Wilson Elementary first graders demonstrate gains with UFly phonics curriculum

Wilson Elementary teachers visited the West Allis‑West Milwaukee School Board meeting May 18 to demonstrate a five‑day comprehension lesson framework and the UFly phonics curriculum they say has improved early literacy outcomes.

Presenter Mrs. Pettit and colleague Miss Aelina led first‑grade students through a class demonstration that included vocabulary practice, phonography (sound‑to‑grapheme mapping) routines, touch spelling and a brief shared reading from Bear Snores On. Teachers described how daily, multisensory routines — hand signals, visual drills and tactile activities — are used to build letter–sound knowledge and decoding confidence.

"Students are more confident this year using UFly," the presenter said, and showed fall‑to‑spring writing samples for two students to illustrate growth in phonetic spelling, sentence structure and use of high‑frequency patterns. First graders Betty Lou and Aiden read brief realistic‑fiction pieces to the board to demonstrate the writing progress teachers attributed to consistent phonics instruction.

Teachers also demonstrated phonography mapping in class with students segmenting words and placing graphemes in boxes to isolate sounds, an approach staff described as research‑based and helpful for students with lagging decoding skills.

Board members commended the classroom routines and noted apparent transfer from decoding to writing; one board member asked whether pre‑writing samples had been collected, and teachers said those samples were available and show clear improvement. The board applauded the students at the conclusion of the presentation.

The demonstration was presented as an example of a district‑aligned theory of action focused on priority standards, collaborative teams and ownership of outcomes.