Magnetic Reading Foundations curriculum changes learning dynamic in schools

It seems reasonable to expect a kindergarten class should be filled with laughter, energy and fun activities—what’s incredible to see is children having fun, feeling challenged and engaged in learning the fundamentals of reading and literacy.

A visit to the classroom of Kindergarten Teacher Sarah Ragle at Thurston Elementary is an experience that includes sounding letters out loud as a team, dancing to the alphabet, and having children use their arms and bodies to make the letter “Y.” 

A quick shift and the students pickup their individual Magnetic Reading Foundations books and look for a specific color-coded section. They begin reviewing sounds they just practiced together and almost immediately start writing words independently. From an educational perspective, the class is a genuine case study of mixing Total Physical Response (TPR) exercises with structured learning using the Magnetic booklets.

“When it was first proposed to us, and when I got to look at it, I knew that I would like it—what I didn’t know is that I would love it!” says Ragle about the new K-2 Magnetic Reading curriculum that was implemented in Springfield Public Schools (SPS) this academic year. 

According to Ragle, the biggest challenge has been finding a way to develop a routine that ensures young students do not get distracted by process, but develop an easy rhythm and structure to follow. 

“I knew that it was going to be really hard. We've never really had to use workbooks before. Magnetic reading incorporates a workbook pretty much in everything that they do,” explains Ragle. “And so, thinking about those instructional routines of how do I get these five-year-olds to get their workbook, get it to the table, follow directions, do the work appropriately, get it checked by a teacher, and then still continue to move back to the carpet, learn something else and go back.”

Ragle actually spent two weeks teaching her class expectations and how to use their new books. The entire introduction to kindergarten took a month, but once the routines were set, the learning in her classroom accelerated considerably.

“About 85% of my kids are able to sound words, which is something I have never achieved before,” says Ragle.

First grade Teacher, Kristin Archer at Thurston Elementary also sees the value of the program and a big change in how students behave in class when it comes to learning sounds, reading and writing.

“The most common question I get in first grade is how do I spell this?” says Archer. “Once students understand the sounds, they begin to attack a new word and try to figure it out with what sounds they know. They are able to confidently write their sounds on a piece of paper.”

While the stakes in first grade are a little higher than in kindergarten, the routines and use of the booklets remains the same. Students in Archer’s class spend more time talking to one another, exchanging ideas and writing in pairs. The students also spend more time constructing full sentences in writing, as well as speaking with Archer. The entire class understands all of the routines and games associated with sounding words.

Director of Elementary Schools Joyce Smith-Johnson attributes the successful implementation of the curriculum and accelerated performance to a multi-layered approach that includes working with learning partner Curriculum Associates, identifying model classrooms with teachers who can serve as mentors, and providing professional development courses for K-2 teachers on the science of reading.

“The program is rigorous,” says Smith-Johnson. “The encoding and writing piece of the program initially proved challenging for students in first and second grades because they did not receive instruction since kindergarten. Our students are both learning to read and write in ways not present in our previous curriculum. We are seeing our youngest students write full sentences now. That traditionally occurred later in our previous scope and sequence.”

According to Smith-Johnson, while adoption and performance is currently varied across the district, reaching a point where at least 80% of K-2 students are reading and writing at grade level is a possibility.

“Our staff are still learning,” says Smith-Johnson. “Expectations for this year included a slow and deliberate onboarding and adoption of new practices in a way that aligned with staff learning opportunities. In our classrooms where our staff are early adopters, and implemented all aspects of the new materials at the beginning of the year, we are already seeing unprecedented student learning.”

To learn more about K-2 Magnetic Reading Foundations, visit the Curriculum Associates website.