High-Quality ELA & Early Literacy

High-Quality English Language Arts & Early Literacy Great Minds PBC 840 Hermitage Rd. Richmond, VA 23220 804.259.2777 greatminds.org greatminds.org

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Who We Are 4 Wit & Wisdom® ELA 9 Core and Supplementary Texts 12 Instructional Materials 16 Geodes®: A New Approach to Early Literacy 22 Distance Learning & Assessments 29 In-Depth Professional Development 32 Implementation Success 33 Third-Party Ratings 35 Impact on Student Achievement 37 The Johns Hopkins Study 38 Explore Wit & Wisdom

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Who We Are Gre at Minds is a nationally re cognize d curriculum de ve lope r that provide s e xe mplary e ducational mate rials and profe ssional de ve lopme nt to schools and districts nationwide .

Whe the r building re source s to support the imple me ntation of its high-quality curricula Eure ka Math® and Wit & Wisdom® or cre ating innovative ne w mate rials such as its PhD Science™ elementary curriculum and Geodes® for emerging readers, Great Minds always adheres to its founding mission: to define and encourage knowledge-rich, comprehensive education for all students, based on the belief that every child is capable of greatness.

In pursuit of its goal to raise expectations for every student, Great Minds enlists educators to write curricula that use proven learning strategies to reward students’ natural curiosity, build knowledge, and cultivate lifelong critical-thinking skills. Writing teams collaborate to ensure a consistent structure and vision for learning within and across all grade levels. In contrast to the scripted lessons and uninspiring texts of many other educational materials, Great Minds curricula are rigorous, sophisticated, and creative—inspiring joy in teaching and learning.

It is our mission to e nsure that stude nts and te ache rs have acce ss to the be st le arning resources, no matter where that learning is taking place. In response to the school closures due to COVID-19, Great Minds created Wit & Wisdom in Sync, our continuous learning program for ELA that allows educators to toggle seamlessly from classroom instruction to distance le arning without sacrificing cohe re nt knowle dge -building. Inte ntionally de signe d resources ensure students build the vital knowledge and skills they need to be successful in college, career, and civic life. Wit & Wisdom in Sync seamlessly integrates with our traditional print curriculum to allow educators to meet the needs of all students, regardless of current circumstances.

Additionally, we have adde d re al-time , virtual le arning opportunitie s to our suite of profe ssional de ve lopme nt se rvice s to e nsure that te ache r and le ade rs have acce ss to needed Professional Development and Implementation Success services. These authentic, curriculum-specific virtual sessions ensure that educators continue to receive high-quality support and learning opportunities regardless of their classroom setting. Thus, educators have the opportunity to develop their understanding of the content of Wit & Wisdom’s texts and curriculum modules while actively building their capacity by engaging in the actions that re se arch shows most impact stude nt outcome s: close ly re ading comple x te xt; pre paring le ssons; diffe re ntiating instruction; analyzing goals, asse ssme nts and stude nt work; and adjusting instruction.

Your students deserve the best. Great Minds is here to ensure they have it.

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Wit & Wisdom® Bringing the joy of reading and writing to your students.

Wit & Wisdom is a comprehensive, Grades K–8 English language arts curriculum developed by and for teachers. Each of the four Wit & Wisdom modules in a year centers on the study of rich and e ngaging te xts, curate d to build stude nt knowle dge of important ide as on a significant, high-interest topic in the liberal arts and the sciences. The approach is integrated and text-based: daily reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar, and vocabulary study is based on—and draws on evidence from—exceptional books. Wit & Wisdom core texts are authentic, previously published works of fiction and nonfiction that represent award winners (e .g., Calde cott, Ne wbe ry, Core tta Scott King, ALA Notable ) and high-quality exemplars that showcase diverse viewpoints and genres.

Wit & Wisdom texts are exceptional in both content and craft. Literary texts feature plot complexity, exe mplary use of language and lite rary device s, and high-quality illustrations. curiosity, Informational et xts pique build conte nt knowle dge , and introduce a range of pe rspe ctive s and forms.

R e pre se nting grade -le ve l comple xity e xpe ctations or highe r, the lite rary and informational te xts in Wit & Wisdom me rit close re ading, le nd the mse lve s to the de ve lopme nt of conte nt knowle dge and the skills de scribe d in

“The kids are so engaged, there’s no downtime. They’re talking about books all the time–in P.E. class, at lunch, everywhere.”

- Superintendent Shawn Kimble

your state's ELA Standards, Lauderdale County Schools (TN) and, most importantly, e ngage stude nts in productive—and joyful— struggle.

To foster students’ analytical abilities so they can engage in reasoned, evidencebased discourse on issues of personal or social importance, Wit & Wisdom has at its core strate gic, re pe atable processes, such as conte nt framing que stions and craft questions, that empower all students to read and respond to complex texts. Wit & Wisdom establishes these lines of questioning so that students have the tools and time to engage de e ply in the ir own le arning, he lping stude nts unde rstand and disce rn the me aning of comple x te xts. Skill de ve lopme nt follows a cohe re nt se que nce of English language arts standards while staying true to the demands of each individual text (Adler and Van Doren 46–48; Liben 1–9; Shanahan 9–11).

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Each module in every grade is built around a rich topic with an Essential Question that guides stude nt inquiry. Se ve ral Focusing Que stions (3-6 pe r module ) organize arcs of le ssons that build stude nts’ care fully se que nce d knowle dge of te xts and the Esse ntial Que stion.

Focusing Questions narrow students’ focus to investigate a specific aspect of the Essential Que stion. Stude nts the n addre ss a form of the Esse ntial Que stion in the End-of-Module Task, a summative assessment grounded in an authentic, evidence-based writing task.

At the lesson level, Content Framing Questions guide students’ daily work of encountering, understanding, and analyzing carefully sequenced module texts. Students work repeatedly with these texts over the course of the module to build academic and content-specific vocabulary and content knowledge. Anothe r line of daily que stioning, Craft Que stions, teaches students the elements of strong craft—writing, speaking, and listening.

Expert advisors developed the Wit & Wisdom learning design based on current high-quality academic research. Skilled teachers, literacy coaches, and school leaders then brought their years of experience about what works and what doesn’t within a classroom to write lessons base d on that le arning de sign. These teacher-writers applied their knowledge of how to meet students at their level, keep them engaged, differentiate when necessary, and build a love of books to propel all students into success in college, career, and civil life.

The below chart delineates how Wit & Wisdom applies this research in our program design:

Research Says “Pe rformance te xts is the

on

Students Need

Wit & Wisdom Responds

comple x Students need to be able Inste ad of basals, Wit & Wis-

cle are st diffe r- to unlock meaning from dom

stude nts

re ad

comple x,

e ntiator in re ading be twe e n complex texts.

grade -le ve l books the y love —

stude nts who are like ly to be

from classics such as The Story

re ady for colle ge

of Fe rdinand and Animal Farm,

and those

who are not” (ACT 16–17).

to ne w favorite s such as Last Stop on Marke t Stre e t and The

But as expectations of college

Crossover, to captivating nonfic-

and care e r re ading have he ld

tion such as I Am Malala: The Girl

steady or increased, the com-

Who Stood Up for Education and

ple xity of Grade s K–12 te xts

Was Shot by the Taliban and An

has de cline d (Adams 4–5;

Ame rican Plague : The True and

NGA Center and CCSSO 3).

Te rrifying Story of the Ye llow Fe ve r Epide mic of 1793. Stude nts use these texts at every turn—to le arn, and e ve ntually maste r, e ssential reading, writing, speaking, liste ning, grammar, and vocabulary skills.

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Research Says

Students Need

Wit & Wisdom Responds

Stude nts who usually strug- Students need topic-fo- Each Wit & Wisdom module fogle with re ading can outpe r- cused

vocabulary

form those who usually score

background

high—if the y posse ss more

Students

knowle dge

and cuse s on an important, high-in-

knowledge. te re st topic in lite rature , history/

need

knowl- social studie s, scie nce , or the

of a te xt’s topic edge-rich experiences to arts. Through care fully chose n

(Willingham).

develop skills and trans- lite rary, informational, and visual fer them to new contexts.

art texts, students examine each

Stude nts acquire vocabulary

central topic from diverse angles.

much faster when reading nu-

Across Grade s K–8, significant

me rous te xts focuse d on one

topics strate gically re occur, e s-

topic rathe r than a colle ction

tablishing a foundation of back-

on scatte re d topics. In an e f-

ground knowledge.

fe ct known as bootstrapping, re ading incre asingly comple x texts focused on a single topic allows stude nts to acce ss texts above their typical indepe nde nt re ading le ve l by e xpanding re le vant background knowle dge

and

vocabulary

(Adams 9–10).

Be fore

stude nts can fle xibly

apply a skill, such as determining main ide as or organizing an e ssay, the y ne e d multiple experiences working in meaningful contexts over extended pe riods of time (National Re search Council 65–66).

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Research Says

Students Need

Wit & Wisdom Responds

To comprehend any text, read- Students need to devel- Wit & Wisdom e stablishe s a line e rs coordinate a huge

and e xe cute

op the skills necessary to of que stioning to he lp stude nts

numbe r of comple x access any text they en- unde rstand

and

disce rn

the

thinking proce sse s (Fountas counter.

me aning of comple x te xts. Skill

and Pinnell 272–273; Frey and

de ve lopme nt follows a cohe re nt

Fisher 18).

Students need a process se que nce

of English language

for reading, understand- arts standards while staying true Each te xt’s unique attribu e s ing, and analyzing com- to the demands of each individual inform the varie d que stions, plex texts.

text.

tasks, and standards students explore and practice with that

Stude nts e mploy many skills in

text (Shanahan 9–11).

se rvice

of unde rstanding e ach

te xt, while

building maste ry of

Succe ssful re ade rs hold a

a smalle r numbe r of focus stan-

“standard for cohe re nce ,” e x-

dards that are particularly re le -

pe cting to unde rstand e ach

vant to the specific texts within a

aspe ct of a te xt, from strik-

module.

ing word choice to byzantine structure to puzzling allusions (Pearson and Liben 1). e e Re p at dly

progr e ssing

through a se que nce pose ful, re ading

of pur-

pr e dictable stage s

close

(Adle r and

Van Dore n 46–48; Libe n 1–9) can e stablish and e nable that standard for coherence.

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Research Says Re ading,

writing,

Students Need

Wit & Wisdom Responds

spe aking, Students need an inte- Wit & Wisdom takes an integrated

and liste ning are inte rre late d grated approach to lit- approach to literacy, as the work aspects of the same act: com- eracy and content to in- stude nts do with re ading, thinkmunicating ideas through lan- crease learning

ing, spe aking, liste ning, writing,

guage . Whe n studie d toge th-

vocabulary, and grammar all tie s

er, these strands reinforce one

into the module’s topic or Essen-

anothe r (Graham and Pe rin

tial Que stion. Te ache rs le ve rage

20–21; Hawkins et al. 14).

the conte nt knowle dge stude nts gain through the texts to support

Content integration levels the

their abilities in other areas, such

playing fie ld among stude nts

as having acade mic conve rsa-

with diffe re nt type s of back-

tions or writing me aningfully and

ground knowledge by focusing

purposefully.

on information gained through re ading rathe r than through personal experience (Hawkins et al. 34–36)

“Students are learning for themselves, discovering, and growing. They are digging in, talking, and writing so much more. We never had so much excitement about literacy instruction. Wit & Wisdom is absolutely challenging, but it’s also exactly what our kids need.”

- ELA Curriculum Specialist

Rogers Public Schools, Arkansas

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Core and Supplementary Texts Rich, complex texts to build skills and knowledge in students, not limit them.

At Great Minds, we believe in knowledge for all: All students deserve equal access to rich texts and rigorous inquiry. Knowledge is at the ce nte r of curriculum de sign as all Wit & Wisdom students read the same comple x te xts and grapple with the same rigorous que stions that spur the ir thinking in ne w and une xpe cte d dire ctions. This pre pare s all stude nts for future succe ss, as re se arch has shown that “(p)erformance on complex texts is the clearest differentiator in reading between students who are likely to be ready for college and those who are not” (ACT 16–17).

At the heart of each Wit & Wisdom module are carefully curated text sets that act as both a mirror and a window. Students see themselves re fle cte d in te xts and gain insight into othe rs’ e xperiences. Wit & Wisdom emphasizes reading as a process of crossing over from the known to the unknown. One book, or even one character, can offer moments of both deep connection and striking novelty. As they read, students forge new connections to people and ideas.

Each module’s text set is diverse in perspective, content, and genre.

In addition to the module core texts, each module’s supplementary te xts provide furthe r opportunitie s for stude nts to e ngage in a volume of re ading with varie d te xts se le cte d to build knowle dge of the module topic. Each module ’s supple me ntary te xts also re pre se nt a wide r range of comple xity to give stude nts a varie ty of re ading e xpe rie nce s. Supple me ntary te xts incorporate visual art, including paintings, sculpture s, archite cture , and photographs, as well as audio texts, music, video, maps, images, or other graphic or audio conte nt, in addition to writte n texts. We se le cte d the se texts to provide important background content knowledge and additional perspectives as well as to support students’ access to the core texts.

Text sets are purposefully sequenced to build students’ knowledge and spur their thinking in new and unexpected directions. As they re ad, stude nts grapple with rigorous te xt-de pe nde nt que stions, e stablishing an inquiry-base d approach to knowle dge building as it guides student thinking, reading, writing, and discussion throughout a module–preparing students to respond to the End-of-Module Task.

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As note d, le ssons are built around the re pe ate d structure of Conte nt Stage to support close re ading of complex texts. Conte nt Stage s, and the ir associate d Conte nt Framing Que stions, provide d stude nts with a purpose ful progre ssion that builds from foundational What makes a text complex? compre he nsion, the n progre sse s to de e p analysis.

Learn more here.

Conte nt Stage le ssons follow a structure d, ye t fle xible , progre ssion to support the move me nt from comprehension to analysis.

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For example, in this series of lessons from Grade 4 Module 3 The Redcoats are Coming!

Students add to their perspectives on the American Revolution, by studying a suspenseful, historical fiction story about a female protagonist named Maddy Rose in The Scarlet Stockings Spy. Lesson 16: Wonder: What do you notice and wonder about The Scarlet Stockings Spy? Lesson 17: Organize: What is happening in The Scarlet Stockings Spy? Lesson 18: Reveal: What doe s a de e pe r e xploration of Maddy Rose ’s actions re ve al about her perspective on the American Revolution?

Lesson 19: Distill: What is the theme of The Scarlet Stockings Spy? Lesson 20: Know: How doe s The Scarle t Stockings Spy build my knowle dge of pe rspective and the American Revolution?

In Grade 8 Module 2 The Great War stude nts de ve lop the ir de e p re ading and critical thinking skills while building their knowledge of the soldiers’ experience in World War I through the core text All Quiet on the Western Front and the informational article “Fighting From the Trenches.”

Lesson 6: Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about the soldiers in All Quiet on the Western Front?

Lessons 7 and 8: Organize: What’s happening in All Quiet on the Western Front?

Lesson 9 Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of incidents in chapter 3 reveal about comradeship?

Lessons 10 Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of descriptive language reveal?

Lessons 11 Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of the Second Company’s experience on the front reveal?

Lesson 12 Organize: What’s happening in “Fighting from the Trenches”?

Lesson 13 Distill: What are the central ideas of chapter 5?

Lesson 14 Organize: What’s happening in chapter 6?

Lesson 15 Reveal: What does a deeper exploration of trench warfare in All Quiet on the Western Front reveal?

Lesson 16 Know: How do literary and informational texts build my knowledge of conditions on the front?

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These stages and questions are easy to learn and students quickly embody these routines beginning in Kindergarten. These content framing questions repeatedly guide students through their work with the core and supplementary texts throughout the curriculum, providing them with transferable habits of mind that they can apply then to any text they may encounter both inside and outside the ELA classroom.

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Wit & Wisdom’s Knowledge Puzzle Toge the r, a module ’s te xts cre ate the module ’s How will students build knowledge?

Knowledge Puzzle: e ach pie ce contribute s to ke y Learn more here. le arning about a topic. Individually and colle ctive ly, the pieces of each Knowledge Puzzle empower stude nts with the lite rary, historical, scie ntific, artistic, and cultural knowle dge re quire d for succe ssful thinking and citize nship. In e ach module , stude nts e ncounte r quality texts that influence, extend, and often challenge their knowledge of the world and their knowledge of ideas. Knowledge Puzzles build across grades to foster essential connections within and across disciplines.

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Instructional Materials for Standards-based Instruction Empowering teachers with high-quality materials and support.

In addition to the core and supplementary texts, the Wit & Wisdom Teacher Edition and Wit & Wisdom Student Edition are required for instruction.

The Wit & Wisdom Te ache r Edition for e ach grade -le ve l is comprise d of four comprehensive volumes (one for each module) containing teacher educative-materials and le ssons for classroom instruction. Each Teacher Edition contains a Module Overview, complete lesson plans, and appendices. Thorough instructional guidance for every component of each lesson, including sample student work and anticipated student re sponse s, he lps te ache rs pre pare to imple me nt and te ach Wit & Wisdom. Each module’s Teacher Edition contains the following:

Module Overview • • • • • • • • •

Module Summary Essential Question Suggested Student Understandings Text List Module Learning Goals Module in Context Standards Major Assessments Module Map

Core Lessons with Deep Dives Each module contains an average of 30-36 core lessons. The lessons provide educators with all components needed for integrated, standards-based instruction, including: ◦ Lesson agenda and learning goals ◦ Inquiry focus for the lesson, including focusing question, content framing question, and craft question for the lesson ◦ grouping designations ◦ text-dependent questions and tasks

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◦ scaffolds, extension activities, and alternate activity suggestions ◦ suggested student responses ◦ teacher voice examples

Deep Dives: 15-minute minilessons focused on vocabulary or styles and convention that are tied to the instruction in the core lesson In addition to providing th e er sourc e s for stud e nt instruction, th e educative lessons in the Wit & Wisdom Te ache r Edition provide multiple acce ss points for e mbe dde d profe ssional de ve lopme nt, including te ache r note s, tools for differentiation, and the Prepare and Analyze sections of each module.

Every lesson begins with a Prepare se ction that lists the le sson’s guiding que stions and conveys the lesson’s logical unity. This section explains:

• • •

what students do in the lesson the relationship between activities how the lesson’s learning connects to at least one broader module goal.

Every lesson concludes with a Analyze section that • explains a key assessment in the lesson, highlighting its purpose in relation to the lesson’s and module’s learning goals • provides the standards aligned with the assessment • offers guidance on evaluating student success on the assessment and actionable ne xt ste ps for scaffolding le arning whe n stude nts struggle with le sson tasks.

Teacher Notes provide d throughout le ssons offe r a rationale for instructional activitie s, de cisions, and ide as to support e ffe ctive instructional de live ry for all students. Scaffold, Differentiation, and Extension suggestions within lessons all support teachers in planning and presenting differentiated instruction.

Teacher Edition Appendices • • •

•

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Appendix A: Provide s information on te xt comple xity, including quantitative and qualitative measures.

Appendix B: Contains a list of the vocabulary words taught and assessed in the module, as well as a Words to Know list.

Appendix C: Provide s answe r ke ys, sample stude nt re sponse s, rubrics for stude nt writing, as we ll as tracking forms for stude nt spe aking and liste ning participation.

Appendix D: Contains a curate d Volume of Re ading te xt list, which include s

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•

quality texts that add to the module Knowledge Puzzle and offer students choices at varying levels of complexity.

Appendix E: Provides a full bibliography of the sources used and referenced in the module.

Wit & Wisdom modules were designed to build knowledge while helping students meet e xpe ctations for le arning de fine d by colle ge - and care e r-re adine ss standards. Our teacher–writers identified Focus Standards for each module based on the specific demands of the module’s topic and texts. As a core curriculum, Wit & Wisdom teaches the standards in a clear progression, with each standard a focus of instruction and asse ssme nt in one or more module s. The Te ache r Edition for e ach module has Focus, Supporting, and Continuing Standards which are clearly delineated at the module and lesson level.

• • •

Focus Standards are explicitly taught in the module, practiced in multiple lessons, and assessed by one or more major module assessments.

Supporting Standards are practice d in the module but not e xplicitly taught and assessed.

Continuing Standards describe expectations that are foundational to all tasks and learning activities and thus are taught and practiced in all modules.

Continuing standards re pre se nt broad, e nd-of-ye ar goals and cannot be asse sse d in a single task. Unlike focus and supporting standards, continuing standards are taught and practiced pervasively across modules rather than in individual lessons. Students practice and master these standards cumulatively.

Students practice reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language in an integrated way, with e ve ry strand of the standards wove n throughout e ach module . In Wit & Wisdom, the re is no isolate d skills instruction, not standalone workshe ets. Stude nts re turn to the ir te xts to practice re ading compre he nsion, writing, spe aking, liste ning, vocabulary, and style and conve ntions work.

This inte grate d approach e nable s stude nts to be more succe ssful as the y activate and build on e th ir e de v loping background and vocabulary knowle dge of the module topic while learning skills in - Assistant Superintendent Dawn Hagness other areas.

Humboldt County Schools, Nevada

“I’ve never seen students more engaged and excited about reading, writing, and sharing what they’re learning. When we visit schools, kids are coming up to us and asking, ‘Can you look at my notebook and journal?’”

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Assessments Wit & Wisdom stude nts de monstrate the ir knowle dge and maste ry of the standards through their responses to assessments. Assessment in Wit & Wisdom is frequent and varied, providing ongoing evidence of how deeply students understand what they are learning. Assessments occur in every lesson and are tied to module and lesson content.

All assessments in a module build toward a final, summative assessment, the End-ofModule (EOM) Task.

To pre pare stude nts for succe ss on the ir asse ssme nts, Wit & Wisdom Stude nt Editions contain needed handouts, graphic organizers, fluency passages, and Focusing Question Task and End-of-Module Task materials. This easy access to handouts builds students’ executive function skills for independence. Student Editions are consumable workbooks so students can actively participate in their learning.

In each lesson, aligned standards are noted for each assessment. Major assessments (Focusing Que stion Tasks, Ne w-Re ad Asse ssme nts, Socratic Se minars, and EOM Tasks) primarily asse ss a module ’ focus standards. Occasionally the y also asse ss supporting standards. By the e nd of the module , stude nts have at le ast one opportunity to demonstrate mastery of each focus standard on a major assessment.

Major asse ssme nts may asse ss some standards multiple time s so that te ache rs can asse ss growth. Wit & Wisdom allows stude nts to pe rform the ir le arning in authe ntic contexts. Focusing Question Tasks, Socratic Seminars, and EOM Tasks are designed to give students an opportunity to show what they can do by applying their learning to solving academic, intellectual, and real-world problems.

WIT & WISDOM AFFIRM

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Geodes® A new approach to early literacy for your students.

Afte r years of working with e ducators and following the scie ntific re se arch on re ading instruction, Wit & Wisdom teacherwriters recognized that there was a deep need for a transformation in the early literacy landscape. Young students needed books that they could read (decode) themselves, but that were also rich with facts to spark their curiosity about the world around them. Students needed to read to reinforce their phonemic awareness and phonics skills—those letter-sound-word combinations that are the building blocks of how pe ople le arn to re ad, but the y also ne e de d conte nt that honors the ir natural curiosity and eagerness to learn. And thus, Geodes were created.

Geodes are accessible, knowledge-building books written to engage emerging and developing readers in Grades K-2. Geodes re inforce se que ntially and e xplicitly taught phonics while building conte nt knowledge about important ideas in science, history, and the arts. Each book in each grade-level collection is designed as an authentic reading e xpe rie nce , using a varie ty of te xt structure s and fe ature s, se nte nce lengths, vocabulary, illustrations, and multiple layers of meaning. This approach e mpowe rs young stude nts as the y de ve lop foundational reading skills, reading confidence, and intellectual curiosity.

Created in collaboration with Wilson Language Training, Geodes are rooted in the belief that children are capable of reading to learn while learning to read. Geodes fills the gap be twe e n de codable te xts and le ve le d re ade rs. Unlike de codable s, Geodes re vie w e xplicitly taught phone tic patte rns and contain a gre ate r v olume of conte nt re late d vocabulary. Geodes also build knowle dge around particular topics by including a limite d numbe r of nonde codable words allowing for more knowle dge -rich informational or narrative te xt. This diffe re ntiate s Geodes from le ve le d te xts which typically string toge the r random topics and are not designed to build a depth of knowledge. By reading Geodes, students learn that the purpose of reading is not only to decode but also to seek meaning and gain understanding.

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PREVIEW A GEODES BOOK

K

1

2

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Designed to be at least 80 percent decodable as aligned with the scope and sequence of Wilson’s Fundations program, Geodes are a powerful educational resource that can be use d in conjunction with any syste matic, re se arch-base d phonics instruction program. Beautiful illustrations and photographs enrich and expand on the text. Designed for flexible instruction, with ample supports for educators’ instructional decision-making, Geodes help all students grow as readers as they access the same text, creating the foundation for shared learning and equity in the classroom.

Research Geodes are built upon the highest quality research on the science of reading to ensure that students’ experiences in early literacy foster their intellectual and social-emotional development.

Research Says

Students Need

Geodes Respond

“Ind e e d, unconstrain e d skills such as vocabulary and compre he nsion de ve lop be fore , during, and aft e r constrain e d skills are maste re d so the re is no e vide nce to warrant instructional priority of constraine d skills ove r unconstrained skills” (Paris 200).

In the e arly grade s, stude nts ne e d instruction in constraine d skills, such as letter naming, phonics, and concepts of print, as well as unconstraine d skills, such as vocabulary and compre he nsion. Additional unconstraine d skills include re cognizing story structure , gaining topic-spe cific knowle dge , and knowing how to se e k ne w information. Postponing instruction in unconstraine d skills could hinde r rathe r than help students

Geodes allow stude nts to practice constraine d and unconstrain e d skills in conjunction, rathe r than de coding in isolation of compr e he nsion. Through reading Geodes, paire d appropriate ly with te ache r support, stude nts le arn that the purpose of reading is not just to decode but to seek meaning and gain understanding.

“Unconstraine d skills are particularly important for childre n’s long-te rm lite racy success (that is, success in outcome s me asure d after third grade)” (Snow and Matth ws 59).

“Although the re se e ms to be a conse nsus among er ading e ducators that me aning is ultimate ly the most important knowle dge a reader can have about the printed word, most reading curricula have postpone d an emphasis on word meaning in favor of an e xte nde d period of emphasis on word pronunciation, whe the r by sight-word re cognition or de coding” (Me sme r e t al.

248). greatminds.org

“I’ve never seen kids with this level of vocabulary, content knowledge and decoding skills.”

- Reading Specialist Asheville, NC

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Research Says “Furthe r, the re sults sugge st that whe n the re is a match be twe e n me thod of instruction (i.e ., synthe tic phonics) and the decodability of words in initial re ading texts a more consistent and successful use of a lette r-sound corre sponde nce strate gy will re sult than whe n the re is a mismatch” (Juel and Roper/ Schneider 150–151).

Students Need

Geodes Responds

Geodes provide stude nts Stude nts must re ad te xts with d e coding practic e that consiste ntly support aligne d to the Fundations® them in applying their phoscop e and e s qu e nc e . nics knowledge. They must This alignme nt re inforce s practice decoding with real e stud nts’ e phon tic books. knowl e dg e and giv e s the m an opportunity to transfer their learning while engaged in authentic texts.

When students read books in which the y can apply the ir phonics knowle dge , the y can se e that “phonics is worth learning and worth using” (Adams 39). “It is critical that stude nts have the opportunity to practice the phonics patte rns the y have le arne d in the conte xt of re ading” (Stude nt Achievement Partners 14).

“Compre he nsion re quire s both a broad vocabulary and factual knowle dge ” (Willingham).

“When students have more conte nt knowle dge be fore the y re ad, the ir unde rstanding is be tte r during re ading” (Arya e t al. qtd. in Lupo et al. 435).

Stude nts must re ad books with rich conte nt to build the knowle dge ne ce ssary to make the conne ctions that le ad to compre he nsion. This ne w knowle dge nurture s future compre hension.

Each Geodes module focuses on one topic, such as A World of Books, with four text sets expanding on that topic. This module de sign supports students in building conte nt knowle dge .

Stude nts el ve rage the ir ne w knowle dge to boost their comprehension of the next book in the set.

“Re adings and activitie s should be designed to build on one anothe r and cre ate a cohe re nt body of knowledge” (Liben and Liben 5).

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Research Says “If 70% of word type s are nonde codable single tons, with only 20% re pe ate d two to five time s, how are first grade rs e xpe cte d to bootstrap ee l tt r-sound knowle dge ?” (Hie be rt qtd. in Foorman et al. 191) By le arning words that appe ar fre que ntly in a varie ty of texts, students are more like ly to le arn words from conte xt as the y re ad inde pendently (Nagy et al; Cunningham and Stanovich; Bake r e t al; Be ck e t al; Moats; Biemiller).

Students Need Stude nts must re ad ne w words multiple time s in multiple conte xts to build er cognition and und e rstanding. This he lps stude nts build the ir de coding skills and word knowle dge .

Students need to develop a meaningful, rich vocabulary to support comprehension.

Geodes Responds The majority of Geodes are 80 pe rce nt* de codable or highe r. Most nonde codable words in e ach book we re se le cte d to support the content knowledge. Geodes incorporate a se t of 10 to 13 care fully se le cte d Re curring Conte nt Words throughout the books in e ach module . The se Re curring Content Words bolste r stude nts’ background knowledge and ensure that stude nts have multiple opportunitie s to re ad the se words in context.

Evide nce shows that thre e word features influence the speed with which words are re cognize d and le arne d: me aningfulne ss, fre que ncy, and grapho-phon e mic-morphe mic structure s (Laxon et al; Leslie and Calhoon; Martinet et al).

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Research Says “One important implication for practice is that e ducators should be ale rt to the possibility that first-grade students of today might be facing more de mands than e ve r in core re ading program e xposure . If our findings are borne out in further studie s, e ducators might make a conce rte d e ffort to supple me nt core re ading programs with additional te xts that provide conside rable re pe tition of word meanings, sight words, and core orthographic patte rns (in me aningful conte xts)” (Fitzgerald et al. 25).

Students Need In orde r to acce ss a book successfully, students need a range of te xt-base d supports. Re ading books that include repeated words and practice with sight words and le arne d phone tic conce pts could improve stude nts’ de coding and comprehension.

Stude nts might be tte r anticipate what an unknown word might be if the y can re ad pre vious words. Furthe rmore , stude nts might be tte r anticipate a word if they have an understanding of a passage. Their comprehe nsion he lps the m to anticipate an upcoming word (Wood et al).

Geodes Responds Geodes are de signe d to support stude nts’ de coding. As possible, nondecodable words are surrounde d by cluste rs of de codable words to e ase stude nts’ cognitive load and support de coding. Additionally, whe n possible , nonde codable words are place d ne ar the e nd of se nte nce s.

Se nte nce le ngth and line bre aks support stude nts in building the ir re ading stamina. The ave rage se nte nce le ngth is incre ase d gradually over the course of the four modules. Similarly, line breaks are strategically constructe d to be flue ncy-frie ndly. Line bre aks in e arly module s we re de te rmine d base d on grouping words for me aning as we ll as whe re re ade rs would naturally pause . Ove r the course of the year, students be gin to re ad paragraphs without the line-break scaffold.

* While the majority of Geodes are 80 percent decodable or above, Read Along books include a higher number of words that students may not yet know how to read. In Modules 1–3, 1 out of each 16 books is a Read Along. Students with very low decodability skills may listen without attempting to track so they can focus on the meaning of the story.

Geodes in the Classroom Geodes are designed to allow teachers to tailor instruction to meet the range of student needs. Teachers may use Geodes in whole group or small group instruction or use them for student independent reading. The teacher resource Inside Geodes which accompanies every classroom library provides educators with multiple options for using the te xts to support all stude nts, re gardle ss of the ir curre nt language acquisition or reading level. Activities which can either scaffold or extend instruction around fluency,

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phrasing, expression, reading rate, and comprehension are clearly outlined within the te ache r re source to e nsure e ducators’ ability to utilize Geodes fle xibly to me e t the ir students’ needs.

Multiple book features support student application of decoding and word recognition skills in the context of an authentic text. Integrated into each book, these features build knowledge and promote independent reading.

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The Teaser: Offers a preview of the book and highlights an excerpt from the text, along with a question to develop student curiosity. Designed to be read before the book, the Teaser cultivates interest in the book’s topic and often introduces key vocabulary. The Teaser is found on the outside back cover of the book.

Word Categories: Geodes include words from four cate gorie s: De codable Words, Trick Words, Recurring Content Words, and words not yet decodable according to the Fundations scope and sequence. While aligned to the Fundations scope and sequence, Geodes can be used alongside any high-quality foundational skills program.

Text Features: Geodes include a variety of text features to support comprehension and expand on ideas in the text. Features such as headings, diagrams, and captions are integrated to support students as they read. Some books include a special feature on the last page of the text. These reference sections are designed to broaden student learning.

The More section: A short, informational selection that extends and enhances the knowledge in Geodes. Printed on each inside back cover and designed to be read aloud by a teacher or caregiver, this section provides opportunities for furthe r exploration and conve rsation. The More se ction is also re produce d in My Ge ode s in both English and Spanish to allow care give rs to e ngage in this learning with their students.

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Wit & Wisdom in Sync™ and Affirm Resources for distance learning and keeping your students on track.

Wit & Wisdom in Sync provides educators and leaders with a coherent, comprehensive core ELA curriculum for grades Kindergarten-8 that meets the current needs of schools and districts. Adapted from our print curriculum for online delivery, the curriculum is purposefully designed so that learning is done by students, not for students. Reflecting our belief that all children deserve rich, engaging learning opportunities, Wit & Wisdom stude nts, re gardle ss of re ading le ve l, e xpe rie nce , de monstrate d ability, or language acquisition, all e ncounte r and e ngage with the same grade -le ve l, comple x te xts and topics. Instead of providing lower-level texts and lower learning expectations for some students, lessons support and engage all students in productive struggle and shared le arning with the same rigorous texts. Wit & Wisdom promotes equity by providing different paths to the same shared el arning goals.

This prepares all students for future reading demands across content areas and grades.

LEARN MORE

Each module in Wit & Wisdom in Sync builds stude nts’ knowle dge of a significant, highinterest topic in the liberal arts and the sciences.

Whe the r le arning happe ns in school or out, stude nts re ad te xts in a purpose ful se que nce , incre asing in comple xity across the ye ar and ve rtically across grade bands.This progre ssion e nable s stude nts to acce ss, unde rstand, and analyze comple x te xts me aningfully while de ve loping the knowle dge and skills ne e de d to re spond to the se texts through writing and speaking. The curriculum also is intentionally designed with embedded instructional routines that expand students’ social-emotional development from grade to grade. Wit & Wisdom’s collaborative structures and learning frameworks evolve in age-appropriate complexity across the K–8 span.

The texts and tasks included in Wit & Wisdom in Sync present opportunities for stu-dents to practice and maste r the ELA Standards. Our le arn-ing design is based on the premise that texts speak and standards answer. Instead of addressing standards one by one, in isolation, the tasks and activities associated with each Wit & Wisdom text integrate multiple standards from the Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language strands. The integrated teaching of these standards e me rge s from the conte nt of the care fully curate d core and supple me ntary te xts in each module, rather than in an isolated series of skills instruction.

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Wit & Wisdom in Sync is designed for flexible implementation, allowing educators to continue to prioritize productive struggle , high e xpe ctations, and stude nt-focuse d learning, no matter where that learning is taking place. Wit & Wisdom in Sync provides vocabulary classroom teachers a full-year Learn Anywhere Plan to support in-person le arning, virtual le arning, or a hybrid model. Learn Anywhere Plans (LAPs) support teachers with an instructional plan for every day. Great Minds teachers and classroom teachers coteach – their roles are outlined in each LAP. Through embedded lesson and videos, the Great Minds teacher teaches vocabulary, introduces the texts, and assigns students work.

These videos allow students to watch group lesson components on their own, so that when they meet with their classroom teacher learning can be focused on those things that classroom te ache rs do be st—facilitating discussion, scaffolding instruction, reviewing student questions and annotations, assigning fluency work, and supporting students’ social-emotional learning and development.

Wit & Wisdom’s te ache r-write rs built the curriculum on researched-based Universal Design for Learning (UDL). At key mome nts, le ssons include spe cific sugge stions for how to scaffold instruction. These scaffolds empower teachers to seamlessly integrate remediation suggestions into instruction. For students who may be challenged by the lesson’s rigor, scaffolds provide another path to the learning goal, rather than minimize or change the learning goal. Extensions and differentiation suggestions offer ideas for how to vary learning tasks for those who already have well-developed skills, or to extend learning for students who seek an additional challenge.

The Wit & Wisdom learning design, especially its use of Content Framing Questions to structure lesson-level learning, supports a range of students in numerous ways, including the following:

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Deliberate sequencing: Students build knowledge of each module topic by reading texts in a purposeful sequence. Students complete each module study with knowledge and skills that they can use to access grade-level text.

Predictability of structures: The predictability of the recurring Content Stages helps students develop habits of mind and provides a scaffold for reading challenging texts. Students use the Content Framing Question as an entry point to difficult texts.

Reading scaffolds: Organizing ideas from informational and literary texts establishes student understanding of the main ideas and plot points prior to the consideration of deeper ideas.

Focus on vocabulary and syntax: Students learn to read closely and discuss important passages, with emphasis on o learning the meanings of essential content words and academic vocabulary, o studying roots and affi es to grow capacity to discern word meaning page 23

•

• •

independently, and o dissecting phrases to reveal how syntax conveys meaning.

Exploration of content in multiple forms: Students explore print texts, visual art, videos, audio recordings, photographs, and maps to access module concepts and information.

Reliance on strong models: Students examine models of strong writing to understand how to craft ffective sentences, paragraphs, and essays.

Frequent feedback: Students receive ongoing and explicit feedback from peers and teachers.

While many of the strategies that support striving readers also support English Learners, our teacher-writers recognized that English Learners have distinct needs.

The aspects of Wit & Wisdom’s learning design that are particularly helpful to English Learners include:

• • • • • •

Explicit vocabulary and grammar instruction, including a focus on morphology Text-dependent questions that focus all students on key terms, phrases, and passages for rereading and repeated exploration Integrating instruction in spoken and written English with content-area knowledge such as science, history, and art topics Ongoing, sequential, explicit writing instruction Partner work that includes oral practice of written responses Multiple authentic opportunities to use academic language with support, such as explicit teaching about speaking and listening, sentence frames, and vocabulary support

In addition to the embedded supports for English Learners in the curriculum, Wit & Wisdom in Sync contains Vocabulary in Sync videos. Designed to improve access to the module content, these videos intentionally build learning around discussion and writing activities so that English Learners can develop both vocabulary and knowledge as quickly as possible.

In the videos, each selected word is defined in English and Spanish and explained with an image. There are practice sentences to show how the words will be used in context, as well as a discussion questions and sentence stems to encourage students to develop their oral vocabulary and use the words themselves. Videos have been created for each Focusing Question Arc in each grade-level module. Each contains five vocabulary words per Focusing Question Arc. Vocabulary words have been chosen through careful review of module content, assessments, and cross referencing with research-based lists of the most useful Tier 2 words.

To support students who may be struggling with grade-level content and continue to

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address unfinished learning, the in Sync Learn Anywhere Plan incorporates diagnostic and recovery recommendations, ensuring that students get needed scaffolding and remediation while they continue to build grade-level learning. Embedded scaffolds and supports allow teachers to meet students where they are. Te ache r Note s provide d throughout lessons offer a rationale for instructional activities, decisions, and ideas to support effective instructional delivery for all students, regardless of classroom format.

Scaffold, Diffe re ntiation, and Exte nsion sugge stions within le ssons support te ache rs in planning and presenting differentiated instruction. Additionally, the Getting Started with In Sync Video included on the platform provides educators with specific information on how Wit & Wisdom in Sync supports English Le arne rs whethe r instruction is taking place in classroom or remotely.

Wit & Wisdom in Sync compone nts are fully digital, with the e xce ption of print core texts which are required for implementation, including: Getting in Sync with Wit & Wisdom • Instructional overview and video of how to use Wit & Wisdom in Sync, especially the Learn Anywhere Plans and Daily Videos • Grade-band guidance (K-2, 3-5, 6-8) • Reentry recommendations • Family guidance in English and Spanish Learn Anywhere Plans • Teacher and leader guidance for adapting Wit & Wisdom by module and lesson for virtual learning and toggling between in-person and virtual classrooms • Standards-aligned daily learning goals • Questions that foster inquiry and focus purpose (Essential, Focusing, Content Framing Questions) and Text-dependent Questions • Teacher-to-Teacher to support sequencing, scaffolding, and delivering instruction.

• Follow-Up and Additional Instruction sections guide classroom teachers in evaluating student work and providing additional targeted instruction.

Lesson Videos in English and Spanish • Daily videos to support whole-class instruction and create time for individual and small-group instruction (lesson videos include read-alouds for many core texts) • Vocabulary videos to preview and practice essential vocabulary • Audio available in English and Spanish; closed captioning available in English

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Wit & Wisdom Projected Slides Lesson slides in PowerPoint for in-person or virtual classroom use Wit & Wisdom Digital Teacher Edition • Contains Modules 1-4 for every grade level, K-8 o Module Overviews o Lessons with Deep Dives o Links to supplementary texts ◦ Checks for Understanding and Exit Tickets ◦ PDFs of all assessments ◦ Answer keys, sample responses, and rubrics ◦ Family Tip Sheets in English and Spanish • Wit & Wisdom Implementation Guide • Wit & Wisdom Module Zero (Grade bands K-2, 3-5, 6-8) • The Art of Wit and Wisdom • Teachers can search for content, as well as annotate and highlight

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Student Digital Activities Why is fine art integrated into • Lesson handouts Wit & Wisdom instruction?

• Graphic organizers Learn more here.

• Fluency practice passages • Socratic Seminar materials • Activities are available as PDFs for students to download, complete, and share with their teacher.

Wit & Wisdom Affirm Digital Assessments • Focusing Question Tasks (essay) • New-Read Assessments (multiple choice and essay) • End-of-Module Tasks (essay and on-demand constructed response) • Vocabulary (matrix and short answer) • Question Sets (multiple choice; Grades 2-8 only) ◦ Digital assessments can be assigned by teachers to their students – students complete and submit their work online.

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PDFs of all digital assessments are also available as a paper/pencil back-up.

Digital assessments generate reports at item, student, and class levels.

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Wit & Wisdom Affirm Wit & Wisdom Affir is a one -to-one digital asse ssme nt e xperience e mbe dde d into the Wit & Wisdom in Sync platform. The tool engages students’ critical thinking about Wit & Wisdom in Sync te xts by drawing e xce rpts into a format that is similar to what students may see on an end-of-year test. Students examine texts and answer sets of multiple-choice questions designed to reinforce knowledge through the practice of assessment.

Autoscoring and imme diate re porting provide insight into how stude nts think about and what they know about Wit & Wisdom in Sync texts. With this information, teachers can guide stude nts back to the core te xts to corre ct misunde rstandings or he lp students extend their knowledge. Wit & Wisdom Affir reporting also enables helpful communication with parents and school leaders about learning progress and knowledge building in the classroom.

Assessments in Wit & Wisdom are tied to module and lesson content and the standards being taught. The reports generated by Wit & Wisdom in Sync digital assessments are de signe d to he lp te ache rs and administrators monitor stude nt growth and make actionable decisions related to the curriculum. These reports include:

Teacher Reports • •

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Class-Level Reports: Include reporting on the recent assessments completed by a particular class and assessment performance by class Single Assessment Reports: Show which stude nts have comple te d the asse ssme nt, ave rage score , ave rage pe rformance by ite m, and a stude nt-le ve l breakdown of performance by item Student Performance Reports: Provide details on an individual student’s assessment performance in comparison to the class average

Student Reports • •

Stude nts have acce ss to re ports to re vie w the ir re sponse s, score s, and any feedback provided by the teacher Student level reports can be downloaded and sent to parents

Administrator Reports •

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Administrator reports allow leaders to view usage information for their school or district as well as performance for specific assessments at a school/district le ve l. Administrators will be able to drill down and vie w this data for spe cific schools, grades, classes, and students.

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Usage Data • The e xpe ctation is that te ache rs will acce ss the digital asse ssme nts portion of Wit & Wisdom in Sync off and on throughout each module to schedule, launch, score, and review assessments. Students will likely only access the platform to complete assessments and occasionally to review reports.

NAVIGATING WIT & WISDOM IN SYNC

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In-Depth Professional Development Gre at Minds be lie ve s that robust profe ssional de ve lopme nt is as important as the adoption of high-quality, rigorous curriculum. Wit & Wisdom professional development sessions are based on current research on adult learning and on change management for curriculum implementation. Just as the curriculum was created by teacher–writers, these same teacher–writers and Wit & Wisdom educators create and facilitate our professional learning sessions and resources.

Our professional development helps educators de e ply unde rstand Wit & Wisdom’s le arning de sign and how to plan, customize , and teach Wit & Wisdom le ssons. In our se ssions, e ducators le arn through collaborative inquiry and proble m solving. The profe ssional de ve lopme nt we provide value s and trusts e ducators’ e xpe rie nce s and unique conte xts.

The powe rful combination of Wit & Wisdom’s e ffe ctive pe dagogy and de e p imple me ntation support can lead to lasting, positive change for students.

LEARN MORE

The overarching goals of Wit & Wisdom’s Professional Development and Implementation Success services are that:

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Administrators are trained in the curriculum so that they are intimately aware of the foundational components, core actions, & instructional routines. In this way, they can accurately evaluate what actually is happening in the classroom through observation, rather than depending simply on scores without context Leaders understand the indicators of successful Wit & Wisdom implementation and a process to guide teachers there Teachers know how to implement Wit & Wisdom initially with fidelity and then with integrity, upholding joyful rigor while addressing student needs Professional learning and differentiations are based in the curriculum itself to maintain the integrity and equity of the curriculum for all students Stude nts de ve lop habits of mind to compre he nd and communicate about complex, grade-level texts and the habits of mind to transfer those skills to new contexts Districts achie ve full organizational capacity to te ach, asse ss, e valuate curriculum Evidence of students’ social, emotional, and academic development guides the focus of professional learning and implementation and is the ultimate measure of their effectiveness. page 29

Great Minds is committed to ensuring that educators receive the curriculum- and product-specific professional development and coaching they need to successfully implement Wit & Wisdom. Due to Covid-19, all professional development and implementation succe ss se ssions are curre ntly be ing provide d virtually. In-pe rson se ssions are suspended until further notice.

Professional Development Sessions Wit & Wisdom profe ssional de ve lopme nt se ssions e mpowe r e ducators to maximize student success by building educators’ understanding of our curriculum, the research that supports it, and the skills needed for effective implementation.

Profe ssional deve lopme nt he lps te ache rs build the ir conte nt knowle dge and instructional practice s to guide the m in how to de ve lop habits of inquiry in the ir stude nts through rich text experiences. Educators develop their understanding of the content of Wit & Wisdom’s high-quality te xts and curriculum module s, active ly building the ir capacity by engaging in the actions that impact student outcomes: closely reading complex text; preparing lessons; differentiating instruction; analyzing goals, assessments and student work; and adjusting instruction. Our sessions share the following characteristics:

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Emphasis on experiential knowledge-building—Educators build knowle dge through an inte ntional proce ss that be gins with active , hands-on le arning followed by a debriefing examination of what they learned and why.

Collegial engagement—Educators participate in colle gial and collaborative inquiry and problem-solving.

Reinforcement of the joyful rigor of engaging with complex texts—Educators engage in productive struggle to deepen their knowledge of the content of Wit & Wisdom texts and curriculum and how to teach them to students.

Amplification of specific components of the curriculum—Educators build understanding of the what and why of Wit & Wisdom through deep examinations of organizing principles and key components.

Focus on inquiry—Educators de ve lop the ir unde rstanding of the curriculum by exploring compelling questions that prompt curiosity and engagement and asking and addressing questions as they assess their ongoing implementation goals, challenges, and successes.

Delivery of practical methods and strategies—Educators acquire ne w knowledge that they can immediately apply to their practice.

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Session

Session Description

For Leaders Lead Wit & Wisdom 6 hours

Builds leaders’ understanding of the what and why of Wit & Wisdom to prepare for successful implementation.

For Teachers, Coaches, and Leaders Launch Wit & Wisdom 6 hours

Introduces adopters to Wit & Wisdom’s research foundation, learning design, approach to knowledge building and complex texts, and module and lesson components.

Introduces educators to Geodes’ research foundation, Getting Started with Geodes their accessible, knowledge-building approach, and 3 hours grade-level collection components, and equips educators with a flexible framework for planning Geodes instruction.

Module and Lesson Study 6 hours

Takes participants deep into the curriculum’s structure and offers practical planning tools and strategies.

Writing in Wit & Wisdom 6 hours

Delves into Wit & Wisdom’s text-based approach to teaching informative/explanatory, opinion/argument, and narrative writing.

Testing and Wit & Wisdom 3 hours

Deepens educators’ understanding of ELA assessment demands, research on test preparation, and how Wit & Wisdom sets students up for test success.

Focus on Fluency 3 hours

Deepens educators’ understanding of fluency, its impact on student literacy, and how best to teach it.

Please note: Imple me ntation Succe ss se rvice s work in tande m with Profe ssional De ve lopme nt sessions. Districts and schools must have participated in the professional development sessions Lead Wit & Wisdom (for le ade rs) and Launch Wit & Wisdom and Module and Le sson Study (for te ache rs; recommended for leaders) prior to scheduling Implementation Success services.

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Implementation Success Wit & Wisdom be lie ve s that the be st outcome s are achie ve d whe n schools and districts are e mpowe re d to drive the ir own change ove r time . Re se arch has shown that a collaborative process of instructional leaders providing teacher coaching works be st in instilling long-te rm succe ss within schools and districts. District partne rs will work with te am me mbe rs from Gre at Minds, e ach spe cializing in a spe cific are a of the implementation process, to work toward independence and mastery.

Service

Service Description

Learn Anywhere with Wit & Wisdom 1.5-hour session Maximum 35 participants

This session walks school and district leaders through how to support continuous learning using the Learn Anywhere Plans and how to seamlessly toggle between in-person (full Wit & Wisdom) and virtual instruction.

Guided Observations for Leaders 6-hour session Maximum 10 participants

Builds leaders ‘understanding of what successful implementation looks like, how to identify and build on strengths, and how to guide teachers toward improving their knowledge and practice through coaching, PLC work, and reflection.

Understanding Wit & Wisdom’s Design | Knowledge Building 1.5-hour session Maximum 35 participants

Designed for leaders and coaches, this session deepens educators’ understanding of Wit & Wisdom’s approach to knowledge-building, its impact on students’ literacy development, and the implications for instruction.

Understanding Wit & Wisdom’s Design | Complex Texts 1.5-hour session Maximum 35 participants

Delves into what complex texts are, why they are essential to strong literacy development, and the process that Wit & Wisdom uses to teach students to closely read complex texts.

Understanding Wit & Wisdom’s Design | Writing 3-hour session Max 35 participants

Examines the elements of effective writing and deepens educators’ understanding of Wit & Wisdom’s approach to writing instruction to foster effective writing.

Wit & Wisdom Custom Strategic Planning 6-hour session Maximum 10 participants

A flexible coaching offering tailored to leaders’ needs. Topics include helping create continuous learning plans, providing model lessons, and more. Please check with your Implementation Leader for the latest topics available for this offering.

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Third-Party Ratings Wit & Wisdom routinely receives high ratings from independent curricula-reviewing organizations for its quality, rigor, and alignment with standards:

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Edreports.org: Received “green” ratings in all categories for Grades 3–8, with perfect scores at almost every grade level across all categories. At K-2, the curriculum received all “green” ratings with perfect scores in every category, except foundational skills. Wit &Wisdom is intentionally designed to be implemented alongside a comprehensive foundational skills program.

Louisiana Department of Education: Wit & Wisdom was recognized as the only Tier I ELA program for Grades K–8.

Achieve’s EQuIP Initiative: A Grade 5 Wit & Wisdom module was recognized as an exemplar of quality, standards-aligned materials.

Massachusetts CURATE: Wit & Wisdom is the only ELA curriculum to e arn overall ratings of “meets expectations” in all 3 grade spans (K-2, 3-5, and 6-8).

Wit & Wisdom is successfully implemented in over 730 schools and districts in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 18,000 teachers and 450,000 students nationwide.

Schools and districts have shared success stories and noticeable results with diverse student populations and have reported the following improvements:

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Growth in reading performance by all students, including students with individualized educational plans. With Wit & Wisdom, all students, regardless of their reading levels or learning challenges, read the same texts. They learn the same content and develop the same skills. Many schools report that students with individualize d e ducational plans (IEPs) have made e spe cially noteworthy strides in their reading abilities.

Growth in student knowledge. Students develop deep knowledge of and interest in module topics. Many have been inspired to continue learning after completing the module study.

Heightened use of evidence. Students regularly support ideas and opinions in writing and speaking with evidence from texts, both spontaneously and when prompted.

Stronger classroom discourse. Educators have obse rved rich acade mic conve rsations in Wit & Wisdom classrooms. Many e ducators re mark on the power of Socratic Seminars—student-led, collaborative discussions centering on a thought-provoking question related to module content.

Higher levels of student engagement. Stude nts are e xcite d about English Language Arts and participate actively in their Wit & Wisdom classroom.

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High-Quality instructional materials allow teachers to focus on their practice. Summe d up by an Assistant Dire ctor of Schools: “Be fore we began Wit & Wisdom, our teachers spent long hours pulling materials together which took away from their families, and the time needed to work collaboratively on their lessons, now they spend their time working together to master each lesson before they teach it so that they can truly meet students’ unique needs.”

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Impact on Student Achievement Additionally, Wit & Wisdom schools have reported quantitative gains, including: • The median score for Meeting Street Academy (SC) students was at the 82nd percentile in reading on last year’s NWEA MAP, up from the 61st percentile in 2014.

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Afte r the ir first ye ar of imple me ntation in 2018-2019, Baltimore City Public Schools (MD) saw strong gains in MCAP (formerly PARCC) English language arts: SY2017-2018

SY2018-2019

Change 2018-2019

Grade 3

15.8

16.2

+0.4

Grade 4

16.5

18.8

+2.3

Grade 5

17.1

18.5

+1.4

Grade 6

16.5

19.3

+2.8

Grade 7

22.6

25.6

+3

Grade 8

17.3

20.4

+3.1

In addition, 105 schools saw increases in the percentage of students scoring level 4 or 5 in English language arts, up from 90 schools last ye ar. Multiple schools reported double-digit and high single-digit growth.

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As part of the ARISE Schools ne twork, during the 2017–2018 school ye ar, the Mildred Osborne Charter School (LA) imple me nted Wit & Wisdom. The administration set a be ginning-of-year goal of at le ast 20% of stude nts scoring at the Mastery and Advanced levels on the state LEAP assessment. According to winter benchmark data, 32% of Grade 3 and Grade 4 students and 30% of Grade 5 through Grade 8 students were on track to meet the Mastery and Advanced levels.

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The six schools in the Center City Public Charter Schools (DC) system began teaching the curriculum in Grades 4 and 5 in 2017–2018, and then they expanded to Grades 6–8 in 2018– 2019 and to Grade 3 this year. In that time, the schools have seen encouraging gains in reading achievement. In the last year alone, the performance of Grade 8 students improved more than 13 percentage points on the PARCC end-of-year test.

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In Livingston Parish Schools (LA), the re sults of the spring 2018 Louisiana Educational Asse ssme nt Program (LEAP) asse ssme nts for grade s we re impressive. According to Curriculum Director Dawn Rush these results were due in large part due to the implementation of Wit & Wisdom at the elementary level.

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Testing in grades 3-5 showed that 56 percent of 3rd graders scored Mastery and Advanced; 56 percent of 4th graders scored Mastery and Advanced; and 57 percent of 5th graders scored Mastery and Advanced.

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Scottsbluff Public Schools (NE) implemented Wit & Wisdom in Grade s 3-8 beginning in school ye ar 2018- 2019. Base d on the ir succe ss in SY1819, the y e xpande d the ir imple me ntation to include Grade s K-2 in SY1920. Scottsbluff has re porte d the following re sults for stude nts scoring “On Track” or “CCR Benchmark” (proficient or above), on state ELA assessment: SY2017-2018

SY2018-2019

Change 2018-2019

Grade 6

39

43

+4

Grade 7

36

45

+9

Grade 8

41

41

0

The 2017-18 school ye ar marke d a ne w chapte r for the Homer Plessy School (Orleans Parish, LA). Not only did the y move to a historic ne w location in the Fre nch Quarte r, but they be gan the ir imple me ntation of Wit & Wisdom grade s K-7 (Grade 8 was adde d in SY19-20). Afte r just one ye ar of imple me ntation, the pe rce ntage of all stude nts scoring “maste ry” or “advance d” on state ELA asse ssme nt, LEAP 2025, incre ase d marke dly: SY2017-2018

SY2018-2019

Change 2018-2019

Grade 6

26

40

+14

Grade 7

17

50

+33

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Mad River Local Schools (OH) was one of the first districts to adopt Wit & Wisdom. Now in its third ye ar of imple me ntation in all its schools, Mad Rive r continues to succeed with Wit & Wisdom.

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At Ripley Elementary School (Lauderdale County, TN) score s on the state’s English language arts te st have risen an average of four percentage points since the 2016–2017 school year.

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The Johns Hopkins Study In 2018, the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy launche d a two-ye ar study of Wit & Wisdom’s imple me ntation in Cumberland County (NC) Public Schools. The implementation is being evaluated through four lenses:

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Planned Curriculum o Teacher Survey o School Leader Survey Enacted Curriculum o Classroom Observations o Curriculum Support Professional Development Review Learned Curriculum o Data Analysis on Student Achievement

JHU has recently presented their key findings from Year 1. Survey results show that: • Almost all teachers in schools that adopted Wit & Wisdom use the curriculum as their primary curriculum (86%). 95% of responding teachers use the curriculum to plan their ELA lessons.

• Overall, teachers and leaders have positive opinions of Wit & Wisdom: o “Overall, I believe these instructional materials benefit the students in my classroom.” o “The curriculum allows me to deliver higher quality lessons than I was previously delivering.”

Observations and survey data suggest promising shifts in tudent learning. Educators report that since the adoption of Wit & Wisdom, students:

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Write with more evidence from texts Have more knowledge about the world Have increased their use of academic vocabulary

Data Analysis on Student Achievement is dependent upon results from statewide testing. Due to the cancellations of state-wide tests for SY 2019-2020, data collection regarding specific year-to-year changes is not possible. We will continue to work with our partners at Johns Hopkins to revise the timeline and parameters to complete this study.

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Explore Wit & Wisdom DIGITAL CURRICULUM & DISTANCE LEARNING RESOURCES Access the following Wit & Wisdom distance learning resources using the steps/credentials below: • Wit & Wisdom in Sync: distance learning platform • Affirm: digital assessments Accessing the distance learning resources: 1. Visit digital.greatminds.org 2. Use the following login credentials (passwords are case sensitive): Teacher Account: Student Account: • Email: teachertrial10@yopmail.com • Email: studenttrial50@ opmail.com • Password: GreatMindsDemo1!

• Password: GreatMindsDemo1!

greatminds.org

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