Scope & Sequence

The Maitri Approach

At Maitri Learning, we believe effective literacy instruction must be rooted in neuroscience, responsive to each learner, and designed for lasting success. Our research-backed materials align with how children’s brains naturally develop—through choice, repetition, and self-directed, interest-driven learning. Tested and refined by educators, every Maitri Learning resource is appealing, precise, durable, and distraction-free.

We don’t just follow trends—we follow what neuroscience says works best for children. By honoring student agency and fostering hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences, we help educators move beyond scripted programs to create classrooms where students learn how to learn, fostering curiosity and deep engagement.

As a teacher-founded, woman-owned, eco-happy small business, Maitri Learning is committed to producing high-quality, ethically made resources that align with science of reading best practices and human development—empowering educators, engaging students, and fostering a lifelong love of learning.

Scope & Sequence

The Maitri Learning Literacy Program offers a comprehensive, developmentally-appropriate approach to language development rooted in neurodevelopmental principles. Our carefully structured activities guide children from ages 3 to 11 through a natural progression of literacy skills integrating phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension while honoring student agency through hands-on, play-based learning.

Moving beyond scripted programs, our research-backed materials and activities empower educators with ready-to-use, flexible resources that require minimal prep, allowing them to focus on what truly matters—guiding self-directed, interest-driven learning.

Our Montessori-inspired materials and activities combine the science of reading with the magic of children's natural curiosity to foster not just technical reading and writing abilities, but deep comprehension, critical thinking, and a genuine love of language that creates lifelong readers. Tested and refined by educators, our durable, distraction-free materials are designed to support both new and experienced teachers in creating classrooms where students truly learn how to learn.

Early Literacy (PreK: Ages 3 to 4) 

Vocabulary Development/Expressive Language

• Conversations
• True Stories/Sharing News
• Books (Read alouds; wordless books, types of books)
• The Question Game
• Listen & Do command games
• Spoken classification games
  • Related nouns
  • Compound words
  • Plurals
  • Antonyms
  • Synonyms
  • Contractions
  • Word families
• Three-period vocabulary lessons
  • Parts of the body
  • Objects and furnishings in the environment
  • Vocabulary cards
• Matching games (to practice using new vocabulary)
• Sorting games (to develop gist)
• Fine Art Display cards (for expressive language and vocabulary building)
• Fine Art Matching cards (to practice new vocabulary)
• Geography Folders (to compare ways of living from continent to content; develops background knowledge of fundamental human needs)

Phonological Awareness

• Sound games (I Spy)
  • Beginning sounds
  • Beginning and ending sounds
  • Beginning, ending, and middle sounds
  • All sounds (segmenting)
• Songs
• Poems
• Tongue Twisters
• Articulation games

Letter-Sound Knowledge: Explicit instruction in the Key Sounds of English

• Letter-Sound Charts
• Self-correcting 3-Part Letter-Sound Cards
• Pink/Blue/Green Alphabets (pink consonants, blue vowels, and green digraphs) for developmental word building and self-expression

Emerging Reading (PreK-1: Ages 4 to 7) 

Phonetic Reading

• Pink series (CVC words): Self-correcting 3-Part Reading Cards with pictures to provide context/comprehension support
• Blue series (phonetic words with blends like mask): Self-correcting 3-Part Reading Cards with pictures to provide context/comprehension support
• Phonetic Activity Cards (for charades; words only, no pictures)
• Phonetic Word Cards (color-coded words only, no pictures)

Digraph Reading

• Green series (phonetic words with keysound digraphs): Self-correcting 3-Part Reading Cards with pictures to provide context/comprehension support; digraphs isolated in red
• Pine Green series (phonetic words other common digraphs like a with silent e): Self-correcting 3-Part Reading Cards with pictures to provide context/comprehension support; digraphs isolated in red
• Digraph Word Lists for all green and pine green series digraphs

Developing Reading (K-3: Ages 5 to 9)

Word-Level Reading Fluency

• Sight Words
• Self-correcting 3-Part Classified Cards to match student interest with reading
• Self-correcting 3-Part Zoology Cards to match student interest with reading
• Self-correcting 3-Part "Parts of" Cards to match student interest with reading
• Labelling the environment with handwritten and prepared slips
  

World-Level Spelling Fluency

• Phonogram Spelling Folders
• Phonogram Dictionary
• Red/Blue/Black Movable Alphabets
  • Spelling words from the 3-part Digraph Reading Cards (Green and Pine Green series); isolating the digraph
  • Vowel-based digraph explorations
  • Consonant-based digraph explorations
  • Spelling words from the Digraph Word Lists (peer-dictation or self-study)
  • Spelling words from the Phonogram Spelling Folder booklets (peer dictation or self-study)
    

Advancing Literacy (1-5: Ages 6 to 11)

• Grammar (Function of Words)
  • The Article and Noun
  • The Adjective (three activities)
  • The Conjunction
  • The Preposition
  • The Verb
    • Introduction
    • Charades
    • Transitive & Intransitive
    • Syntax
    • Mental Activity
  • The Adverb (two activities)
  • Commands
    • Symbolizing verb-conjunction-verb
    • Symbolizing verb-article-noun-conjunction-verb
    • Symbolizing two verb-article-noun phrases connected with a conjunction
    • Symbolizing two verb-pronoun-noun phrases connected with a conjunction
• Word Study
  • Compound words
  • Antonyms
  • Synonyms
  • Contractions
  • Homophones
  • Related Nouns:
    • Masculine & Feminine
    • Animal Groups
    • Animal Homes
    • Animals and their Young
• Word Study Spelling Charts
  • Reading
  • Movable Alphabet spelling practice (peer-dictation or self-study)
• Fine Art 4-Part Cards
• Definition Books
  
• Build-a-Book
• Sentence Analysis