Each Fundations learning activity aligns to the science of reading. Click here to learn how.
Informed by an extensive research base and designed to achieve success with a wide variety of learners, Fundations® is a multisensory structured literacy program that presents all skills in a systematic and sequential manner in four Levels: K, 1, 2, and 3. A Pre-K Activity Set is also available.
Each Level provides a yearlong curriculum. For an integrated, comprehensive approach to reading and spelling, teachers should implement Fundations alongside a core or literature-based language arts program that includes a wide variety of text experiences and exposure to poetry, narrative and informational text.
What you teach is as important as how you teach it. Fundations’ unique, integrated approach supports student mastery of foundational skills. The Fundations® curriculum:
Fundations goes beyond other programs by comprehensively providing instruction on concepts and skills that are key to the acquisition of foundational skills. Fundations teaches the underlying structure of the English language and utilizes an efficient, effective approach that teaches decoding and spelling concurrently.
Fundations helps English language learners (ELLs) by teaching the skills and strategies they need to be successful in learning to read and write in English. As a comprehensive word study program addressing reading, spelling, and writing skills, Fundations prepares English language learners to meet grade-level standards for college- and career-readiness, readying them for success in subsequent grades.
Modeling and scaffolded instruction ensures that students understand the skills being taught, learn the procedures, and are able to use the skills and procedures on their own. Teachers build students’ metacognitive skills by having them think about the learning tools they have acquired and consider which they should draw on if they need help. They also connect current learning to previous skills taught and explain how the new skills will help them achieve future goals. By having an integrated assessment component, teachers are able to assess students’ areas of strength and weakness and can differentiate instruction as appropriate.
Each level of the Fundations program builds on previously taught skills and concepts.
Our Level Pre-K Activity Set follows the same educational principles as all our other programs: explicit, systematic, interactive, and multisensory learning. Fundations® lessons encourage and improve students’ emerging understanding of the alphabet, letter-sound associations, and letter formation.
Learn more about the curriculum on our Level Pre-K Activity Set page.
Level K, Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 typically correspond to a student’s grade level. Each program builds on previously learned skills and concepts and dives into more complex reading skills, such as word structure identification, syllable segmentation, and sentence building. They are appropriate for all students in the classroom, with a Tier 2 implementation for at-risk students.
Learn more about each Level’s curriculum on the following pages:
Our comprehensive professional learning opportunities ensure teachers are prepared to effectively use Fundations within their school’s Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RTI) framework. Individual teachers are supported through Level-specific workshops, Virtual Implementation Support, and the Fundations Learning Community.
We also partner directly with schools and districts to build local capacity to use, support, and sustain the Fundations program. Through customized plans, we can help you develop Facilitators and or/Presenters to cultivate teacher-leaders and build sustainability.
Fundations students who have had disrupted learning or need extra support before taking on the next grade’s curriculum may benefit from the Fundations Ready to Rise® program, which can be implemented over the summer or at the beginning of the school year. It’s available for rising Level 1 and Level 2 students. Learn more on the Fundations Ready to Rise® page.
For more information on Fundations resources, visit the below: