The document provides guidance for lesson planning to develop students' literacy skills. It discusses assessing students at the beginning, middle, and end of the year to guide instruction. Throughout the year, teachers should incorporate daily reading, writing, and opportunities to access different types of books. Lessons should use developmentally appropriate practices, texts matched to students' levels, and instructional methods that address cognitive and affective needs. The document also provides an example lesson sequence that uses a matrix to compare elements across four stories by Leo Lionni.