Prepare to Teach
Before School Starts/Before Each Module
At a Glance Work through the three study protocols for your first module before day one. If you’re new, start with Module 0. This preparation helps you teach every lesson with intention and speeds up significantly after year one.
If you’re new to Wit & Wisdom, start with Module 0—six abbreviated lessons that introduce students to the Content and Craft stages, discussion routines, and what it means to be a community of readers and writers. Module 0 establishes the norms and language that power the entire year.
Use the Three Study Protocols: Whether you’re starting with Module 0 or Module 1, work through these before teaching:
1. Module Study Protocol: Get to know the module’s topic, texts, and the knowledge and skills students will build. This big-picture view helps you see how individual lessons connect to the module’s Essential Question.
2. Focusing Question Arc Study Protocol: Understand how arcs of lessons develop student thinking and how they fit the bigger picture. This is unique to Wit & Wisdom and helps you see the intentional progression within each module.
3. Lesson Study Protocol: Dig into what’s happening in each lesson—and why—so you can teach with intention. Working with colleagues on this protocol deepens the learning for everyone.
Send Home the Curriculum Overview for Families, which includes a welcome letter, module glossaries, and helpful tips. It’s available in multiple languages. For ideas on sustaining family connection all year, see Activities to Engage Families Year-Round with Wit & Wisdom.
Key Actions
Do first: Complete Module 0 if you’re new—its six lessons that establish the routines and community that power the whole year
Use before every module: The Module Study Protocol, Focusing Question Arc Study Protocol, and Lesson Study Protocol
Share: The Curriculum Overview for Families to build home–school connection from day one
Listen: Melissa & Lori Love Literacy® on why building background knowledge is key to reading comprehension