Superkids

Union Ridge School uses that Superkids Reading program. Kindergarten focuses on the 26 letters of the alphabet. Students systematically learn to read and write letters, to associate letters with sounds, to blend letter-sounds to form words and sentences, and to read and write phonetically regular words as well as Memory Words. Kindergarten is split into two levels or semesters: Meet the Superkids & Superkids' Club.

 

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Level 1: First Semester

Meet the Superkids

This level begins children’s formal phonics instruction by teaching 13 letters of the alphabet—five short vowels and eight consonants. Students learn one sound for each of the letters and how to blend the letter-sounds to read words and eventually sentences. They also learn how to write the capital and lowercase form of each letter and to encode (spell) words with the letters and sounds they’ve been taught.

Comprehension instruction begins with lessons about read-aloud stories and then continues, starting in the middle of the level, with lessons about short decodable stories children read themselves. Lessons for each story build background and vocabulary before reading and help guide children’s comprehension as they read.

Expressive writing is taught through shared writing activities and independent writing in which children dictate what they want to write or use temporary spelling. By the end of this level, students understand how written language relates to spoken language.

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Level 2: Second Semester

Superkids' Club

This level continues children’s phonics instruction by teaching the remaining 13 letters of the alphabet, one sound for each, and how to write the capital and lowercase forms. With each new letter they learn, children are able to decode and encode (spell) more and more words. They read longer decodable stories as the level progresses, and lessons continue to develop their comprehension and vocabulary through reading. Expressive writing is taught the same way as in the previous level, but as children increase their knowledge of letters and sounds, they are able to write more words themselves.