Cindrich Elementary 2024-2025

At Cindrich Elementary, our early education teachers have been dedicated to enhancing reading skills through targeted phonemic awareness instruction. Recognizing the critical importance of early literacy, our teachers began last school year with a focused approach to identify and address the specific needs of each student. In May 2024, Kindergarten students completed the ELPATS assessment (Early Literacy Phonemic Awareness Tool Surrey); The ELPATS is a tool that helps teachers keep track of how well students are learning important phonemic awareness skills, which are crucial for reading and writing. Starting in Kindergarten, teachers use this tool regularly to check students' progress until they have mastered each skill. The skills included in the ELPATS are based on research showing they are essential for reading and writing success. The results of this assessment provided valuable insights into individual areas that required attention. This assessment allowed our teachers to tailor their instruction, ensuring that each child received the support necessary to develop strong foundational reading skills. Throughout the year, our teachers employed a variety of strategies to reinforce phonemic awareness. They worked closely with small groups of students, focusing on phonological skills such as decoding, blending, and segmenting. By providing targeted instruction, our teachers helped students not only read words but also comprehend and engage with the texts. This hands-on, personalized approach ensured that each student could progress at their own pace while benefiting from the collective learning environment.

In January of this year, the same quick phonics screener was administered once again to measure the progress made since May 2024. The results have been nothing short of remarkable. In two of our classrooms, all grade one students who were unable to read at the beginning of the school year have now reached a proficient reading level. This dramatic improvement highlights the effectiveness of our phonemic awareness instruction and the dedication of our teachers to fostering early literacy skills. These achievements are a testament to the power of evidence-based teaching methods and the commitment of our staff to student success. By focusing on phonemic awareness and providing targeted support, we have been able to create a strong foundation for our students' future academic endeavors. Our teachers' efforts have not only improved reading proficiency but have also instilled a love of reading in our young learners, setting them on a path to lifelong literacy. The success of our early education program has inspired us to extend these practices to older grades, ensuring that all students at Cindrich benefit from a cohesive and comprehensive approach to literacy instruction.

The specific Curricular Competencies from British Columbia's curriculum that our primary teachers are focusing on throughout the primary grades are:

• Read fluently at grade level (Grades 1-3)
• Use sources of information and prior knowledge to make meaning (K-3)
• Use developmentally appropriate reading, listening, and viewing strategies to make meaning (K-3)
• Engage actively as learners, viewers, and readers, as appropriate, to develop understanding of self, identity, and community (K-3)
• Use personal experience and knowledge to connect to stories and other texts to make meaning (K-2)
• Recognize the structure and elements of story (Grades 1-3)
• Show awareness of how story in First Peoples cultures connects people to family and community (Grades 1-3)

As can be seen in the graph below, our students have made excellent progress in the Curricular Competency of: 

‘READ FLUENTLY AT GRADE LEVEL'

As noted in this graph, our primary students progressed in reading fluently at grade level; from September to June there was a 25% decrease in the number of students identified as being 'emerging' and a 19% increase in the number of students identified as being 'proficient' in alignment with the provincial assessment language and guidelines.

As outlined in the previous sections, our school's focus this year has been on our early primary students, making significant strides in enhancing their foundational reading skills. This has been accomplished through our strategic implementation of evidence-based reading instruction methodologies, particularly the UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) program. We are now excited to announce the next phase of our literacy initiative: expanding our reading instruction focus to older grades to ensure a seamless and cohesive educational experience for all our students. To support this transition and create a unified approach to reading instruction, our Learning Support Team has also been integrating UFLI into their support strategies. By doing so, we aim to provide more consistent and targeted support that aligns with the shifts happening in our classrooms. This integration will allow for a more cohesive educational environment, where both students and teachers benefit from a unified, evidence-based approach to literacy.

By adopting UFLI, our Learning Support Team will be able to better address the diverse learning needs of our students, particularly those who require extra assistance in developing their reading proficiency. The expansion of our literacy focus to older grades will build on the successes we have seen with our early primary students. Our staff is actively determining which book study to explore next year, continuing our commitment to professional development and evidence-based teaching practices. This ongoing learning will ensure that we remain at the forefront of effective literacy instruction, continuously improving our methods to better serve our students. 

At Cindrich Elementary, we recognize the importance of creating a holistic and supportive learning environment. By aligning the efforts of our classroom teachers and Learning Support Team with the principles of UFLI, we are fostering an educational atmosphere that prioritizes student growth and success. Our goal is to empower all students with the skills they need to become proficient, thoughtful readers, capable of engaging deeply with texts and making meaningful connections. Through this comprehensive approach, we are confident that our students will continue to thrive academically, supported by a cohesive and well-coordinated educational framework. By embedding these competencies into our curriculum and expanding our focus to include older grades, we are committed to nurturing students who are not only capable readers but also effective communicators and critical thinkers, prepared to navigate and excel in an increasingly complex world.