job page 24, 27, 91 = Photo by @dirtjoy via Unsplash
Juice page 65, 67, 97 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Jump page 65, 68, 97 = Photo by @itslarryg via Unsplash
Key page 30, 93 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Kiss page 30, 93 = cropped from a photo by Zackary Drucker from The Gender Spectrum Collection, CC
BY-NC-ND 4.0.
Kitchen page 30, 32, 40, 93 = Photo by @collovhome via Unsplash
Laugh page 9, 15, 89 = Photo by @canweallgo via Unsplash
Leaf page 12, 91 = Photo by @kwangjavier via Unsplash
Lemon page 36, 93 = Photo by @juliazolotova via Unsplash
Light page 9, 89 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Man page 3, 15, 18, 89 = Photo by @canweallgo via Unsplash
Mad page 3, 15, 36, 40, 73, 89 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Map of South America pages 3, 15, 18, 24, 26, 40, 89 = Map by DavoO, CC BY-SA 3.0
Men page 36, 40, 93 = Photo by @mariyageorgieva via Unsplash
Mom page 71, 99 = Photo by Joy Nelson, used with permission
Mop page 71, 99 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Mouth page 62, 64, 97 = Photo by @whatuprell via Unsplash

p. 87
Neck page 3, 51, 60, 89 = Photo by @ra aalvess via Unsplash
Night page 3, 89 = Photo by @zacong via Unsplash
Olive page 71, 99 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Pencil page 51, 52, 97 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Paint page 24, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Park page 24, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Pen page 24, 36, 40, 91 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Pop page 71, 99 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Pot page 71, 73, 99 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Rain page 13 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Read page 9, 89 = Photo by @sevenshooterimage via Unsplash
Relax page 15, 91 = Photo by John Sacklin, used with permission
River page 12, 14, 18, 91 = Photo by @jack_anstey via Unsplash
Sad page 15, 89 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Salt page 33, 93 = Clip art edited from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Shop page 71, 73, 99 = Photo by @freestocks via Unsplash
Sick page 52, 54, 60, 71, 95 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Sing page 33, 93 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Sisters page 52, 60, 73, 99 = Photo by @tjsocoz via Unsplash
Sit page 52, 71, 95 = Photo by @robinnoguier via Unsplash
Socks page 71, 73, 99 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Stairs page 33, 93 = Photo by @sudilkovsky via Unsplash
Table page 6, 18 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Tea page 62, 99 = Photo by @teacora via Unsplash
Think page 62, 97 = Photo by @anthonytran via Unsplash
Thumb page 62, 97 = Photo by @acharki via Unsplash
Time page 62 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Toes page 62 = Photo by @sql via Unsplash
Vacuum page 12, 15, 27 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Van page 27, 40 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Vegetables page 12, 14, 27, 29, 89 = Photo by @randyhath via Unsplash
Walk page 42, 44, 60, 95 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Wallet page 42, 95 = Photo by @emcal via Unsplash
Wash page 42, 95 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Wine page 42, 95 = Clip art edited from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Y page 67 = Photo and graphics by Jen Sacklin
Year (2017, 2018, 2019) page 65, 99 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Yogurt page 65, 97 = Photo by @saracervera via Unsplash
Zebra page 33 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0
Zucchini page 33 = Clip art from openclipart.org, CC0 1.0

p. 88
Flashcards for Units 1 & 2: Print double-sided on cardstock

p. 89
Flashcards for Units 1 & 2: Print double-sided on cardstock

arm mad man map

in neck nine night

sad dentist down desk

cat two ten table

hair red read rain

bowl laugh light left

p. 90
Flashcards for Units 1 & 2: Print double-sided on cardstock

p. 91
Flashcards for Units 1 & 2: Print double-sided on cardstock

leaf fire fan fish

vegetables river driver vacuum

relax big back black

paint pen computer park

bee job beans bed

books book van volume

p. 92
Flashcards for Units 1 & 2: Print double-sided on cardstock

p. 93
Flashcards for Units 1 & 2: Print double-sided on cardstock

fork kitchen kiss key

bag girl gold gas

salt stairs sing bus

bird hat zero zipper

class lemon men seven

p. 94
Flashcards for Units 3 & 4 (no duplicate words from Units 1 & 2): Print double-sided on cardstock

p. 95
Flashcards for Units 3 & 4 (no duplicate words from Units 1 & 2): Print double-sided on cardstock

heart hug hot hand

wash walk wallet wine

white green cold jacket

or coat

six sick grass glass

chips silver sit dinner

p. 96
Flashcards for Units 3 & 4 (no duplicate words from Units 1 & 2): Print double-sided on cardstock

p. 97
Flashcards for Units 3 & 4 (no duplicate words from Units 1 & 2): Print double-sided on cardstock

jam dog toes pencil

thumb thirty three jar

mouth think math earth

or world

juice jump jeans bath

church yogurt yellow yesterday

p. 98
Flashcards for Units 3 & 4 (no duplicate words from Units 1 & 2): Print double-sided on cardstock

p. 99
Flashcards for Units 3 & 4 (no duplicate words from Units 1 & 2): Print double-sided on cardstock

bad mom mop shop

city sisters sack pot

socks time tea pop

or clock or soda

olive chicken child year

p. 100