Brooks Elementary is currently in its first full year of implementing a resource developed by the University of Florida Literacy Institute called UFLI Foundations, an explicit and systematic program for teaching students foundational reading skills. Teachers from kindergarten to grade 3 are using UFLI in their Tier 1 instruction. With this transition, educators now have access to an explicit and systematic scope and sequence for teaching foundational skills. Previously, students were taught these skills through incidental phonics practices. Teachers have utilized time in PLCs internalizing UFLI lessons and analyzing their progress monitoring data to inform their instructional decisions for their students.

Initially, teachers felt skepticism and anxiety about UFLI, but they have since transformed to feelings of excitement and joy. Many teachers have stated that teaching UFLI has become their favorite part of the day.

Emily McWaters, a kindergarten teacher, shared, “Teaching UFLI is my favorite part of the day. I feel confident as a teacher, my students are engaged, and the routines make preparation easy. The best part is the impact on student learning. This school year, my kindergarten class improved from 45% on grade level to 86% after implementing UFLI.”

During the 2023-2024 school year, students demonstrated a 12% improvement in phonological awareness, a 22% increase in phonics, and a 20% growth in high-frequency words on the i-Ready screener from fall to spring. After a full year of UFLI implementation in the 2024-2025 school year, the i-Ready data showed even more significant gains in these areas from fall to spring. At Brooks Elementary, students improved their phonological awareness by 41%, phonics by 34%, and high-frequency words by 39%.

For more information about providing explicit, systematic instruction in foundational skills to every child, read Key Action #1 from Key Actions for Meeting the Needs of ALL K-3 Readers and Writers.