Lincoln School spotlights hands-on pre-K science and UFLY phonics program

At the Coquille SD 8 school board meeting, Lincoln School of Early Learning teachers showcased hands-on pre-K science projects and described how those activities introduce scientific ideas and vocabulary to very young students. Kaylee, the pre-K teacher, walked the board through classroom projects — from Oobleck to a baking-soda volcano — that she said let children form hypotheses and observe reactions.

Kaylee demonstrated simple experiments designed to teach basic concepts about materials and life cycles: "This is Oobleck, and it is a liquid and a solid," she said, and described a caterpillar-to-butterfly unit that lets students observe metamorphosis over several weeks. Teachers use the experiments to teach hypothesis formation, capillary action with a "walking rainbow," and germ awareness through a pepper-and-soap activity.

Cassie Green, who introduced herself as "dean of students at Lincoln School of early learning," described the school's reading work and the UFLY phonics curriculum adopted as core phonics instruction for kindergarten and 1st grade. "UFLY is, it comes from University of Florida Literature Institute. . . it is an explicit systematic phonics instruction program," she said, and explained that teachers devote a 30-minute block to phonics instruction and engage in peer observations and professional development to implement the program.

Board members asked how the program would transition students into later grades and whether kindergarten implementation was in its first year; presenters said 1st grade has used the program longer and kindergarten is in the early rollout year. The presentation concluded with board praise for the classroom videos and demonstrations, and the board thanked Lincoln staff for the spotlight.