Placement
Where Should My Learner Begin?
Almost everyone starts too late rather than too early. Beginning a few units back costs a couple of easy weeks; beginning too far ahead costs months of frustration. When in doubt, start earlier.
A two-minute check
Ask your learner to read these words aloud, sounding them out rather than guessing. Stop at the first line where they miss two or more words — the unit listed beside it is roughly where to begin.
- cat, bed, pin, hop, mug — Units 1–5
- hand, stop, milk, jump — Units 6–7
- ship, chin, thin, sting — Unit 8
- flag, grin, spot, blend — Units 9–10
- cape, ride, home, hoping — Units 12–13
- rabbit, napkin, basket — Unit 14
- bird, corn, chair, thought — Units 16–19
- gentle, knuckle, unhappiness — Units 21–25
Common starting points
| Learner | What you see | Start at |
|---|---|---|
| A brand-new reader | Knows some letter names, but does not yet blend sounds into words. | Unit 1 — Short a CVC Words |
| Reads simple words but stalls on longer ones | Can read cat, bed, pin — struggles with stop, hand, ship. | Unit 7 — Final Consonant Blends |
| Reads short words fluently, guesses at silent-e | Reads cap but says cap for cape; unsure about sh / ch / th. | Unit 8 — Digraphs, then continue to Unit 12 |
| Reads one-syllable words well, breaks down on longer words | Fine with stand and shine — loses the thread on rabbit, napkin. | Unit 14 — Closed Two-Syllable Words |
| An older learner rebuilding foundations | Reads slowly, guesses from context, avoids reading aloud. Gaps are usually earlier than they appear. | Unit 1 — and move quickly through anything already secure |
Which product should I buy?
- Not sure yet? Start with the Units 1–5 Foundations Bundle. It covers all five short vowels and tells you a great deal about your learner.
- Committed to the full path? The Units 1–25 Complete Program is the best value and means you never have to stop to buy the next unit.
- Filling one specific gap? Buy the individual unit.