Kindergarteners explore stories, songs, and hands-on activities, discovering the joy of reading and writing.

 

Reading:
Kindergarteners build the foundations of reading through the Orton-Gillingham (OG)/Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE) approach, which emphasizes phonemic awareness and early decoding strategies. Students engage with interactive read-alouds, shared reading, and guided practice. Teachers model strategies such as tracking print, making predictions, and retelling events. Through songs, movement, and multisensory activities, students develop early comprehension skills and begin to see themselves as readers. Independent exploration with “just-right” books and literacy centers fosters both confidence and joy in reading.

 

Writing:
In writing, students embark on the writing process, beginning with drawing and labeling, and progressing toward writing sentences. They learn to draft their ideas, share their work with others, and celebrate their first published pieces. Using a scaffolded approach, teachers model stretching out sounds, writing high-frequency words, and using spaces between words. Writing units include nonfiction, how-to texts, and persuasive pieces, allowing children to express themselves with increasing independence. The OG/IMSE approach supports letter formation, spelling patterns, and sentence structure. Through class publishing celebrations, kindergartners proudly show their drawings and first attempts at writing, learning that their thoughts are valuable and can be enjoyed by others.