Why do Kindergarten and grade 1 students who require short-vowel decoding instruction place into Beginning Level, but grades 2 and 3 students who need the same instruction place into Extension Level?

K–1 students working on short-vowel decoding are placed into SIPPS Beginning Level. This level emphasizes foundational skills (short vowels, high-frequency words, and blending CVC words) taught at a pace designed for our youngest and most fragile readers.

Older students in grades 2–3 who are working on short-vowel decoding are placed into Extension Review (beginning with Extension Review Lesson 1, not Extension Lesson 1). Extension Review is a 15-lesson sequence designed specifically for students in grades 2 and 3. It reinforces foundational skills, including short vowels, consonant digraphs, and high-frequency words through age-appropriate, accelerated instruction that better matches the learning needs and cognitive abilities of many second- and third-grade readers.

The Mastery Test Interpretation Guidance after Extension Review Lessons 5, 10, and 15 provides direction on when it may be appropriate for a second- or third-grade student to transition into the slower, more supportive Beginning Level instruction. However, we always start with Extension Review for these students to see if acceleration is possible.