Enrichment at The Academy - October 2019-May 2020 - Early Bird Reading and Reading Masters

Sep 15, 2026

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Enrichment at The Academy introduces Early Bird Reading and Reading Masters as Orton-phonics-based reading programs for children and fluent readers, taught by Cathy Cummins. Early Bird Reading for ages 4–7 uses controlled vocabulary, oral language, rhyming patterns, 71 English language phonograms, art projects, and structured practice packets. Reading Masters for ages 7–10 emphasizes speed, accuracy, comprehension, phonics, word research, and reading activities with drama, art, and creative writing, including home practice materials.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time32 min

AccessFree to download

Early Bird Reading and Reading Masters

Early Bird Reading with Cathy Cummins (Ages 4–7)

Weekday Early Bird Reading

Weekend Early Bird Reading

Saturday Schedule (Sep 2019–Jan 2020)

Reading Masters with Cathy Cummins (Ages 7–10)

Enrichment at The Academy October 2019-May 2020 Early Bird Reading B r i c k s A c a d e m y Mine cr aft A r t s p a c e Hot Wheels D i v i s i o n Roaring with Dinosaurs Famous Artist Series | Boys and Girls, Ages 4-14 — Adults, too!
San Antonio Academy
117 East French Place | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Cathy Cummins, Program Director Michele Cummins, Registrar | | | | 210-733-7331, ext. 210 [mcummins@sa-academy.org](mcummins@sa-academy.org) | | | | | Accredited By The Independent Schools Association of the Southwest | | EARLY BIRD READING AND READING MASTERS Cathy Cummins has taught thousands of children to read, and for more than three decades her Early Bird Reading program has served as a learning model for other instructors who teach the Orton Phonograms. Reading Masters (for more experienced readers) builds upon the skills acquired through Early Bird Reading. These two programs have enrolled more than 150 children each month, including girls and boys in the San Antonio area and from cities as far away as Eagle Pass, Laredo and McAllen. EARLY BIRD READING WITH CATHY CUMMINS AGES 4 – 7 YEARS OLD The Early Bird Reading curriculum consists of Orton-based phonicsand basal readers that use a controlled vocabulary. Students will have a formal lesson in oral language, rhyming patterns and the 71 English language phonograms. We play word games, practice manuscript writing and work on art projects related to the phonograms we are studying. The group instruction is uniform because all the children need information about the phonograms, syllabication and the rules of English. The art project is an important component of the program because it gives the children time to practice fine motor skills, and to review the phonograms that are being illustrated. After the instruction period, students work on phonics projects and each child reads aloud with Mrs. Cummins. Everyone completes a “packet” of exercises related to reading skills, including Word Challenge, which gives the students decoding practice. There are also drills involving vowels, diphthongs, rhyming, spelling and reading comprehension. More advanced students will go to the Comprehension Circle to read and complete a packet of comprehension challenges such as main idea, detail, inference, sequencing and fact-and-opinion. They take home a reader for practice; as soon as that reader is successfully completed, they receive the next book. In addition, students take home a folder containing their packet, art project, reader and other materials. The way to see progress in your child’s reading ability is to be consistent. Please discuss the work with your “Early Bird,” and read with your child every day for 10 minutes. You will be amazed at the progress made, particularly if you participate in the learning process. WEEKDAY EARLY BIRD READING Weekdays: Classes are held Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30 PM; also on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 to 5:45 PM. Students attend one class each week for a semester: September through January, and February through mid-May. Tuition varies according to the number of classes. There is a Wait List for these sessions. To place your child on the Wait List (there is no obligation), please email [Enrichment Registrar Michele Cummins: mcummins@sa-academy.org. Include the parent](Enrichment Registrar Michele Cummins: mcummins@sa-academy.org. Include the parent)’s name, child’s name, age and (if applicable) grade and school, plus contact information. Michele will call or email you when there are spaces available. SATURDAY and SUNDAY EARLY BIRD READING Mrs. Cummins also offers Weekend EBR classes. There is no Wait List for Weekend EBR; enrollments are processed first-come, first served. Many Sunday EBR classes are already full; however, there is still limited availability in the Saturday EBR classes. Morning sessions are from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and afternoon sessions are

FAQs

What reading programs are offered in this enrichment period?

The document presents Early Bird Reading and Reading Masters. Early Bird Reading builds foundational Orton-phonics skills, while Reading Masters supports more experienced readers with continued instruction and practice.

What ages and focus areas does Early Bird Reading cover?

Early Bird Reading is for ages 4–7 and focuses on oral language, rhyming patterns, 71 English language phonograms, and related reading exercises. It also includes art projects to practice fine motor skills and review the studied phonograms.

How do weekday and weekend Early Bird Reading sessions work?

Weekdays hold classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (also Mondays) in two daily time windows, with one class each week per semester and a wait list. Weekend EBR has no wait list and uses first-come, first-served enrollment, with morning and afternoon sessions on Saturday and other limited Sunday availability.

Sep 15, 2026

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