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Curriculum Overview for Families

 

 

 

 

 

 

WELCOME FAMILIES

An Introduction to Arts & Letters

Arts & Letters is the latest addition to the Great Minds® English language arts portfolio. A comprehensive K–8 English language arts (ELA) curriculum launches students into a world of rich, authentic texts and enthralling topics of discovery.

An Arts & Letters classroom is brimming with curiosity as students collaborate and create rich learning experiences. They'll engage with information-rich texts, analyze exemplary writing models, probe essential questions, practice reading and writing skills, and connect their learning to the real world. As they progress, students build vocabulary, curiosity, confidence, and knowledge of the world.

Arts & Letters sample books

How Does Arts & Letters Build Knowledge and Strengthen Literacy Skills?

Knowledge has a multiplier effect. Literacy knowledge compounds as students progress through each grade level, increasing their ability to understand, explore, and make meaningful connections to the real world. In Arts & Letters, students explore interconnected, knowledge-building topics year after year, allowing them to integrate new skills, analyze ideas, and connect to topics across literature, the arts, history, and science.

Arts & Letters Student Edition books

Family Resources

Arts & Letters empowers all students to build knowledge and skills through productive struggle, engaging students through high expectations and offering opportunities for extension. Explore the resources below to learn how you can support your student's learning at home.
COMING SOON
 
Cultivating strong school-home connections is a powerful way to expand and extend student learning outside the classroom. Learn more about how Arts & Letters can support your student when you access the welcome letter for families.
COMING 2025
 
As an Arts & Letters scholar, students read exceptional texts, analyze articles, and encounter art in exciting new ways. Enrich your student’s learning and provide support at home by familiarizing yourself with the module-level tip sheets. This list will outline the texts students will read, sample questions you can ask, and learning extensions you can provide.

COMING 2025

Each Arts & Letters module introduces students to new terms, words, and ideas presented in each module. As your student builds knowledge, you can use these glossaries to help define key vocabulary words from each module through visuals and written definitions. Available in English, Spanish, Arabic, and many other languages, these glossaries will be a support resource for English language learners, and any student who could benefit from additional language scaffolding.

To access Multilingual Glossaries in other languages such as Chinese, French, Haitian-Creole, and more, please add our Materials for Multilingual Learners and Their Families resource in the digital platform.

As your student progresses through each Arts & Letters module, they build knowledge of the world around them—not just in English language arts, but also in science, history, geography, and more.

They read, write, and discuss as they learn, expanding their vocabulary and building rich layers of knowledge. Because when students know more about a topic, it’s easier to learn and retain knowledge.

To understand the engaging knowledge journey your student experiences with Arts & Letters, explore the Knowledge Journey Map for an example from Grade 4 Module 1: A Great Heart.

Geodes Logo

A knowledge-rich approach to early literacy from Great Minds empowers students who are learning how to read while reading to learn.

Learn more about our approach to early literacy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch this 1-minute introduction video

Learning to Read While Reading to Learn

Geodes books are a collection of accessible, knowledge-building books for developing readers. They are aligned with the Science of Reading research and designed to be paired with an explicit, systematic foundational skills program.  

Students reach for Geodes books again and again because these are books rich with ideas, facts, and illustrations that kindle learners’ curiosity about the world around them.  

Look inside Geodes books and access support resources for Levels K–2 by watching the video. 

Enhanced Supports for Multilingual Students and Families

Each Geodes book extends learning through:

  • Family Tip Sheets
  • My Geodes®, take-home versions of the titles
  • A More section that gives students an opportunity to build additional knowledge and vocabulary in English and in Spanish
Family meeting with teacher