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Language Arts

At East Haddam Elementary School, our reading curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 3 is thoughtfully designed to build strong foundations in literacy. We support both word recognition and knowledge building to ensure every student becomes a confident, skilled reader. Our phonics instruction is guided by the Fundations program, which provides systematic support in phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency. To enhance reading comprehension, background knowledge, and writing, we recently adopted the Bookworms program to support instruction. Together, these programs help foster a love of reading and set the stage for lifelong learning.

Fundations

Fundations is a systematic phonics and word study program developed by Wilson Language Training. Fundations is used in Kindergarten through 3rd grade classrooms to build a strong foundation in reading and spelling. Fundations emphasizes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and conventions of writing, providing a structured, multisensory approach that supports all learners—including those who may struggle with reading.
Key features of Fundations include:

  • Daily lessons with direct, explicit instruction
  • A focus on decoding (sounding out words) and encoding (spelling)
  • Handwriting practice and proper letter formation
  • Multisensory techniques, such as tapping out sounds and using visual supports
  • Scaffolded learning that builds skills step by step


Heggerty

The Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Program is a daily, systematic program designed to develop phonemic awareness—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. It’s used in all classrooms in preschool through first grade. In addition, it is used as necessary as an intervention tool in grades 2 and 3. 
Key Features of Heggerty:

  • Quick daily lessons (10–12 minutes)
  • Focus on spoken language— letters or printed text are used less frequently

Covers skills like:

  • Rhyming
  • Syllable counting
  • Onset and rime blending
  • Phoneme isolation, blending, segmenting, deletion, and substitution
  • Easy to implement with a scripted format
  • Uses repetition and routine to support learning for all students


Bookworms

Bookworms Reading and Writing is a comprehensive literacy program developed by Dr. Sharon Walpole and her team at the University of Delaware. Bookworms is grounded in research- based practices to support students in becoming fluent readers, thoughtful writers, and critical thinkers, while also helping teachers deliver consistent, high-quality instruction aligned with the science of reading.
In the Bookworms Reading and Writing program, two key instructional blocks—Shared Reading and Interactive Read-Aloud with Writing—work together to build strong readers and writers.
During Shared Reading, teachers guide students through rich, grade-level texts, modeling fluent reading and engaging students in meaningful discussions to develop comprehension and vocabulary. This daily exposure to complex texts helps students grow as confident, thoughtful readers.
The Interactive Read-Aloud with Writing block combines listening, speaking, and writing as students explore engaging read-alouds that build background knowledge and vocabulary. Teachers lead discussions and model writing, helping students respond to texts with evidence-based thinking and clear written expression.
Together, these blocks foster a deep love of reading and strengthen students’ ability to think critically and write effectively.
Key Features of Bookworms:

  • Use of Authentic Texts: Students engage with real books (not decodable readers), exposing them to a wide range of genres and topics to build both literacy skills and content knowledge.
  • Built-in Repetition and Review: The curriculum is carefully structured to revisit and reinforce skills regularly.
  • Writing integrated into Reading: Students write daily in response to texts, learning to support their ideas with evidence and develop clear, organized writing