From Learning to Read and Write to Deeper Thinking

Reading and writing are fundamental skills for young learners, but true literacy goes beyond decoding words. It includes understanding, interpreting, and effectively communicating ideas. Farmington Area Public Schools has made a concerted effort to strengthen comprehensive literacy instruction and equip learners with the tools for success not only in elementary school, but into secondary schools and beyond. After nearly two years of professional development focused on research-based literacy strategies, district educators are seeing how this approach is helping students build these critical skills from the start.

Today’s learners are not only reading more complex texts, they are thinking more deeply about what they read and expressing their ideas with greater clarity and confidence.

Farmington Area teachers know that skilled readers need to be able to master both what the words are and what they mean. To do this successfully, they intentionally develop vocabulary, language structure, and verbal reasoning alongside foundational skills like phonics and fluency. Using high-quality resources such as the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI), Wit & Wisdom, and practices grounded in the Science of Reading, teachers are strengthening both reading and writing instruction while building students’ background knowledge.

“I think that one of the strongest impacts of our literacy efforts this year has been the depth of student thinking we now see in the classroom,” said Rebecca Bican, Meadowview Elementary principal. “Students are engaging with more complex texts, and the impact is clear in how they talk about what they are learning. Their knowledge is deeper, and they are able to communicate their understanding with greater detail in both written and spoken responses. It has been so fun to see.”

Educators are also creating opportunities for students to apply literacy skills across subjects. At Akin Road Elementary, third grade teachers extended a literacy unit on space by partnering with Boeckman Middle School science teacher Todd Kohorst. This collaboration allowed students to deepen their understanding of the solar system while applying what they were learning in reading and writing lessons.

Teachers are also using data more intentionally to guide instruction and support each learner’s growth.
“With a deeper understanding of literacy development and the use of multiple data points, teachers are able to move beyond just ‘trying harder’ to confidently designing targeted instruction and interventions that better meet the individual needs of their students,” said Riverview Elementary teacher and literacy coach Renee Schultz.

“I am really proud of the work our teachers and students are doing,” Bican added. “I’ve seen huge growth in our students’ ability to support their responses with text evidence of our new approach to instruction. We are seeing growth not only in reading and writing, but also in how students think, question, discuss, and use their voices.”

Building on this strong foundation, Farmington Area Public Schools will begin a similar, intentional focus on strengthening math instruction in the coming year.