Overview
This webinar covered how to implement Day One (steps 1–5) of the UFLI Foundations program, focusing on lesson structure, instructional routines, and supporting resources.
Program Structure & Planning
- UFLI Foundations includes a continuous scope and sequence from kindergarten through second grade.
- "Getting Ready" lessons introduce the sound wall, alphabet knowledge, and letter formation.
- Lesson routines are predictable and help students focus on learning new skills.
- Each core lesson is divided over two days: Day One covers steps 1–5; Day Two covers steps 6–8.
Day One Lesson Steps Overview
- Day One is split into warm-up/review (steps 1–4, ~15 min) and new concept introduction (step 5, ~15 min).
- Instructional routines and behavioral expectations should be set from the start.
- Use slide decks, lesson plans, decodable passages, and manipulatives (like magnetic letters).
Step-by-Step Breakdown
1. Phonemic Awareness
- Students blend and segment spoken phonemes in words, warming up for decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling).
- Quick activity (2 min) with oral responses and finger segmentation.
2. Visual Drill
- Present graphemes (letters/letter combinations); students say grapheme name and corresponding sound(s).
- Fast-paced (3 min) to build automatic recognition.
3. Auditory Drill
- Teacher says a phoneme; students write correct grapheme(s) on whiteboards or paper.
- Focus is on writing and connecting sounds to spellings (5 min).
4. Blending Drill
- Use the UFLI Blending Board app to present word chains with previously taught graphemes.
- Students segment and blend sounds to read words (5 min).
5. New Concept Introduction
- Explicitly teach a new grapheme-phoneme correspondence, rule, or morpheme using provided teacher language and slides.
- Include articulatory gesture explanation, letter formation, and immediate application through word reading and spelling (15 min).
Resources & Tools
- Lesson slide decks (PowerPoint/Google Slides), decodable passages, rolling read games, and home practice activities are available.
- Utilize the UFLI Toolbox for additional teaching aids, including the blending board app.
Implementation Tips
- Maintain recommended pacing to maximize practice and build automaticity.
- Use corrective feedback procedures for errors.
- Adapt routines and gestures as needed for your classroom context.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Phoneme — Smallest unit of sound in spoken language.
- Grapheme — Letter or letter group representing a sound.
- Phonemic Awareness — Ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in words.
- Blending — Combining individual sounds to form a word.
- Segmenting — Breaking a word into its individual sounds.
- Consonant Digraph — Two consonants together making one sound (e.g., "sh").
- Automaticity — Fast, accurate, and effortless word recognition or recall.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Watch the slide deck tutorial video on YouTube for detailed navigation.
- Download and laminate the Lesson Planning Implementation Support Guide.
- Bookmark the UFLI Blending Board app for regular use.
- Prepare materials: slide decks, manipulatives, and student writing tools.
- Join the UFLI Foundations Facebook community for peer support.