by Ms.Cathy Fortna
There is something so thrilling to me about teaching reading. Maybe because it opens the door for so many of my students. I am always looking for new ways to engage the children and I found it through Superkids! The Superkids Reading Program is a kindergarten through second grade reading program. It teaches kids how to master the alphabet in kindergarten, focus on blending in first grade, and then concreting those skills in second grade, so when they reach the third-grade level, they already know how to read; they can transition smoothly from learning to read to reading to learn. We started it last year in kindergarten and I love it! I really feel like I am teaching the skills the students need to become successful readers.
The Superkids Reading Program captivated my students from the start with tales of the Superkids. These relatable characters and their ongoing adventures provide an appealing and cohesive framework for literacy.
I have experienced first-hand the success of this program and the wonderful resource it is in teaching young children to read. Superkids inspires students through joyful, successful reading experiences with engaging texts and relatable characters. Characters like Cass who loves to cook, Doc who likes to dabble around and fix old broken toys, Sal speaks English and Spanish, and loves sports and games, and Golly, the super dog, just to name a few, are easy for them to relate to, and they cannot wait to see what they’re going to do next.
Each week, we introduce a new Superkid. We find out what they love to do and what we are going to learn. I am able to use literacy centers and have adapted activities to correlate with Superkids. This phonics-based, highly developmentally appropriate approach is exactly what young children need.
At the end of the last school year, the Cass character from the Superkids visited kindergarten and our students dressed up as their favorite superkid! Cass read to the children and they had so much fun meeting and talking with her. She even brought them cookies she baked with her cat Coconut!
The best part of this program is seeing my “Superkids” eyes light up every time I mention the word Superkids!