First module of our new ELA course is ready to give it a try

Inspired by the success of the Happy Numbers math platform, Happy Letters was created as a supplementary tool for PK-K ELA teachers, with plans to upgrade it later through 2nd grade. Based on thorough user testing and feedback earned while perfecting our math resource, Happy Numbers subject experts have now applied their knowledge and the most recent findings in educational research to create Happy Letters. 

Our new online curriculum supplement aims to develop essential foundational skills in reading. Designed to support early readers, Happy Letters focuses on strengthening key aspects such as phonics, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension. Happy Letters is a Common Core and State standards aligned program. We offer an adequate number of tasks to cover all the standards necessary for building foundational reading skills. We also provide you and your students with the printable materials, including worksheets, activity sheets, coloring pages, and more. These materials are aligned with the curriculum and learning objectives and come with clear instructions and visual aids to support preliterate learners. The reports available in your teacher account will assist you in monitoring progress and making data-driven instructional decisions, ensuring the growth and success of each student.

Here are the standards covered in our Kindergarten curriculum. See the full curriculum and standards alignment here.

1. Print Concepts – Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features of print. 

a. Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page. 

b. Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters. 

c. Understand that words are separated by spaces in print. 

d. Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet

2. Phonological Awareness – Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). 

a. Recognize and produce rhyming words. 

b. Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words. 

c. Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words. 

d. Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words.* (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.) 

e. Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.

3. Phonics and Word Recognition – Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. 

a. Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant. b. Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels. 

c. Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does). 

d. Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.

First module is now ready to give it a try. It contains five letters (M, T, P, N, A), rhymes and reading CVC-words. Lessons will include letter and sound recognition, uppercase and lowercase matching, literacy skills, and educational games. More letters and sounds will be added throughout the summer to keep your primary students moving toward greater literacy.

Let’s take a look at some of the tasks and standards they are aimed at.

Here students learn to recognize capital and lowercase letters.

This task is aimed at practicing the proper strokes for writing letters.

Here, students are asked to demonstrate their knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences.

Happy Letters is designed to support your small-group ELA instruction by providing a purposeful, yet independent, technology station. The tasks are designed for students to learn from independently and at their own pace, with flexible scaffolding and immediate feedback to each input. Happy Letters supports students by building an interactive dialogue. It responds to students just the way you would: unpacking concepts step-by-step, bringing their attention back to the task when they are unfocused, praising for excellent performance, and cheering up when it gets complicated. All text has a friendly human voice-over to facilitate independence.

Happy Letters is a tool perfectly designed for beginning learners, which is why it’ll suit both native speakers and ELL students. Easy-to-understand instructions, based on kid-friendly voiceover and accompanied by colorful visuals, provide flexible scaffolding in line with immediate feedback.

Happy Letters isn’t just about learning but also about having fun. Storytelling, friendly characters, and engaging activities create interest and vivid mental images, another cue for recall. They’re also a great way to provide structure and coherence to the course. Game-like elements bring the whole learning experience to another level, motivating learners to study and feel less stressed. Our characters support students when they make errors, so even mistakes become gentle learning opportunities. The result is maximum learning and increased confidence.

It’s crucial for primary students to develop fine motor skills that go beyond the computer screen. Such skills help children use thinner writing materials, like pencils, to circle answers and write letters and words. We’ve saved teachers time by designing printable materials to support the learning students have gained online while building these important fine motor skills. 

The printables are designed for pre-literate students. Every PDF has only one activity and has an illustrated example to make the task simple and clear for kids. They can work independently, which saves time for teachers to focus on small-group instruction.

With our smart and intuitive dashboard, teachers can group students according to different parameters:

All of the lessons on Happy Letters were tested out by PreK students to ensure that your students will love and learn from the platform. Try implementing it as part of your weekly ELA routine, and experience the convenience of Happy Letters and literacy growth of your students.