For Teachers
Early Reader Books for Kindergarten and Grade 1
5 Books • 10 Stories • 124 Sight Words
The Ella and Mark Early Reader Series is a structured early reading program for Kindergarten and Grade 1 students learning to read. The series uses a carefully sequenced sight word approach to help beginner readers build confidence, fluency, and reading success step by step.
Across 10 short stories, children are introduced to high-frequency sight words through simple, predictable sentence structures designed for early readers. This makes the series ideal for guided reading, literacy centres, and home reading practice.
The series features relatable Canadian settings and experiences, including school, camp, parks, soccer, skiing, and hockey. This familiar context supports comprehension and helps young readers connect new words to their everyday lives.
Designed for Kindergarten and Grade 1 Classrooms
- Guided reading groups
- Independent reading practice
- Literacy centres
- Classroom libraries
- Small-group intervention
- Interactive reading games
- Home reading support — see the Parent Support page
Teacher Resources
Printable literacy resources for Kindergarten and Grade 1 teachers include activity books, flashcards, word lists, and a reading certificate. These low-prep materials support guided reading, literacy centres, and home reading practice. For best results, print using Actual Size.
Activity Books
Each activity book includes simple reinforcement activities connected to the words and themes in the stories. Activity books are designed for black-and-white printing to keep classroom copying simple.
- Trace and write practice
- Word recognition
- Simple reading reinforcement
- Colouring activities
Achievement Certificate
Recognize student achievement with a printable Certificate of Reading Achievement. It is ideal for celebrating completion of the Ella and Mark Early Reader Series and reinforcing student confidence in early reading.
Progress Tracker
Make reading progress fun with this printable Ella and Mark Reading Tracker. Children can colour a star each time they master a story in the series.
Flashcards
Printable flashcards support instruction, targeted practice, and review. The cards can be printed on standard 8.5 × 11-inch paper or cardstock, with four flashcards per page.
- Sight word practice
- Literacy centres
- Small-group instruction
- Quick daily review
When printing, select Actual Size. Story numbers are colour-coded for easy organization, but all pages print clearly in black and white.
Word Lists
The Ella and Mark series aligns with several widely used high-frequency word lists commonly taught in Kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms.
- 28 of the 40 Dolch Pre-Primer sight words
- 35 words from the Fry First 100 list
- 40 words from the Children’s Picture Book (CPB) First 100 Sight Words
- 28 words from the Oxford English Corpus (OEC) First 100
These overlaps help reinforce words students are already encountering in early reading instruction.
Download the Word List by Story for the Ella and Mark Early Reader Series. This 1-page PDF shows the new vocabulary introduced in each story across the 5-book series. You can also view the New Words page.
Free Online Reading Games
Explore the Reading Games →
Make reading practice fun with free online Ella and Mark reading games. Children can practise sight words, matching and word recognition—no account or sign-up is required. The Flashcard Tracker saves progress locally on the device being used, so children can return and continue practising without providing any personal information.
Share your Feedback
We welcome feedback from teachers who have used the books with their students.
Ordering Information
Available worldwide in paperback and eBook formats.
After carefully comparing multiple printing and publishing options, we selected Amazon KDP to ensure high print quality, durable binding, and consistent results across all copies. This is especially important for classroom use, where books are handled frequently and need to remain in excellent condition.
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Titles and ISBNs
