Foundational skills resources to help students read by grade three
Developing strong foundational literacy skills in the early grades helps set students up for reading success and prepares them for increasingly complex reading demands across subjects. Research shows that the early elementary years are critical for literacy development. By grade three, students are typically expected to transition from “learning to read to reading to learn.” Building strong foundational skills such as phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension in the primary grades helps prepare students for this important milestone.
Raz-Plus® from ExploreK12™ is an all-in-one K-5 literacy solution that supports every stage of reading development. Now enhanced with full access to Foundations A-Z®, Raz-Plus combines explicit, systematic, and sequential foundational skills instruction with a vast collection of authentic texts, decodable books, shared reading resources, and independent practice opportunities.
From foundational skills instruction and targeted practice to meaningful reading experiences and student-driven learning, Raz-Plus helps educators build the skills and confidence students need to become successful readers.
Why is reading by grade three important?
Grade three is often considered a pivotal point in literacy development. As students move into upper elementary grades, reading becomes a tool for learning new content across subjects. Strong foundational skills help students read with greater accuracy, fluency, and comprehension, preparing them for increasing academic demands in English language arts, science, social studies, and mathematics.
Students who can efficiently decode words, read fluently, and comprehend increasingly complex texts are better equipped to access grade-level content, build knowledge, and continue growing as learners. Establishing strong foundational literacy skills early creates a foundation for long-term academic success.
Deliver explicit, systematic, and sequential foundational skills instruction
Build strong literacy foundations with Foundations A-Z
Integrated within Raz-Plus, Foundations A-Z provides explicit, systematic, and sequential instruction that helps students develop critical foundational literacy skills. Lessons are organized in a purposeful progression, introducing simple concepts that gradually increase in complexity, while reinforcing previously learned skills.
Through research-based instructional routines and engaging practice opportunities, students develop phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, print concepts, advanced word study, and fluency skills that support reading success.
Educators have access to instructional resources such as letter cards, phonogram cards, workmats, decodable word cards, games, and practice activities that help students apply new learning in meaningful ways.
Support students who need additional foundational skills practice
While foundational skills instruction is often associated with the primary grades, some students continue to benefit from additional support as literacy demands increase. Raz-Plus provides educators with resources to reinforce foundational skills through grade five while keeping students engaged through age-appropriate content and authentic reading experiences.
By connecting foundational skills instruction with meaningful reading opportunities, educators can help students strengthen critical literacy skills while continuing to build confidence as readers.
Build decoding skills with decodable books and connected phonics instruction
Help students apply new skills through decodable reading
As students learn new phonics concepts, they need opportunities to apply those skills in connected text. Raz-Plus includes a robust collection of decodable books designed to align with foundational skills instruction and provide purposeful reading practice.
Each decodable text reinforces targeted phonics skills while helping students develop reading accuracy, fluency, and confidence. Students have access to a vast array of fiction and nonfiction decodable books that feature compelling illustrations and real photography, covering a wide range of topics that support building background knowledge.
Connect instruction and practice
Foundational skills instruction is most effective when students can immediately apply what they have learned. In Raz-Plus, phonics instruction and decodable texts work together to provide a connected learning experience. Students move from learning new sound-spelling relationships to applying them in text, helping reinforce learning through meaningful reading practice.
Bridge foundational skills and reading comprehension
Engage the whole class in interactive reading experiences
Shared Reading Books in Raz-Plus provide engaging opportunities to model foundational literacy skills while involving the entire class in meaningful reading experiences. Projectable books with embedded prompts encourage students to participate actively as they practice key reading behaviors and strategies.
Fun, recurring characters invite students to interact with the text, respond to questions, and complete activities that reinforce learning.
Support small-group and independent practice
Shared Reading Books are also effective tools for small-group instruction and individual learning. Built-in text-dependent questions help model close reading strategies and encourage students to think deeply about what they read.
Teachers can use Shared Reading Books to model fluent reading, strengthen comprehension, reinforce vocabulary, and facilitate meaningful classroom discussions. These experiences give students additional opportunities to practice and apply foundational literacy skills in engaging contexts.
Provide the right text for every reader
Developing strong readers requires more than instruction in foundational skills alone. Students also need frequent opportunities to engage with authentic, meaningful texts. Raz-Plus combines foundational skills instruction with a rich collection of fiction, nonfiction, decodables, shared reading, and other texts that support readers across a wide range of abilities and interests. As students engage with texts across genres and topics, they expand vocabulary, build background knowledge, and strengthen comprehension skills. Exposure to a variety of texts helps students practice foundational reading skills while developing the knowledge and language that support success across content areas.
Strengthen vocabulary and language through meaningful conversations
Build academic language through reading
Reading widely helps students encounter new vocabulary in context and deepen their understanding of language. The extensive collection of texts in Raz-Plus gives students opportunities to learn new words naturally while exploring engaging topics and ideas.
These experiences help students build the language foundations necessary for strong reading comprehension and effective communication.
Encourage discussion and oral language development
Discussion prompts, comprehension activities, and teacher-led conversations encourage students to explain their thinking, process what they read, and use newly acquired vocabulary in meaningful ways.
These oral language experiences support literacy development, strengthen comprehension, and help students make deeper connections to text.
Extend learning through self-paced practice in the Explore Zone
Give students opportunities to practice skills independently
The Explore Zone allows students to continue learning beyond teacher-led instruction. Through engaging, self-paced activities, students can practice and reinforce the foundational literacy skills they are developing in class.
Independent practice helps students build confidence while providing additional opportunities to strengthen essential reading skills.
Motivate students through engaging learning experiences
The Explore Zone encourages students to take ownership of their learning through interactive videos and practice games designed to reinforce classroom instruction. Built-in incentives and engaging activities motivate students to continue practicing and applying skills independently.
By extending learning beyond whole-group instruction, educators can provide more opportunities for students to build fluency, confidence, and reading stamina.
Use wordless books to build oral language and storytelling skills
Support emergent readers and multilingual learners
Many books in Raz-Plus are accompanied by a Wordless Book PDF. Wordless books help students focus on storytelling, oral language, vocabulary development, and comprehension without relying solely on printed text.
They can be especially beneficial for emergent readers and multilingual learners as they build speaking, listening, and language skills.
Encourage creativity and critical thinking
Teachers can use wordless books to strengthen literacy skills in a variety of ways:
- Practice retelling stories using students' own words
- Make predictions based on illustrations
- Develop sequencing skills
- Inspire students to create and write their own stories
- Build vocabulary and comprehension through discussion
Wordless books complement foundational literacy instruction by strengthening oral language, narrative development, comprehension, and critical thinking skills that contribute to overall reading success.
Help students become confident, capable readers
Strong foundational skills are essential to reading success. Through the integration of Foundations A-Z, Raz-Plus provides an all-in-one K-5 literacy solution that helps educators deliver explicit instruction in foundational skills while providing the authentic reading experiences students need to grow as readers.
From phonological awareness and phonics instruction to decodable books, shared reading experiences, vocabulary development, oral language practice, and independent practice opportunities in the Explore Zone, Raz-Plus supports literacy growth at every stage of the reading journey.
With research-based instruction, a diverse collection of texts, and meaningful opportunities for students to practice and apply new skills, Raz-Plus helps educators build the knowledge, skills, and confidence students need for long-term reading success.
Sign up for a free thirty-day Raz-Plus trial to explore resources, including decodable books, shared reading resources, wordless books, independent practice opportunities, and thousands of literacy resources designed to help students build strong reading foundations.