Each curriculum unit provides instruction and practice in core literacy skills.

Examples are:

• Reading Comprehension- Students practice concept mapping, building and activating background knowledge, generating and answering questions on different levels of comprehension, note taking, and more.
• Word Study- Through various research-based before-, during- and after-reading activities, students learn the key vocabulary words necessary to understand each book. Pen pals are encouraged to use the vocabulary terms in context in their letters to students.
• Fluency- Teachers model fluency when they read curriculum books aloud to students. Students are encouraged to read their books multiple times for different purposes. Students actively participate in fluency instructional activities such as repeated readings and readers’ theater.
• Critical Thinking- Students are actively challenged and scaffolded (in the classroom through discussion and in the letters they read and write) to think about what they read, to problem solve, to explore important issues or conflicts and to provide support for their opinions with evidence from the books, orally and in writing. All of these experiences expose students to multiple points of view and support the development of critical thinking skills.