Rooted in Reading: K–3 Read-Aloud ELA Curriculum
Rooted in Reading is an elementary English Language Arts curriculum created by educators Amy Lemons and Katie King for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classrooms. Each week is built around one purposefully selected picture book, with lesson plans for comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar. Every unit is included with a GYTO Library membership.
What is Rooted in Reading?
Each week, teachers read a purposefully selected picture book aloud. Students listen, discuss the text, and keep working with it all week. The curriculum focuses on deepening comprehension, developing and expanding vocabulary, and integrating language skills through a mentor text.
How a week works
- Read aloud. Read a purposefully selected picture book to the class. Students listen actively and discuss the text as you read.
- Talk about the book. Guide book conversations before, during, and after the read-aloud with thought-provoking discussion questions.
- Target the skill. Revisit the text all week to teach specific comprehension skills and standards.
- Respond to the text. Activities keep students thinking, making connections, building vocabulary, and practicing language skills with the mentor text.
Inside each read-aloud unit
- 5 days of detailed lesson plans for comprehension, vocabulary, and grammar
- Comprehension focus posters, anchor chart templates, and discussion questions
- Response activities, printables, and assessments
- Original nonfiction reader and reading passage
- Vocabulary picture cards, activities, and assessment
- Daily Deep Dive mentor sentence activities
- Grammar lessons, activities, and assessment
- Craft and directed drawing with a text-based response
Who it's for
- Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classrooms
- Teachers who want a stand-alone ELA curriculum, or a supplement to an existing ELA block
- Classrooms that learn best through quality children's literature, discussion, and hands-on response
- Schools previewing a new curriculum. Sample weeks and a research document are free to share with administration.
Browse Rooted in Reading
Shop read-aloud units, nonfiction readers, comprehension passages, and foundations and phonics resources in the Rooted in Reading collection.
Yearlong bundles by grade
- Kindergarten Rooted in Reading Yearlong Bundle
- 1st Grade Rooted in Reading Yearlong Bundle
- 2nd Grade Rooted in Reading Yearlong Bundle (2nd Edition)
- 2nd Grade Rooted in Reading Yearlong Bundle (1st Edition)
- 3rd Grade Rooted in Reading Yearlong Bundle
Free sample weeks
Download a complete week of lesson plans for your grade, free. Each sample includes the Rooted in Reading research document.
- Kindergarten: When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree
- 1st Grade: Honey Honey Lion
- 2nd Grade (2nd Edition): The Doctor with an Eye for Eyes
- 2nd Grade (1st Edition): When I Was Young in the Mountains
- 3rd Grade: The Raft
Included with the GYTO Library membership
Join the GYTO Library for $15.99 a month or $149 a year and download every Rooted in Reading resource, including members-only resources, plus Magic of Math and the entire GYTO Library. Cancel anytime. Join the Library.
Meet the creators
Amy Lemons started teaching in 2006 and spent most of her classroom years in 1st and 2nd grade. She co-created Rooted in Reading, and Magic of Math and Write On! with Hope King.
Katie King is a first grade teacher who loves teaching reading and co-created Rooted in Reading.
Frequently asked questions
Which grades is Rooted in Reading for?
Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. Try the free sample week for your grade to see which level fits your students.
Can my administration preview it?
Yes. Share the free sample weeks with your administration. They include the Rooted in Reading research document.
Is Rooted in Reading included in the GYTO Library?
Yes. Members can download every Rooted in Reading resource as part of their membership, for $149 a year or $15.99 a month. That includes members-only resources that aren’t sold separately.
Should I buy a bundle or join the Library?
A yearlong bundle covers one grade for $115–$125. Membership is $149 a year and includes every grade, the members-only resources, and the entire GYTO Library.
Are the yearlong bundles included in the membership?
Yearlong bundles are sold separately and aren’t included in the Library membership. Members can download each unit individually at no extra cost.
Can I cancel my membership?
Yes. Memberships include unlimited downloads and you can cancel anytime.
Can my whole school get access?
Yes. School site licenses are available for teams of 10 or more teachers.
Who created Rooted in Reading?
Rooted in Reading was created by teachers and authors Amy Lemons and Katie King, and is available from Get Your Teach On and in the GYTO Library.