Date of Meeting: October 6, 2025

Attendees: Ken DeCoster, Jill Wheelock, Ryan Siegle, Sean Martinson, Clayton Lindner, Anna Lloyd, Carol Copp, Zac Erickson

A Message of Appreciation

Thank you for continuing to share your questions, concerns, and ideas around UFLI. We appreciate your honesty and the thoughtful conversations that are helping us grow together in this work.

On October 6, a group of leaders met to review the feedback we've received. While we may not be able to act on every idea or concern in the same way, we want to clarify a few key points and offer continued support to help all of us stay aligned in our instruction.

We also want to acknowledge that we are only six weeks into the school year and into full UFLI implementation. It's still early to determine where long-term adjustments may be needed. We're not asking staff to wait until next fall to raise concerns or make improvements, but we are asking everyone to give the program time to take root. The most helpful feedback will come after we've had a chance to fully engage with the routines and expectations UFLI is built around.

Here’s what came out of that discussion:

Instructional Clarifications

 Pound & Tap

• Continue using pound and tap when teaching — it's a key part of UFLI instruction.

• If you haven’t used it yet, now is the time to begin incorporating it.

House for Writing

• You are welcome to use the House for Writing to support students.

Decodables

• Use UFLI decodables during UFLI instruction.

• Other decodables may be used in different parts of your instructional day.

Phonological Awareness

• This should never be taught in isolation. Always connect it to phonics instruction and practice.

• If time remains after practicing the provided words:

  • Add additional words as needed.

  • Reuse tricky words from the previous week.
    
    

 Interleaved Practice

• One of UFLI’s biggest strengths is the interleaved practice.

• Students are getting significantly more reps than with OG, and walkthroughs are showing real growth because of it.

Planning & Pacing

Using Friday Data

• Use Friday’s assessment data to plan next week’s instruction.

  • Incorporate tricky words into the upcoming week’s instruction and assessment.

  • Consider adding difficult words from last week into next week’s fluency or small group work.
    
    

Pacing Notes

• Pacing varies by grade — and that’s okay.

  • Kindergarten lessons may take longer than 3rd grade. That’s expected and will improve as routines solidify.

• 1st Grade: We know there have been questions about pacing. It's still early in implementation, but revisions are being discussed. We'll keep you updated as that conversation continues.
  
  

Support Tools

Guest Teacher Script

• A UFLI Guest Teacher Script is available to support sub plans and may also be helpful for your own instruction. Feel free to make a copy and adjust it to fit your classroom sub lesson format.
  
  

Planning Script

• One of our staff shared a planning script you’re welcome to use.

  • Planning Script
    
    

Additional Guidance

Fluency Practice

• You can use FastBridge practice passages for fluency work.

  • Do not use the screening passages.

  • To access:

    1. Log in to FastBridge.

    2. Go to Training & Resources.

    3. Navigate to the Fluency section.

    4. Use Repeated Reading passages by grade level.
       
       

Sound Walls

• Every classroom should have a sound wall in place. If you don’t currently have one or need support assembling materials, please reach out to your building principal.

• We’re asking that all sound walls be up and in use by Wednesday, October 15. We recognize that what this looks like may vary slightly by grade level — for example, Kindergarten may introduce pieces more gradually, while upper grades may have more fully built-out displays earlier. What matters most is that students are beginning to engage with the sound wall as a daily tool to support phonics instruction.

OG vs. UFLI

• Many questions have come up around the shift from OG to UFLI.

• Refer to the Spring 2025 slideshow that compares the OG manual with UFLI materials.

  • OG to UFLI Presentation from Spring 2025

Big Shift Reminder:
Moving from “sit and listen” to “sit and do” is one of the most impactful changes.
This shift supports engagement, skill application, and stronger student outcomes.

Thank You

Thank you for everything you are doing to make this transition successful for kids. Your commitment is making a difference.

The two vides below are shared from a West team as video examples to help extend the manuals and directions.