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Wichita Public Schools shifts kindergarten instruction to ‘letter‑a‑day’ routine to boost early literacy
Summary
Wichita Public Schools presented changes to its kindergarten literacy program — replacing 'letter of the week' with a cyclical 'letter‑a‑day' routine, a structured 60‑minute word‑recognition block and expanded professional learning for kindergarten teachers — and reported gains on screener data over recent years.
Wichita Public Schools told the Kansas State Board of Education on Aug. 12 that a districtwide shift in kindergarten literacy instruction — from a traditional “letter of the week” approach to a structured “letter‑a‑day” cycle incorporated into a 60‑minute word‑recognition block — has produced measurable growth on literacy screeners.
The presenters from USD 259 described a multi‑year professional‑learning effort that changed kindergarten pacing, introduced an “Alphabet Knowledge Routine” (AKR) PowerPoint for teachers, and built district‑level coaching and teacher‑in‑service events focused on structured literacy and LETRS‑based methodologies.
Why it matters: Research and practice show that concentrated, repeated exposure to letter knowledge, phonemic awareness and handwriting helps early readers decode and retain reading skills. WPS leaders said their changes aim to accelerate early success so students do not fall behind by middle grades.
What Wichita presented District instructional coach Gina Shute, elementary ELA curriculum specialist Laura Rowley and kindergarten teacher Sheila Marcellus summarized the shift. They said the district replaced a slower “one letter per week” model with six learning cycles that give students repeated exposure to letters, sounds, handwriting formation and application in spelling and decodable texts.
Wichita staff described components of the routine: a brief explicit phonemic‑awareness lesson; the AKR PowerPoint to teach letter name, letter sound and handwriting (uppercase and lowercase) in short, repeatable steps; a high‑frequency‑word routine that connects phonics to sight words; and immediate daily application by reading decodable text.
The district reported growth on common screeners between 2021 and spring 2024. For example, measures of automaticity on letter names and letter sounds improved from lower baseline percentages to higher spring outcomes; the district said work continues to lift scores further and to refine grade‑11 science and other areas (which KSDE will review separately).
Professional learning and coaching Wichita leaders emphasized that the change required broad coaching and in‑district supports: an aligned teacher handbook, principal and coach observation checklists, district kindergarten learning nights, and use of district funds to pay teachers for training time. They recommended continued work on behavior supports and leadership pipelines to sustain gains.
Board members praised the district’s focus on evidence‑based practice and asked for state‑level supports on behavior strategies and for shared lessons learned for other districts.
Speakers quoted in this article are drawn from statements recorded during the board meeting.
