In Wauconda D118, our literacy instruction is anchored by McGraw Hill Wonders, our core English Language Arts (ELA) program. Wonders serves as the primary framework for our reading and writing instruction, connecting daily lessons in phonics to high-level comprehension and vocabulary. To ensure students have the necessary foundational skills to access this content, we integrate the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach. This methodology provides a highly structured, multisensory way of teaching the relationship between letters and sounds, acting as the "how-to" foundation for our readers. The Wonders curriculum is designed to take the skills students learn through practice and apply them to interesting, authentic stories and articles. This ensures that students are not just sounding out words, but truly understanding what they read.
The Wonders curriculum is designed to take the skills students learn through practice and apply them to interesting, authentic stories and articles. This ensures that students are not just sounding out words, but truly understanding what they read.
In Wonders, reading and writing go hand-in-hand. Students read about a topic, discuss it with their classmates, and then write about it using the new words they have learned.
Students work with "Anchor Texts" that encourage them to look back at the pages to find evidence for their answers. They learn to identify the main idea, understand characters, and recognize how a story is put together.
A key part of the ELA block is small group time. Teachers work with students in small groups to provide the right level of challenge and support.
While Wonders provides the broad application of literacy, the OG approach provides the specific, step-by-step instruction needed for students to become confident decoders and spellers.
Step-by-Step Instruction: Every letter sound and spelling rule is taught directly. We start with the simplest sounds and move to more complex patterns only when students are ready.
Multisensory Strategies: A hallmark of our OG-based instruction is using sight, sound, and touch at the same time. This helps "lock in" learning by engaging different parts of the brain.