An instructional phonics program piloted in SD83 last year received strong reviews and is being rolled out to all interested teachers this year.
“We want to support our educators with research-based programs. This program is another tool for educators to help students along their learning path,” comments Jen Findlay, Director of Instruction (Early Years & Elementary).
On August 31st, 45 educators from SD83 met in the Hillcrest School Library to learn more about the UFLI Foundations Program, which is an explicit and systematic phonics program. Another 42 educators will be meeting on September 11th after school for an introductory session, and then the two groups will join forces and be a part of a learning series together throughout the year. All participating educators receive a personal copy of the UFLI Foundations manual.
“I was so pleased to see such an interest in this learning series and appreciate educators taking time in the summer (or after school on September 11th) to learn how to best support their students with phonics instruction,” commented Findlay. “We facilitated a UFLI pilot project last year in several schools, and it is so wonderful to have those educators share their enthusiasm and knowledge about the program with other SD83 educators who are keen to use it in their classrooms. Our goal is to have school teams using common instructional language and strategies to best support our students with their learning.”
