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A blog dedicated to moments of knowledge building and enlightenment

5 Tips to Help You Get Started with Geodes

This month, we dive into Geodes®. These readable books help students practice foundational skills and build knowledge. Because the product design allows for flexible...

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Unpacking Geodes®: Engaging Early Readers and Building Lasting Knowledge

When I was an elementary school teacher, I absolutely delighted in building a reading haven for my students. To me, the classroom library was not just a home for bound...

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Across Oceans, Geodes Make the Grade

Geodes^® books are across the pond. Really far across the pond—8,436 miles from creator Great Minds^® headquarters in Washington, D.C., to Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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The Path to Reading Proficiency

November 22, 2024

Emily Gula has worked in a variety of critical roles here at Great Minds. She's been a lead writer for Wit & Wisdom®...

Books on a bookshelf

Leveled, Decodable, Readable: What Does Research Say About The Right Texts For Your Beginning Readers?

July 30, 2024

As the science of reading has dominated the national conversation around early literacy, educators everywhere have been...

Young girl reading book.

Florida Charter School Celebrates Early Literacy Success with Geodes

April 15, 2024

Geodes® books have been in use at Odyssey Charter School (FL) in grades K–2 since the 2021–2022 school year. We sat...

students listening to a book being read aloud

Geodes-Focused Summer Program Supports EL Students in Gloucester Public Schools

January 25, 2024

Katina Tibbetts has been an educator for nearly 10 years, starting as an AmeriCorps teacher in Philadelphia. After...

students and teacher in small group learning with geodes

One Text, Three Ways: Small-Group Instruction with Geodes

August 22, 2023

Geodes® allow students to apply their growing decoding and word recognition skills in the context of authentic,...

teacher with young students

5 Tips to Help You Get Started with Geodes

August 16, 2023

This month, we dive into Geodes®. These readable books help students practice foundational skills and build knowledge....

student reading geodes book

Geodes, Wit & Wisdom, and Fundations Support Data-Driven, Differentiated Literacy Instruction

June 29, 2023

We recently sat down with Danielle Gaither—an educator of 22 years in Asheville, North Carolina—to talk about her...

young boy reading geodes

Building Vocabulary, Knowledge, and Literacy Skills in Washington School

June 22, 2023

We recently sat down with Dr. Kat Smith—an educator on Fairchild Air Force Base outside of Spokane, Washington—to learn...

young students studying geodes books

Geodes, Spalding, and Wit & Wisdom Boost Engagement in Florence K–8 School

June 15, 2023

We recently sat down with Michelle Fryhover—an educator in Florence, Arizona—to learn more about her experience...

Close-up of books on a book shelf.

Geodes Help Bring Intention and Cohesion to Literacy Instruction

June 8, 2023

We recently sat down with Laura Lojko—an educator in Washington, DC—to learn more about her experience implementing ...

students reading together in class

Voices From the Field: The Power of Science of Reading-Aligned Instructional Materials

May 31, 2023

The science of reading continues to dominate national education discourse, which means many are becoming familiar with...

students working and reading at desks with educator looking on

Switching to Geodes, Wit & Wisdom, and Fundations Already Paying Off

September 1, 2022

Switching from the CKLA’s Grades K–2 curriculum in 2021–2022 to the combination of Wit & Wisdom® (English language...

Boy in library with book in front of him

Making the Most of Geodes: A Science of Reading Based Approach

August 24, 2022

Whether you already have a robust Geodes® library or have just begun building your collection, you may have some...

teacher working with student

Four Common Questions You May Have When Getting Started with Geodes

June 29, 2022

You have a beautiful, full set of Geodes^® in your classroom. Are they getting enough attention?

Geodes box

Unpacking Geodes®: Engaging Early Readers and Building Lasting Knowledge

May 3, 2022

When I was an elementary school teacher, I absolutely delighted in building a reading haven for my students. To me, the...

Phonics and Decoding: Building Knowledge with a Phonics Approach to Reading

January 25, 2022

From the very first page of their very first book, every reader should build knowledge of the world around them...

Across Oceans, Geodes Make the Grade

June 10, 2021

Geodes^® books are across the pond. Really far across the pond—8,436 miles from creator Great Minds^® headquarters in...

Outline of the state of California.

Geodes® Help Students Cross the Bridge to Learning

April 23, 2020

In Geodes®, Ann King has finally found what she’s been after for the last 15 years for her students with dyslexia: a...

Outline of the state of Utah.

Early Adopter Finds Geodes Align Perfectly with Research

April 8, 2020

The first thing teachers notice and love about Geodes® is the quality of the materials. “The texture of the books. The...

Outline of the state of Colorado.

"Reading to Learn" in Grade 1, Thanks to Geodes®

March 18, 2020

The conventional wisdom says that students learn to read, and then they read to learn.

Outline of the state of North Carolina.

Using Geodes® to Promote Educational Equity

March 4, 2020

For Katie Ellis, the Geodes® library is more than an early literacy program. It’s a way to promote equity for students...

The Story of Geodes, Part 1

November 11, 2019

Note: Great Minds^®featured Geodes^®, a new library of books for emerging readers, at the ASCD Empower19 conference in...

students reading book

Knowledge Building in Early Literacy to Develop Lifelong Readers

August 23, 2019

Great Minds® embraces the research that knowledge building should start at the outset of a student’s education. But...

The Story of Geodes, Part 2

July 6, 2017

Note: Great Minds^®featured Geodes^®, a new library of books for emerging readers, at the ASCD Empower19 conference in...