An action that we have taken to support our school’s learning focus is: 

• School-wide/Grade-wide assessments to inform instruction in classrooms (RFRA, SPARK, and SPARK1) and to measure effectiveness of instructional strategies being implemented and classroom-based assessments (cross-curricular)

• Kindergarten and Grade 1 teachers using direct instruction with various approaches/programs to build phonological and phonemic awareness   

This action supports our school’s learning focus in the following ways: 

Who?

• Kindergarten and Grade 1 Teachers used data gathered from SPARK and SPARK 1 to inform classroom instruction. 

Doing what and how often?

• Daily direct, explicit and intentional instruction in

  • blending

  • segmenting (using hand cues and Elkonin boxes)

  • sound isolation (beginning and ending sounds)

  • rhyming sounds 

  • word families

  • UFLI Instruction

  • Sight word practice

  • Journals

• Weekly

  • Guided Reading Groups

  • Literacy Centres

  • Word Play Games

  • Using manipulatives (letter magnets, beads, sensory materials)

Producing what evidence?

• The Spring SPARK and SPARK1 showed that our Kindergarten and Grade 1 students showed growth overall in letter naming and letter-sound correspondence.