When most of us think about reading in school, we have fond memories of when the Scholastic Book Fair would roll into the building. Walking through the bookshelves filled with new paperbacks was always a fun treat. Whether you had your eye on a new picture book or the many erasers, posters, pencils and pens by the checkout, the book fair made everyone get excited to read.
This summer, our teachers are going to feel the same way as new boxes roll into their classrooms filled with the new reading curriculum in grades kindergarten through fifth grade. And while you may not think that sounds exciting, for teachers it is the meat and potatoes of their work every day. The curriculum is their Google Map to help their students read at high levels. It is the recipe, complete with ingredients, to support success in the classroom. If you remember the first time you used Google Maps or tried to make a new recipe, you know it takes time and work to do it well.
We are thankful for the hours of work our teachers and administrators put into reviewing and vetting materials from a variety of vendors. The State of Indiana helps this process by providing a list of high quality materials reviewed at the state and national level. It is with great pleasure that we announce our new reading curriculum to be McGraw Hill Wonders. This program has been used by many school districts in Indiana with great success. Ultimately, it was chosen for the high quality texts for students to read grade level material and the great lesson design to support readers of all abilities.
An important part of beginning a new curriculum is having a vision for what you want your students to be able to do. We want big things for our students, filled with knowledge and a love of reading! Maggie McKinney, principal of Blue Ridge Primary, is excited for these new materials. “At Blue Ridge, we have poured into establishing a solid foundation for our students in terms of reading and writing, through phonics, phonological awareness, and listening comprehension the past four years and we look to this curriculum to further our students’ development so that we will not only have students achieving at grade level, but above grade level. We know our students need to be critical thinkers in order to be competitive academically and we are excited for the level of rigor that the Wonders curriculum brings with it, especially in regard to pieces rooted in science and social studies.”
Beginning something new takes time and effort to familiarize and understand the tool. The work has already begun to utilize Wonders in the classroom. McKinney is excited for the upcoming year. Teachers have already been digging in as they use the curriculum for after school tutoring with the 2nd and 3rd grade Spring Academy. “As with any new curriculum, there can be worries surrounding getting to know and put to use all of the resources that come with it. However, a large number of our teachers are teaching in Spring Academy using the new Wonders curriculum and have been able to familiarize themselves with it prior to the 2024-2025 school year ending, which will only help them as they prepare for the 2025-2026 school year.”
Over the summer, many boxes will be pouring into our elementary classrooms, teachers will be unboxing and organizing to prepare for a great year. Just think of those times when you have a brand new book and you open it for the first time. There is that slight crack because of the newness and that freshly printed smell of ink. That first time opening it is the beginning of a new journey through an unknown story or new learning. We can’t wait for this same feeling as we begin using Wonders!
