Unit Materials for Kindergarten English Language Arts
Explore the texts and supporting materials used in each unit of Kindergarten English Language Arts.
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You can request a current spreadsheet with all unit texts needed to teach Fishtank ELA for the 2025-26 school year by emailing [email protected].
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Welcome to School
Core Texts
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Book: Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books, 2010) — AD480L
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Book: The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2019) — AD720L
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Book: I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2004)
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Book: I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Gordon C. James (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2020)
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Book: The Crayon Box That Talked by Shane Derolf (Random House Books for Young Readers, 1997) — 460L
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Book: Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin (Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2007) — AD490L
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Book: Words Are Not for Hurting by Elizabeth Verdick (Free Spirit Publishing, 2004) — AD450L
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Book: Today I Feel Silly And Other Moods that Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis (HarperCollins, 1998) — AD490L
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Book: You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith and illustrated by Danielle Daniel (Ocra Book Publishers, 2017) — 140L
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Book: Benny Doesn’t Like to be Hugged by Zetta Elliott and illustrated by Purple Wong (CreateSpace)
Supporting Texts
- Resource: Book List for Further Reading
Noticing Patterns in Stories
Core Texts
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Book: The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle (Philomel Books, 1985) — 330L
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Book: Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan (Greenwillow Books, 1989) — NPL
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Book: We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Helen Oxenbury and Michael Rosen (Alladin Paperbacks, 2003) — BR280L
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Book: We're Going on a Lion Hunt by David Axtell (Square Fish, 2007) — BR260L
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Book: Sitting Down to Eat by Bill Harley (August House, 2005)
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Book: The Napping House by Audrey Wood (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2009)
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Book: Rap a Tap Tap: Here's Bojangles – Think of That! by Leo Dillon (Blue Sky Press, 2002) — AD360L
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Book: Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho (Scholastic Inc, 2000) — AD600L
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Book: Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys, and Their Monkey Business, by Esphyr Slobodkina (Harper Collins, 1987) — AD480L
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Book: Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2018) — AD630LL
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Assessment Text: “Hot Pot Night!” by Vincent Chen and illustrated by Vincent Chen (Charlesbridge) — AD190LL
Supporting Texts
- Resource: Book List for Further Reading
Celebrating Fall
Core Texts
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Article: “The Changing Year” by TFK Editors (TIME for Kids)
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Article: “Time for Change” by TFK Editors (TIME for Kids)
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Book: Fall Weather: Cooler Temperatures by Martha E. H. Rustad (Millbrook Press, 2011) — 530L
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Book: Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro (HarperCollins, 2015) — 580L
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Book: Fall Harvest Fun by Martha E. H. Rustad (Lerner Publishing Group)
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Book: Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins (Scholastic Press, 1998) — IG570L
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Book: Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (Harcourt, 2005) — AD310L
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Book: We're Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger (Cartwheel Books, 2008) — AD410L
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Book: Leaves by David Ezra Stein (G.P. Putman's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2010) — AD180L
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Book: Fall Harvests: Bringing in Food by Martha E. H. Rustad (Millbrook PR, 2011) — 590L
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Book: The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons (Holiday House, 1999) — AD570L
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Book: Apples by Gail Gibbons (Holiday House, 2001) — 650L
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Assessment Text: “Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie” by Jill Esbaum (National Geographic Kids) — AD507LL
Supporting Texts
- Resource: Book List for Further Reading
Falling in Love with Authors and Illustrators
Core Texts
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Book: The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin (Charlesbridge, 2001) — 390L
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Book: Kite Flying by Grace Lin (Dragonfly Books, 2004) — 280L
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Book: Dim Sum for Everyone! by Grace Lin (Dragonfly Books, 2003) — AD250L
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Book: Fortune Cookie Fortunes by Grace Lin (Dragonfly Books, 2006) — 490L
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Book: Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales (Square Fish, 2015) — 420L
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Book: Tito Puente, Mambo King by Monica Brown (Rayo, 2013) — AD620L
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Video: “Tito Puente - Oye Como Va (Video Oficial)” (Platinum Music Group (YouTube))
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Book: My Name is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz by Monica Brown (Cooper Square Publishing LLC, 2004) — AD0L
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Book: My Name is Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral by Monica Brown (National Geographic School Pub, 2010) — AD440L
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Book: The Lion & the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009)
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Book: Just in Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book by Yuyi Morales (Roaring Book Press, 2008) — AD530L
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Book: The Tortoise & the Hare by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition, 2013)
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Book: The Grasshopper and the Ants by Jerry Pinkney (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; First Edition edition, 2015)
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Book: Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales (Chronicle Books, 2016) — 540L
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Book: Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (Neal Porter Books; Illustrated Edition, 2018) — AD480L
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Assessment Text: “Thanking the Moon” by Grace Lin (Knopf Books for Young Readers) — AD1060LL
Supporting Texts
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Template: Letter-Writing Template (GK, U4, L6)
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Template: Letter-Writing Template (GK, U4, L11)
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Template: Letter-Writing Template (GK, U4, L15)
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Template: Letter-Writing Template (GK, U4, L19)
- Resource: Book List for Further Reading
Winter Wonderland
Core Texts
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Article: “The Changing Year” by TFK Editors (TIME for Kids)
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Book: The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino and Jon Nelson (Chronicle Books, 2009) — 630L
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Article: “Winter Wonders” (TIME for Kids)
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Book: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Viking, 1962) — AD500L
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Book: Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper and illustrated by Kenard Pak (Kokila, 2020) — AD520L
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Book: Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers: How Animals Adapt in Winter by Jessica Kulekjian and illustrated by Salini Perera — AD910L
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Book: Animals in Winter by Henrietta Bancroft and Richard G. Van Gelder and illustrated by Helen K. Davie (HarperCollins, 1996) — AD480L
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Book: Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal (Chronicle Books, 2014) — AD600L
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Book: Tracks in the Snow by Wong Herbert Yee (Square Fish; First edition, 2007) — AD440L
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Book: The Mitten by Jan Brett (G.P. Putman’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 1996) — 600L
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Book: The Hat by Jan Brett (G.P. Putman’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 1997) — 540L
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Book: Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett (G.P. Putman’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2012) — 490L
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Assessment Text: “Curious About Snow” by Gina Shaw (Grosset & Dunlap) — NC830LL
Supporting Texts
- Resource: Book List for Further Reading
What is Justice?
Core Texts
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Book: All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman (Knopf Books for Young Readers; Illustrated edition, 2018) — AD370L
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Book: Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester and illustrated by Karen Barbour (HarperCollins; Illustrated edition, 2008)
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Video: “PBS KIDS Talk About Race, Racism & Identity” (PBS KIDS)
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Book: Mixed Me! by Taye Diggs and illustrated by Shane W. Evans (Feiwel & Friends, 2015) — AD540L
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Book: Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and illustrated by Caroline Binch (Dial Books, 1991) — AD680L
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Book: The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E. B. Lewis (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2001) — AD490L
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Book: How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Frank Morrison (Candlewick, 2023) — 840L
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Book: This Is the Dream by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander and illustrated by James Ransome (mistad Books for Young Readers, 2009)
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Book: Rosa by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier (Square Fish; Reprint edition, 2007) — 800L
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Book: Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport and illustrated by Bryan Collier (Jump at the Sun, 2007) — 410L
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Book: A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson and illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition, 2007) — AD480L
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Book: I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Dragonfly Books, 2024) — 1030L
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Book: Be A King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by James E. Ransome (Bloomsbury USA Childrens; Illustrated edition, 2018) — 360L
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Assessment Text: “We March” by Shane W. Evans (Square Fish; Reprint edition, 2016) — BR290L
Supporting Texts
- Resource: Book List for Further Reading
Exploring Life Cycles
Core Texts
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Book: It’s Spring! by Linda Glaser (National Geographic School Pub; 1 edition, 2010) — AD590L
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Book: What’s Alive? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (HarperCollins; 1 edition, 1995) — 430L
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Book: How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan (HarperCollins; Revised edition, 2015) — AD470L
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Book: From Seed to Sunflower by Mari Schuh — 510L
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Book: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle (Little Simon; Reprint edition, 2009) — 500L
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Book: Who Will Plant a Tree? by Jerry Pallotta (Sleeping Bear Press, 2010)
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Book: Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert (HMH Books for Young Readers; 1 edition, 2001) — AD459L
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Book: From Caterpillar to Butterfly by Deborah Heiligman (HarperCollins; Revised edition, 2015) — 490L
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Book: Have you Heard the Nesting Bird? by Rita Gray (HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition, 2017) — AD430L
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Book: A Nest Full of Eggs by Priscilla Belz (Jenkins, HarperCollins; Revised edition, 2015) — AD630L
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Book: The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen and Jerry Pinkney (Morrow Junior Books; 1st edition, 1999) — AD820L
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Book: Frogs by Gail Gibbons (Holiday House; Reprint edition, 1993) — AD600L
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Book: From Tadpole to Frog by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Scholastic Paperbacks, 2011) — 520L
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Book: Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle (Henry Holt and Co)
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Book: Egg to Chicken (Follow the Life Cycle) by Rachel Tonkin (Crabtree Classics) — 510L
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Assessment Text: “And the Bullfrogs Sing: A Life Cycle Begins” by David Harrison and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove (Holiday House)
Supporting Texts
- Resource: Book List for Further Reading
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Core Texts
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Book: What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet by Jess French (DK Children, 2019) — IG920L
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Book: The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics by Susan Hood (HarperCollins; Illustrated edition, 2021)
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Book: Recycle! A Handbook for Kids by Gail Gibbons (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition, 1996) — AD840L
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Book: The Three R’s: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle by Nuria Roca (Barron's Educational Series, 2007) — AD1030L
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Book: One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda Paul (Millbrook Press, 2015) — 570L
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Book: Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora del Arcoiris by Linda Elovitz Marshall (Children’s Book Press; Bilingual edition, 2016) — AD580L
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Book: Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books; Illustrated edition, 2020) — AD540L
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Book: Compost Stew: An A to Z Recipe for the Earth by Mary McKenna Siddals (Tricycle Press; Illustrated edition, 2010) — AD650L
Supporting Texts
- Resource: Book List for Further Reading
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