English is our language of instruction, encompassing speaking, listening, writing, and reading, with almost everything we do centered around language. At CISH, our early years classrooms are literacy-rich environments that incorporate best practices, including oral language skills, alphabet recognition, phonemic awareness, and print awareness. In PK, language development is supported through Storytime, rhymes, narrated play, and simple conversations, with early writing introduced through drawing and describing creations. All our students listen to many stories and are encouraged to express themselves in various ways. In K1 and K2, we begin by writing letters, eventually progressing to simple words, focusing on those used most often. As students advance to K3, they start to put letters together to form words, building on what they’ve learned.