District Prepares for New Phonics, Word Study Program Roll-Out

More than 60 general and special education teachers and reading specialists across kindergarten through fourth grade have participated in a 30-hour training on the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE) phonics and word study program. 

“The training was great!” reported WOS Reading Specialist Bridget Incognoli. “The instructor weaved research, phonetic rules and content, instructional strategies and program routines into every session. There were opportunities for us to practice all lesson parts across multiple grade levels. I’m looking forward to implementing IMSE as a Tier II intervention next year and expect that using the same phonetic vocabulary and lesson structure as classroom teachers will increase our students’ transfer of skills.”

“I’m proud of our teachers and elementary administrators,” said Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Rudy Arietta, Ed.D., who has led the District’s ongoing review of its ELA program. “This was identified as an area that needed attention when I moved into this role two years ago. Working closely with an expanded ELA Leadership Team, we conducted an extensive assessment of our existing curriculum, identified gaps and researched alternative curricula to inform our decision making. Teachers expressed that they wanted professional development to maintain fidelity as they implement the new program. IMSE requires rigorous training and the feedback I’ve received is that our teachers feel equipped to make this shift.” 

The official roll-out of the new program for grades K-4 will begin in September but some teachers, including William O. Schaefer Elementary School Grade 1 teacher Alison Costello, have already begun using the curriculum.

“I like IMSE because it’s a systematic, multi-sensory approach which aligns with the science of reading that explicitly targets phonics, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and writing,” Costello explained. “The training was rigorous and intense; I learned a lot in a short period of time and wanted to continue practicing to get a head start on next year. I’ve only been using it for a few weeks, but I’m seeing that the kids are very engaged and quick to pick up routines. They are also beginning to apply what they are learning to their reading and writing, as well. I’m very optimistic.”

Cottage Lane Elementary School Special Education teacher Irene Alvarado also anticipates that the new curriculum and training will yield results. “IMSE is the fourth multi-sensory program that I’ve trained on and it’s the best. It’s direct, structured and routine-oriented, which is what kids need,” noted Alvarado. “It can be used for both whole classroom instruction and intervention, which is a huge benefit in terms of having a shared language and expectations. Implementing this program with strict fidelity will result in more students reading at grade level.”

In terms of next steps, pre-kindergarten and fifth grade teachers, as well as new hires and those who were on leave this spring, will receive IMSE training this fall in order to achieve full PreK-5 implementation. Administrators will be trained this summer.

Arietta expects the introduction of IMSE will help inform the selection of a new reading and writing program next year. “The work of the expanded ELA Leadership Team will continue this fall,” he noted. “We plan to reach out to other schools who are using the programs we’re exploring and potentially identify an additional program. The goal is to make a recommendation by January, with teacher training next spring and launch in Fall 2026.” 

He added, “I’m excited that IMSE will bring an added level of rigor to our program. I’m excited that our teachers have felt that the training was worthwhile and that it sets us up to speak the same language when it comes to phonics and word study. Change is a hard thing and we’re doing it. There’s value in that.”