In accordance with Ohio Revised Code 3323.251, along with Ohio’s Dyslexia Guidebook, Ohio schools must develop and share their structured literacy programming with all stakeholders. We are excited to share some important updates regarding our literacy program and the tools we will be using to support your child's literacy development. At Licking Heights Local Schools, we are committed to providing the best possible education for your child, and we believe that a strong foundation in literacy is essential for their future success.

Structured Literacy Program Overview
Our structured literacy program is designed to help students build strong foundational literacy skills. We have carefully selected a combination of evidence-based resources and instructional approaches to create a comprehensive and effective program. This year, we will be using three key components: Heggerty Phonemic Awareness, Fundations, and Wit and Wisdom.

Heggerty is a research-based phonemic awareness program that focuses on developing your child's ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken language. This program is a crucial first step in building strong phonological and phonemic awareness skills, which are essential for reading and writing.

Fundations is a multisensory phonics and spelling program that provides systematic and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling. It is designed to help students develop strong decoding and encoding skills, which are fundamental for reading and writing fluency.

Wit and Wisdom is a comprehensive English language arts curriculum that focuses on building deep comprehension, critical thinking, and vocabulary skills. It engages students in rich, content-based discussions and activities to foster a love of reading and writing while developing essential literacy skills.

To monitor your child's progress and tailor instruction to their individual needs, we will be using Acadience as our Tier I Dyslexia Screener. Acadience is a reliable and research-based assessment that measures your child's early literacy skills. It helps us identify areas where additional support may be needed and ensures that our instruction is targeted and effective.If students are identified as at-risk during the initial screening, the school will notify parents and continue to monitor progress.

Our Commitment
We want to assure you that your child's literacy development is a top priority for us. Our dedicated team of educators will work diligently to provide a supportive and engaging learning environment. We will also keep you informed about your child's progress and provide opportunities for you to be actively involved in their literacy journey.

We encourage you to reach out to your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns about our structured literacy program or any other aspect of your child's education. We value your partnership in helping your child succeed academically.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. We look forward to a successful year of literacy growth and exploration.

Sincerely,
Micca S. Conley
Director of Curriculum and Instruction (PK-6)