Reading - Children in grade one and five participate in a 90-minute reading program. The SFA program uses research-based strategies incorporating oral reading, silent reading, and vocabulary building and comprehension strategies. There is a focus on fluency, recognizing words quickly and accurately and reading aloud with expression. For grades one and two, beginning reading instruction components of letter identification and sound-symbol awareness are taught. Children are taught to recognize the individual sounds of spoken language and phonemic awareness. Children are brought to knowledge and understanding of the relationships between letters and sounds and to recognize words through phonics instruction. The structured lessons make extensive use of cooperative learning, harnessing the strength of peer relationships and giving students powerful incentives to read and to help their teammates read.

With the designation as a Reading First school, we measure progress with DIBELS three times a year in the various subtests as prescribed by the Reading First grant, GRADE assessment testing given in the fall and spring and 4-Sight testing given five times a year in order to assist in grouping students for reading instruction.

Words Their Way - This program for grades one through three provides word study for phonics, vocabulary, and spelling instruction. Based on the research on invented and developmental spelling, the framework is keyed to the five stages of spelling development: emergent, letter name alphabetic, within word pattern, syllables and affixes and derivational relations. This means that children move from those who are not yet reading and writing to those who can connect the letters with the sounds to greater accuracy.

In grade four, teachers and students are currently piloting a developmental spelling program from Scott Foresman Publishing.

Empowering Writers - A new program for grades 3-8 to develop writing as a process. It includes the 6 + 1 traits of writing helping children to consider the purpose of writing, the audience and tone of their writing, the details as well as typical mechanics of grammar.

Kindercorner is the name of the Kindergarten program created by Success For All (SFA). It is an integrated program for reading, science, social studies, math and citizenship. The children begin writing from the moment that they sign into class. Kindercorner fosters a development of language, literacy, math, interpersonal and self-help skills, science and social studies concepts. It also focuses upon developing strong oral language skills, a love of reading, phonemic awareness, phonics and listening comprehension which creates a solid foundation for reading.