Maximizing Literacy Success: Implementing the All About Reading Curriculum at Forward Leap

At Forward Leap, students are on a journey of personal and academic growth. One essential tool in our educational arsenal is the All About Reading program. This comprehensive reading curriculum is designed to engage young minds, build strong literacy skills, and foster a love for learning. Let's explore the ins and outs of this wonderful curriculum and how it will be incorporated into the first learning block of our school day.

What Makes All About Reading Great?

I and so many others absolutely love this reading program. Here are some reasons why:

• Builds a strong foundation in literacy- Reading is immensely important when it comes to education, and All About Reading focuses on laying a solid foundation for students. Through interactive and engaging lessons, students at Forward Leap can develop essential reading skills such as phonics, fluency and vocabulary. By mastering these fundamentals, students are equipped with the tools they need to become confident and proficient readers.

• Provides Tailored Learning to Individual Needs- One of the key strengths of All About Reading is its adaptability to individual paces. At Forward Leap, we can personalize the learning experience for each student, ensuring that they receive targeted instruction and support where needed.

• Fosters a Love for Reading- Beyond just teaching reading skills, All About Reading helps to instill a lifelong love reading in students. By incorporating engaging stories, interactive games, and hands-on activities, the program makes learning to read a fun and rewarding experience. At Forward Leap, students not only learn to read but also develop a passion for books and storytelling that will serve them well throughout their academic journey and beyond.

• Promoting Confidence and Independence- As students progress through the All About Reading program, they gain confidence in their reading abilities and become more independent learners. The gradual progression of lessons, the systematic approach to teaching new concepts, and the reinforcement of learned skills all contribute to building students' confidence in their reading proficiency.

The Approach and Progression

All About Reading is a phonics-based curriculum. This means that it focuses on teaching students the relationship between letters and sounds, helping them develop strong foundational skills in decoding words and understanding how language works. Phonics instruction in All About Reading typically includes activities such as letter-sound recognition, blending sounds together to form words, and identifying patterns in words to improve reading fluency.

This approach is especially beneficial for young learners or struggling readers who may benefit from a systematic and structured method of learning to read. Through a combination of multisensory learning and carefully sequenced materials, All About Reading is a great way to build literacy skills.

The curriculum has different levels that progress in such a way that students will be able to read pretty much everything after they complete the last one. The following are the levels and what they cover/include:

• Prereading program- This is designed for preschoolers and kindergartners as it goes over letters and their sounds. It's purpose is to lay a strong foundation for the student's future reading skills and abilities.

• Level 1- This covers letter the letter sounds again as well as consonant teams (TH, SH, CH, CK, NG, NK).

• Level 2- This introduces 12 phonograms which include EE, ER, AR, OR, OY, AW, OW and more.

• Level 3- This introduces new phonograms which include OA, IR, IGH, EW, KN, TI and more.

• Level 4- This last one introduces new phonograms which include EY, UI, PH, OUGH, SI, RH and more. There is also more focus on comprehension and fluency in this one.

Each level includes a teacher's manual, student packet, cards (with words, letters, phonograms and consonant teams) and beautiful looking books with great stories for children to practice reading.

There are also letter tiles that go along with the lessons. You can buy them as a physical product or get the letter tile app.

Practical Implementation at Forward Leap

All About Reading is quite easy to implement due to how it is set up. The scripted lessons really help with ensuring the effectiveness of the learning guidance. Also, the fact that is mastery-based means that we won't be creating learning gaps because of accidentally forgetting to go over something.

The letter tiles are wonderful as they help with hands-on practice. If more than one student is working on the same lesson, we can utilize the white board and manipulate the tiles so that they can all see it done at once.

Conclusion

All About Reading is more than just a curriculum; it is a comprehensive approach to literacy education that empowers students to become confident, lifelong readers. At Forward Leap, the integration of All About Reading provides students with a solid foundation in reading, personalized learning experiences and a love for books.

Due to the fact that reading scores are a falling in the Rochester area, we are excited to offer this reading curriculum to students. If you are interested in this educational option for your child (4.5-8 years old), don't hesitate to contact us!