Spelling Tests = No More, Thing of the past, not effective, just memorization

Memorizing a list of words each week is not effective and not best practice in teaching children to read. 

Parents, don't worry! 

Your child will learn to read, spell, and write this year. 

Just not the way you may think is the "best" way or the way you learned. 

Instead of relaxing by the pool EVERY (wink,wink) single day this summer, I've been busy at teacher workshops and team planning for a new program GCS is implementing this year called ...FUNDATIONS. 

It is a literacy program that helps teachers teach Phonics in the most effective way. 

I'm truly excited about this change and welcome it. 

After sitting through a 7 hr workshop on just an overview of the new program...I'm very motivated and feel this is a great addition to our daily lessons. 

I look forward to implementing it this year and teaching phonics the way I have always thought would work best for most students. 

Although I hadn't originally planned for my "beach reading" to be materials about phonics... I'm actually (secretly) excited. 

(Only a first grade teacher would get excited about something like this.)

More info to come soon.  

Change is Good,... Right? 

Here are the First Grade teachers from Stokesdale Elementary at our FUNDATIONS Workshop.