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Byram Hills pilots UFLI phonics in kindergarten to accelerate early reading
Summary
District curriculum leaders told the board the K–2 pilot of the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) emphasizes earlier blending and weekly progress monitoring; staff said kindergarteners already are reading simple words and that data will guide tiered supports.
Byram Hills Central School District presented a plan to pilot the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) phonics program in its K–2 classrooms, with the goal of accelerating decoding so students begin reading connected text earlier.
Megan McCauley, the district’s K–5 curriculum chairperson, told the board the district has been reviewing literacy instruction for several years and identified two main shifts: a renewed focus on systematic phonics instruction and on fluency. “Within the first five lessons, children are already starting to blend those sounds together,” McCauley said, adding that some kindergarteners are already reading words under UFLI.
District principals described what classroom implementation looks…
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