Wilson Fundations

In third grade, we continue building strong reading and spelling skills through the Wilson Fundations program. Fundations is a structured, multisensory phonics curriculum that helps students become confident readers, writers, and spellers.

Throughout the year, students review previously learned phonics concepts while expanding their understanding of more advanced spelling patterns, prefixes and suffixes, syllable types, word structure, and vocabulary. Lessons include reading, spelling, handwriting, and word study activities that help students apply their skills in meaningful ways.

Fundations provides students with the tools they need to decode unfamiliar words, improve reading fluency, strengthen spelling, and become more confident, independent readers and writers.

Fountas and Pinnell

Our literacy instruction is built around the Fountas & Pinnell program, which helps students grow through a variety of engaging reading experiences.

Interactive Read Aloud allows students to listen to rich, high-quality texts while practicing important comprehension skills such as making predictions, asking questions, making connections, and discussing characters, themes, and author's purpose.

During Shared Reading, the class reads a text together while practicing reading strategies, building fluency, and exploring vocabulary, comprehension, and text features.

In Small Group Reading, students meet in small groups with peers who have similar reading needs. Each group reads books at an appropriate instructional level while receiving targeted instruction in decoding, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking. This personalized instruction helps students strengthen their reading skills and develop confidence as independent readers.