Our Classes
KINDERGARTEN SUMMER CAMP
for TK, Kindergarten & First Grade Children
$180/week.
Summer camp is Tuesday - Friday, 9:00-12:00 for two weeks: July 16-19 and July 23-26.
Sign up for 1 or 2 weeks.
Children aged 4.5-6 are invited to our Kindergarten Summer Camp! Whether they’re getting enrolled at RFL or at any other school this fall, our literacy camp will provide a solid foundation for your child’s literacy development.
Children will be immersed in summertime fun as they learn letter-sounds and handwriting skills. There will be show and tell, storytelling, books, crafts, games, music, and movement. We’ll have pool time, sprinklers, and sand play. We’ll have watermelon, sensory play, bubbles, and squirt gun fights. There’s so many ways to learn crucial literacy skills while having fun with friends.
Please read/download/print our Summer 2024 Parent Guidebook.
Please complete our Summer Registration Form. There’s a $30 non-refundable registration fee due at the time of registration.
We’ll be in touch to set up an assessment and orientation meeting.
INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION
Summer ‘24 - for all ages and levels
This is perfect for struggling students who need to catch up to grade level in a short time frame. Instruction is targeted to help eliminate deficits in knowledge and skill areas. Weekly 75 minute sessions with homework - $390/month
Please read/download/print our Summer 2024 Parent Guidebook.
Please complete our Summer Registration Form.
We’ll be in touch to set up an assessment and orientation meeting.
RFL’s 24-25 SCHOOL YEAR SCHEDULE:
September 2024 - May 2025
-KINDERGARTEN - Wednesdays & Fridays 9:00-12:00
-FIRST GRADE - Wednesdays & Fridays 1:00-4:00
-SECOND GRADE - Tuesdays & Thursdays 9:00-12:00
-THIRD GRADE - Tuesdays & Thursdays 1:00-4:00
KINDERGARTEN LITERACY CLASS
WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYs 9:00-12:00
Class begins September 4TH, 2024 and runs through May 30, 2025
Cost of enrollment is $330/month
When taught correctly, right from the start, children easily unlock the code! Our class will contain a maximum of 8 children, with 2 teachers. With the Common Core State Standards as our guide, we’ll address: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language Standards.
Our kindergarten program is steeped in oral language, storytelling, singing, crafts, games, and movement. We involve the whole child in learning - head, heart, and hands. We create a social environment where friendships are formed, and memories are made.
Children learn the correspondence of 24 speech sounds to upper and lowercase letters. They learn handwriting skills, writing conventions, and drawing. We ingrain phonemic awareness at every level. Children learn to blend and segment for reading and writing with accuracy and confidence.
Please read/download/print our 24-25 School Year Parent Guidebook.
Please complete our 24-25 School Year Registration Form.
We’ll be in touch to set up an assessment and orientation meeting.
FIRST GRADE LITERACY CLASS
wednesdays & Fridays 1:00-4:00
Class begins September 4th, 2024 and runs through May 30, 2025
Cost of enrollment is $330/month
We carefully provide the instruction and materials to enable every one of our students to succeed with literacy in their first grade year. Our class will contain a maximum of 8 children, with 2 teachers. With the Common Core State Standards as our guide, we will address: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language Standards.
Ms. Deva and Mr. Deveaux will lead children to learn the Basic Code level of the English Alphabet Code. They’ll gain a reflexive knowledge of all the letter-sound correspondences, and develop their blending and segmenting skills through targeted reading and writing activities. Students will develop their handwriting, and learn writing conventions while participating in fun and meaningful lessons. They’ll engage in collaborative conversations and projects with their peers, practicing and developing their oral language. Students will enjoy oral storytelling, games, seasonal arts and crafts, and activities involving music and movement. We create a language rich environment to inspire and enrich students’ imaginations.
In the second half of the first grade year, we’ll be ready to build on our carefully constructed foundation. Students will be able to write phonetically - now they’ll learn to accurately spell by studying English’s code variation. Students will learn more than one way to spell many of the 40 English speech sounds. For instance, they’ll learn the following spellings for the sound /A-E/: ‘AY’ ‘AI’ and ‘A’. Students will also learn and practice English’s code overlap. This is when a letter - or letter team - has more than one sound associated with it. For instance, they’ll learn the letter team ‘EA’ has 3 sounds: /EE/ as in leaf, /E/ as in bread, and /A-E/ as in bear. Students will learn and practice strategies for spelling. They’ll learn to read and write multi syllable words.
Homework will be provided in each class which reinforces the code being learned. Students will be provided with a personalized folder for keeping their work organized. Homework gives crucial practice for all skills and concepts being developed, and trains young homeschooling children to develop good study habits. Students will be given a paper copy of homework in class, and practice doing the work. The assignment will be posted on a Google classroom page, so parents never need to wonder what the assignment is. If their child misses a class, they can simply print it at home.
Reading For Life has an extensive library of children’s literature. Each Thursday will be Library Day. Students will select several books and carry them home in their personalized book bags. In addition to picture books, students will take home specially selected decodable readers. Children enrolled in Reading For Life are expected to practice their burgeoning reading skills with a parent or other adult daily. Parents are also encouraged to read TO their children daily, so that their minds are enriched with language and concepts.
Parents will receive a mid-year student report in January. In this way, student growth will be documented and notes made of ways students can improve, with an outline for getting there.
Please read/download/print our 24-25 School Year Parent Guidebook.
Please complete our 24-25 School Year Registration Form.
We’ll be in touch to set up an assessment and orientation meeting.
SECOND GRADE LITERACY CLASS
tuesdays & thrusdays 9:00-12:00
Class begins September 3rd, 2024 and runs through May 29, 2025
Cost of enrollment is $330/month
Utilizing evidence-based instruction and quality learning materials, we work to ensure each of our students succeed with literacy in their second grade year. Our class will contain a maximum of 8 children, with 2 teachers. With the Common Core State Standards as our guide, we’ll address: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language Standards.
Ms. Deva and Mr. Deveaux will lead children to learn the Complex Code level of the English Alphabet Code. This is the point they learn and practice spelling variation and code overlap. We carefully provide the logical framework for dealing with the complexity of having multiple ways to spell the same sound, and letters that represent more than one sound. We train children’s visual memories and teach strategies for learning to spell.
Children will learn writing conventions and spelling while participating in fun and meaningful lessons. They’ll engage in collaborative conversations and projects with their peers, practicing and developing their oral language. Students will enjoy oral storytelling, games, seasonal arts and crafts, and activities involving music and movement. We create a language rich environment to inspire and enrich students’ imaginations.
Homework will be provided each Thursday which reinforces the code being learned. It will be due the following Thursday. Students will be provided with a personalized folder for keeping their work organized. Homework gives crucial practice for all skills and concepts being developed, and trains young homeschooling children to develop good study habits. Students will be given a paper copy of homework in class, and practice doing the work. The assignment will be posted on a Google classroom page, so parents never need to wonder what the assignment is. If their child misses a class, they can simply print it at home.
Reading For Life has an extensive library of children’s literature. Each Thursday will be Library Day. Students will select several books and carry them home in their personalized book bags. In addition to picture books, students will take home specially selected decodable readers. Children enrolled in Reading For Life are expected to practice their burgeoning reading skills with a parent or other adult daily. Parents are also encouraged to read TO their children daily, so that their minds are enriched with language and concepts.
Parents will receive a mid-year student report in January. In this way, student growth will be documented and notes made of ways students can improve, with an outline for getting there.
Please read/download/print our 24-25 School Year Parent Guidebook.
Please complete our 24-25 School Year Registration Form.
We’ll be in touch to set up an assessment and orientation meeting.
THIRD GRADE LITERACY CLASS
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS 1:00-4:00
Class begins September 3RD, 2024 and runs through May 29, 2025
Cost of enrollment is $330/month
Utilizing evidence-based instruction and quality learning materials, we work to ensure each of our students succeed with literacy in their third grade year. Our class will contain a maximum of 8 children, with 2 teachers. With the Common Core State Standards as our guide, we’ll address: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language Standards.
Ms. Deva and Mr. Deveaux will lead children to learn the Complex Code level of the English Alphabet Code. This year they’ll continue to learn and practice spelling variation and code overlap. We carefully provide the logical framework for dealing with the complexity of having multiple ways to spell the same sound, and letters that represent more than one sound. We train children’s visual memories and teach strategies for learning to spell.
Children will learn writing conventions and spelling while participating in fun and meaningful lessons. They’ll engage in collaborative conversations and projects with their peers, practicing and developing their oral language. Students will enjoy oral storytelling, games, seasonal arts and crafts, and activities involving music and movement. We create a language rich environment to inspire and enrich students’ imaginations.
Homework will be provided each Thursday which reinforces the code being learned. It will be due the following Thursday. Students will be provided with a personalized folder for keeping their work organized. Homework gives crucial practice for all skills and concepts being developed, and trains young homeschooling children to develop good study habits. Students will be given a paper copy of homework in class, and practice doing the work. The assignment will be posted on a Google classroom page, so parents never need to wonder what the assignment is. If their child misses a class, they can simply print it at home.
Each Thursday will be Library Day. Students will select several books and carry them home in their personalized book bags. Children enrolled in Reading For Life are expected to practice their burgeoning reading skills with a parent or other adult daily. Parents are also encouraged to continue reading TO their children daily, so that their minds are enriched with language and concepts.
Parents will receive a mid-year student report in January. In this way, student growth will be documented and notes made of ways students can improve, with an outline for getting there.
Please read/download/print our 24-25 School Year Parent Guidebook.
Please complete our 24-25 School Year Registration Form.
We’ll be in touch to set up an assessment and orientation meeting.
INDIVIDUALIZED LITERACY INSTRUCTION
Students come once per week for 75 minute sessions: $390/month
Many students need the support of a one-on-one tutor for their literacy journey. Maybe your child is an older learner who’s struggling. Perhaps they’re behind grade level, and their confidence is suffering. Maybe your child has any number of special challenges.
In the context of a safe and supportive environment, instruction is tailored to student need and learning style. The nature of Linguistic Phonics Instruction is highly suited to the needs of students who are dyslexic, have any kind of sensory deficit or cognitive delay, a speech disorder, autism, Downs Syndrome, etc. The logic of the code is presented in a very clear way and instruction always meets the developmental level of the learner.
In a short time, children make fast progress, enhancing their self esteem and academic success.
The learner practices all the reading subskills: blending, phoneme segmentation, and phoneme manipulation in the context of creative and meaningful lessons. There is room in each session for students to have choice over their activities. Students develop a friendship with their teacher over time, and they look forward to class.
This is great for the high percentage of students we see that have some sort of stumbling block:
-Kids who have a lot of reversals when they write their letters and numbers. They need lots of opportunities to practice writing letters and numbers, until the movements become reflexive. Students also need activities designed to help them become oriented to direction - when they learn their left from their right, letters start to be written accurately. In addition, we provide games and activities which strengthen children’s visual discrimination skills.
-Confusion with b’s and d’s when reading and writing. They may also confuse p’s with d’s and b’s, and p also gets confused with q and with the letter g! The letters u and n get confused, and there are other issues of orientation that need to get worked out to be successful with the code.
-Trouble hearing words when blending. Sometimes this can be because recall of letter sounds is slow. Other times it’s because kids haven’t been taught to ‘blend automatically,’ and their recall of letter sounds is choppy. Another reason for poor blending is they’re not saying letter sounds cleanly, obscuring the word recognition which is the point of decoding.
-Trouble segmenting sounds in words for writing. In order to successfully spell our code you have to write using a phonological strategy. Kids who constantly drop or add sounds in words they write need to implement the proper strategies when writing.
-Slow blending. Many times children can’t keep track of the meaning of what they’re reading because the act of decoding each word is so very laborious. Sometimes it’s the accumulation of bad instruction by well-meaning parents and teachers, who’ve trained the wrong reflexes with the letters: letter names and that extra /u/ sound on consonants. Many new students in the RFL program are in the process of UN-learning, and they are often very slow down the runway when it comes to reading. These kinds of kids are often quite nervous about reading, but they really need to do a lot of it to improve.
-A tendency to drop or add sounds when reading. This is VERY common. Many times it’s the result of previous ineffective instruction that didn’t teach the phonetic code properly or completely, or both. Kids need to be trained to break down each and every grapheme in each word into speech sounds, then synthesize those sounds into a word, and arrive at meaning. Kids who do this often have a guessing strategy and really need immediate intervention.
-Kids who need repeated practice to reinforce and really “get it.” Some kids need more repetition than others. Sometimes children process visual and auditory information more slowly than average. Sometimes these are kids with a low level of confidence, which makes them reticent to take chances, therefore impeding their progress. In a fail-safe environment kids are given whatever level of support they need to gain crucial skills and code knowledge.
-Kids who are habitual whole-word guessers. These kids have probably been trained on ‘sight words’ and have gotten the impression reading is about knowing words instantly when you see them. These kids need to learn to actually read our phonological code. And they need repeated and habitual practice doing it to become good at it, and for reading to become fun.
-Kids who need extra handwriting support. Sometimes kids are enrolled whose lowercase letter formation knowledge is limited, and they need extra instruction to catch up with the rest of their group. This is because we use writing as a tool for learning the code. Kids need to be trained to ‘say the sounds’ as they’re writing in order for writing to become a phonological reflex.
-Kids who need extra attention and emotional support along with their literacy support. Kids enjoy the bond they share with Ms. Deva and the undivided attention and genuine interest she shows them. She creates an atmosphere in which they can safely practice their burgeoning skills and build the confidence that comes from success.
-Kids who simply want/need extra reading practice with Ms. Deva. ‘Buddy reading’ is not something that we’re able to do with students individually in a group setting, and is so valuable if the child doesn’t feel comfortable reading with a parent at home on a daily basis. If this is the case they really need expert support with this, because of all the learning opportunities reading together brings. Kids who read with Ms. Deva get better at it quickly, and their confidence increases substantially, encouraging them to read more, and get better at it more quickly, which makes it more fun. We love to start this snowball rolling!
We provide a personalized binder to each student that contains many learning materials. This binder helps students organize their homework. Homework is provided for continuous practice between sessions.
Please read/download/print our 24-25 School Year Parent Guidebook.
Please complete our 24-25 School Year Registration Form.
We’ll be in touch to set up an assessment and orientation meeting.
COMBO - GROUP / 1:1
Students attend a biweekly group class, as well as an hour-long individualized session weekly
Cost of enrollment is $630/month
This is the most ideal model to ensure the most rapid and smooth literacy development for your child. Ms. Deva has developed a wide variety of effective lessons to address all types of skills deficits. Often group students need extra support to catch up with their classmates, or to get enough practice with the code and the skills.
Please read/download/print our 24-25 School Year Parent Guidebook.
Please complete our 24-25 School Year Registration Form.
We’ll be in touch to set up an assessment and orientation meeting.