Teacher candidates from Louisiana Tech University, educators from A.E. Phillips Laboratory School, and literacy leaders from Lincoln Parish Schools came together to strengthen small group phonics instruction during a recent professional development workshop.
Hosted by the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership (CIL) in the College of Education and Human Sciences (CEHS), the session was part of an ongoing partnership with Lincoln Parish Schools through the implementation of the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) curriculum.
“This workshop builds on the professional development we have been facilitating for the past 2 years,” Dr. Libby Manning, CIL professor, said. “It’s considered an educative curriculum, meaning it not only helps teachers teach phonics but it helps them learn phonics since many were never formally taught in the subject.”
A.E. Phillips is now in its third year of implementing the UFLI program, while Lincoln Parish Schools are in their second year. Faculty from CEHS have been observing classrooms, supporting implementation, and collecting data as part of an ongoing research project.
The project is also expanding through innovative tools funded by the Emergent Learning Research Institute (ELRI) in CEHS.
“During this workshop, we have different levels of individuals working with this curriculum,” Manning added. “Our students even use the UFLI manual as part of their course work, so this experience builds their confidence to go into classrooms to help teachers facilitate small group instruction that is better aligned for their students.”
AEP first grade teacher Megan Hunt said that UFLI has transformed her classroom and helped her students make measurable progress in reading.
“I saw the need for my students to have a systematic phonics program, and I wanted to dig deeper into learning how to meet their needs,” Hunt said. “I have learned so much about best practices in teaching phonics and my students have seen a lot of growth as a result.”
Through this collaboration, CEHS and Lincoln Parish Schools are hopeful that educators and teacher candidates build stronger literacy foundations for every student.
“We are truly excited to be engaged in such a dynamic partnership that influences so many learners and teachers,” Dr. Henrietta Williams Pichon, dean of CEHS, said. “The results are astonishing and we are very excited about being able to share these experiences. Hats off to all involved in making this a success.”