the Science of Reading at Lincoln Learning

Beyond decoding symbols on a page, reading is about unfolding a new world of knowledge, narratives, and ideas. At Lincoln Learning Solutions, we embrace the Science of Reading to guide students through an enriching learning experience. This approach equips readers with skills ranging from phonics to comprehension, ensuring they understand and connect with the words they're reading.

The Core Elements of the Science of Reading

The "Science of Reading" is grounded in the extensive research of the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). It's a culmination of countless studies pointing to proven methods in literacy instruction. At Lincoln Learning Solutions, we incorporate these methods in our English Language Arts curriculum, ensuring we cultivate a lifelong love for learning.

• Vocabulary Acquisition and Text Comprehension: 
  Our curriculum exposes students to a broad range of familiar and unfamiliar texts to foster vocabulary acquisition. By interacting with diverse materials, students gain exposure to real-world issues, scientific concepts, and historical facts, simultaneously enriching their knowledge base and reading skills. These texts are instrumental in teaching students how to extract information, analyze data, and synthesize ideas from what they read. With every text, their vocabulary grows, helping them to understand more complex texts in the future.
  
  We utilize word-learning strategies that go beyond rote memorization to tackle content-specific terms. Understanding the meaning of words in context helps solidify learning. Additionally, challenging words come with definitions for swift reference, ensuring students can improve and learn new vocabulary.
• Enhancing Reading Comprehension with Tools and Techniques: 
  Comprehension is at the heart of reading proficiency. To bolster this, Lincoln Learning employs graphic organizers and various text structures, aiding students in recognizing story structure and enhancing their text analysis skills. Our students learn to apply summarization skills effectively by dissecting a narrative or exploring expository writing.
• Transition from Reading Skills to Learner Autonomy: 
  After grade 2, students make a critical shift from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn. Identifying the main idea, extracting key details, and sequencing events become familiar tasks as they progress. 
• Spelling and Grammar, The Backbone of Reading: 
  Integrating spelling and grammar into our literacy instructions enhances students' understanding of word structures and sentence building. Mastering these skills also allows students to gain morphology and syntax proficiency, further enhancing their reading capabilities. Our spelling lessons extend to interactive learning games, integrating fun into education. These games reinforce the Dolch and Fry sight words, making the learning process engaging and effective.
• Phonics, Phonological Awareness, and Word Recognition:
  Our early literacy instruction emphasizes phonological awareness and phonics. Students learn to manipulate sounds (phonemes) and understand the fundamentals of consonant blends, digraphs, and diphthongs. These lessons are about understanding the building blocks of language, from syllables and phonemes to word segmenting.
  
• Delving into Etymology and the Roots of Language:
  An intriguing part of our curriculum is the exploration of etymology, particularly at the surface level with Greek and Latin roots. This knowledge empowers students to decipher the meaning of new words, enriching their vocabulary further. Understanding roots aids vocabulary expansion and builds a bridge to comprehending complex scientific and English literature texts.
• Achieving Fluency Beyond Speed:
  Fluency focuses on accuracy, expression, and understanding. Lincoln Learning encourages fluency through daily reading logs, which enhance reading stamina, levels, accuracy, and comprehension. We place a significant emphasis on the ability to decode words efficiently, ensuring our students are fluent and confident readers. Listening and creating audio recordings is another facet of our fluency practice. It provides students with models of expressively read texts. Hearing the rhythm, intonation, and pacing of proficient reading inspires students to emulate these qualities, furthering their fluency skills. Creating them helps educators provide helpful feedback to students.

Lincoln Learning's Educational Strategy

Our multimodal curriculum design, known as the IT Factor, is dedicated to weaving key literacy skills into every lesson and meeting each student's individual needs through interactive and engaging learning opportunities. This approach ensures that teachers can tailor lessons to meet each student's unique learning needs, fostering curiosity and readiness for assessments and practical applications.

Interactive learning games are crucial in reinforcing the lessons taught. These engaging tools help solidify phonics, spelling, and reading comprehension skills in a dynamic, enjoyable manner. By incorporating technology into learning, students remain motivated and engaged, eager to conquer new reading challenges.

Lincoln Learning Solutions is dedicated to implementing the Science of Reading in ways that nurture knowledgeable, confident, and skilled readers. Through strategic vocabulary building, exposure to various text types, and a systematic approach to phonics and phonological awareness, we create a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.

Our curriculum is designed with the understanding that reading is a multifaceted skill set requiring attention to decoding, comprehension, and fluency. By fostering these skills with effective strategies, such as graphic organizers, text analysis, and interactive games, we ensure our students are lifelong learners ready to explore the vast world of literature and beyond.

At Lincoln Learning Solutions, we're proud to equip educators with essential tools to help their students grow into adept readers and thinkers ready to take on the world.