Rehoboth Elementary Teacher Awarded Grant to Support Early Literacy Instruction

Cape Henlopen School District is proud to announce that Dawn Dorman, a first-grade teacher at Rehoboth Elementary School, has been awarded a $1,000 classroom grant from the Delaware Retired School Personnel Association (DRSPA) to support early literacy instruction through the purchase of decodable texts.

The grant will allow Ms. Dorman to add specially designed decodable books to her classroom library. These texts are carefully aligned to the phonics skills students are learning, enabling beginning readers to successfully sound out words and read connected, meaningful stories. Decodable texts play an important role in helping students transition from practicing phonics skills in isolation to applying them in authentic reading experiences.

“Decodable texts give students the opportunity to experience success with reading,” said Dorman. “When children can read the words on the page independently, they become more confident, more motivated, and more engaged.”

By reinforcing letter-sound relationships and supporting automatic word recognition, the materials align with the Science of Reading and help build strong foundations in fluency and comprehension. The books will be used regularly during daily reading instruction, particularly following the introduction of new phonics skills, to provide targeted practice for all learners and additional support for students who need it most.

“We are incredibly proud of Ms. Dorman and her commitment to meeting the needs of her students,” said Dr. Doris Person, Rehoboth Elementary Principal. “This grant will have a lasting impact on early readers by providing high-quality resources that support both skill development and a love of reading.”

Cape Henlopen School District congratulates Ms. Dorman on this achievement and thanks the Delaware Retired School Personnel Association for its continued support of educators and student learning across the state.