Reading/Phonics - Through the use of the Houghton Mifflin Reading Series (Grades K-6) and the Modern Curriculum Press Phonics Program (Grades K-3), students are guided to develop the skills to become avid readers. The reading program is integrated with the language arts program and is designed as a tool for improving students’ competence in writing and speaking and to enhance learning in all subject areas. Skill areas taught include: phonics, vocabulary words (both in and out of context), silent and oral reading, critical and analytical thinking, comprehension, language arts, genre, and spelling.