SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - Reading is the foundation for learning — and in Sumter County, a new early literacy program is helping the district’s youngest students build stronger reading and writing skills.

The ONCE Program, now underway at several elementary schools, focuses on helping kindergarten and first-grade students connect the sounds they hear with the letters they see on the page — an essential building block for early literacy.

At Manchester Elementary, Learning Specialist Queatiyah Rogers works one-on-one with students to help them improve their pronunciation, reading comprehension, and confidence.

“The ONCE Program basically helps our young people understand and articulate different sounds,” Rogers explained.

The English Language Arts curriculum uses virtual programs to he

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