Phonics a Focus of District's Summer Literacy Program

“The,” “his” and “should” are just a few of the irregular words that students tackled last week with William O. Schaefer Elementary School teacher Rich Lozada in the District’s Summer Literacy Program. Familiarity with irregular words is important for reading fluency and spelling.

Using IMSE, the District’s new phonics curriculum, students are learning “Red Words”--those that require memorization because they don’t follow phonetic rules–through structured visual, auditory and kinesthetic activities. 

As each word is introduced, students write it with a textured grid sheet and red crayon, trace it with their fingers on the page, tap it out, write it from memory and, finally, use it in a sentence written in pencil with the word underlined with red crayon.

"I enjoy teaching at Literacy Camp and when Kristy Nadler shared that I could begin implementing IMSE during the program, I jumped at the opportunity!” Lozada said. “I'm glad to have the chance to put the training I received this spring into practice and look forward to September's rollout."