Literacy Resources

The purpose of the NC Literacy Intervention Plan is to describe best practices for planning, implementing, and evaluating effective literacy intervention systems based on research.

Literacy Interventions Best Practices:
1. Screen all students for potential reading problems.
2. Provide differentiated core reading instruction for all students.
3. Provide systematic supplemental support (tier 2) for students who require intervention based on data decision rules.
4. Provide intensive support (tier 3) for students who demonstrate minimal progress with supplemental support.
5. Monitor the progress of students receiving supplemental and intensive support regularly.

HCS's Literacy Intervention Plan
(fully approved by NC DPI)

The Hoke County Schools K–5 Literacy Framework is a shared guide for delivering consistent, high-quality core literacy instruction and intervention across elementary classrooms. It was created and approved by the District Literacy Committee. Aligned to the HCS Literacy Intervention Plan, it outlines expectations for instructional time, materials, lesson components, small-group structures, intervention delivery, assessment, progress monitoring, and data-based decision-making. Teachers can use this resource to plan responsive instruction, protect grade-level learning time, and ensure every student receives the targeted support needed to grow as a reader, writer, and communicator.

HCS's Literacy Framework

• Kindergarten
• 1st Grade
• 2nd Grade
• 3rd Grade
• 4th Grade
• 5th Grade

McGraw-Hill Wonders is designed to foster a love of reading in all children and is inspired by the belief that every student can succeed.

By providing a comprehensive set of connected resources for all our K-5 students, Wonders offers our Elementary and Intermediate School Educators the ability to adapt instruction with confidence as students grow. Our focus on teaching the whole child—and every child—prepares students to be lifelong learners and critical thinkers. Combining the work of literacy experts with research on social emotional learning, Wonders helps strengthen skills, bolster learning, and encourage independence, enhancing the important and inspiring work that happens in classrooms, every day.

The program provides resources and support for:

• Building a strong reading foundation
• Accessing complex text
• Finding and using text evidence
• Engaging in collaborative conversations
• Writing to sources

Reading Horizons is the foundational phonics and phonemic awareness program used in Hoke County Schools to help every child become a confident, capable reader. Built on more than forty years of research and aligned to the science of reading, Reading Horizons gives teachers a simple and effective way to teach the skills young readers need most, including decoding, spelling and reading fluency.

The program combines direct, explicit instruction with engaging practice, ensuring all students, including those who may struggle or are learning English, receive the support they need to grow. Lessons follow a clear routine that helps students make sense of how English works and apply those skills when reading real text.

At its core, Reading Horizons is grounded in a belief that literacy opens doors for every child. By giving students a strong foundation in reading, we set them up for long-term success in school and beyond.

Students login to Reading Horizons by clicking the "Reading Horizons" app in Clever.

Please refer to the State Board of Education Policy that defines requirements for implementing the NC Early Learning Inventory. More information related to implementation can be found on the Office of Early Learning Kindergarten webpage.

The North Carolina Early Learning Inventory (NC ELI) is an observation-based formative assessment. Teachers observe during instruction and document students’ learning and development. Documentation can be collected in various ways including anecdotal notes, work samples, photographs, checklists and stored in the Teaching Strategies GOLD^® online portfolio. Documentation substantiates a child’s skill attainment along the developmental progressions and helps personalize next steps for instruction throughout the first 60 school days for all 16 NC ELI developmental progressions.

As a reminder, G.S. 115C-83.5 requires that every student entering kindergarten be assessed using NC ELI. The assessment is designed and appropriate for use with all kindergarten students including those with disabilities and those who are English language learners. 

For the 2026-2027 school year, the following developmental progressions will be required: 

* Addresses the requirement for a screening of early language, literacy, and math skills during the first 30 days

NC ELI utilizes an enhanced version of Teaching Strategies GOLD^® which includes the Finch^TM Formative Games. Finch Formative Games can be used to collect documentation for eight (8) NC ELI objectives and dimensions reducing the amount of assessment time. The use of the new functionality is optional. 

The 30-day early language, literacy, and math requirement date will be 30 school days from the first student day or no later than: October 2, 2026.

On or near, but not beyond the 60th school day, teachers finalize their Checkpoint for all 16 developmental progressions to generate data for reporting purposes.  The 60-day Checkpoint date will be 60 school days from the first student day or no later than: November 20, 2026.

The State Board of Education strongly encourages the continued use of the NC ELI as an ongoing formative assessment beyond the initial 60-day data reporting period. The NC ELI will be available throughout the 2026-2027 school year so that teachers can continue to individualize instruction for children and support their continued growth and development. 

To support observation-based formative assessment, updated training through the Office of Early Learning is forthcoming. All LEA teachers with at least one enrolled kindergarten student and new to kindergarten or have not previously used NC ELI in the classroom are required to complete the training. Building leaders and instructional support staff who work with these teachers and students are encouraged to take the course as well. 

As required by G. S. 115C‑83.4B., child assessment information from state funded pre-k is shared with kindergarten teachers through the Transition Report in NC ELI (SmartTeach). To learn more, see Part 2: Kindergarten Receiving Teacher – Viewing a Child’s Transition Report.

Training Dates

• 2026-2027 HCS LETRS Training Dates & Registration

Pacing Guides for the LETRS Online Modules

• Coming Soon

Make-Up/Sustainability

Sustainability sessions are for educators who have a current online training platform license with Lexia LETRS.

Please note: OEL sessions are limited to 50 educators. If the session does not appear when clicking on the registration link, the session has reached capacity. Please check back often as some registrants will cancel, and a spot will open up.

Early Literacy Specialist

Have a LETRS question or need support? Please contact our ELS:

Dr. Sarah Ryan
sarah.ryan@hcs.k12.nc.us

Purpose: Join the NCDPI ELA Team throughout the 2026-27 school year for an exciting webinar series focused on the newly adopted 2026 English Language Arts Standard Course of Study! Each session in this series will spotlight a specific strand of the standards, providing educators with the opportunity to deepen their understanding and prepare for successful implementation beginning in the 2027–28 school year.

During each webinar, participants will

• Gain an overview of the featured strand, including its purpose, structure, and design.
• Explore key resources and unpacking documents to build a deeper understanding of the standards and objectives for that strand.
• Reflect on the instructional shifts needed to support effective teaching and learning aligned to the new standards.

Audience: Whether you are a classroom teacher, instructional coach, school leader, or district support staff, this series will help you build clarity, confidence, and readiness for implementation in the 2027-2028 school year. Webinars are appropriate for a K-12 audience. Come learn, reflect, and plan for the future of ELA instruction together!

Dates and Registration: Register for each session using the links below:

Webinar 1: Complex Text Strand

• September 24, 2026 | 3:30 - 5:00 PM

Webinar 2: Foundational Skills Substrand

• November 12, 2026 | 3:30 - 5:00 PM

Webinar 3: Comprehension Development Strand

• January 20, 2027 | 3:30 - 5:00 PM

Webinar 4: Communication and Writing Strand