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The Hero Academy · Reading

The Sage's Library

Print awareness develops toward word reading, fluency, comprehension, and close analysis. The planned sequence includes explicit foundational skills and increasingly complex texts.

Proposed K–12 pathway · initial section available
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The Sage's Library illustrated curriculum cover

Available section · READ-K-01

Books, print, and spoken words

No independent reading or letter recognition is assumed. Pointing and oral responses are sufficient.

  1. READ-K-01-L01

    Print carries a message

    Recognize that printed words represent spoken language.

    Companion activity: READ-K-01-W01
  2. READ-K-01-L02

    Following an English sentence

    Track a line of English print and notice spaces between words.

    Companion activity: READ-K-01-W02
  3. READ-K-01-L03

    Listening for what a text says

    Answer a question using information from a short adult-read passage.

    Companion activity: READ-K-01-W03

A proposed path from K through 12

The learning sequence

Levels organize increasing complexity. They are not age deadlines. Detailed standards coverage, prerequisites, and topic research remain in development beyond the starter section.

Kindergarten entry

Adult-supported observation, communication, and access adaptations; no independent reading required

  1. READ-K-01Books, print, and spoken wordsIntroductory section available; further strand coverage in development
  2. READ-K-02Speech sounds and letter-sound linksPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-K-03Blending and early word readingPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-K-04Listening comprehension and supported readingPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Track an English printed line, distinguish print from a drawing, and identify spaces between words.
  • Segment and blend selected spoken words and decode a cumulative set of short words using explicitly taught letter–sound correspondences.
  • After an adult read-aloud, recount a sequence and answer questions about stated details while identifying an unstated detail.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 1

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level K; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-1-01Phonics, decoding, and word recognitionPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-1-02Accuracy, phrasing, and fluencyPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-1-03Story elements and retellingPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-1-04Informational texts and vocabularyPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Decode unfamiliar single-syllable words containing taught spelling patterns and identify taught irregular word parts.
  • Read an appropriately controlled short passage accurately, self-correct a mismatch, and explain its main events or information.
  • Retell a story with characters and event sequence and use a nonfiction text feature to locate a detail.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 2

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 1; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-2-01Advanced phonics and word partsPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-2-02Fluency and comprehension monitoringPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-2-03Characters, events, and text evidencePlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-2-04Nonfiction structures and text featuresPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Read selected two-syllable words using taught syllable and spelling patterns and explain the meaning contribution of a familiar affix.
  • Reread a suitable passage with attention to punctuation, identify a comprehension breakdown, and use rereading to resolve it.
  • Support a character/event explanation with text details and locate information using headings or another taught nonfiction feature.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 3

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 2; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-3-01Multisyllabic words and morphologyPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-3-02Vocabulary and contextual meaningPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-3-03Theme, character, and narrative structurePlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-3-04Informational reading and comparisonPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Decode a taught range of multisyllabic words and use a familiar root or affix to test a possible meaning.
  • Explain how a character action contributes to an event sequence and support a proposed theme with relevant details.
  • Summarize key information and compare two accounts of the same topic, identifying which detail comes from which text.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 4

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 3; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-4-01Word analysis and reading fluencyPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-4-02Inference and supporting evidencePlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-4-03Poetry, drama, and prosePlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-4-04Knowledge-building nonfictionPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Read an unfamiliar suitable passage, identify a decoding or meaning difficulty, and explain a strategy that resolves it.
  • Make an inference and connect it to specific text details while separating those details from the inference.
  • Compare the organization of a poem, drama scene, and prose passage and explain information learned from nonfiction.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 5

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 4; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-5-01Vocabulary, roots, and figurative languagePlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-5-02Theme and summarizingPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-5-03Viewpoint and comparing textsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-5-04Information synthesis and source usePlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Use roots, affixes, and context to propose and then verify a word meaning, distinguishing literal from figurative usage.
  • Summarize a text without substituting personal judgment and support a theme interpretation with relevant details.
  • Compare viewpoints across two texts and synthesize shared and differing information with clear source attribution.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 6

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 5; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-6-01Close reading and inferencePlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-6-02Literary structure and characterizationPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-6-03Informational claims and evidencePlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-6-04Reading across genres and culturesPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Support an inference about a character or event with multiple relevant details and explain the reasoning.
  • Explain how a structural choice affects a literary passage and distinguish an explicit statement from an interpretation.
  • Evaluate a stated informational claim using the evidence provided and compare its treatment with another genre or cultural context.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 7

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 6; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-7-01Language, tone, and connotationPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-7-02Theme, form, and viewpointPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-7-03Argument and media comparisonPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-7-04Independent reading and discussionPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Explain how particular words contribute to tone or connotation using surrounding text.
  • Compare the development of a theme or viewpoint in two texts and explain a relevant difference in form.
  • Evaluate an argument or media adaptation and support an independent reading discussion with accurate references.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 8

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 7; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-8-01Textual evidence and ambiguityPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-8-02Literary allusion and adaptationPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-8-03Reasoning, claims, and conflicting accountsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-8-04Reading research and synthesisPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Select strong evidence for an interpretation and acknowledge a detail that complicates it.
  • Explain an allusion or adaptation using the source relationship and relevant historical context.
  • Compare conflicting accounts, distinguish evidence from assertion, and synthesize findings with source attribution.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 9

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 8; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-9-01Literary analysis and narrative craftPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-9-02Poetry and drama interpretationPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-9-03Rhetoric and argument evaluationPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-9-04World literature in historical contextPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Develop an interpretation of narrative craft using precise textual evidence and a coherent explanation.
  • Analyze a poem or drama scene through structure, language, and performance implications while separating observation from interpretation.
  • Evaluate rhetorical choices and an argument’s evidence, locating a selected world-literature work in documented context.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 10

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 9; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-10-01Comparative literature and translationPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-10-02Complex informational textsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-10-03Language, perspective, and ideologyPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-10-04Independent literary inquiryPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Compare two literary works or translations and explain a consequential difference with textual support.
  • Synthesize information from complex texts while identifying uncertainty, assumptions, or missing evidence.
  • Conduct an independent literary inquiry that distinguishes a text’s perspective from the learner’s supported interpretation.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 11

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 10; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-11-01American literature and historical contextPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-11-02British and world literature selectionsPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-11-03Scholarly arguments and technical readingPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-11-04Critical synthesis across sourcesPlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Interpret an American literature selection using textual evidence and documented historical context.
  • Compare a British and a world-literature selection without treating either as representative of an entire culture.
  • Synthesize scholarly and technical sources, evaluating methods, claims, and limitations before drawing a qualified conclusion.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Level 12

Demonstrated prerequisite skills from level 11; placement is skill-based

  1. READ-12-01Advanced textual analysisPlanned · research and writing pending
  2. READ-12-02Literary criticism as interpretationPlanned · research and writing pending
  3. READ-12-03Research reading and source limitationsPlanned · research and writing pending
  4. READ-12-04Independent reading portfolio and capstonePlanned · research and writing pending

Proposed demonstrations

  • Sustain a close reading that evaluates alternative interpretations and acknowledges unresolved ambiguity.
  • Compare critical interpretations and assess how well each explains the primary text’s evidence.
  • Produce and defend an independent reading portfolio or inquiry with accurate attribution, source evaluation, and reflection on revised conclusions.

These are proposed targets, not a complete assessment or verified standards checklist.

Subject strands inside this book

  • Print Awareness and Alphabet Knowledge
  • Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
  • Phonics and Decoding
  • Reading Fluency
  • Vocabulary and Word Meaning
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Fiction and Literary Genres
  • Poetry and Drama
  • Nonfiction and Informational Texts
  • Literary Analysis
  • Independent Reading and Book Discussions

Evidence and scope

Introductory work toward selected print concepts RF.K.1a–c and adult-supported understanding of a read-aloud. Page-by-page tracking, alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, decoding, and fluency are not assessed here. This is not a full phonics or kindergarten reading program.

Read source notes and release limits →