Lenny.com
Explore
Create
ActivitiesNewMathEnglish Language ArtsScience & EngineeringSocial StudiesGlobal LanguagesHealth & Physical EducationSpecial EducationCounseling & Life SkillsArts & CreativityESL
Lenny.com
Lenny.com
Explore
Create
ActivitiesNewMathEnglish Language ArtsScience & EngineeringSocial StudiesGlobal LanguagesHealth & Physical EducationSpecial EducationCounseling & Life SkillsArts & CreativityESL
Lenny.com
Lenny.com

Solutions

Lenny for EducatorsLenny for SchoolsLenny for Districts

Product

ExploreSign inCreateSupportAbout

Resources

Getting startedMTSS Acceleration Program

© 2026 Lenny Learning Inc.

TermsPrivacyAccessibility
LinkedInInstagramX
Lenny
ESLBeginner EnglishBasic VocabularyBasic GrammarBasic ListeningBasic SpeakingBasic ReadingBasic WritingIntermediate EnglishIntermediate VocabularyGrammarListeningSpeakingReadingAdvanced EnglishAdvanced VocabularyAdvanced GrammarAdvanced ListeningAdvanced SpeakingAdvanced ReadingAdvanced WritingAcademic English SkillsStudy SkillsTest-Taking StrategiesContent Area LanguageResearch and Information Literacy

Reading 1 - Desert Survivors

A 5-day foundational phonics and early literacy unit for ELPA21 Level 1-2 English learners, featuring 45-minute daily lessons centered on desert wildlife that systematically build word identification, CVC decoding, Elkonin box encoding, and decodable reading.

KJKatie Jordan
Hot Sun Plants

A 45-minute foundational phonics lesson for ELPA21 Level 1-2 English learners focusing on CVC word identification, sound tapping, decoding short /a/ and /o/ words, and whole-class choral practice.

Birds That Peck

A 45-minute phonics lesson expanding CVC decoding and encoding to short /e/ and /i/ words (peck, tap, red, bug, dig) with whole-class choral decoding and picture matching.

Little Night Owls

A 45-minute lesson introducing initial consonant blends (CCVC: fl-, sp-, st-) with desert birds and nests, featuring whole-class blending practice and 4-sound Elkonin boxes.

Desert Rats Dig

A 45-minute phonics lesson targeting final consonant blends (-st, -nd, -mp) and digraphs (sh, ch, th) with kangaroo rat themes, whole-class sound clapping, and Elkonin encoding.

Desert Animal Web

A 45-minute cumulative synthesis lesson where students combine mastered CVC and blend patterns into compound decodables and read connected desert stories with high-frequency sight words.

Reading 1 - Desert Survivors

A 5-day foundational phonics and early literacy unit for ELPA21 Level 1-2 English learners, featuring 45-minute daily lessons centered on desert wildlife that systematically build word identification, CVC decoding, Elkonin box encoding, and decodable reading.

KJKatie Jordan
in

4 Even when the sun is hot, the strong internal rod holds the cactus upright.

Focus Skill Check: 4 Target Words

Read each transfer word aloud to the teacher.

Teacher Score: [ 4/4 • 3/4 • 2/4 • 1/4 ]

Word 1

m o p

•••

Word 2

t a n

•••

Word 3

c o b

•••

Word 4

b a g

•••

Teacher dictates: Word 1 (sap), Word 2 (log), Word 3 (pan)

Listen to teacher ➔ Tap 3 sounds ➔ Write in Activity Sheet Part 3! Slide 4 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 1 • Parts 4 & 5

Part 4 Sentences & Part 5 Practice Check

Pairs

29 - 37 Min

Part 4: Choral Sentence Reading

1. The cactus pad is flat in the heat.

2. The wax skin stops rot at midday.

3. A plant rod stands on dry soil.

Part 5: 4-Point Practice Check

Practice with your assigned partner on your Activity Sheet:

✔️ Task A: Read 2 words to partner (van, fox)

✔️ Task B: Write 2 words from dictation (pot, tag)

Score your partner: [ 4 • 3 • 2 • 1 ]

Work with your partner to complete Part 5 at the bottom of Page 1! Slide 5 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 2

Passage & Focus Skill Check

Assessment

37 - 45 Min

Page 2: 3-Step Reading Routine

1. Teacher Model: Track words with finger.

2. Choral Read: Read in unison with class.

3. Partner Read: Whisper read to your peer.

Target Skill Check: 4 Words

Read these 4 transfer words aloud to your teacher:

m o p

t a n

c o b

b a g

Turn to Page 2 of your Activity Sheet to read the passage and take the check! Slide 6 of 6

Student Performance Criteria
4/4Advanced / MasteredIndependently decodes all 4 transfer words (fit, men, cup, rib) with immediate blending and correct short vowel phonology.
3/4Target / ProficientAccurately decodes 3 of 4 words using sound-dot tapping. Self-corrects minor vowel hesitation without teacher assistance.
2/4Emerging / ApproachingIdentifies initial and final consonants accurately but confuses medial /e/, /i/, or /u/ vowels. Needs prompt to blend sounds continuously.
1/4Beginning / IntensiveStruggles to isolate individual phonemes without direct 1:1 modeling. Unable to blend 3 sounds independently.

Part 3 Dictation Prompt

"Look at Part 3 on your sheet. Word 1 is WET. Tap the sounds: /w/ /e/ /t/. Write the letters in Box 1."

Teacher Transition Directive

"Now look at Part 4 on your sheet and Slide 5. We will read the sentences together in unison, then you will practice with your partner in Part 5."

4 The bird grips the bark with strong claws so its leg muscles support every blow.

Focus Skill Check: 4 Target Words

Read each transfer word aloud to the teacher.

Teacher Score: [ 4/4 • 3/4 • 2/4 • 1/4 ]

Word 1

f i t

•••

Word 2

m e n

•••

Word 3

c u p

•••

Word 4

r i b

•••

Teacher dictates: Word 1 (wet), Word 2 (pit), Word 3 (rug)

Listen to teacher ➔ Tap 3 sounds ➔ Write in Activity Sheet Part 3! Slide 4 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 1 • Parts 4 & 5

Part 4 Sentences & Part 5 Practice Check

Pairs

29 - 37 Min

Part 4: Choral Sentence Reading

1. The woodpecker taps on a dry plant stem.

2. The bird can dig a safe pit for shelter.

3. I see a small bug rest on the wet mud.

Part 5: 4-Point Practice Check

Practice with your assigned partner on your Activity Sheet:

✔️ Task A: Read 2 words to partner (rip, tub)

✔️ Task B: Write 2 words from dictation (hen, lid)

Score your partner: [ 4 • 3 • 2 • 1 ]

Work with your partner to complete Part 5 at the bottom of Page 1! Slide 5 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 2

Passage & Focus Skill Check

Assessment

37 - 45 Min

Page 2: 3-Step Reading Routine

1. Teacher Model: Track words with finger.

2. Choral Read: Read in unison with class.

3. Partner Read: Whisper read to your peer.

Target Skill Check: 4 Words

Read these 4 transfer words aloud to your teacher:

f i t

m e n

c u p

r i b

Turn to Page 2 of your Activity Sheet to read the passage and take the check! Slide 6 of 6

ScoreProficiency LevelStudent Performance Criteria
4/4Advanced / MasteredIndependently decodes all 4 transfer blend words (frog, stem, flag, dust) without omitting consonants or inserting extraneous vowels.
3/4Target / ProficientAccurately decodes 3 of 4 words using sound-dot tapping. Retains both consonants in each blend cluster with minimal teacher prompting.
2/4Emerging / ApproachingDeletes one consonant in the blend cluster (e.g. reads "fog" for "frog" or "sem" for "stem"). Requires phoneme tapping prompt to blend all 4 sounds.
1/4Beginning / IntensiveUnable to isolate or blend 4-phoneme words without direct 1:1 modeling.

Part 3 Dictation Prompt

"Look at Part 3 on your sheet. Word 1 is SLIP. Tap 4 sounds: /s/ /l/ /i/ /p/. Write the letters in Box 1."

Teacher Transition Directive

"Now look at Part 4 on your sheet and Slide 5. We will read the sentences together in unison, then you will practice with your partner in Part 5."

3 Its large eyes can spot beetles moving across the desert sand.

4 With a quick wing flap, the miniature predator glides soundlessly down to secure its meal.

Focus Skill Check: 4 Target Words

Read each transfer word aloud to the teacher.

Teacher Score: [ 4/4 • 3/4 • 2/4 • 1/4 ]

Word 1

f r o g

••••

Word 2

s t e m

••••

Word 3

f l a g

••••

Word 4

d u s t

••••

Listen to Teacher Dictation:

Word 1:

Word 2:

Word 3:

Teacher dictates: Word 1 (slip), Word 2 (trap), Word 3 (snug)

Listen to teacher ➔ Tap 4 sounds ➔ Write in Activity Sheet Part 3! Slide 4 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 1 • Parts 4 & 5

Part 4 Sentences & Part 5 Practice Check

Pairs

29 - 37 Min

Part 4: Choral Sentence Reading

1. The little elf owl leaves its snug cavity at dusk.

2. The bird will flap silent wings in flight.

3. It can spot insects crawling on a branch.

Part 5: 4-Point Practice Check

Practice with your assigned partner on your Activity Sheet:

✔️ Task A: Read 2 words to partner (drop, spin)

✔️ Task B: Write 2 words from dictation (fast, trip)

Score your partner: [ 4 • 3 • 2 • 1 ]

Work with your partner to complete Part 5 at the bottom of Page 1! Slide 5 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 2

Passage & Focus Skill Check

Assessment

37 - 45 Min

Page 2: 3-Step Reading Routine

1. Teacher Model: Track words with finger.

2. Choral Read: Read in unison with class.

3. Partner Read: Whisper read to your peer.

Target Skill Check: 4 Words

Read these 4 transfer words aloud to your teacher:

f r o g

s t e m

f l a g

d u s t

Turn to Page 2 of your Activity Sheet to read the passage and take the check! Slide 6 of 6

4-Point Target Skill Check Rubric (Page 2 Assessment: tent, ship, bent, chop)

ELPA21 Rubric

ScoreProficiency LevelStudent Performance Criteria
4/4Advanced / MasteredAccurately decodes all 4 transfer words (tent, ship, bent, chop) with correct terminal blend articulation and single-phoneme digraph pronunciation.
3/4Target / ProficientAccurately decodes 3 of 4 words using sound-dot tapping. Corrects minor cluster deletion upon reminder without direct teacher modeling.
2/4Emerging / ApproachingDeletes terminal consonants (e.g. reads "ten" for "tent") or pronounces digraphs as separate consonant sounds.
1/4Beginning / IntensiveUnable to isolate terminal sounds or blend digraphs without direct 1:1 modeling.

Part 3 Dictation Prompt

"Look at Part 3 on your sheet. Word 1 is HAND. Tap 4 sounds: /h/ /a/ /n/ /d/. Write the letters in Box 1."

Teacher Transition Directive

"Now look at Part 4 on your sheet and Slide 5. We will read the sentences together in unison, then you will practice with your partner in Part 5."

4 Inside its sheltered shed cavity, moisture stays trapped in the cool earth.

Focus Skill Check: 4 Target Words

Read each transfer word aloud to the teacher.

Teacher Score: [ 4/4 • 3/4 • 2/4 • 1/4 ]

Word 1

t e n t

••••

Digraph

sh i p

•••

Word 3

b e n t

••••

Digraph

ch o p

•••

4. Digraphs share 1 box; blends take 2 boxes!

Listen to Teacher Dictation:

Word 1:

Word 2:

Word 3:

Teacher dictates: Word 1 (hand), Word 2 (rich), Word 3 (hunt)

Listen to teacher ➔ Tap sounds ➔ Write in Activity Sheet Part 3! Slide 4 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 1 • Parts 4 & 5

Part 4 Sentences & Part 5 Practice Check

Pairs

29 - 37 Min

Part 4: Choral Sentence Reading

1. The kangaroo rat hops fast across desert sand.

2. The rodent stays safe in a deep, damp burrow.

3. It can rush along a narrow path at night.

Part 5: 4-Point Practice Check

Practice with your assigned partner on your Activity Sheet:

✔️ Task A: Read 2 words to partner (land, mash)

✔️ Task B: Write 2 words from dictation (lamp, thin)

Score your partner: [ 4 • 3 • 2 • 1 ]

Work with your partner to complete Part 5 at the bottom of Page 1! Slide 5 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 2

Passage & Focus Skill Check

Assessment

37 - 45 Min

Page 2: 3-Step Reading Routine

1. Teacher Model: Track words with finger.

2. Choral Read: Read in unison with class.

3. Partner Read: Whisper read to your peer.

Target Skill Check: 4 Words

Read these 4 transfer words aloud to your teacher:

t e n t

sh i p

b e n t

ch o p

Turn to Page 2 of your Activity Sheet to read the passage and take the check! Slide 6 of 6

ScoreProficiency LevelStudent Performance Criteria
4/4Advanced / MasteredIndependently decodes all 4 transfer compound words (sunup, bedbug, redcap, catnip) by recognizing and blending both component bases.
3/4Target / ProficientAccurately decodes 3 of 4 words using chunking strategies. Self-corrects minor syllable pause without teacher assistance.
2/4Emerging / ApproachingDecodes only the initial CVC base (e.g. reads "sun" but cannot blend "up"). Requires prompt to cover second chunk.
1/4Beginning / IntensiveUnable to decompose compound words into smaller syllables without direct 1:1 modeling.

Part 3 Dictation Prompt

"Look at Part 3 on your sheet. Word 1 is SUNBAT. Base 1: /s/ /u/ /n/. Base 2: /b/ /a/ /t/. Write each base in its box set."

Teacher Transition Directive

"Now look at Part 4 on your sheet and Slide 5. We will read the sentences together in unison, then you will practice with your partner in Part 5."

Read in unison with class

3

Partner Read

Read aloud to a peer

Reading Passage: The Interconnected Desert Food Web Decodable Text

1 When the fierce heat fades at sunset, desert activity surges.

2 Spiders string an intricate bugnet of silk among giant cactus arms to ensnare beetles.

3 Kangaroo rats emerge from an excavated sandpit to harvest fallen seeds.

4 All plants and animals function together in this resilient ecosystem.

Focus Skill Check: 4 Target Words

Read each compound word aloud to the teacher.

Teacher Score: [ 4/4 • 3/4 • 2/4 • 1/4 ]

Word 1

s u n • u p

[sun]+[up]

Word 2

b e d • b u g

[bed]+[bug]

Word 3

r e d • c a p

[red]+[cap]

Word 4

c a t • n i p

[cat]+[nip]

1. Teacher dictates multi-syllable compound terms.

2. Segment Base 1 and write sounds in box set 1.

3. Segment Base 2 and write sounds in box set 2.

4. Synthesize both chunks to check your spelling!

Listen to Teacher Dictation:

Word 1:

Word 2:

Word 3:

Teacher dictates: Word 1 (sunbat), Word 2 (nutmeg), Word 3 (dustpan)

Listen to teacher ➔ Tap chunks ➔ Write in Activity Sheet Part 3! Slide 4 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 1 • Parts 4 & 5

Part 4 Sentences & Part 5 Practice Check

Pairs

29 - 37 Min

Part 4: Choral Sentence Reading

1. The hot sun sets across the vast expanse.

2. The bat, red bird, and owl hunt at night.

3. All organisms interact in the desert web.

Part 5: 4-Point Practice Check

Practice with your assigned partner on your Activity Sheet:

✔️ Task A: Read 2 compound words (bobcat, mudpit)

✔️ Task B: Write 1 compound word (sunlamp)

Score your partner: [ 4 • 3 • 2 • 1 ]

Work with your partner to complete Part 5 at the bottom of Page 1! Slide 5 of 6


Activity Sheet Page 2

Passage & Focus Skill Check

Assessment

37 - 45 Min

Page 2: 3-Step Reading Routine

1. Teacher Model: Track words with finger.

2. Choral Read: Read in unison with class.

3. Partner Read: Whisper read to your peer.

Target Skill Check: 4 Words

Read these 4 transfer compound words aloud to your teacher:

sun • up

bed • bug

red • cap

cat • nip

Turn to Page 2 of your Activity Sheet to read the passage and take the check! Slide 6 of 6

You might also like

Meal Masters Student Packet

Healthy Bites

A comprehensive 5-day English as a New Language unit for 6th grade exploring food vocabulary, countable and uncountable nouns, cafeteria transactions, and healthy recipe writing. Students develop practical communicative fluency through visual vocabulary practice, role-play cafeteria simulations, and scaffolded creative writing tasks.

ZF

Zach Foster

6
ACCESS Unlocked Teacher Guide

ACCESS Unlocked

A high school whole-class protocol and reflection session designed to help multilingual learners understand their WIDA ACCESS scores, domain proficiencies, state exit criteria, and create targeted growth goals.

CS

Christine Staugler

3
WIDA Writing Scoring Matrix

WIDA Writing Scoring Matrix

Official Grades 9-12 WIDA Writing Rubric scoring matrix, detailed student rationales across Discourse, Sentence, and Word/Phrase dimensions, and targeted small-group instructional action plans for 25 high school multilingual learner writing samples on Seedfolks.

KS

katina sawyers

Hot Sun Teacher Guide

Reading 1 - T2 - UMS

A 5-week foundational phonics and early literacy unit (2 lessons weekly, 10 lessons total) for secondary newcomer English learners (ELPA21 Level 1-2), centered on desert wildlife and systematically building from CVC decoding and blends to silent e, r-controlled vowels, vowel teams, diphthongs, and inflected endings.

KJ

Katie Jordan

32
Paragraph Puzzle Teacher Guide

Paragraph Puzzle Detectives

An engaging, hands-on ESL lesson where second graders master focus statements, key details, and conclusions through a collaborative detective matching game, guided teacher scaffolds, and differentiated practice.

E

ETieuli

4
Simple Essay Quiz

Simple Essay Quiz

An extremely simplified 2-page informational essay ordering quiz tailored for very low ELD II students, featuring sight-word vocabulary, visual picture cues, and an accessible graphic organizer map for AI essay structure.

SF

Shirley Fung

Sentence Parts Teacher Guide

Writing 1 - T2

A 5-week foundational writing intervention for secondary emerging English learners focused on school and community themes, featuring syllable and affix encoding, 2 sentence dictations per lesson, sentence parts and building, and culminating in two-sentence question responses with reasoning.

KJ

Katie Jordan

17
Unlocking ACCESS Slides

Content ACCESS Playbook

A professional development session for secondary and middle school content teachers illustrating how the WIDA ACCESS exam tests disciplinary academic language rather than social conversational English. It equips math, science, and history educators with concrete disciplinary examples, Tier 2 vocabulary matrices, and classroom discourse routines to boost multilingual learner scores.

MG

Meghan Greco

2
Heritage Words Test

Heritage Words Test

A comprehensive, ENL-scaffolded multiple choice vocabulary test covering tradition, culture, adapt, ancestors, represent, generations, and heritage. Features accessible definition matching, sentence context completion, and a student writing application section.

EM

Edwin Mejia

Topic Words Teacher Guide

Writing 1 - Desert Survivors

A 4-week foundational writing unit for ELPA21 Level 1-2 secondary English learners centered on desert wildlife, featuring 2 lessons per week with daily explicit encoding progressions, cumulative writing reviews, and structured academic sentence frames.

KJ

Katie Jordan

17
Step Stories Lesson Plan

Step by Step Stories

A fourth-grade ESL writing lesson advancing procedural and sequential writing using chronological transition words First, Next, and Last/Finally. Includes an academic lesson plan, a multi-step student process organizer, and a family coaching guide for upper-elementary multilingual learners.

M

MlBeaumier

3
Story Detective Cutout Strips

Story Detective Cutout Strips

Printable cut-and-glue sentence strips featuring 4 distinct paragraph mystery cases, each with 1 focus statement, 2 key details, and 1 conclusion ready for scissor work.

E

ETieuli