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Darien Board hears K–3 literacy showcase as teachers demonstrate HMH lessons
Summary
Board members and administrators heard classroom demonstrations and teacher testimony on the district's K–3 literacy work and HMH materials, with presenters describing small-group instruction, daily phonics routines and plans to expand implementation and coaching in 2026'27.
At a March 11 special meeting, the Darien Board of Education heard an extended K–3 literacy update that showcased classroom practice using the district's new HMH materials and the systemwide instructional framework.
District leaders and teachers said the work is focused on foundational skills, small-group instruction and coordinated professional learning. "March is Board of Education Appreciation Month," the Superintendent said in opening remarks before introducing the literacy presenters and the Board Learning Walks that informed the work.
Teachers from multiple elementary schools described daily routines. Christina Ledesma, introduced by district staff as a kindergarten teacher from Holmes, said her classroom uses HMH'organized phonemic-awareness drills and whiteboard encoding practice so students can "practice CVC words and different phonics skills" and build handwriting and spelling skills. "HMH provides such great resources within foundational skills," she said.
Other presenters described how HMH'aligned pacing exposes students earlier to vowel teams, suffixes and multisyllabic decoding; one second-grade teacher said students are "more confident as they grow as a reader." Teachers emphasized that small-group instruction is differentiated by need (intervention, reteach, benchmark, enrichment) and supported by targeted planning sheets and HMH readers used in guided groups.
Third-grade teacher Linda Dragotta described how modules build across grades and reported using mentor texts and co-teaching with an HMH coach to teach note-taking and research skills. Dragotta said her special-education colleague developed a digital graphic-organizer tool that allows students to record voice memos that convert into notes, helping students who struggle to produce written organizers.
District staff said they will analyze an implementation survey completed by teachers to prioritize coaching and assessment-literacy work next year. They also described a PK'12 steering committee and a 36-person core review team that will study resource choices for grades three through six to smooth transitions and avoid a drop-off in grade five.
The meeting ended with praise from board members for the presentations and recognition of Ann Novotnick, a teacher retiring after 30 years of service to the district.
Next steps: staff said survey results will guide coaching priorities and that implementation work for 2026'27 will focus on deepening small-group instruction and assessment literacy.
