Lower School Literacy General Overview

In the Lower School, our literacy program aims to develop confident, independent, and self-motivated readers and writers. We nurture strong communication skills and a lifelong appreciation for literature through instructional methods, meeting each girl where she is and helping her grow. At the heart of the program is the Phono-Graphix method—a structured, systematic, and multisensory approach to teaching letter-sound relationships that builds strong decoding, spelling, and comprehension skills. Ongoing progress monitoring ensures that instruction is responsive and effective. As students advance, they develop greater stamina for reading and writing, engage in Writer’s Workshop to practice the drafting–editing–revision process, and learn to write for different audiences and purposes. Lessons in grammar and mechanics support clarity, confidence, and creativity in written expression.