Growing Readers, Writers, and Storytellers
At Advent, we believe that learning to read and write should be both joyful and empowering!
What makes Advent’s approach to literacy special is how our teachers weave language and storytelling throughout the school day. Rooted in the Reggio Emilia philosophy, we see children as capable communicators whose ideas, questions, and creativity are worthy of expression.
Through drawing, writing, conversation, and collaboration, students build a strong foundation in literacy while developing their identities as readers, writers, and thinkers. The result is a community of learners who grow into strong readers, clear writers, and confident speakers who can share their ideas with ease.
In ECC…
Recently, ECC students proudly completed a very special project: their very own ABC Book! Using the skills they’ve been developing with teacher Jackie Cordi and the Lively Letters program, each child illustrated and authored a page that highlights a beginning letter sound. The finished book showcases not only their growing phonemic awareness but also their creativity and confidence as emerging writers.
In true Reggio Emilia fashion, students expressed their understanding through multiple “languages” — drawing, storytelling, and early writing. Their detailed illustrations became powerful tools for communication. Even classmates who are not yet independently reading words were able to use picture clues to identify objects and sounds on each page.
The excitement was contagious as students shared their first “published” book with classmates and teachers. The pride on their faces was priceless as they realized they are truly becoming authors and illustrators.
To celebrate their accomplishment, the ECC ABC Book is now proudly displayed in front of the cubbies for all to see. Students are looking forward to sharing their work with the Advent community and with their families. We are so proud of the hard work, creativity, and courage our students demonstrated throughout this project. Through this experience, they embodied Advent’s core values: Courage in trying something new, Passion in taking pride in their learning, and World in sharing their accomplishments with our community. What a beautiful example of learning in action.
In Kindergarten…
With Kindergarten co-teachers Maria Aguiló and Rosa Vega, students are strengthening their early reading skills by identifying the letter symbol that represents the shared beginning sound in a set of three images. They also practiced decoding by saying one sound at a time and blending those sounds together to read words. New “heart words” were added to their growing list — be, it, like, and, at, and go — helping students recognize commonly used words automatically as they read.
Some groups also began reading short passages together and answering comprehension questions. Students took turns reading sections aloud while their classmates followed along, building fluency, pronunciation, and confidence. After reading, they worked collaboratively to answer questions such as: What four things did the cat hide from Tom? In what order did the cat hide them? These conversations encouraged students to think about characters, setting, and key events while identifying the main idea and supporting details.
Students are also hard at work creating a story of their own! Using story mapping strategies, they began developing the plot and setting for their upcoming Bloobie movie (coming soon to a KC theater!). Taking turns, students helped bring the story to life by illustrating the two main settings: Bloobie’s castle and the forest where the adventure unfolds.
This collaborative storytelling process reflects a Reggio-inspired approach to literacy — where imagination, dialogue, and artistic expression work together to help children develop their voices as authors and creators. The creativity and teamwork in the classroom have been inspiring, and we can’t wait to see how the Bloobie story continues to grow!
