image of spelling and Alphabet classroom programs form EarlyMinds.com

What Does The Primary Department Need?

Our Alphabet and Spelling programs are being used exclusively in a prestigious private school in Vancouver, British Columbia. Their English Department and Primary Teachers are working directly with Jill to adapt, differentiate, and create supplemental materials to meet the needs of the students in each grade.

The program is written to use the same pictures, keywords, and language throughout both programs. Students can confidently complete tasks building upon previous knowledge. The teachers all have a common language to use through the whole Primary Department.

The teachers use the individual student records to track each student’s ability to read/decode and spell/encode. This means each student has a record page easily shared at the end of the school year to their next grade teacher.

In preschool the teachers use the Alphabet Program with Large Picture and Letter Cards. They are not following the scope and sequence, they are using indirect learning opportunities and exposure to follow the student’s interests to introduce new letters and sounds.

In kindergarten the teachers use the Alphabet Program with Large Picture and Letter Cards, Alphabet Dictionary activity sheets, and Consonant Blends activity sheets. They also use the Dolch High Frequency Words sets 1 and 2. They are following the scope and sequence with explicit teaching and space for exploration, practise, and mastery of letters and sounds.

In grade one the teachers use the Alphabet Program with Large Picture and Letter Cards, and Consonant Blends activity sheets. They also use the Spelling Program, and Dolch High Frequency Words sets 1 and 2. They are following the scope and sequence with flexibility to give mini lessons when opportunities arise and longer lessons when they appear again in the sequence. With mixed abilities the lessons can be reduced into smaller sections or extended.

In grade two the teachers use the Spelling Program. They are following the scope and sequence with flexibility to give mini lessons for multiple spellings and alternate spellings. They also use the Alphabet Program for students needing extra practise of earlier lessons.

If students move quickly through the scope and sequence the next grade can adapt easily as they are using the same program. This allows for flexibility in the language program. The teachers can follow the pace of the students, and reintroduce lessons in a familiar way.

The program is written to facilitate each teacher’s own ideas and creativity. They can use the program as a springboard for extensions, practise, and mastery of reading and writing the letters and sounds.

Jill works directly with each grade to help facilitate the best ways to use the program. She has received positive feedback from every teacher, and is looking forward to finding new ways to support the primary department with new and adapted materials and programs.