Phonics – Wilson Fundations Overview

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

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

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. Additional Tips for Parents and Teachers

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 – Check out my favorite multisensory tools on my Amazon page.

  • 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 continues to support students in becoming confident, fluent readers and writers while reinforcing structured literacy principles.

Kindergarten (Level K)

Kindergarten

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)

Grade 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 early multisyllabic words with accuracy.

Grade 2 (Level 2)

Grade 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)

Grade 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 with accuracy and apply morphology for 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 orthographic mapping research. Fundations supports mapping of regular and irregular words (sight words / heart words), making the link to mnemonics, 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 EXACTLY 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): 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 & McCormick (1995): Keywords support struggling readers by connecting new sounds to familiar concepts.

  • 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. Additional Tips for Parents & Teachers

Here are extra suggestions to help your child thrive:

  • Review letter sounds daily for 1–2 minutes

  • Teach handwriting alongside phonics

  • 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. Google these to understand the chants and the process.

 


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12/08/25

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