'Body coda' phonics strategy recommended by teacher presenter

Michelle Koopman, a classroom teacher from Mount Rainier, told the commission that system‑level change must be paired with teacher buy‑in and day‑to‑day classroom practice. "The large gains will happen when teachers make it happen in every classroom in our county," Koopman said.

Koopman demonstrated a high‑leverage phonics technique she called 'body coda' (blend to the vowel and finish) and described hands‑on classroom activities — letter tiles or magnetic letters pushed down a 'slide' — that help students hold and blend two‑sound units more fluently. She connected the strategy to classroom assessment measures such as DIBELS and argued the approach reduces cognitive load for new readers.

Koopman recommended training teachers on a handful of daily strategies that can be widely adopted and tracked as part of broader instructional improvement efforts. She said teacher knowledge and classroom practice are key to translating the commission's system recommendations into measurable gains.

The commission did not adopt any training mandates at the meeting; staff will consider classroom‑level strategies as part of the preliminary recommendations to the County Council by Sept. 30.