In a significant boost to early literacy education, three educators from Dogwood Elementary have been awarded a mini grant by the Germantown Education Foundation to enhance their phonics instruction through interactive notebooks and leveled readers. The grant, awarded to Ellen Moak, a reading interventionist, and kindergarten teachers Shelby Morris and Ann Wallace, will support the implementation of the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum.
The Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum is designed to provide daily phonemic awareness lessons, focusing on essential skills that are crucial for young readers. The interactive phonics notebooks funded by the grant will allow students to engage with phonemic concepts in a hands-on way, making learning both effective and enjoyable. These notebooks are tailored to complement the curriculum’s daily activities, reinforcing students’ understanding of phonics and phonemic patterns.
In addition to the interactive notebooks, the grant includes take-home leveled readers. These readers are carefully selected to match each student's current reading level, offering them an opportunity to practice and improve their reading skills outside the classroom. The leveled readers are intended to bridge the gap between classroom instruction and home practice, ensuring continuous literacy development.
Ellen Moak, a reading interventionist at Dogwood Elementary, expressed her enthusiasm about the grant: “In my reading group, we focus heavily on phonics skills. With interactive notebooks, students will have a resource they can refer to throughout the year. These notebooks will be invaluable in preventing learning loss and ensuring they retain key phonics skills.”
The mini grant is part of a broader initiative to support innovative teaching practices and improve educational outcomes. By integrating the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum into their classrooms, Moak, Morris, and Wallace are poised to make a lasting impact on their students' literacy skills.
The entire Dogwood Elementary community looks forward to the positive changes this grant will bring and supports the ongoing efforts to foster a love of reading in their students.