Supporting Early Literacy: From Phonics to Fluency

Submitted by Sophia Brumby, Literacy Specialist, Preschool – Grade 2

In our K-2 classrooms, we embrace a multisensory approach to phonics that is as exciting as it is systematic. UFLI Foundations (pronounced “you-fly”) is an explicit phonics framework designed to build strong foundational skills. In Lower School, UFLI is an active and important part of the day in K-2 as students develop critical language skills through structured, multisensory lessons.

In Kindergarten, students develop phonemic awareness and an understanding of the alphabetic principle, learning how letters and groups of letters represent sounds. Kindergartners immediately begin applying their learning to read and spell new words. Through reading passages in partnerships and spelling new “heart” words on whiteboards, students develop confidence as emergent readers and writers.

Building on this knowledge, first graders learn to read and write longer words by looking at vowel patterns, digraphs, and blends. Students apply their learning to daily practice with sentence writing, focusing on correct punctuation and capitalization. In reading, students develop fluency as they internalize language patterns. First graders work hard to integrate their learning about words into their reading and writing, developing independence and stamina as the year progresses.

Understanding deepens in second grade when students apply their knowledge of syllable patterns to further support spelling and broaden vocabulary. Second graders use vowel patterns to break words into syllables to read and spell, noticing that hospital, silent, and magnetic are all puzzles they can solve. At this stage, our focus shifts to developing fluency and deep comprehension through rich vocabulary and lots of practice reading and writing throughout the school day.

Becoming a fluent reader and writer takes time and encountering tricky words is an important part of the process! Here are some ideas to support your child at home if they “get stuck” on a word:

● When your child is trying to read or spell an unfamiliar word, give them time to try it first.
● Remind your child to look closely at letters and think about sounds.
● If your child says a word incorrectly when reading, point out the letters or parts of the word they know.
● If they are unsure how to spell a word, encourage them to use all they know about letter sounds and
patterns to spell the word.
● After they try it, show them how to read or spell the word correctly by connecting the sounds to the
letters.