It’s February 2024, and the Septemeber implementation date for the new NJ Student Learning Standards is rapidly approaching!

Most districts, schools, and teachers are in the process of seeing how this new version compares with the previous, including what is new (looking at you, K-5 Foundational Writing standards), what has been changed, and what has been added and/or omitted.

I’ve recently taken a deep dive into the Spelling and Encoding standards outlined in the new Foundational Writing Standards. Remember, these standards were added to adhere to new understandings about how to best teach the foundational skills reading and writing skills.

One way to unpack these new standards is by getting a broad sense of how the standards progress across grade levels. This will provide a clear picture of where students are coming from as well as where they are going. At a glance, teachers and school leaders can “see” the spelling and encoding progression of skills students in New Jersey are expected to learn.

Best of luck as you implement the new standards next school year!