At Jean Lyle, we believe in the power of early literacy and the importance of making learning an enjoyable experience for our young learners. Our approach is guided by the Simple View of Reading, a research-based framework that emphasizes the balance between decoding (phonics) and language comprehension (vocabulary building) skills, which are the building blocks of skilled reading.

For our preschoolers, phonics instruction is introduced in a playful and engaging manner. We use a variety of interactive activities, such as songs, rhymes, and games, to teach sound relationships. In all classes, we read to the children, write words in their view, and tell stories.

In our Kindergarten class, we continue this fun, while also incorporating phonetic spelling, rhyming, and “sounding it out” practice into some small group times. While we are proud to teach these skills to the Kindergarteners, we also respect each child’s right to learn at their own speed. Some Kindergarteners may learn to read by the end of the school year, while others won’t be ready yet. Our goal is for every child to progress in their literacy skills and continue to love learning.

In addition to phonics, we place a strong emphasis on vocabulary development. Our curriculum includes a rich array of storybooks, discussions, and hands-on experiences that introduce new words in context. We encourage curiosity and conversation, allowing children to explore language in a meaningful way. For example, after reading a story about monarch butterflies, we might bring some caterpillars into the classroom for children to observe and interact with, along the way discussing concepts such as metamorphosis, camoflage, predators, and migration. The goal isn’t that children be expected to read any of those words yet, but rather that when they eventually decode them as elementary schoolers, they know what they mean.