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Literacy

Overview

Our elementary school literacy program is designed to build strong foundations in reading, writing, speaking, and listening while fostering a lifelong love of language and learning. Through a balanced approach that integrates phonics, comprehension strategies, vocabulary development, and opportunities for authentic communication, students grow as confident and thoughtful readers and writers. Lessons emphasize critical thinking, creativity, and cultural empathy by exploring diverse texts and encouraging students to share their own perspectives. By incorporating technology, collaborative discussions, and mindful reflection, our program equips students not only with essential literacy skills but also with the character and curiosity to explore, reflect, and apply their learning with purpose. By the end of Elementary School, students should be able to demonstrate mastery of the school’s SLOs in Literacy.

Critical Thinking

  • Analyzing texts for themes, characters, and key ideas.
  • Evaluating sources for accuracy and reliability.
  • Making predictions and drawing inferences while reading.

Technology

  • Using digital tools for writing, publishing, and collaboration.
  • Using technology to collaborate with peers.
  • Practicing research and information-gathering skills using age-appropriate technology.

Cultural Empathy

  • Reading diverse texts to understand multiple perspectives.
  • Discussing stories that reflect different traditions, languages, and experiences.
  • Writing about personal and others’ experiences to build understanding and respect.

Communication

  • Developing clear and coherent writing for various purposes.
  • Participating in discussions, storytelling, and presentations.
  • Listening attentively and responding thoughtfully to peers and teachers.

Mindfulness

  • Reflecting on reading and writing progress to set personal goals.
  • Practicing focused listening and speaking during classroom discussions.
  • Building awareness of tone and word choice to communicate respectfully.

Creativity

  • Writing original stories, poems, and personal narratives.
  • Exploring different genres and formats for self-expression.
  • Using illustrations, multimedia, and performance to enhance literacy projects.

Reading

  • At KKFS, we place a strong focus on both reading for information and reading for enjoyment. Students are provided with a wide selection of high-quality texts, and we encourage our students to read broadly and widely. We guide our students to become engaged and effective users of ideas and information and to appreciate literature. On a typical school day, we read a large range and variety of print and digital texts, through which we teach our students to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate.

Writing

  • The elementary school writing program is designed to build strong foundational skills while fostering creativity, critical thinking, and clear communication. Students learn to write for a variety of purposes, narrative, informative, and persuasive, through a balanced approach that integrates explicit instruction in grammar, vocabulary, and writing conventions with opportunities for authentic, student-driven expression. Using modeled writing, guided practice, and independent projects, teachers help students develop their ability to organize ideas, support them with details, and revise for clarity and impact. Regular feedback and reflection encourage students to see writing as a process, while integration with other subjects allows them to apply their skills in meaningful, real-world contexts. This program not only develops confident, capable writers but also cultivates a lifelong appreciation for written communication.

Speaking and Listening

  • Our elementary school speaking and listening program is designed to help students develop clear communication, active listening, and confidence in expressing their ideas. Through structured discussions, presentations, storytelling, read-alouds, collaborative group work, and class meetings, students learn to share their thoughts respectfully while considering the perspectives of others. Lessons focus on building vocabulary, improving articulation, practicing conversational skills, and developing attentive listening habits. By engaging in meaningful dialogue and reflective activities, students not only strengthen their language skills but also learn to collaborate effectively, think critically, and connect their learning to real-world situations. This program supports our commitment to empowering students to explore ideas, reflect on their learning, and apply their communication skills with purpose in a diverse global community.

Phonics and Spelling

  • At KKFS, we view spelling as an extension of phonics, which is taught to help our students become effective readers and writers. We teach phonics first because students need to understand the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they make before they can learn to spell effectively. Until students are confident in their phonics ability, we promote invented spelling, which means we encourage students to spell words using the sounds they hear, rather than focusing their energy on spelling every word correctly.
  • Spelling is a developmental skill. Students need to master the basics before more complicated spelling rules, regardless of the age or group level of the students who join us. We begin teaching all students in Kindergarten. Beginning in Grade 1, we assess and teach phonics and spelling in differentiated groups. Beginners to English will start with Grade 1 and work their way up. All other students will be placed in appropriate groups to work at the level that matches their current attainment. Students’ progress is faster if they are already literate in another language.
  • Students must be taught at their developmental level. Students are taught phonics and spelling at the level at which they are ready. When they master a level, they move up. If they are not making progress, we provide additional opportunities for them to practice to ensure growth.
  • We study words, their patterns, and their meanings; we do not encourage rote memorisation. What is memorised is easily forgotten, but a lasting understanding is difficult to forget.
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