Teacher expertise highlight: Miss Christina is an Early Childhood Education, Special Education, and Dyslexia certified teacher. 

Using a multi-sensory approach grounded in the Science of Reading and Orton-Gillingham methodologies, this course integrates visual, auditory, and tactile experiences to enhance learning. Our evidence-based curriculum focuses on phonics foundations, helping learners identify sounds, blend words, and improve decoding skills. Engaging activities make reading and spelling enjoyable, while practicing with real and nonsense words builds confidence. Each week, targeted phonetic patterns and blends, such as suffixes, closed syllables, and three-letter blends, are explored to strengthen literacy skills.
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Weekly Topics Include:

- Real and nonsense words with complex prefixes and suffixes (such as -s, -es, -ed, and -ing)
- Advanced syllable types and blends
- Multi-syllable words and their applications in reading contexts
- and more

This course is designed to empower every learner to build sophisticated literacy skills within an encouraging and challenging environment. 
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Week of September 2:
Prefix Perfection: Mis-, Un-, Non-, and More
This week, we’ll focus on common prefixes like mis-, un-, dis-, and non-, helping learners expand their vocabulary.

Week of September 9:
Spelling -ic Words with Confidence
Learners will master the spelling of words ending in "-ic" and understand how this ending changes word meanings.

Week of September 16:
Understanding -ive Words and Their Impact
We’ll dive into words ending in "-ive," exploring how this suffix changes verbs into adjectives.

Week of September 23:
Open Syllables and Vowel "Y" Mastery
Learners will explore open syllables (long vowel sounds) and learn when "y" acts as a vowel in words.

Week of September 30:
-y, -ly, and -ty: Suffixes that Add Meaning
This week focuses on how adding -y, -ly, and -ty to words changes their meaning, creating adjectives and adverbs.

Schwa Sound Secrets: Unlocking Unaccented Vowels
Learners will discover the schwa sound (unstressed vowel) and its role in words like "ticket" and "ballot."

Week of October 14:
Final Stable Syllable: Mastering Consonant -le
We’ll cover words that end in a consonant followed by "-le," focusing on the stable syllable these letters create.

Week of October 21:
Exploring Double Vowels: The Power of Two
This week, learners will explore words with double vowels (like "boat" and "seen") and how they create long vowel sounds.

Week of October 28:
Soft c & g and Tricky -dge Words
Learners will learn the rules for soft "c" and "g" sounds, along with tricky "-dge" words like "judge" and "fudge."

Week of November 4:
Fluency and Spelling Mastery Review
We’ll review all the concepts learned so far, focusing on building fluency and reinforcing spelling strategies.

Week of November 11:
Mastering Double Vowels: Diphthongs in Action
Learners will practice reading and spelling diphthongs (like "oi" in "boil" and "ou" in "loud") to understand how vowel sounds can shift within words.

Week of November 18:
Advanced Double Vowels: More Diphthong Mastery
We’ll continue working with double vowels and diphthongs, focusing on spelling and reading fluency with these tricky sounds.

Week of November 25:
Conquering Soft c & g, and -dge Words
This week reinforces the spelling rules for soft "c" and "g" (like in "city" and "giant") and tricky -dge words (like "badge").

Week of December 2:
Fluency and Spelling Mastery Review
Learners will review all the phonics patterns covered so far, with a focus on reading and spelling fluency for long-term retention.

Week of December 9:
Mastery Review: Phonics and Fluency
We will continue to build fluency and review spelling patterns, ensuring learners feel confident with the skills they’ve developed.

Week of December 16:
Cumulative Phonics Review
A final review before the holiday break, reinforcing all concepts taught to build fluency and spelling mastery.

Week of January 6:
Breaking Down Compound Words
Learners will explore how two words can be combined to form compound words (like "sunflower" or "snowman") and how to spell them correctly.

Week of January 13:
Digging into Suffixes: -ful, -less, and -able
We’ll cover suffixes that change word meanings (like -ful, -less, and -able), helping learners understand how to modify words.

Week of January 20:
Mastering Prefixes: Re-, Pre-, and Un-
Learners will focus on the meaning of common prefixes (like re-, pre-, and un-) and how they change the meaning of root words.

Week of January 27:
Understanding Final Silent E
This week introduces the silent "e" rule (like in "cake" or "time") and teaches how it affects vowel sounds and spelling.

Week of February 3:
Building Reading Fluency with Silent E Words
Learners will practice reading and spelling words that use the silent "e" to create long vowel sounds, building reading fluency.

Week of February 10:
Mastering Plurals: Adding -s and -es
This week focuses on when to add -s or -es to make words plural, helping learners spell and read plural forms correctly.

Week of February 17:
The Magic of Y: When Y Acts Like a Vowel
We’ll cover how "y" can function as a vowel in words like "happy" or "cry," and the rules that govern its use.

Week of February 24:
Review of Suffixes and Prefixes
Learners will review and practice all previously introduced suffixes and prefixes, reinforcing word-building skills.

Week of March 3:
Mastering R-Controlled Vowels: ar, er, ir, or, ur
This week focuses on r-controlled vowels, teaching learners how to pronounce and spell words with these tricky sounds.

Week of March 10:
Digging Deeper into R-Controlled Vowels
We’ll continue practicing r-controlled vowel sounds (like in "car," "her," "bird," "for," and "turn") to build confidence.

Week of March 24:
Final Stable Syllable: Mastering -tion, -sion
Learners will focus on the endings -tion and -sion, commonly found in words like "action" or "mission," and their pronunciation and spelling.

Week of March 31:
Spelling Words with Final Stable Syllables
This week continues practicing final stable syllables (-tion, -sion, and -ture) to solidify learners' spelling of longer words.

Week of April 7:
Silent Letters: Mastering Kn-, Wr-, and Mb- Words
We’ll explore words with silent letters (like "knight," "write," and "comb") and the rules for spelling and reading them.

Week of April 14:
Silent Letters Continued: Ght-, Sc-, and More
Learners will continue practicing silent letters with words like "light," "scene," and "gnome," focusing on fluency.

Week of April 21:
Mastering Multisyllabic Words
This week introduces strategies for breaking down and spelling multisyllabic words, building confidence in reading longer texts.

Week of April 28:
Multisyllabic Words Review and Practice
Learners will continue practicing multisyllabic words, applying syllable division rules and improving their reading fluency.

Week of May 5:
Mastering Suffix -able vs. -ible
We’ll explore the difference between -able and -ible words, helping learners understand when to use each ending.

Week of May 12:
Mastering Prefixes: Over-, Under-, and Super-
Learners will practice using and understanding prefixes like over-, under-, and super-, expanding their vocabulary.

Week of May 19:
Compound Words and Hyphenated Words
This week focuses on spelling compound and hyphenated words, helping learners build complex words confidently.

Week of May 26:
Building Fluency with Complex Words
Learners will practice reading and spelling complex words with suffixes, prefixes, and compound structures to build fluency.

Week of June 2:
Mastering Common Homophones
Learners will explore and master common homophones (like "there," "their," and "they’re") to improve spelling and comprehension.

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CLASS ENVIRONMENT

Our classrooms are guided by a Socratic teaching approach, fostering critical thinking and encouraging open dialogue among learners. By facilitating engaging discussions and posing thought-provoking questions, students are able to explore topics more deeply and gain a comprehensive understanding of the material. 

Our class size does not exceed 4 learners. This allows for more personalized attention from the educator, ensuring that each learner's individual needs and learning styles are met. With a smaller group size, there is also more opportunity for discussion and collaboration among classmates, creating a supportive and engaging learning environment. Additionally, students may feel more comfortable and confident participating in discussions and activities in a smaller group setting.

We incorporate a mix of traditional methods such as videos and limited PowerPoint presentations to accommodate various learning styles as well. 

In addition, we gamify our lessons, as much as possible, to make learning fun and interactive for students. By adding elements of games and competition, we are able to keep learners engaged and motivated to participate in their education.

We also incorporate hands-on projects, wherever possible, to provide students with real-world application of their learning. Through these projects, students are able to apply their knowledge in practical ways and further enhance their understanding of the subject matter.

By designing this type of diverse classroom environment, utilizing multiple teaching methods, we effectively address the diverse learning styles of our learners.

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IMPORTANT DATES

Please note we value mental health and want to prevent teacher burnout. With that said, we do take company wide breaks where there will not be any classes taught nor will we be answering emails. 

Please expect a delay in responses the following dates: 

2024:

August 19-August 25 (Summer Break)
November 27-29 (Thanksgiving Break)
December 23 - December 31 (Winter Break)

2025

January 1 - Jan 5 (Winter Break)
March 17 - March 23 (Spring Break)
April 19 - April 20 (Easter Break)
August 25-31st (Summer Break)

If you are enrolled, you will not be charged!

We will be returning all emails the day or two after we return. 

In addition, teachers may need time off outside of these breaks as emergencies do happen. We always try our best to give ample notice when we can. You will never be charged for a day that we cancel classes.

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CLASS POLICIES

Refund Policy:

We strictly adhere to Outschool's refund/reschedule policy for all of our classes. This means that once a class has been paid for, there will be no deviation from Outschool's guidelines. We do not offer refunds or rescheduling outside of what Outschool allows. 

Camera Policy:

All students are required to keep their camera turned on during the entire class. The only exception is those that have been verified by Outschool and have the verification badge.  

Contact info:

In compliance with Outschool's policies, we do not accept friend or contact requests from current or former families on any social networking site (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). We also do not provide or ask for any personal information such as email address or phone numbers.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with these policies.