Phonics Instruction, Mnemonics, and the Wilson Fundations Scope & Sequence

This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by any curriculum publisher.

If you stopped here to learn about phonics instruction, I also highly recommend visiting my pages on

• UFLI Foundations

• Orthographic Mapping

• Orton-Gillingham Instruction

These approaches work beautifully alongside Wilson Fundations and all align with the Science of Reading.

---

Table of Contents

1. Overview: Why Fundations Is So Effective
2. Wilson Fundations Scope & Sequence (K–3)
3. How Fundations Aligns With the Science of Reading
4. The Role of Cognitive Science in Phonics Instruction
5. Mnemonic Devices in Early Literacy
6. Letter Chants: Why Rhythm Improves Memory
7. The Keyword Method in Phonics Instruction
8. How These Strategies Are Integrated in Programs Like Fundations
9. Correct Letter Formation
10. Additional Tips for Parents and Teachers

 

Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you purchase at no additional cost to you. This helps support free content on the site.

1. Overview: Why Fundations Is So Effective

Wilson Fundations is a structured, systematic phonics and word-study program designed to ensure that students develop accurate and automatic reading and spelling skills. It is:

• Cumulative

• Explicit

• Multisensory 

• Evidence-based

• Fully aligned with the Science of Reading

It provides teachers AND parents with a clear roadmap of what to teach and when.

---

2. Wilson Fundations Scope & Sequence (Kindergarten–Grade 3)

The Fundations program includes explicit instruction in:

• Phonological and phonemic awareness

• Letter formation

• Sound-symbol correspondence

• Decoding and encoding

• High-frequency irregular words (“Trick Words”)

• Fluency

• Vocabulary and comprehension support

Below is an overview of each grade level, kindergarten through grade 3.

Wilson Fundations recently expanded to include Grades 4 and 5. These upper-elementary lessons focus on advanced literacy concepts, including morphology (word parts), complex spelling patterns, vocabulary development, and sentence-level comprehension. Fundations for Grades 4 and 5 continue to support students in becoming confident, fluent readers and writers while reinforcing structured literacy principles.

---

Kindergarten (Level K)

Focus areas:

• Letter names & sounds

• Lowercase & uppercase formation

• Basic phonological awareness

• Segmenting & blending simple CVC words

• Introduction to digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh, ck)

• Reading and writing simple words

• First set of Trick Words (high-frequency words)

Goal:
Students leave kindergarten reading simple decodable words with accuracy and writing them with correct formation.

---

Grade 1  (Level 1)

Focus areas:

• Digraphs and glued sounds (ang, ing, ong, ung, ank, ink, onk, unk)

• Bonus letters (ff, ll, ss, zz)

• Long vowel concepts (silent-e)

• Welded sounds

• Beginning multisyllabic words

• Expanded Trick Word lists

• Suffixes (s, es, ed, ing)

Goal:
Students decode most single-syllable words and some early multisyllabic words accurately.

---

Grade 2 (Level 2)

Focus areas:

• All syllable types

• Closed syllable exceptions

• Vowel teams & r-controlled vowels

• Advanced suffix rules

• Schwa in unaccented syllables

• More complex multisyllabic decoding

• Expanded morphology (prefixes & suffixes)

• Higher-level Trick Words

Goal:
Students become confident decoders of two- and three-syllable words.

Grade 3 (Level 3)

Focus areas:

• Complex vowel teams

• Latin-based multisyllabic words

• Suffix patterns (-tion, -sion, -ture)

• Advanced morphology (prefix + base + suffix)

• Spelling generalizations

• Increased fluency and comprehension strategies

Goal:
Students decode and encode multisyllabic vocabulary accurately and apply morphology to meaning.

---

Trick Words (High-Frequency Irregular Words)

“Trick words” are high-frequency words that cannot be fully decoded with the current phonics patterns students have learned.

Fundations teaches:

• The decodable part (the “regular” portion)

• The tricky part (the part that must be memorized)

This aligns with Ehri’s research on orthographic mapping. Fundations supports the mapping of regular and irregular words (sight words/heart words), making the link to mnemonics, the keyword method, and letter-sound memory more explicit.

---

3. How Fundations Aligns With the Science of Reading

Fundations aligns with research in:

• Phonological awareness

• Systematic phonics

• Language comprehension

• Encoding and handwriting automaticity

• Cumulative review

• Multisensory instruction

• Distributed practice

The program supports orthographic mapping—the brain process that stores words permanently—by pairing:

1. Phonemes (sounds)

2. Graphemes (letters)

3. Meaning

This is what the science of reading recommends.

---

4. The Role of Cognitive Science in Phonics Instruction

Fundations incorporates strategies grounded in cognitive science, such as:

• Mnemonics

• Letter chants

• Keywords

• Visual and auditory memory aids

These reduce cognitive load during the difficult task of learning sound-symbol relationships.

---

5. Mnemonic Devices in Early Literacy

What Are Mnemonics?

Mnemonics are memory aids that make information easier to recall through:

• Imagery

• Rhymes

• Patterns

• Associations

(Example:  The Orton-Gillingham Visual & Auditory Mnemonics on pp. 32–33. You can Google videos of Fundations chants and lessons to learn more.)

---

Why Mnemonics Work

Cognitive Load Theory

Mnemonics reduce mental effort by simplifying complex information.

Dual Coding Theory

They combine visual and verbal memory, dramatically improving recall.

Elaboration

Mnemonics help learners connect new information to what they already know.

---

Research Supporting Mnemonics

• Swanson (1999): Mnemonics improve recall of word patterns for students with learning disabilities.

• Baker et al. (2003): Mnemonics strengthen phonological awareness and support recognition of irregular words.

---

6. Letter Chants: Why They Work

What Are Letter Chants?

Letter chants are rhythmic phrases or songs pairing a letter with its sound.

Example: “B, /b/, bat!”

---

How Chants Support Learning

• Increase phonemic awareness

• Improve automaticity through repetition

• Engage rhythm, music, and movement

• Strengthen attention and retention

Research Supporting Chants

• Lester et al. (2013) found that chants significantly improved phonemic awareness in preschoolers.

• National Reading Panel (2000): Explicit letter-sound teaching is essential; chants make it enjoyable.

---

7. The Keyword Method

What Is It?

The keyword method pairs a sound or pattern with a meaningful image or familiar word.

Example:
“oi” → picture of a coin

---

Why It Works

• Strengthens visual and auditory memory

• Makes abstract sounds concrete

• Helps children remember irregular spelling patterns

• Particularly beneficial for struggling readers

---

Research Supporting Keywords

• Gattegno (1974): Visual mnemonics dramatically improve retention.

• Pressley and McCormick (1995) say that keywords help readers who are having trouble by linking new sounds to ideas they already know.

• Bahrick et al. (1993): Visual mnemonics have long-term benefits for sound-symbol associations.

---

8. How These Strategies Fit Into Fundations

Fundations weaves mnemonics, chants, and keywords into daily routines to:

• Reinforce sound-symbol correspondence

• Build strong phonemic awareness

• Support orthographic mapping

• Increase decoding fluency

• Help students remember abstract patterns

• Provide multisensory engagement for ALL learners

This is especially supportive for children with dyslexia or reading delays.

9. Correct Letter Formation

Correct letter formation is addressed in Fundations.

Correct letter formation is critical! Students who form letters correctly and fully grasp spelling will have an easier time writing. In combination with poor spelling, poor handwriting can contribute to disability in written expression (Graham, Harris, & Fink, 2000). Failure to develop automatic and legible letter and word formation may interfere with content in writing (Jones & Christiansen, 1999). Students devoting too much time to letter formation or retrieval have less time for spelling, planning, and expressing themselves.

---

10. Additional Tips for Parents & Teachers

Here are extra suggestions to help your child thrive:

• Review the letter sounds daily for 1–2 minutes

• Teach handwriting alongside phonics. Proper letter formation is critical!

• Use decodable readers—not predictable texts.

• Have students tap or finger-slide sounds while decoding

• Incorporate daily blending and segmenting practice

• Connect phonics to spelling every single day

• Celebrate progress, not perfection

• There are many online video clips of Fundations lessons in action. Search for these to understand the chants and the process.

 

I offer optional printable Word documents of my content for educators and parents who want an editable copy of any page from this site.

My popular pages are available as instant downloads; otherwise, please email me the name of the page you would like.

📧 For questions or requests: judithearaujo@gmail.com

 

---

This page was last updated December 23, 2025.

Return to HOME

Kindergarten and 1st Grade Science of Reading