Literacy for South Dakota Colony Schools: Packs for Each of Grades 1–6
Literacy for South Dakota Colony Schools: Packs for Each of Grades 1–6
In a South Dakota colony school where one teacher has kindergarten through Grade 3 and another has Grades 4–8, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum puts a separate grammar, writing and phonics pack for each grade in one download, so every child works at their own level inside one shared literacy block. It costs $49.99 for 24 packs.
Browse the 24 literacy packsFor multi-grade literacy in a South Dakota colony school, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum ($49.99) is the most direct fit. It holds 24 packs: grammar, writing prompts, and phonics or word study for each of Grades 1–6, plus six reading comprehension stories. It covers neither kindergarten nor Grades 7–8, and it is practice material, not a core reading program, so pair it with what your district has adopted.
The resources
Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum, Grades 1–6
24 resources in one download: $49.99 instead of $95.76 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum | Grammar, Writing, Phonics & Reading Packs for Every Grade
Grade 1 ELA Pack | Grammar, Writing Prompts, Phonics, Reading & Vocabulary
Grade 3 ELA Pack | Grammar, Creative Writing, Phonics, Reading & Vocabulary
Grade 5 ELA Pack | Grammar, Writing Prompts, Phonics & Two Reading Stories
ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle | Everyday English, Grammar & Vocabulary | 9 Resources | Grades 2–6
The real problem
Two teachers, two grade spans, one building
South Dakota public districts run Hutterite colony schools as multi-grade classrooms, usually with one teacher for kindergarten through Grade 3 and another for Grades 4 through 8. That split makes sense for staffing, but it puts four or five grade levels of literacy in front of each teacher at once. In the lower room, a first grader still sorting out short vowels sits near a third grader ready for paragraph writing. In the upper room, a fourth grader working on sentence structure shares a table with a sixth grader who should be handling prefixes and roots. Whole-class literacy lessons miss most of the room, and separate lessons for every grade take more planning time than one teacher has. What tends to work is a shared routine with grade-specific work inside it: the group starts together, then each child pulls the page meant for their grade. That needs materials sorted cleanly by grade and by skill, so the teacher can hand out the right sheet without rebuilding the day each morning. It also helps when the packs follow a similar pattern from grade to grade, so a student moving up already knows how the work is laid out.
Why it fits
How the packs line up with a K–3 and 4–8 split
Because every skill has its own pack for each grade, the bundle sorts naturally into the two colony classrooms.
- The lower room uses the grammar, writing prompts and phonics packs for Grades 1, 2 and 3.
- The upper room uses the Grade 4, 5 and 6 packs, from tenses to academic word study.
- Grade 1 phonics writing prompts build phonological awareness for the youngest readers in the room.
- Grade 6 phonics and academic word study works on roots and prefixes for the strongest upper-room readers.
- Stories such as Daisy the Brave Little Duck and The Lighthouse Mystery give each room a shared reading task.
- Matching skill packs across grades let one teacher run a single grammar block with a different sheet per child.
Getting started
One literacy block, several grades
A suggested routine for either colony classroom. Adjust the timing to your own schedule.
- Sort the packs by gradeBefore the year starts, file each grade's grammar, writing and phonics pack in its own folder. In the K–3 room that is three folders; in the 4–8 room, three folders plus your own plan for Grades 7 and 8.
- Start the block togetherTeach one short shared lesson to the whole room, for example on what makes a complete sentence. Every grade's grammar pack works on sentences, so the follow-up work fits each child.
- Hand out grade-level workEach student takes the next page from their own grade's pack. Older students who finish early can listen to a younger reader or look over a partner's phonics page.
- Alternate phonics and writingSwitch days between phonics or word study and the writing prompts. The upper-grade prompts add structure, word banks and editing tools, so students can begin without waiting for you.
- End the week with a storyUse one of the six reading comprehension stories as a shared task on the last day, with stronger readers reading aloud and younger students listening and answering out loud.
What to buy
Whole bundle or one grade pack
For a colony school teacher with three or more grades, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum at $49.99 is the better buy; the 24 packs cost $95.76 separately. If you only teach first graders, the Grade 1 ELA Pack ($12.99) adds a vocabulary trainer to grammar, writing, phonics and a story. The Grade 3 ELA Pack ($13.99) and Grade 5 ELA Pack ($13.99) do the same for single grades. For a student still learning English as a new language, the ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle ($79.99, parts $159.91) starts with everyday English.
Honest limits
What this bundle does not cover
The packs were not written for South Dakota and carry no South Dakota standards codes; compare them with the state's ELA standards and your district's literacy plan. There is nothing for kindergarten or for Grades 7 and 8, so the upper-room teacher needs other material for those students. It is skills practice, not a complete reading program, and the set has no Grade 2 reading story. You handle printing. If your district wants the packs in several colony schools, message Teach Lessons first about team use. Not a fit? Exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to South Dakota's ELA standards?
No. The bundle is not aligned to, endorsed by or approved by the state or any district, and it contains no standard codes. The skills it practices, such as phonics, grammar and paragraph writing, are common across elementary ELA, but check the packs against South Dakota's standards and your district's curriculum before relying on them.
Will it work for the Grades 4–8 room?
For Grades 4, 5 and 6, yes: each has its own grammar, writing and phonics pack, and there are reading stories at those levels. Grades 7 and 8 are not included. A seventh grader might use the Grade 6 word study as review, but students in those grades need their own grade-level materials.
Can students work on their own while I teach another grade?
That is the main reason multi-grade teachers choose grade-sorted practice. Once a student knows their folder, they can pick up the next page while you work with another group. Plan a short check-in with each grade during the block so mistakes do not pile up.
Is there anything for kindergarten?
No. The earliest pack is Grade 1. Kindergartners in a K–3 room can join the shared start of the block and listen to the reading stories, but you will need separate early literacy materials for them. A kindergartner could trace or copy words from a Grade 1 page next to an older sibling, but that is improvising, not what the packs were written for.
Does it need computers or projectors?
No device or software comes with it, and none is needed to use the packs. They are made for print and digital classrooms, so you can simply print the pages and work on paper. Download the files once; they stay in your account under Orders.
Can the two teachers in one colony school share a copy?
The licence covers your own teaching. If the K–3 and the 4–8 teacher both want to use the packs, send Teach Lessons a short message before buying and ask about team use. Describe which grades each of you teaches, and you will get an answer before you spend anything. Either way, keep the files inside your own school; posting or passing them on is not allowed.
A folder for every grade by Monday
Look at all 24 packs on the product page and download the set for your classroom.
Browse the 24 literacy packs