K-5 LITERACY

District 52 implements a literacy framework based upon the Science of Reading research.

K-2 Foundational Skills

K-2 will explicitly teach Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Spelling using Countdown (Kindergarten), Blast (1st) and HD Word (2nd) as part of the core literacy instruction.

  • Phonological and phonemic awareness instruction is taught explicitly

  • Phonological and phonemic awareness is a powerful predictor of success in learning to read and learning to spell

  • Phonological and phonemic awareness instruction contains repeated opportunities to apply skill acquisition to reading and writing.

  • Phonics instruction is taught explicitly

  • Phonics instruction focuses on bridging the gap between speech and print. Students will learn phonics patterns and apply them to connected, decodable texts.

  • Phonics instruction contains repeated opportunities to apply skill acquisition to reading and writing.

  • Kindergarten will introduce letters and letter sounds in the alphabet using the scope and sequence from Countdown.

  • K-1 will teach High Frequency Words that align with the scope and sequence of Countdown and Blast. These will be referred to as "heart words" as there are parts of the word that can be sounded out while other parts need to be memorized, or learned by heart.

K-5 Knowledge Building Curriculum