Date:     Tuesday 1st, 8th, 22nd September & 13th October 2026
Time:     7.00 - 8.00 pm
Venue:  Online via Zoom

Target Audience: Suitable for mainstream primary teachers (Junior Infants to 2nd Class) and Special Education Teachers

UFLI Foundations is a phonics programme for Junior Infants to 2nd Class. It contains 128 units with easy-to-follow lesson plans. Lessons take approximately 30 minutes, each consisting of systematic review and explicit teaching and practice of new concepts. Free companion lesson resources are available online, including PowerPoint presentations, games, and decodable texts.

This four-part series covers everything you need to get started with the programme and use it well, finishing with a session on the children who need the most support.

Part 1 – Getting Started

An overview of UFLI: the rationale, scope and sequence, manual, and online resources.

Part 2 – Inside a Lesson

A detailed walkthrough of a sample lesson using the accompanying PowerPoint.

Part 3 – Making the Most of the Resources

A look at the online resources available to use with the programme: the Sound Wall, decodable passages, games, progress monitoring, and home-school links.

Part 4 – Supporting Struggling Readers with UFLI

This session focuses on pupils who need additional literacy support, whether that is in the mainstream classroom or in a support setting. It covers using assessment and ongoing observation to identify priority needs and choose a starting point, and shows how lessons can be paced, scaffolded, and revisited for children who struggle with reading.

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Please note: this is not official UFLI training. These webinars are independently developed and delivered.

By the end of the series, participants will be able to:

• Explain the rationale for systematic, explicit phonics instruction.
• Deliver a UFLI lesson, making effective use of the manual, word work resources, decodable passages, games, and the Sound Wall.
• Adapt pacing, scaffolding, and review for pupils who struggle with phonological awareness and decoding.

Bio of Presenter: Deirdre O'Toole

Deirdre O’Toole is a primary teacher and PhD candidate at Mary Immaculate College, where her research focuses on early literacy acquisition. She delivers professional development for primary teachers across Ireland, supporting evidence-informed approaches to literacy instruction. Deirdre runs Playful Classroom, providing practical, research-based teaching resources and training. She is also the founder of the Science of Reading Discussion for Irish Teachers Facebook group and Right to Read Ireland, advocating for high-quality literacy education for all children.