Reading Foundations 1: Beginning Readers
Reading is a fundamental skill that is foundational to all areas of learning. Neurologically appropriate, developmental activities to help our students be ready to read and write are also extremely important but often left out of the “learning to read” plans. Caregivers are often uncertain if the reading program they are using is enough or the right fit. Please join me for a weekly, Mommy-and-me style class where I will teach your student the fundamentals of reading while teaching you the developmental activities that you can use at home to help them move smoothly from learning to read into reading for learning and enjoyment. After each class, you will be empowered to lead your student in beginning reading exercises at home during the week.
Appropriate for – Kindergarten, Pre-K welcome.
Overview
This class will include both caregiver and child. We will meet once per week for one hour. I will introduce one to three new phonogram sounds during class, give developmentally appropriate instruction in letter formation, grasp, posture, sound discrimination and more. I will include developmental activities in class that the caregiver will be able to reproduce at home. I will also include a list of activities for the caregiver to utilize over the course of the week as they work to build their child’s reading and motor skills. Caregivers will document their implementation of the activities and upload these, along with their reflections to the class Canvas page. We will discuss these in class.
Approximately the first half of class will be devoted to instructing the students while the caregiver sits close by. Once the students are dismissed, they may play a quiet game, look at books, color, eat a snack, etc. while I go into greater depth concerning the developmental activities and plans for the week.
Age/ability
This class is appropriate for beginning readers who have had little to no reading instruction. Prior phonics instruction is not necessary.
Semester One
During the first semester we will cover all of the alphabet and begin multi-letter phonograms. I will introduce the phonograms, the rules governing them, spelling rules and skills such as correct letter formation, rhyming, blending, posture, visual skills, syllabification, punctuation rules, auditory discrimination, vowels, consonants and early spelling rules.
Semester Two
During the second semester, we will reinforce all of the skills learned during the first semester and go deeper into multi-letter phonogram and spelling rules. We will continue our neurological development activities as we increase our word knowledge and decoding abilities. During this semester, I will also introduce reflexes and how they impact learning.
Syllabus
Coming Soon
Course Materials:
- Wall-mounted white (or chalk) board, craft paper that can be taped to the wall or a standing easel with a white board, chalk board or paper.
- Crayons
- Markers
- Watercolor paint
- Card stock or thin cardboard
- Printer paper
- Glue
- Child-appropriate scissors
- Tweezers
- 2-inch 3-ring binder
- Page protectors
- Dry erase markers, fine-tip
- Blank index cards
- 3-subject, wide-ruled, spiral notebook
- Access to a laminator is recommended but not required
* Course materials are not provided in the purchase of this course.

Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use.
To download Zoom:
- Visit zoom.us/download.
- Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
- Open and run the installer on your computer.
- In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Explore our courses!
First, read the available course descriptions, noting prerequisites, target grades, and course objectives. If you think your student is prepared for the course, go ahead and register. After registration, a placement assessment may be provided to students, depending on the course and the student’s previous enrollment with Scholé Academy. Registration is finalized when the student’s placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.
All Courses | By Subject | By Grade
Read the Student-Parent Handbook.
Please take careful note of our teaching philosophy, our technology requirements, our school policies, the parent agreement, and the distinctions between our grade levels.
Double-check the course section dates and times.
Make sure they don't conflict with other activities in your schedule or other courses you are purchasing. Our system will not catch double-bookings!
You're ready to add course selections to your cart!
Our Assistant to the Principal will be in touch with you after your enrollment to help you with next steps, including any placement evaluations that may be required for your course selections.
This registration will be finalized when the student's placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.