Scheduling for Foundations varies from school to school, home to home, and student to student. On average, we find that most students complete the four levels of Foundations (A, B, C, and D) over two to three years. This pace averages out to a semester or more on each level and about two days per lesson.

Foundations Lesson Length

There are forty lessons and eight review lessons included in each Foundations level. Foundations C also has an additional eight Miles and Jax bonus lessons. For more information, see About Foundations. 

Each Foundations lesson includes a variety of opportunities for new learning, reviewing concepts, games, and activities for practice. As you move through the Foundations curriculum, the time spent on each lessons increases:

• Foundations A: approximately 25-30 minutes
• Foundations B: approximately 30-40 minutes
• Foundations C: approximately 45-60 minutes
• Foundations D: approximately 90 minutes

The lesson length changes for two reasons: 

1. At the beginning of Foundations, students work on phonogram and phonemic awareness skills. However, as students move through the Foundations lessons, more time will be spent applying these skills through reading and spelling practice.
2. As students grow, their attention spans increase and they are able to spend more time on lessons.

Scheduling Foundations Lessons

The right pacing through Foundations is based on what works for your student and situation. Foundations lessons may be completed in one day or over multiple days depending on your needs:

• Consider splitting lessons over multiple days, teaching a new lesson only three or four days a week.
• On days without a new lesson, spend time reviewing and playing games.
• For a child mastering the material quickly, teach more than one lesson a day. 
• For additional tips, see our articles Slow Down the Pace of Foundations or Increase the Challenge of Foundations.

Age and Prior Knowledge 

Those who begin Foundations with a pre-kindergarten student should move very slowly and playfully, with the child's interest determining the pace. Usually, Foundations A will be more than enough for a pre-k year. For more information, see Foundations with Pre-K Students.

Those switching to Foundations with a first or second grader will typically move faster than those beginning in kindergarten. Some concepts will be familiar and will be mastered quickly. For students already reading, it may be appropriate to skip Foundations A and move quickly through Foundations B. In this case, some children may be able to complete levels B, C, and D in one or two years. For more information, see Starting Foundations With Children Who Are Already Reading.