California K–5 Literacy and Math Resources: Phonics, Handwriting, Fluency and Grade 3–4 Math
California K–5 Literacy and Math Resources: Phonics, Handwriting, Fluency and Grade 3–4 Math
California has changed two things that reach every elementary classroom. AB 1454, signed on October 9, 2025, puts evidence-based reading instruction at the center of teacher training and asks the State Board to adopt reading materials built on that research, with a target of January 2027. AB 446 (2023) requires cursive instruction in grades 1–6. The eight units below fill the practice gaps; the California overview lists everything else we have for the state.
Browse the K–5 ELA resources →Resources that fit
Eight units for California K–5 classrooms
Each unit has a classroom PDF, a teacher guide, an editable DOCX and PowerPoint. They are supplements for US grades and can be used alongside the curriculum your California district runs.
Phonemic Awareness Daily Routines | 36 Weeks of Oral Sound Routines | Kindergarten
36 weeks of oral sound routines; children answer with sounds, not letters.
Decodable Readers Grade One | 20 Stories with Word Work & Comprehension | Grade 1
20 stories using only taught patterns, each with word work and comprehension.
Heart Words | 100 High-Frequency Words with Sound Mapping | Grade 1
100 high-frequency words mapped sound by sound, with a key for each.
Manuscript Handwriting | Basic Strokes & A–Z Letter Practice | Grades K–1
Basic strokes, then A–Z upper and lowercase with a stroke model per letter.
Cursive Writing | Strokes, Letters a–z & Joining Words | Grades 2–3
Lowercase letters by stroke family, a page per letter and joining words.
Reading Fluency Passages | 24 Original Passages with Meaning Checks | Grade 4
24 passages, each with a meaning check, so speed is never the only goal.
Multiplication Fact Fluency | Strategies, Fact Families & Array Labs | Grade 3
Strategy lessons, fact family pages and array labs for the Grade 3 facts.
Multi-Digit Multiplication and Division | Area Model, Partial Products & Partial Quotients | Grade 4
Area model and partial products, then a bridge to the standard algorithm.
The state picture
What California asks of K–5 reading and writing
AB 1454 matters most for how reading is taught in the early grades. It moves teacher preparation and classroom materials toward what the research says about how children learn to read: hearing the sounds in words, connecting them to spellings, and practicing with text they can actually decode. The State Board is expected to adopt materials that follow this approach, with January 2027 as the target date.
The units on this page are written in that spirit. Phonemic Awareness Daily Routines keeps Kindergarten work oral, so children learn to blend, segment and change sounds before they are asked to read. Decodable Readers Grade One gives Grade 1 students stories they can decode with the patterns already taught, which removes the habit of guessing from the picture. Heart Words treats high-frequency words as words to map, not shapes to memorize.
Grade by grade
Which unit goes with which grade
Each unit by the grade it was written for, with a note for California classrooms. Place students by what they can do, not by the cover.
| Grade | Focus | Resource | California note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Sounds; first letters | Phonemic Awareness, Manuscript | Oral routines fit early in the year, before formal phonics |
| Grade 1 | Decoding; high-frequency words | Decodable Readers, Heart Words | Manuscript continues; AB 446 cursive span begins |
| Grades 2–3 | Cursive letters and joins | Cursive Writing | A common point to start cursive in grades 1–6 |
| Grade 3 | Multiplication facts | Fact Fluency | First year of the state tests |
| Grade 4 | Fluency; multi-digit operations | Fluency Passages, Multi-Digit | Fluency and multi-digit work side by side |
| Grades 3–5 | Long words, struggling readers | Multisyllabic Decoding, Reading Support Pack | Intervention, also for Grade 5 and 6 |
Handwriting
Cursive in grades 1–6 under AB 446
AB 446 requires cursive instruction in grades 1–6, so California teachers no longer have to argue for handwriting time. The harder question is how to fit it in. Grade 1 is usually still about manuscript, and Manuscript Handwriting K–1 covers basic strokes and every letter with a stroke model. When students are ready, Cursive Writing Grades 2–3 teaches lowercase cursive by stroke family: undercurves, overcurves, ovals and loops, then joins and capitals. The law sets the grade span; your district decides how much time each grade spends.
Fluency and tested grades
Fluency and the Grade 3–4 math that carries weight
By Grade 3, California students take the state ELA and math tests, and two skills keep showing up as gaps: reading fast enough to keep the meaning, and multiplication facts that are automatic. Reading Fluency Passages Grade 4 pairs every passage with a meaning check, so students practice phrasing without racing. In math, Multiplication Fact Fluency builds the Grade 3 facts from strategies such as doubles, fives, tens and the distributive property. Multi-Digit Multiplication and Division carries that into Grade 4 with the area model and partial products, then bridges to the standard algorithm.
How to use it
A practical order for the year
- Start with sounds.One oral routine a day, five to eight minutes, in Kindergarten.
- Follow your phonics sequence.Hand out a decodable story only after its pattern has been taught.
- Make handwriting daily.Ten minutes, four or five days a week. Manuscript in K–1, then cursive once print is automatic; AB 446 runs cursive through Grade 6.
- Pair fluency with meaning.Partners read a passage twice, then complete the meaning check.
- Facts before multi-digit work.Teach the Grade 3 strategy lessons in fall; in Grade 4, keep the area model until students no longer need it.
Questions teachers ask
Frequently asked questions
Are these resources aligned with the California standards?
We do not claim alignment, approval or endorsement by California or any district. Each unit sits closest to the skills its US grade usually covers, so compare the lesson list with your own standards.
Does the cursive unit cover the AB 446 requirement?
AB 446 requires cursive instruction in grades 1–6 but does not prescribe a program. The cursive unit gives you ten lessons, a page for each lowercase letter and a capitals lesson. Your district decides how much is enough.
How do these fit with AB 1454?
AB 1454 moves California toward evidence-based reading instruction and State Board-adopted materials, with a target of January 2027. Our phonemic awareness routines and decodable stories follow the same basic approach: sounds first, then decoding with taught patterns. They are supplements and do not replace district-adopted materials.
Can I use them with English learners?
Yes. The oral routines use picture cues, and the decodable stories use controlled vocabulary.
Will the PDFs print on US Letter?
Yes. They are A4 and print on US Letter with fit-to-page. Each unit also has an editable DOCX and PowerPoint.
Plan your California K–5 year
Pick one reading unit and one math unit for your grade and try them for two weeks. The state overview lists the rest.
Go to the California overview →