All 75 basic phonograms and the spelling rules needed for decoding are taught throughout the Foundations program.

Determining a specific reading level is complex because it depends on the reading skill being assessed, the student’s spoken language comprehension, and the application of decoding and phonemic awareness skills when reading text. These skills can vary significantly from student to student.

• Many students finish Foundations reading at a 3rd or 4th-grade level. They have a strong understanding of how English works and can decode multi-syllable words. They may continue to build vocabulary and comprehension skills using any developmentally appropriate text.
• Some students completing Foundations read at a late 1st or early 2nd-grade reading level. These students are still developing their reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary skills. Their reading fluency and reading skill will increase as they are given a wide variety of reading materials to practice reading.
• Other students may have underlying language comprehension or cognitive issues. These students will have laid a strong foundation for continued reading growth but need more time to become skilled readers. They will benefit from having continuous reading and rereading practice, especially with decodable text.

Students who complete Foundations are equipped with the tools they need to read words in their spoken vocabulary and often have a more robust understanding of how written English works.