intervention alone wasn’t enough

despite working with products they loved, including multisyllable routine card package and the 95 phonics chip kit™, teachers were finding that student assessment data still revealed literacy gaps. district title i/lap specialists megan mccarthy and tory amos began introducing 95 phonics lesson library™ to reading interventionists in their learning assistance program (lap) high poverty elementary schools, and encouraged classroom teachers in those schools to utilize these resources to support their students. but they knew there were still missing pieces of the larger literacy picture, districtwide.

“we were heavily focused on intervention, but we were not yet moving the needle,” mccarthy said.

so what was missing? one critical element they needed was high-quality professional learning support to ensure their teachers received the best training and coaching possible and could implement their literacy ecosystem of resources with integrity. under the guidance of judie caroleo, 95 percent group’s director, professional learning, mccarthy and amos began to understand that their literacy challenges could not be fixed with intervention alone. they first needed to make a change in their instructional practices. next they need to add to their toolkit a core, supplemental curriculum that explicitly addressed phonics. and finally they needed to teach their teachers how to use this new program effectively.

edmonds school district expanded their structured literacy toolkit to a key product for core instruction from the one95 literacy ecosystem: 95 phonics core program®. change was on the horizon.

download the full story now!

ready to learn more about edmonds school district’s success story? read about their five recommended strategies to jumpstart professional learning and so much more. click the button below to download the full story in our exclusive download.

phoneme blending

phoneme blending, or the ability to build words from individual sounds or phonemes, is a step towards understanding that whole words are made of sounds.

blending activity (using fingers in kindergarten and beyond)

1. teacher: say “_________.” students echo.
2. teacher: now, say the word slowly, stretching out one finger for each sound. students segment and extend a finger from their fist for each sound (moving left to right, starting with the thumb). right-handers use their writing hand palm down; left-handers turn their writing hand palm up so the hand unfolds in a left-to-right sequence.
3. once the correct sounds are segmented, students repeat the sequence of sounds on the fingers.
4. now blend the sounds and say the word. students say the word.

phoneme manipulation: addition, deletion, and substitution

as the name implies, phoneme manipulation is the ability to delete or substitute a given phoneme in any position within a word. for example, remove the /i/ in the word slip and replace it with /a/. now, you have the word slap.

while there is no evidence that mastery of phoneme manipulation is required for reading fluency, some experts suggest it is helpful for some students. also, practicing manipulation of sounds with letters can be helpful to reading and spelling.

addition: adding a phoneme to an existing word. if you start with the word top, and you add /s/, now you have stop. as students become more comfortable with this, they can add multiple phonemes simultaneously.

deletion: the opposition of addition. instead of adding a phoneme, you take a phoneme away. so if you start with the word glove and you take away /g/, now you have the word love.

substitution: this is a bit like combining both addition and deletion. you first take away a phoneme and then add another—creating an entirely different word. if you start with the word cape, and delete the /k/ (leaving ape), and then you add /sh/, you end up with a completely new word: shape.

check out our post on the blog for specific lesson plans or activities.

what to include in your phonemic awareness lesson plans

when it comes to phonemic awareness lesson plans, structure and explicit instruction are the most important factors. for all students learning literacy skills, employing direct instruction and offering an “i do, we do, you do” approach helps students to:

1. see and hear what they need to do
2. practice the skill with a teacher for immediate feedback and redirection if necessary
3. practice independently to build confidence and ownership of each skill

when looking for lesson plans to use in your classroom, you should look for the following components:

• lessons that are aligned with evidence. any instruction you bring into your classroom should be aligned with evidence—meaning it’s supported by the body of evidence we call the science of reading.
• lessons that are scripted. while there are some teachers who don’t like to be required to use scripted lessons, the amount of work expected of teachers means that having a scripted literacy curriculum allows them to establish routines and systems quickly, and supports teachers in learning the instructional dialogue of the lesson. scripted phonemic awareness lessons help both students and teachers know what to expect each day and offers a common language that removes the cognitive load of finding and planning lessons and activities.
• lessons that are structured and sequential and allow for modeling, guided practice, and independent practice

teaching phonemic awareness lessons

understanding the importance of teaching phonemic awareness is the first step. but when delivering the instruction, there are some strategies that will go a long way in maximizing your time and efforts.

1. primary focus should be on teaching students what they hear with each sound and how it should feel in their mouth. there are so many phonemes in the english language that it can feel confusing for students to be able to articulate them all in the beginning. teaching what students should hear with each sound and how it feels in their mouth and throat when a phoneme is “voiced” or “unvoiced,” helps them understand the articulation and auditory qualities of the phoneme. additionally, teachers can first offer a photo to show how the mouth forms each phoneme, and then a mirror so students can see what shape their mouth makes when they say /p/ or  /b/ compared to /m/ or /n/.
2. connect phonemes to letters (graphophonemic connections) to benefit students when learning to read and write.  phonemic awareness instruction should always begin with just the sounds in order to help children focus on the phoneme sequences in spoken words. typically, linking letter knowledge and phonemes to read and spell words can begin soon thereafter, depending on the students’ proficiency with phonemes; however, phonemic awareness skills should continue to be taught in k-1 (and for older students as indicated) as a distinct strand of the lesson that parallels phonics instruction. when phonemic awareness instruction is connected to the representative letters or graphemes, it helps children with orthographic mapping and makes it easier to retain and recognize words when they see them again.
3. make it multisensory. research on working memory and cognition shows us that there are benefits of multisensory experiences when teaching different literacy skills. when students simultaneously incorporate more than one sense (i.e., writing with a pencil or air writing with their whole arm while saying the sound or phoneme, it activates multiple parts of the brain (whole brain learning) than when just saying a sound or just writing the representative letter(s).
4. i do, we do, you do model. when you offer a gradual release instruction model, students have the opportunity to see a skill first modeled for them explicitly, then to practice with the instructor, receiving immediate feedback and/or reteaching if needed, and last, the opportunity to practice on their own—increasing confidence, independence and student ownership of their learning. the repeated practice of a skill also increases the chance of retention.

the final word

phonemic awareness is a subcategory of phonological awareness. while these two terms are often confused with each other, they are part of the same learning process and continuum. direct, structured, and sequential phonemic awareness lessons are critical to a child’s eventual reading success.

95 percent group recently launched their 95 phonemic awareness suite™ — a new, comprehensive phonemic awareness solution that includes tier 1 instruction, assessment, differentiated tier 2 instruction, and professional learning—all aligned to provide a consistent instructional dialogue for teachers and students. aligned with the latest research on phonemic awareness, it’s everything needed to build critical foundational skills and set students up for reading success!

95 phonemic awareness suite components include:

• tier 1: 95 pocket phonemic awareness™, 50 weeks of lessons, each 10 minutes per day (k-1)
• assessment: 95 phonemic awareness screener for intervention™
• tier 2: 95 phonemic awareness intervention resource™, lessons cover alphabetic and phonemic awareness, with kid lips instruction built-in
• professional learning for teachers and reading specialists

sources

1. ashby, j., mcbride, m., naftel, s., o’brien, e., paulson, l. h., kilpatrick, d. a, & moats, l. c. (2023). teaching phoneme awareness in 2023: a guide for educators.
2. ashby, j., mcbride, m., naftel, s., o’brien, e., paulson, l. h., kilpatrick, d. a, & moats, l. c. (2023). teaching phoneme awareness in 2023: a guide for educators.
3. davidson, marcia, usaid, and global education summit. “scripted reading lessons and evidence for their efficacy.” united states agency for international development, 2015. accessed january 30, 2024. https://2012-2017.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1865/davidson.pdf.
4. national reading panel (u.s.) & national institute of child health and human development (u.s.). (2000)
5. castiglioni-spalten, m. & ehri l.c., (2003). phonemic awareness instruction: contribution of articulatory segmentation to novice beginners’ reading and spelling. scientific studies of reading, 7(1), p. 25.
6. farrell, mary l., white, nancy cushen; multisensory teaching of basic language skills, ch. 2, p.48
7. teaching to the whole brain. (2021, june 2). ascd. https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/teaching-to-the-whole-brain
8. the reading league. (2022, june). https://www.thereadingleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/the-reading-league-curriculum-evaluation-guidelines-2022.pdf. retrieved january 31, 2024, https://www.thereadingleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/the-reading-league-curriculum-evaluation-guidelines-2022.pdf

why is this new phonemic awareness product suite so important?

phonemic awareness is one of the key predictors of early reading success, and this product is a true game changer for supporting that success. it is based on extensive research and addresses a gap in the way phonemic awareness is currently being taught.

unlike existing programs that add letter sounds as an afterthought, our program integrates phonemic awareness and letter instruction from the ground up and helps students make strong connections between sounds and letters. this approach has been proven to increase students’ letter sound knowledge and spelling performance, particularly when introduced in kindergarten and continued through first grade.

this is the phonemic awareness suite every school needs to help students truly grow into readers in 1st grade.

how is this product different from other phonemic awareness offerings in the market? 

this is a unique offering for schools. it does not currently exist in the market. our program empowers teachers to provide explicit, sequential, systematic, and comprehensive phonemic awareness instruction to their students. in short, one of its biggest differentiators is that it is evidence-aligned and evidence-based. another is that it supports differentiated instruction across tiers, which means it serves each child’s individual skill needs. at the same time, the instructional dialogue and routines are consistent and aligned across tiers to make teaching and learning methods seamless and easy for teachers and students.

what i love in particular about this product suite is its short, focused lessons of 10 minutes per day that gradually build skills, starting with a few short phonological sensitivity lessons that focus on blending and segmenting syllables and onset-rime, quickly moving into blending and segmenting at the phoneme-level. research has shown for many years that teaching phonemic awareness should only be done in small increments or in small amounts of time—10 minutes per day is ideal for that laser focus on one or two skills.

we also offer a much more effective and comprehensive approach than other programs. others tag on, for instance, instruction on letter sounds, graphemes, and alphabetic principle as an afterthought. they instruct on multiple skills in a single day—eight or more at times—and without clear sequencing. this is not the systemic approach that is research-proven. it is a smattering of instruction for the sake of instruction, thrown into a day and week. and, as a result, students are likely to experience less progression in their skill acquisition and ability to perform with automaticity.

another unique aspect of this program is that it supports students with language variations and cultural dialects, such as african american english. no other phonemic awareness suite offers that today. this is possible because of our collaboration with the best leaders in the field, including dr. antonio fierro.

how does it help fulfill our mission of empowering educators to unlock literacy for every child?

this is a really powerful set of tools for supporting students with language variations, different dialects, and a range of reading abilities. so it supports all students and has a solid research base that demonstrates it works.

educators have very little time and if they are not doing what is most effective that has consequences. we want every moment of a child’s instructional day to be as impactful as possible.

literacy is the most important skill a child can have. teachers can feel confident that they are really setting their students on the right path for reading and for life with our instructional methods—and know they will impact their students positively for the long run.

how do the daily literacy lessons work?

this program has 50 lessons that are all specifically designed based upon the gradual release “i do–we do– you do” model and supporting progression. the program is heavy on “i do” and “we do” instruction at the beginning of the week. then, multiple practice opportunities are implemented during the “we do” and “you do” cycle toward the middle to end of the week. and we intertwine the learning and strategically teach students the skills they need by first, teaching phonemic awareness and then tying the sounds to graphemes. this helps reinforce student knowledge in each area and helps them build phoneme-grapheme connections efficiently with automaticity.

we specifically chose 50 lessons in the tier 1 instruction of 95 pocket pa™ because the end of kindergarten and beginning of 1st grade need to overlap. so the last quarter of kindergarten continues into the start of 1st grade. kindergarten covers lessons 1 to 35, which takes the student from warming up with larger chunks of language such as syllables and onset-rime. then, the student moves right into the skill of isolating the first sound, followed by segmenting all sounds in a word. finally, the student progresses into manipulating sounds in word chains. we know that we need to focus on helping students master that initial sound in the word. they need to know how to change “bat” to “sat,” for example. students will enter 1st grade at lesson 15 which reviews blending and more segmentation which research states is the key to reading and spelling success.

what does the learning experience look like?

during a lesson the teacher will teach the sounds and letter articulation and then directly tie that in with the grapheme for the student. each student will be given five phonemes, for instance, and tie them to graphemes, then start interacting with those sounds and letters by building, blending, encoding, and decoding. the teacher will say: “i will give you the sounds (or spell the word) and you will write what i dictate on your mat.” this can involve finger-stretching the sounds to spell a word or blending the sounds to read a word.”

the student is then using what they learn. they are learning by doing. they need that connection to letters otherwise there is not a lot of overt interaction or engagement. we start every new skill, such as blending, with lessons that are focused on listening and putting sounds together. students also use finger-stretching. we spend one full lesson doing segmentation orally while we focus on good habits of finger-stretching. finger-stretching, in phonics instruction, is similar to how you use your fingers when you count. it allows you to see a word visually and understand, for instance, that it has three sounds.

what does the evidence say about the effectiveness of teaching phonemic awareness?

the evidence is clear: teaching phonemic blending and segmentation is key to early literacy success. we focus on blending in many of our lessons. when students decode they need to blend, when they encode they need to segment the word. blending and segmenting are key for student success.

susan brady’s report “a 2020 perspective on research findings on alphabetics (phoneme awareness and phonics): implications for instruction on phonological awareness” was seminal as it firmly linked phoneme awareness with letter sound knowledge and helped educators understand the right method for strengthening the application of phonemic awareness in order to improve letter sound and spelling performance. it showed us clearly that the benefits of phonemic awareness are the greatest when instruction happens in kindergarten and continues into 1st grade. she concluded her report, saying: “in turn, it is of the utmost importance to give current and future teachers the knowledge and skills required to provide this breadth of instruction.”

what about professional learning for teachers?

we offer the best professional learning to help teachers implement this new suite and get up and running with effective instruction in the classroom. we offer this with each of our products and it is really something that makes us stand out in the field. our school partners get a lot out of our professional learning and ongoing coaching services.

one of the other things i love about this suite is how ongoing support is built right into it. our tier 2 instruction is chock full of notes that help “teach” teachers about how to instruct students on each of the skills they need to learn. the program also teaches them about language differences and this is key to their own learning. the spanish language, for instance, only has 5 vowel phonemes. we have 15 in english. teachers need to know that kind of difference in order to support students fully.

what exactly does the product suite include?

our new product suite includes the professional learning support that teachers need to get up and running quickly. it also includes our 95 phonemic awareness screener for intervention™, which is a teacher-administered assessment in digital and print format that provides teachers the data they need to map every student’s skill gaps directly to the most appropriate instruction. the tier 2 resource included in the suite is called 95 phonemic awareness intervention resource™ (pair) as it pairs perfectly with the assessment and the suite’s core tier 1 resource: 95 pocket pa™. this product name, 95 pocket pa, was chosen because of the teacher edition’s small size and the strategically designed lessons that “fit”—the lessons fit into your day, fit with your existing ela instruction, fit with k-1 foundational standards, and the fit is just right for students’ future reading success. although the teacher’s guide is small (6×9), it is actually a bit too large to stick in your pocket to take with you! it contains, however, instruction to solidify skills that students will carry with them when leaving grades k-1.

this pairing or “alignment” among assessment, tier 1, and tier 2 instruction is what’s really special about all of the products in our one95™ literacy ecosystem™. this is how we ensure consistent instructional dialogue and routines for both teachers and students. it makes teaching more efficient, and it makes learning clearer and more meaningful for students.

a school partner once said to me: “there is no learning curve between products and tiers. this is the secret sauce of 95 percent group products. this is what gets the job done and makes a difference for our teachers and students.”

why the shift in terminology from phonological awareness to phonemic awareness?

the shift in terminology is due to a more precise focus on phonemic awareness, which involves recognizing and manipulating individual phonemes (sounds) in words. it reflects the growing understanding of the importance of phonemic awareness as a foundational skill for early literacy, especially in the context of letter-sound relationships. the saying “pa can be done in the dark,” should no longer be used when referencing the latest research base on phonemic awareness instructional routines. the connection between individual phonemes to their graphemes must be included in phonemic awareness instruction to make the biggest impact.

what results do you hope to see with schools and student reading improvement? immediately and looking further out?

in the short term, we expect to see our school partners excited to use this product and working with us on professional learning and implementing it swiftly in their classrooms, so it is turnkey for their teachers and impactful for their students. we hope to see a substantial increase in the number of proficient readers by the end of first grade and a greater awareness overall of why our comprehensive approach to phonemic awareness works.

ultimately our goal is to have kindergartners enter 1st grade with automatic letter recognition, sound production skills, and blending proficiency. this is the foundation they need for reading success, for school success, and for a life of literacy.

what are school partners most excited about?

they are excited about the continuity and depth of support we offer in one suite, including professional learning, assessment, and instructional resources. and they are excited because they know this is the right way forward for their students.

we have a literacy crisis in this country. too many children are below basic reading levels. and we can’t sit back and settle for status quo—we have to act fast! this new suite addresses an urgent need to improve students’ reading skills early in their education. it is based in research and specifically designed to support students in developing into solid readers by the end of first grade. from there, the ability to read and enjoy reading can be a reality for each child. then their confidence and engagement in school are free to soar.

learn more

the new 95 phonemic awareness suite™ is a proven set of resources that equip your teachers with professional learning and consistent but differentiated instruction for students receiving tier 1 and tier 2 instruction, and assessments that pinpoint deficits and map them to specific lessons proven to close those gaps. not all phonemic awareness programs are created equal. learn more.

we already know that the ultimate goal of reading with a depth and breadth of comprehension and fluency is a key to developing the critical thinking skills of children. according to the national center for educational statistics (nces), approximately 43 million (1 in 5) adults in the us have low to exceptionally low literacy skills.  there is nothing more urgent than ensuring that all children have access to the instruction that will unlock their potential as readers, writers and thinkers.

the reading league has stated that although the scientific evidence base for effective reading has existed for decades, the term “the science of reading” has gained traction in the last few years, potentially leading to misunderstandings. the science of reading: defining guide provides a firm definition of what the science of reading is, what it is not, and how all stakeholders can understand its potential to transform reading instruction: “the science of reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing.”

for more information about this definition and why knowledge of best practices for reading instruction is so critical, check out our science of reading resource page and our brand new ebook aimed at bringing science of reading theory into practice: the science of reading 2.0: implementation made easy.

what is a literacy ecosystem and why does it matter?

an ecosystem, as defined by the oxford dictionary, is “a complex network or interconnected system.” systems, in general, are built with seamless interactions or integrations in order to optimize the process that’s being systematized.

this definition holds true in the case of a literacy ecosystem. in order to provide the most comprehensive acceleration of skills, the different parts of a literacy ecosystem have to work together and provide a foundation for a common knowledge, language and instructional routines.

engaging, explicit, and evidence-based, the one95™ literacy ecosystem™ is a cohesive suite of resources that aligns to our mission and our standards of excellence; it equips educators with a comprehensive toolkit to unlock the power of literacy for every child. it integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers — so you’re ready and able to help every child realize their reading potential.

so what are the key ingredients of our one 95 literacy ecosystem and what sets it apart?  in the next few sections we will explore why one 95 is the comprehensive toolkit your teachers and students need.

there are four key ingredients to reading success with the 95 percent group: alignment, consistency, acceleration, and evidence.

we provide alignment and consistency across our ecosystem of evidence-based core and intervention offerings that lead to accelerated literacy improvement for every child. let’s dig into each one of these to see how each component is key to the overall success of the ecosystem.

alignment: our instructional approach and content are aligned to the science of reading across each tier, with additional time, intensity, and focus provided in tiers 2 and 3.  alignment to the science of reading is based in understanding the body of evidence, and the nature of each new skill building upon and interacting with a previously learned skill.

consistency: we help educators master a consistent approach to instruction across tiers and students which, in turn, helps them focus on what matters most—teaching. likewise, students learn within consistent instructional routines across products, which helps them concentrate on what matters most—learning. this consistency in use of product as well as a common and consistent language allows teachers to be better equipped to support all students and offers students more confidence and agency in their learning.

evidence: all resources are evidence-based within the science of reading research. we have high-quality efficacy studies that show our instruction works.

acceleration: our literacy ecosystem of evidence-aligned materials and methodology accelerates student progress, supporting each child in realizing their full potential and progressing to grade level.

on their own, each of these components may provide some value to a teacher’s literacy instruction. together, they ensure that all students are receiving explicit, direct instruction in order to reach the ultimate goal of reading at or above grade level.

tiers of literacy instruction: meeting all student needs with a common language and routines across levels and products

the different tiers of instruction represent who is receiving the instruction, and the time and intensity dedicated to the instruction. in general, all students participate in tier 1, or core instruction. students who have a need for more focused support according to informal or diagnostic assessment data participate in tier 2 and tier 3 instruction.

the one95 literacy ecosystem represents an acceleration model instead of a remediation model, because students who need more support are not pulled from core instruction to receive it. they receive intervention instruction in addition to their whole class core literacy instruction–and the intervention materials and instruction is directly connected to the work they are doing in their core instruction.

let’s take a closer look.

tier i

tier i instruction refers to the literacy instruction that the teacher is doing with the whole class. this is your core literacy instruction that all students receive. the hallmark of an effective tier 1 program is a structured sequence that is delivered through explicit and direct instruction and offers student feedback and a scaffolded gradual release approach (i do, we do, you do).

tier 2:

tier 2 instruction is intervention for students who score below the grade level benchmark and need increased time, intensity (smaller group size) and focus (targeted skills identified by diagnostic screeners) of instruction. tier 2 is also evidence-aligned enrichment and supports for students already at benchmark. it can provide enrichment for tier 1 instruction.

tier 3:

tier 3 intensive intervention instruction is evidence-aligned and supports students not responding to tier 2 instruction. it is highly individualized to already identified student needs. our tier 3 intervention instruction is based on our newly acquired product, 95 rap™— a teacher-led, small group, digital solution for struggling readers, including those with dyslexia.

additionally tier 3 instruction can offer extension and support for students well-above benchmark.

check out the on-demand webinar for more information!

*it’s important to note that for all three tiers of instruction, the scope and sequence of skills is the same; it is the intensity of instruction that differs.

building an instructional ecosystem at your school

knowledge of the body of evidence we call the science of reading is important, but understanding how to bring practical application of that knowledge into classrooms is critical for a successful implementation. curriculum materials that are evidence-aligned and consistent across all tiers of instruction as well as professional learning to support teachers in implementation are key ingredients to building your instructional ecosystem with fidelity and accountability.

implementing a universal literacy screener is helpful–but what is the best way for educators to use all of the data they are collecting? one way teachers can use the data they collect is to better understand their students’ needs: who is making or maintaining progress towards grade level reading with just tier 1 instruction? who needs more focused tier 2 intervention or enrichment, and which students need the most intensive tier 3 intervention?

95 percent group’s targeted diagnostic assessments map directly to the skills taught in materials across all tiers of instruction, making it easy to implement as well as monitor student progress frequently in order to quickly inform critical instructional decisions.

one advantage of employing an instructional ecosystem, is that students and teachers encounter the same instructional routines whether they are working in tier 1, 2 or 3 instruction–creating a seamless transition from tier 1—whole class instruction, to tier 2 or 3—intervention instruction. the absence of having to keep track of different instructional routines and languages means teachers and students have the cognitive space necessary for teaching and learning skills.

although the one 95 literacy ecosystem is a one-stop shop for schools that want a core curriculum with intervention and enrichment instruction options, many schools decide to use certain products in tandem with other solutions they are employing concurrently.  our materials work nicely as an addition to other resources, or as a stand-alone option for all of your literacy needs.

one 95 literacy ecosystem successes from the field

voices from val verde unified school district

• “at the end that year, none of our students ended up qualifying to go into tier 3 intervention because we were able to provide the data to show that the interventions we were doing with the psi™ (phonics screener for intervention™) and 95 phonics chip kits were helping them to achieve their goals,” said shari kirkpatrick, early literacy instructional support team

evidence of success: panther valley, pa

• 1st grade: 20% of 1st graders assessed in october were decoding on grade level according to the skills assessed in the psi. this number soared to 70% on grade level in march. this is a 250% increase in students reading on grade level after 5 months.

read the full story here!

accelerate your students’ reading improvement

95 percent group is on a mission, and it’s an important one. children today are at risk of falling behind if they don’t learn to read proficiently by the end of third grade. our goal is to help all children flourish as literate citizens of the 21st century.

the one95 literacy ecosystem integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers — so you’re ready and able to help every child realize their reading potential.

are you interested in learning about how you can bring the one 95 literacy ecosystem, grounded in the science of reading, to your school or district? contact us today.

1. launch the new year with a phonics boost and tune-up for your students.

students will benefit from a review of last year’s phonics skills and word study, and educators need a flexible, easy-to-use proven program with an ecosystem approach.

the 95 phonics 世界杯2022夺冠热门 ®: tune-up helps teachers catch students up on last year’s skills without waiting for assessments—linking instruction across grades 1–3, the 95 phonics 世界杯2022夺冠热门 tune-up provides a seamless continuum of foundational skills to strengthen students’ grasp of the prior year’s phonics skills. teachers can target specific skill needs or deploy the flexible lesson system in 20-minute targeted, tier 2 structured literacy lessons, using the 25-day program. and while designed for tier 2 instruction, the versatile 95 phonics 世界杯2022夺冠热门 : tune-up program can be used in other formats: tier 1 small groups, whole-class instruction, one-on-one tutoring.

2. adopt a prevention mindset.

research on the tier 1 program, 95 phonics core program®, demonstrates how a phonics program used during the year can help your students retain what they learn this year through the summer and into fall 2024–2025.

the lxd research in nebraska concluded that rising 2nd graders using tier 1 95 phonics core program in the 2021–2022 school year retained more information than they did the previous summer. rising 3rd graders not only retained more information than the previous summer, but also scored higher at the start of 3rd grade than at the end of 2nd grade.

at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, renee hall, supervisor of reading k-5, and her colleagues at wicomico county public schools in maryland gave students the iready diagnostic tests. they were impressed with results from their original, pilot elementary school in particular. “students had made strong progress and did not even have the summer slide that we thought they may,” she said.

3. spark and sustain the joy of reading. a common language and routines are key.

robert palazzo is the principal of panther valley elementary school in nesquehoning, pennsylvania. when he noticed after 18 months that his students were not progressing with the balanced literacy program they’d deployed, he investigated the science of reading and led this school in finding new sources of funding to make the shift to evidence-based, structured literacy. in our recent blog post about panther valley, palazzo had this to say:

“we talk a lot about fostering a love of reading—but you have to be able to understand what you’re reading to love reading. decoding is the beginning of this.”

in another insights blog post, marcia biermann, a second-grade teacher at fort zumwalt school district in o’fallon, missouri discusses the outcome of common routines that she observed with her second-grade students. the entire district had committed to making the shift to structured literacy beginning in 2019. all 270 teachers in the fort zumwalt school district did the language essentials for teachers of reading and spelling (letrs®) training. then in 2021, several schools in the district piloted the 95 phonics core program.

“i can honestly tell you last year and this year, it is part of my kids’ favorite time of the day. they love phonics and word study time. because it is routine-oriented, when it’s sound spelling mapping time, they know exactly what to do; when it’s using your sound chips, they know exactly what to do; when it’s finger stretching they know. i see them excited, up and moving, loving it. and when i say, ‘okay, it’s time for phonics, and word study time,’ to hear them be excited and cheering, that tells me it’s working.”

4. understand the value and benefits of an ecosystem approach to the science of reading.

an ecosystem approach includes professional learning, assessment, and instructional resources so that teachers can turn the science of reading theory into practice and help each child make progress. it makes the experience across products and tiers of instruction as seamless as possible for students and teachers. how? all products and tiers share a common language—they all use the same routines, procedures, and descriptions.

using an approach that is based in structured literacy, the one95™ literacy ecosystem integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers and is proven and trusted to help students close skill gaps and read fluently.

principal robert palazzo sums up the effect of such a cohesive system: “95 percent group has allowed for a common language. for example, everyone knows that skill 6 is regular vowel teams—whether you’re doing the 95 phonics screener for intervention™ (psi™), the 95 phonics lesson library™, or the 95 phonics chip kits™—we are able to clearly speak about a student’s skill level and what they need and intervene at a high level.”

once both teacher and students know the routines, students can really concentrate on the learning and the teacher can concentrate on the students’ responses and make those important next-step decisions.

5. seek out inspiration, connection, and support.

95 percent group offers a range of professional learning opportunities, including frequent webinars with inspiring school leaders, and regional, in-person science of reading symposia that bring top experts and best practices to educators and school leaders. regular blog posts offer success stories, 卡塔尔世界杯完整赛程 , and best practices to help expand your understanding and practice of the science of learning. stay up with thescienceofreading.com to make sure you receive all the latest resources, research, and best practices on the science of reading.

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are you interested in learning about how you can bring an effective and efficient structured literacy approach, grounded in the science of reading, to your school or district? contact us today.

about 95 percent group

95 percent group is an education company whose mission is to build on science to empower teachers—supplying the knowledge, resources and support they need—to develop strong readers. using a structured literacy approach, the company’s one95 literacy ecosystem integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers and is proven and trusted to help students close skill gaps and read fluently. 95 percent group is also committed to advancing research, best practices, and thought leadership on the science of reading more broadly.

for additional information on 95 percent group, visit: //www.egbmusic.com.

“i just got a message yesterday from a teacher who said, ‘my 95 phonics core program assessment data was at 63 percent mastery for assessment 1. and now i’m at 92 percent mastery at assessment 3.’ and our goal, like 95 percent group’s goal, is that 95 percent of our students will be on grade level. in this class, we’re already at 92 percent, and we still have three months of school left. so i feel really confident we’re going to hit that 95 percent target,” said jennifer burton, literacy director, fulton county schools.

watch their success story, and share it with your colleagues!

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are you interested in learning about how you can bring an effective and efficient structured literacy approach, grounded in the science of reading, to your school or district? contact us today.

these results are from an independent analysis conducted by learning experience design research. lxd research founder rachel schechter, ph.d., explained the implications.

aligned to the science of reading, 95 percent group’s one95 literacy ecosystem is designed to help teachers use structured literacy to close the reading skills gap with a cohesive suite of evidence-based tools for tier 1, 2 and 3 reading instruction. the one95 literacy ecosystem allows educators to add elements to their curriculum to meet the needs of all students, regardless of where they are in building their foundational reading skills. programs used by these young learners included 95 phonics core program® and 95 phonics lesson library™.

95 phonics core program is a whole-class phonics curriculum designed to address and prevent reading gaps for all students. it adds an explicit phonics program to the daily reading block to ensure that all k-5 students receive consistent evidence-based and research-aligned phonics instruction to improve outcomes. multiple studies demonstrate its effectiveness across key measures, and it is listed on the evidence for every student succeeds act (essa) website for tier 1, whole-class instruction. 95 phonics lesson library, listed on evidence for essa, is a comprehensive phonics intervention program for tier 2 instruction, complete with ready-to-use lesson plans, learning aids, and templates for turnkey instruction.

about 95 percent group

95 percent group is an education company whose mission is to build on science to empower teachers—supplying the knowledge, resources and support they need—to develop strong readers. using an approach that is based in structured literacy, the company’s one95 literacy ecosystem integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers and is proven and trusted to help students close skill gaps and read fluently. 95 percent group is also committed to advancing research, best practices, and thought leadership on the science of reading more broadly.

for additional information on 95 percent group, visit: //www.egbmusic.com.

about lxd research

lxd research is an independent evaluation, research, and consulting division within charles river media group focusing on building and communicating evidence for educational programs. we conduct rigorous research studies, integrate multifaceted data analytic reporting, and design dynamic content to disseminate insights. visit www.lxdresearch.com.

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district superintendent, dr. mike looney, is committed to reading improvement and with good reason. “less than half of the students in the state of georgia read on grade level,” he said in an interview. “that’s one heck of an indictment on what we’ve historically done.”

dr. looney, recently named to atlanta magazine’s list of 500 most powerful leaders, and his school team turned to 95 percent group to ensure that all students in fulton county could receive the science-based literacy instruction they deserved. read on to find out how far they have come after just months of using resources from the one95™ literacy ecosystem.

student snapshot

• 4th biggest district in georgia (atlanta metro area)
• 14,000 employees and 90,000 students
• 59 elementary schools
• 74% minority enrollment
• 31% free and reduced lunch

one95 literacy ecosystem solutions

• 95 phonics core program®
• 95 vocabulary surge™

challenge: one district, many programs

for years decisions about reading curriculum were left to the discretion of individual schools in fulton county. jennifer burton, fulton county’s director of literacy, weighed in on this idea. “this resulted in a hodgepodge of balanced literacy-based programs, not backed by the science of reading, that clearly weren’t reaching all students,” she said.

when you have many school leaders all making different decisions, it becomes difficult to have clear communication and one guiding direction. the district needed one program based in the science of reading: a literacy program to implement across all of their elementary schools in order to all move in the same direction towards reading proficiency.

solution: one literacy ecosystem to reach all students

at the beginning of the school year, fulton county schools decided to put the 95 phonics core program® in every k-3 classroom in the district. burton saw immediate value from the plan. “with 95 phonics core program, you get systematic, explicit instruction, and all of our students are using it. so it doesn’t matter which school you’re in, we’re guaranteeing that all students are going to get a high-quality phonics program.”

the leadership and instructional teams knew they wanted their explicit instruction to continue past third grade. in order to foster student agency and knowledge building, good readers needed to do more than just decode words correctly. the district turned to several other resources in the one95 literacy ecosystem, which integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instruction across tiers.

students in grades 4 and 5 are now excelling above expectations in their reading comprehension due to programs like 95 vocabulary surge–unleashing the power of word parts™. stonewall tell principal, nikki porter, reports that her daughter, a 5th grader at stonewall tell, comes home saying, “mom! did you hear that tier 2 word?” it’s changing the way students read and speak.

“one of the reasons we found 95 percent group,” burton said, “was because in our district, we are all going through language essentials for teachers of reading and spelling (letrs®) training—from the superintendent to district leaders, building leaders, and teachers. everyone is going through this science of reading training. and in that program, 95 percent group resources were referenced. on the bottom of the lesson plans, it says, ‘taken from 95 percent group.’’’

she knew immediately. “we need this.”

95 percent group offers programs that are adaptable to school curriculum and aligned with the science of reading. the phonological awareness and phonics assessments, 95 phonological awareness screener for intervention™ (95 pasi™) and 95 phonics screener for intervention™ (95 psi™), give teachers data in real time—teachers can use scores to inform their instruction, and adjust where necessary to meet every student where they are. dr. looney resonates deeply with meeting students where they are: “we take the students where they are when they walk in the door, and we do as much as we possibly can.”

results: transformational growth at all grade levels

in five short months, teachers, students, and parents have seen an incredible change in the rate of reading and learning. students that came into the school year barely reading are now fully decoding and, even better, really enjoying books. the data speaks for itself.

• students in dru wilson’s 2nd grade class at asa hilliard elementary grew as much as 46 percent from their first assessment at the beginning of the year to their third assessment mid-year. this second-grade class began at 63 percent proficiency and now, with only five months of instruction from 95 phonics core program, 92 percent of the class is scoring as proficient on their assessments.
• mr. townsend, a third-grade teacher at vickery mill elementary, reported that growth has been enormous already, and clear in his phonics assessments: “…in the beginning of the year, only 53 percent of my students were able to master this program, and now i’m at 94 percent of students understanding it.” he also adds, “results are very noticeable in student writing, spelling, and reading comprehension. there is improvement in every area that has writing and reading—it’s just clicking for them.”
• “we had a 30-point gain in first grade in the phonics domain!” amy long, literacy coach at stonewall tell, said excitedly.  “we’re growing our green, we’re reducing our red; it is really transforming both the teachers’ and the students’ learning here at stonewall tell, and in fulton county.”

diversity is their schools’ strength

dr. mike looney is clear that he believes the diversity of his unique school district is what sets them apart. he’s equally determined to ensure all kids are getting the education they need and deserve. “all students matter and all students come first,” dr. looney said. “and we have become very, very adept at making sure that we can meet the unique challenges of individual students.”

“we have to make sure that we’re giving all students what they need…students cannot be successful in life, or in school unless they can read.” he explained how they set about making sure this could happen. “in order to do this, we retrenched our training program, and our resource programs, to make sure that we’re focused on best practices, things that have been proven to work for students from all backgrounds.”

by partnering with 95 percent group, they have sent a message that they believe that all students can learn to read.

nicola johnson, 5th grade teacher at stonewall tell elementary, emphasizes the urgent need for rigorous expectations and high-quality curriculum. implementing explicit vocabulary instruction through 95 vocabulary surge has made a noticeable difference in the upper elementary classrooms at stonewall tell.

“i come into the classroom and make sure that my scholars can exceed their own expectations—every single day,” said johnson. “especially as brown and black boys and girls, their expectation is that ‘we’re not learning, we’re not going anywhere.’ and if there is a teacher that has explicit modeling and an explicit curriculum that allows for that learning and expectation to be exceeded…they can do anything.”

common literacy language is key

when schools commit to products in the one95 literacy ecosystem, students experience the same routines and language in their whole class learning and in small group intervention. it’s a seamless transition from one to the other.

“one of the really cool things,” says tiara atkinson, fulton county’s early intervention specialist, “is that students are able to know and understand the language in both the classroom setting and in their intervention—because it’s the same. 95 percent group has made it easier for teachers, because we are all also speaking the same language. we have the tools now.”

additionally, teachers and literacy coaches across the district are able to be on the same page when it comes to talking about student learning. sedeka gillard, a literacy coach at stonewall tell, said, “it’s been a really beautiful experience for all the coaches to be able to come together and speak a common language, you know, somebody from the north [of the district] can come and we can come from the south, and we can all know that we’re speaking that same language. we’re giving those same explicit lessons and our students are receiving the same quality education.”

a partnership for professional learning

with 95 percent group’s literacy ecosystem, teachers feel they can really see the applicability of their science of reading training through the tools and products.

“it’s super easy to pick up the 95 phonics core program and see all the things the training is teaching us and how it can become visible in the classroom,” said laura robinson, literacy coach at vickery mill elementary school.

even though it has only been a few months since implementation, dr. looney feels the tides of change already. “i’m cautiously optimistic that as more people see our success story, the transformation that’s happening here in fulton county schools, they’ll be eager to jump on board. we have a roadmap. we can do it.”

jennifer burton is excited and hopeful about all that 95 percent group has given them so far, and everything she knows is to come. “my eye is on this year’s kindergartners, and where they are going to be at the end of third grade,” she said. “so…keep your eye on fulton county.”

three best practices

here are three best practices your school can use from fulton county’s roadmap to reading success:

1. offer all stakeholders a common language based in the science of reading—from leaders and coaches to teachers and students.

in order to work together more seamlessly, educators need to be on the same page. training all stakeholders means it’s easier to identify and collaborate in order to help students that need critical support, because everyone is speaking the same language.

 2. anchor literacy learning in structure and clear expectations. 

stonewall tell literacy coach amy long shares the breakdown of their literacy block: “we have our routine of our reading block and the way that that goes every day is we start off with our phonological awareness. after that, we move right into our phonics block—it’s beautifully prepared by the 95 core phonics program. we’ve got the textbook, we’ve got the presentation file, and they align so nicely. it’s zero prep for the teachers, super easy to use, and it just makes the expectations super clear for the teachers. “

3. build a safe, trustworthy place for everyone to learn and grow in their practice.

this means teachers, too! amy long, literacy coach, talks about a strategy they used at stonewall tell. they would take video of teachers teaching in order to reflect in their professional learning communities (plcs) on a peer who has experienced success with 95 pcp or 95 vocabulary surge. together, they would pick out those indicators that they felt were effective, and then teachers would all try to implement that into their practice. she concluded with, “that’s how we’ve been growing around here, by looking at other examples of great work and then collaborating across the district.”

related content

learn more

are you interested in learning about how you can bring an effective and efficient structured literacy approach, grounded in the science of reading, to your school or district? contact us today.