MCAS BEAUFORT, S.C. — First-grade teachers at Elliott Elementary School in the DoWEA Southeast District are building strong foundations in early literacy by prioritizing daily phonics and phonological awareness instruction — essential skills that support lifelong reading success and informed citizenship.

Through intentional, structured literacy practices, students engage in foundational skills such as phoneme isolation, blending, substitution and categorization. These daily routines help students develop a deep understanding of how sounds work within words, strengthening their ability to decode and read with confidence.

In Elliott Elementary’s first-grade classrooms, phonics instruction is embedded throughout the literacy block. Teachers provide explicit, systematic instruction while also creating opportunities for students to actively apply these skills in meaningful reading and speaking tasks.

“Building a strong phonics foundation is critical at this stage,” said Chris Humphries, a first-grade teacher at Elliott Elementary. “When students understand how sounds work, they become more confident and capable readers.”

As students grow in their phonics knowledge, teachers intentionally connect these skills to authentic reading experiences. Using texts from the curriculum, students apply their decoding skills in context, strengthening both fluency and comprehension. This integration supports students in retelling stories, identifying key details and making meaning from what they read.

“We are very intentional about connecting phonics to real reading,” said Madie Andew, another first-grade teacher. “Students are not just learning sounds in isolation — they are using those skills to understand and talk about texts.”

Teachers have observed that this consistent focus on foundational skills leads to increased student confidence and engagement. As students become more proficient in decoding, they are more willing to take risks, participate in discussions and read independently…