From Sounds to Stories: Building Confident Readers in Kindergarten

In the world of Kindergarten literacy, there’s no single path to becoming a confident reader. It’s a journey made up of many steps, each building upon the next—often in surprising, playful ways. Green Vale’s Kindergarten teachers and reading specialists know this well. The process of teaching young learners to read is intricate, but it’s also joyful, interactive, and incredibly rewarding.

One of the first steps in this process is phonemic awareness—the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words. This critical skill lays the groundwork for phonics and decoding and is a key component of Fundations, the research-based phonics program used in Green Vale’s early literacy instruction.
“Introducing phonemic awareness is essential to the Kindergarten curriculum as it builds the foundation for early literacy,” said Kindergarten Teacher Amanda Finnerty. “Skills like blending, segmenting, rhyming, and manipulating phonemes help students understand the relationship between sounds and letters.”

To further support this, Kindergarten recently introduced the Heggerty program—a structured, multi-sensory approach to phonemic awareness. These quick, engaging lessons help children recognize and manipulate sounds through movement, rhythm, and repetition.
“The hands-on aspect of Heggerty makes it really effective,” said Kindergarten Teacher Deborah Gaccione. “Associating hand and body movements with each phonological skill has positively supported them in their reading readiness.”

Phonemic awareness is just one piece of a broader, multi-faceted literacy approach. As Kindergarten Teacher Nessa Hoffmann explained,
“We focus on phonemic awareness and phonics, but also on reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. We start with letter recognition and sound association, then move into blending and segmenting simple words. As they begin to read, we encourage kids to make connections between words and pictures, and start understanding the meaning of simple texts. It’s about giving them the tools to recognize words and, over time, make sense of the stories they read.”

Beyond structured lessons, literacy is woven into every part of the Kindergarten experience through a rich and interactive environment. Classrooms are filled with books—on shelves, in baskets, and within easy reach for students to explore. Labels on classroom materials help children connect words with real-world objects, while student work is proudly displayed to celebrate their progress. This thoughtfully designed environment supports early reading.

Head of Early Childhood Kelly Flink explained, “Labels, word walls, and student work all contribute to a space where words and language are constantly reinforced. The more students see and interact with words, the more confident they become as readers and writers.” And Hoffmann added, “Books, books, and more books! Our classrooms are filled with a variety of reading materials. From leveled books to nonfiction and poetry, there’s always something for every child. And we create our own class books that become part of the classroom library, making reading feel personal and relevant to the students.”

In addition to this literacy-rich environment, Kindergarten teachers emphasize the joy of reading through engaging read-alouds.
“During these sessions, children hear teachers use character voices, pause at the end of sentences, and highlight story details through pictures—all skills we also bring into our writers’ workshop,” said Kindergarten Teacher Meghan Endress. 

Teachers find that learning to read really comes to life when it’s exciting and interactive. "Make it fun!" added Hoffmann. "Activities like writing in sand, going on sight word scavenger hunts, or using stretch tubes to stretch out sounds help spark a love of reading and writing in young learners."

Personalized learning is a key element of Green Vale’s literacy instruction. Teachers recognize that every child moves at their own pace, and small-group instruction ensures that each student gets the support they need.
“It's essential for educators to understand where students are with their skills,” said Reading Specialist Katie Drennan. “While we need to move forward with the curriculum, we must also assess students regularly to identify areas where they need more support and adjust our approach accordingly. Recognizing that not all children learn at the same pace is key to helping them succeed.”

These individualized approaches pay off in real, tangible moments of growth. Gaccione recalled a breakthrough with one of her students: “At the start of the year, he was hesitant to read. But during a small group session, he started sounding out words—and by the end, he realized he could read the whole book! His excitement was incredible. From that moment on, he couldn’t wait for reading time.”

For Drennan, the real joy of teaching comes from witnessing those small moments of growth. “Watching students go from recognizing letters to blending sounds and reading words is incredible,” she reflected. “Seeing that ‘aha’ moment when it all clicks—it’s why we do what we do.”

By combining a rich literacy environment, interactive activities, personalized learning, and a focus on building foundational skills, Green Vale is helping its young learners take their first steps toward a lifelong love of reading—one sound, one word, and one story at a time.