Video Collection

Welcome to Blackbird and Company!

FROM OUR BEGINNING In 2000, Blackbird & Company has been creating language arts materials that inspire delight in the art of learning. Our products have been developed to provide the support for you, and the intellectual scaffolding that will enable your students to move beyond mere reading and writing, toward reading for purpose and writing for real.

True learning entails much more than the gathering of knowledge. We believe all children are endowed with their own creative genius and we are dedicated to providing materials that empower you to discover, protect and promote that unique potential in each child.

Welcome to Blackbird & Company! If you're looking for a fun and inspirational language arts program, we have everything you need. Whether you are in a classroom, a homeschool, or an independent study program, we want to empower you, encourage you, and give you confidence to Take Flight and begin the adventurous journey of literacy.
The first destination on your journey is our Hatchling: Reading, Writing, and Phonics program for Kindergarten and 1st Grade students. From there you will move into our Earlybird: Integrated Literature and Writing materials for 2nd grade students.
We hope you enjoy this introduction to our Grade Level Collections!

Welcome to Blackbird & Company! If you're looking for a fun and inspirational language arts program, we have everything you need. Whether you are in a classroom, a homeschool, or an independent study program, we want to empower you, encourage you, and give you confidence to Take Flight and continue the adventurous journey of literacy.
This stage of the journey is anchored with our Integrated Literature and Writing Discovery guides.
We hope you enjoy this introduction to our Grade Level Collections!

Welcome to Blackbird & Company! If you're looking for a fun and inspirational language arts program, we have everything you need. Whether you are in a classroom, a homeschool, or an independent study program, we want to empower you, encourage you, and give you confidence to Take Flight and continue the adventurous journey of literacy.
This stage of the journey is anchored with our Integrated Literature and Writing Discovery guides.
We hope you enjoy this introduction to our Grade Level Collections!

Welcome to Blackbird & Company! If you're looking for a fun and inspirational language arts program, we have everything you need. Whether you are in a classroom, a homeschool, or an independent study program, we want to empower you, encourage you, and give you confidence to Take Flight and continue the adventurous journey of literacy.
We hope you enjoy this introduction to our Grade Level Collections!

Learn all about our range of writing materials for elementary, middle school, and high school students.

Storymaker is a fun, creative teaching tool that will help your early elementary aged students enter the world of writing with joy rather than fear.

Each collection is a complete language arts program consisting of carefully chosen elements that give students the tools, training, practice, and inspiration needed at each level.

Our pre-selected collections make shopping simple by providing all the language arts materials you need for the year in one click.

NOTE: We use grade level merely as a common reference point. Every student will fall across a range of levels in different subjects, and even within the same subject. Our materials are designed to be flexible for students, parents, and teachers, allowing for complete differentiation as needed.

Each collection is a complete language arts program consisting of carefully chosen elements that give students the tools, training, practice, and inspiration needed at each level.

Our pre-selected collections make shopping simple by providing all the language arts materials you need for the year in one click.

NOTE: We use grade level merely as a common reference point. Every student will fall across a range of levels in different subjects, and even within the same subject. Our materials are designed to be flexible for students, parents, and teachers, allowing for complete differentiation as needed.

Each collection is a complete language arts program consisting of carefully chosen elements that give students the tools, training, practice, and inspiration needed at each level.

Our pre-selected collections make shopping simple by providing all the language arts materials you need for the year in one click.

NOTE: We use grade level merely as a common reference point. Every student will fall across a range of levels in different subjects, and even within the same subject. Our materials are designed to be flexible for students, parents, and teachers, allowing for complete differentiation as needed.

Each collection is a complete language arts program consisting of carefully chosen elements that give students the tools, training, practice, and inspiration needed at each level.

Our pre-selected collections make shopping simple by providing all the language arts materials you need for the year in one click.

NOTE: We use grade level merely as a common reference point. Every student will fall across a range of levels in different subjects, and even within the same subject. Our materials are designed to be flexible for students, parents, and teachers, allowing for complete differentiation as needed.

Each collection is a complete language arts program consisting of carefully chosen elements that give students the tools, training, practice, and inspiration needed at each level.

Our pre-selected collections make shopping simple by providing all the language arts materials you need for the year in one click.

NOTE: We use grade level merely as a common reference point. Every student will fall across a range of levels in different subjects, and even within the same subject. Our materials are designed to be flexible for students, parents, and teachers, allowing for complete differentiation as needed.

Each collection is a complete language arts program consisting of carefully chosen elements that give students the tools, training, practice, and inspiration needed at each level.

Our pre-selected collections make shopping simple by providing all the language arts materials you need for the year in one click.

NOTE: We use grade level merely as a common reference point. Every student will fall across a range of levels in different subjects, and even within the same subject. Our materials are designed to be flexible for students, parents, and teachers, allowing for complete differentiation as needed.

Each collection is a complete language arts program consisting of carefully chosen elements that give students the tools, training, practice, and inspiration needed at each level.

Our pre-selected collections make shopping simple by providing all the language arts materials you need for the year in one click.

NOTE: We use grade level merely as a common reference point. Every student will fall across a range of levels in different subjects, and even within the same subject. Our materials are designed to be flexible for students, parents, and teachers, allowing for complete differentiation as needed.

Each collection is a complete language arts program consisting of carefully chosen elements that give students the tools, training, practice, and inspiration needed at each level.

Our pre-selected collections make shopping simple by providing all the language arts materials you need for the year in one click.

NOTE: We use grade level merely as a common reference point. Every student will fall across a range of levels in different subjects, and even within the same subject. Our materials are designed to be flexible for students, parents, and teachers, allowing for complete differentiation as needed.

Each collection is a complete language arts program consisting of carefully chosen elements that give students the tools, training, practice, and inspiration needed at each level.

Our pre-selected collections make shopping simple by providing all the language arts materials you need for the year in one click.

NOTE: We use grade level merely as a common reference point. Every student will fall across a range of levels in different subjects, and even within the same subject. Our materials are designed to be flexible for students, parents, and teachers, allowing for complete differentiation as needed.

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "because"?


The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.



When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "kindness"?

The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "mysterious"?

The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "octopus"?

The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "picture"?

The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "quadrilateral"?

The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "sentence"?

The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "special"?

The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "squirrel"?


The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "trustworthy"?

The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

How many words are hidden inside the BIG word "understand"?

The BIG Word is a free spelling program from Blackbird and Company.

When we learn to read and write, we are learning to use and make patterns with the 26 letters of the alphabet that represent the sounds we speak. Phonics breaks spoken language into its component sounds. The best way to master phonics for reading and phonics for writing is to first be introduced to the rules that make print work, and then, to actually practice using those rules!

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament. But don't just learn the words, meet the characters!

Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.

Most people think of mathematicians as solitary, working away in isolation. And, it's true, many of them do. But Paul Erdos never followed the usual path. At the age of four, he could ask you when you were born and then calculate the number of seconds you had been alive in his head. But he didn't learn to butter his own bread until he turned twenty. Instead, he traveled around the world, from one mathematician to the next, collaborating on an astonishing number of publications. With a simple, lyrical text and richly layered illustrations, this is a beautiful introduction to the world of math and a fascinating look at the unique character traits that made "Uncle Paul" a great man. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2013 A New York Times Book Review (from the publisher)

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament. But don't just learn the words, meet the characters!

Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.

When Frank Lloyd Wright was a baby, his mother dreamed that he would become a great architect. She gave him blocks to play with and he learned that shapes are made up of many other shapes. As he grew up, he loved finding shapes in nature. Wright went on to study architecture and create buildings that were one with the natural world around them. He became known as one of the greatest American architects of all time. (from the publisher)

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament. But don't just learn the words, meet the characters!

Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.

Vasya Kandinsky was a proper little boy: he studied math and history, he practiced the piano, he sat up straight and was perfectly polite. And when his family sent him to art classes, they expected him to paint pretty houses and flowers—like a proper artist.

But as Vasya opened his paint box and began mixing the reds, the yellows, the blues, he heard a strange sound—the swirling colors trilled like an orchestra tuning up for a symphony! And as he grew older, he continued to hear brilliant colors singing and see vibrant sounds dancing. But was Vasya brave enough to put aside his proper still lifes and portraits and paint . . . music? (from the publisher)

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament. But don't just learn the words, meet the characters!

Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.



In a small village in Spain

lives a boy named Antoni Gaudí.

His home is in Catalonia, a place of jagged mountain peaks and silvery olive trees, splashed by the sparkling sea. The wild beauty of this landscape makes a deep impression. He thinks of it as the Great Book of Nature, and he will read from it all of his life.

Gaudí becomes an architect, learning the rules of form and structure that buildings are supposed to follow. But the shapes and colors of the natural world still inspire him, and he works them into his buildings. Leaves climb up walls. Pillars are giant animal feet. A long bench snakes around a playground.

Antoni Gaudí turned nature into art, and in the process he revolutionized the world of architecture. (from the publisher)

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament.


But don't just learn the words, meet the characters! Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.


As a child, Josef Albers loved to watch his handyman father paint houses.When Josef grew up and became an artist, he reduced each image to its simplest shapes, breaking it down into blocks of color. He made an incredible discovery: he could alter the entire mood of a painting just by changing the way he combined the colors! Josef spent his entire life studying color, and what he found revolutionized the way people look at art. (from the publisher)

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament. But don't just learn the words, meet the characters!


Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.


In the Middle Ages, people believed that insects were evil, born from mud in a process called spontaneous generation. Maria Merian was only a child, but she disagreed. She watched carefully as caterpillars spun themselves cocoons, which opened to reveal summer birds, or butterflies and moths. Maria studied the whole life cycle of the summer birds, and documented what she learned in vibrant paintings. This is the story of one young girl who took the time to observe and learn, and in so doing disproved a theory that went all the way back to ancient Greece. (from the publisher)

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament. But don't just learn the words, meet the characters!

Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.



Henrietta Swan Leavitt was born on July 4, 1868, and she changed the course of astronomy when she was just twenty-five years old. Henrietta spent years measuring star positions and sizes from photographs taken by the telescope at the Harvard College Observatory, where she worked. After Henrietta observed that certain stars had a fixed pattern to their changes, her discovery made it possible for astronomers to measure greater and greater distances—leading to our present understanding of the vast size of the universe. (from the publisher)

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament. But don't just learn the words, meet the characters!

Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.
With her sketchbook labeled My Inventions and her father's toolbox, Mattie could make almost anything – toys, sleds, and a foot warmer. When she was just twelve years old, Mattie designed a metal guard to prevent shuttles from shooting off textile looms and injuring workers. As an adult, Mattie invented the machine that makes the square-bottom paper bags we still use today. However, in court, a man claimed the invention was his, stating that she "could not possibly understand the mechanical complexities." Marvelous Mattie proved him wrong, and over the course of her life earned the title of "the Lady Edison." (from the publisher)

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament. But don't just learn the words, meet the characters!


Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.


Who was Grace Hopper? A software tester, workplace jester, cherished mentor, ace inventor, avid reader, naval leader—AND rule breaker, chance taker, and troublemaker. Acclaimed picture book author Laurie Wallmark (Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine) once again tells the riveting story of a trailblazing woman. Grace Hopper coined the term “computer bug” and taught computers to “speak English.” Throughout her life, Hopper succeeded in doing what no one had ever done before. Delighting in difficult ideas and in defying expectations, the insatiably curious Hopper truly was “Amazing Grace” . . . and a role model for science- and math-minded girls and boys. With a wealth of witty quotes, and richly detailed illustrations, this book brings Hopper's incredible accomplishments to life.

Blackbird & Company's "Operation Lexicon: Traits of Character" is a golden opportunity to explore the wonder of words that describe human characteristics. The English language has a plethora of words for describing people—their diverse personality, their diverse character and their diverse temperament. But don't just learn the words, meet the characters!

Listen and follow along as you learn about significant people and acquire new vocabulary to describe them.



Today, more than 30 million trees have been planted throughout Mama Miti’s native Kenya, and in 2004 she became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari Muta Maathai has changed Kenya tree by tree—and with each page turned, children will realize their own ability to positively impact the future. (from the publisher)

Art Dog, by Thacher Hurd
Read by Julia LaMonte
Follow along with our Earlybird Art Discovery Unit.

Faster than a speeding bullet, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, more powerful than a locomotive -- well, that's Superman for you. But now there's Art Dog -- a new superhero on the block -- and he's fighting crime with a paintbrush and an unstoppable creative might.

Just as Superman and Batman lead quiet lives during the day as Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne, Art Dog spends his days as Arthur Dog, a mild-mannered guard at the Dogopolis Museum of Art. But under the light of a full moon, he undergoes a transformation into a creative force to be reckoned with. Through a little creativity and an astounding nose for art he manages to sniff out and apprehend a band of thieves who have stolen the priceless Mona Woofa. (From the publisher)

Corduroy, by Don Freeman
Read by Julia LaMonte
Follow along with our Earlybird Art Discovery Unit

Learn to inspire your students to become competent readers, writers, and thinkers, over time, with our exceptional ELA curriculum.