what is the foundation skills checklist?

Foundation Skills Checklist © Barbara Murray and Terri Watson 2018 Firefly Education ISBN 978 1 74135 351 8 1

Foundation Skills Checklist

What Is the Foundation Skills Checklist? The Foundation Skills Checklist assesses a student’s ability to identify and use the sounds and graphemes introduced in the Sound Waves Foundation program. The checklist allows you to monitor each student’s progress throughout the year and provide remediation where needed using resources in the corresponding Foundation Skills Remediation Pack.

At the end of the year, a student’s Foundation Skills Checklist can be passed on to their Year 1 teacher. The checklist will provide their new teacher with an in-depth understanding of the student’s strengths and weaknesses with the concepts taught over the course of the Foundation year.

How to Use the ChecklistThe checklist has one section for each school term. At the end of a term, use the relevant section of the checklist to assess a student’s understanding of the concepts taught in the preceding weeks. If required, you can then use the resources in the Foundation Skills Remediation Pack to remediate any concepts a student is finding difficult.

End of Term 1: Exploring SoundsThis section of the checklist tests a student’s ability to identify initial and final sounds, and segment words into sounds. It needs to be administered to students individually because questions and responses are completely oral.

Procedure

Read aloud each sentence at the top of the table followed by the words listed beneath.

For example:

Teacher says: Tell me the first sound in these words. Teacher says: sunStudent says: (/s/ as in seal)Teacher says: dollStudent says: (/d/ as in duck)

Continue to test this section during the rest of the year until students are able to correctly complete all questions.

End of Terms 2, 3 and 4: Discovering GraphemesThese three sections test a student’s ability to read and spell words containing the sound–grapheme relationships taught in each term.

Procedure

Reading must be tested individually. You will need the List Word Flashcards for the words on the checklist. Show one List Word Flashcard at a time and ask the student to read the word.

Spelling can be tested in small groups or as a whole class. Students will require a pencil and a piece of paper. Say each word, put it into a sentence and then repeat the word again.

For example:

Teacher says: mop Teacher says: I use a mop to clean the floor. Write the word mop. Student writes: mop

At each end-of-term testing, revisit and retest any words a student has previously incorrectly read or spelled. This allows you to monitor and record a student’s progress across the year.

Note: You can use the List Word Flashcards from the Foundation Toolbox or on the Assessment page at Sound Waves Online.



Term 2: Discovering GraphemesReading Spelling

Read these words. Write these words.

m for mmat mop

am ham

a for aat and

sat sag

t for ttap ten

it sit

s for ssun sat

bus

i for iin it

fit pin

d for dDad dog

sad bed

f for ffat fan

if

n for nman net

bin

p for ppat pen

top rip

o for oon on

pot got

r for r ran rat

g for ggot get

pig hug

e for e peg red

h for h hit hot

k for k kit kid

c for k c cot cap

u for u run Mum

b for bbat big

tub

Term 1: Exploring SoundsIdentifying Initial Sounds

Tell me the first sound in these words.

sun doll

mop king

zoo rat

chip fogIdentifying Final Sounds

Tell me the last sound in these words.

web duck

bag hill

wash hen

lip catSegmenting

Break these words into sounds.

it so

hop peg

run nine

soap fork

Name: Class:





ai, ay, a_e for ai ay a_e

rain tail

play day

cake game

ee, e, ea for ee e ea

see bee

we she

eat seat

i_e, y for i_elike five

by my

oa, o_e, o for oa o_e o

boat road

nose home

so go

ar, a for ar acar card

ask fast

ir, ur for ir urgirl bird

turn hurt

or, a for or afor fork

ball call

oo, u for oo utook good

put push

oo for oo too room

ou, ow for ou ow

our out

how now

oy for oy boy toy

eer, ear for eer ear

deer deer

hear dear

air for air air chair

er for er mother sister



l for l log leg

j for j jog jug

y for y yes yet

v for v vet van

w for w win wet

z for z zap zip

ck for k c ck back neck

ng for ng king song

ss for s ss kiss fuss

ff for f ff huff off

ll for l ll bell will

zz for z zz fizz buzz

s for z zz s is hasx for k c ck x(ks)

s ss x(ks)fox six

q for k c q ck x(ks) u for w u

quick quit

ch for chchat chop

much

sh for shshell shut

fish wish

th for ththin thick

with moth

th for th this that

what is the foundation skills checklist?

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