CURRICULUM REVIEW MATERIALS & RESOURCES

Wit WIsdom + Geodes-Logos

High-Quality Literacy Solution
for North Carolina

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BRINGING A SCIENCE-BASED EARLY LITERACY APPROACH TO YOUR SCHOOL

Reviewing Wit & Wisdom® and Geodes® for K–8

To align with the latest science of reading research, classroom instruction needs to go beyond building strong foundational reading skills.

Emerging readers also need enriching reading experiences where they begin reading to learn as they learn to read, a key component of evidence-based reading instruction that was often overlooked–until now.

Wit & Wisdom and Geodes provide North Carolina schools with a complete solution supported by the science of reading research that provides all students with access to explicit foundational skills instruction and the coherent, rigorous, content-rich texts necessary for becoming proficient readers, writers, speakers, and listeners.

Book Reading Circle reading The Little House

REVIEW MATERIALS & RESOURCES
Select from the options below to navigate to that section.

Supporting Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction

Review Materials & Resources

Instructional Materials Samples

Digital Curriculum Resources

Implementation Support

Science of Reading & Student Equity

Get in Touch

 

Evidence-Based Literacy Instruction

Implementing materials that only address some of the evidence-based literacy instruction components shortchanges students on their journey to skilled reading.

Wit & Wisdom and Geodes, along with an explicit foundational phonics program, offer a complete literacy solution that provides a seamless and holistic learning experience for K–3 students, empowering educators to bring the science of reading to life in every classroom.

Wit & Wisdom / Language Comprehension > Foundational Skills Instruction > Geodes / Knowledge-Building Foundational Skills Practice > Skilled Reading
Wit & Wisdom Logo

Core, Content-Rich ELA Curriculum
Wit & Wisdom is a comprehensive, standards-based English language arts curriculum crafted to build student content knowledge while also building reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary, and language skills in the context of complex, information rich, grade-level texts. 

Geodes Logo

Accessible, Information-Rich Books for Decoding Practice
Developed by Great Minds in partnership with Wilson Language Training Geodes create a learning experience grounded in the science of reading principles so students can build literacy skills while building knowledge. Geodes align to the Fundations scope and sequence and provide opportunities to apply and practice that learning. 

A Complete Literacy Solution

Pairing Wilson Fundations with Geodes books allows students to put their phonemic awareness and decoding skills into practice as they build enduring knowledge of topics encompassing science, history, the arts, and more. See how Fundations and Geodes align.

With the Geodes module topics aligned to those of Wit & Wisdom, students develop knowledge that will support their reading proficiency and strengthen their comprehension skills.

Finally, implementing Wit & Wisdom, Fundations, and Geodes together allows students to develop deep content knowledge in tandem with how to read texts, write, speak, and listen. 

Geodes Back Cover for book 1, level 1, module 1, set 2.

 

Review Materials & Resources

The following resources are available to support you during your review and evaluation of the Wit & Wisdom and Geodes instructional materials.

Wit & Wisdom Curriculum Reviewer Guides

 North Carolina ELA Standards Alignment Study (Grades K–8)

Scope & Sequence

Wit & Wisdom Implementation Guide
Wit & Wisdom In the Classroom Guide (PDF, 1.5 MB)

Wit & Wisdom Preparation & Protocols

Wit & Wisdom Text Complexity (Appendix A)
Wit & Wisdom Vocabulary (Appendix B)

Wit & Wisdom/Geodes Data Stories & Customer Testimonials

Wit & Wisdom Implementation Guides, Alignment Studies, and scope and sequence for each state.

Authentic, Complex, Information-Rich Texts

WW Core Texts - Mobile Background


The curriculum features much-beloved, award-winning books from both contemporary and established authors, many of which parents will remember from their own childhoods. Learn more about our approach to developing a curriculum based on knowledge-building texts that engage students in productive struggle and joyful learning.

The Facts About Wit & Wisdom And Its Impact

It starts with the books. Excellent texts are at the center of Wit & Wisdom. Students build knowledge through carefully curated core texts that

  • are rich with content that piques curiosity,
  • represent grade-level complexity, and
  • showcase diverse perspectives.

Literary Journeys for All Students

Discover the impact of high-quality texts that provide windows into different time periods, cultures, and parts of the world that students may otherwise never experience, mirrors for students to see themselves represented, and sliding glass doors to step into the shoes of characters, as students build perspective and understanding of other citizens of the world.

The curriculum features much-beloved, award-winning books from both contemporary and established authors, many of which parents will remember from their own childhoods. Learn more about our approach to developing a curriculum based on knowledge-building texts that engage students in productive struggle and joyful learning.

Supporting Student Equity Through Diverse, Complex Texts

The Power of High-Quality Curriculum for Students With Diverse Learning Needs 

Investing in Teachers and Students Through High-Quality Curriculum

 

Instructional Materials Samples

Access samples of the Wit & Wisdom and Geodes instructional materials for teachers and students.

Wit & Wisdom digital and print bundle.

 

Materials for Teachers

Wit & Wisdom

Teacher Editions

 

Wit & Wisdom

Teacher Editions


Multilingual Learner Resources

 

Wit & Wisdom

Teacher Editions


Wit & Wisdom Prologue Supplemental Lessons

 

     

Materials for Students

Wit & Wisdom

Student Editions

 

Family Tip Sheets (Consejos Para Familias)

 

Geodes

Level K Sample Titles

WW Geodes Level K_Fabric of the Andes Cover_Sound Search

Level K
Module 1
Sound Search

WW Geodes Level K_Pele Cover_Wordless

Level K
Module 1
Wordless

WW Geodes Level K_Three Sisters Cover_Duet

Level K
Module 3
Duet

 

 

Level 2 Sample Titles

Spring-Fever

Level 2
Module 1

 

Wagons-and-Yokes

Level 2
Module 2

The Paralympics Geodes Cover

Level 2
Module 3

 

Wit & Wisdom

Student Editions

Family Tip Sheets (Consejos Para Familias)

WW Family Tips Grade 4

Grade 4
English
Español

WW family Tips Grade 5

Grade 5
English
Español

 

 

Wit & Wisdom

Student Editions

 

Family Tip Sheets (Consejos Para Familias)

 

Digital Materials & Resources

Access the digital tools for Wit & Wisdom and Geodes that support educators during instruction and allow for students to continue their learning at home.

Students on Computer

Great Minds Digital Platform

To support schools with distance learning and bridging learning gaps, Great Minds has created a suite of digital materials and resources for Wit & Wisdom and Geodes. Access the digital materials and resources using the following login credentials:

TEACHER EXPERIENCE

Email:wwsummerdemo03@gmdemo.org

Password (case sensitive): GMSummer25

STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Email: ww2025sd@gm.org
Password (case sensitive): GMSummer25

Wit & Wisdom in Sync
Distance Learning Platform

The digital Wit & Wisdom in Sync continuous learning tool enables teachers to inspire students with the same high-quality K–8 ELA content, no matter where they are or how they learn best.

Wit & Wisdom in Sync features:

  • digital Teacher and Student Editions that include fillable PDFs of student handouts and fluency activities,

  • Learn Anywhere Plans to support teachers in providing in-class or at-home instruction

  • daily video lessons and vocabulary videos in English and Spanish led by Great Minds teachers,

  • at-home access to digital classwork and family support, including resources for multilingual learners,

  • in-depth PD and coaching offerings, and more.

Wit & Wisdom Affirm
Digital Assessment Tool

The Wit & Wisdom Affirm digital assessment tool for Grades 2–8 supports teachers in tracking student progress over time and differentiating instruction to ensure all students succeed.

Wit & Wisdom Affirm features:

  • over 25 curriculum assessments in digital and PDF form,

  • multiple choice, short answer, essay, and drawing question types based on texts and content from the Wit & Wisdom modules,

  • detailed analytics and reporting, including the Live Monitoring tool that provides real-time access to students' progress, and more.

 

Digital My Geodes® 
Digital Experience for Emerging Readers

As a companion to the Geodes classroom library, digital My Geodes allow students to access digital versions of the take-home books to practice their reading and share their knowledge at home.

Digital My Geodes features:

  • access to all 176 Geodes titles as e-books,

  • an audio reader for non-decodable words and the More/Más sections in both English and Spanish,

  • Single Sign On (SSO) through your school's authentication system and teacher controls for distributing Geodes titles, and more.


 

Implementation Support

To ensure a successful implementation, Great Minds has created a suite of resources for teachers and administrators, as well as students and their families.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Implementation Support Resources for Educators

Great Minds has created a suite of resources to support educators and ensure a successful implementation.

Teacher Resource Pack

A free resource for educators that includes the Wit & Wisdom Implementation Guide, digital resource guide, Module Zero, the Art of Wit & Wisdom, and more.

Access a Teacher Resource Pack sample.

Professional Learning

The Wit & Wisdom teacher-writers have developed in-depth professional development and personalized coaching resources to support schools and districts prepare for, and sustain, a successful implementation. Virtual and in-person sessions are available.

Learn more about Great Minds Professional Learning.

Support Blog

The Wit & Wisdom blog written by the curriculum's teacher-writers covers a wide range of topics. From making the shift to a content-focused  and preparing students for assessments to social-emotional learning and using complex texts, each blog post provides strategies for success.

Access the Implementation Support Blog.

Webinar Library

A free library of on-demand webinars led by expert Wit & Wisdom educators that provide implementation strategies and a preview into the in-depth professional development sessions that are available.

Access the free Webinar Library.

Support Resources Families & Caregivers

In addition to the free Family Tip Sheets available in the student materials above, these Wit & Wisdom videos provide families with an overview of the ELA curriculum their students will be learning.

English Resources

Wit & Wisdom
Family Overview Video

 

Family Letter
Knowledge Primers

Spanish Resources

Wit & Wisdom
Family Overview Video

 

Family Letter (Spanish)

Knowledge Primers (Spanish)

A family, including the student, meeting with the student's teacher

 

ACCESS ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

 

 

Research in Practice

View the following resources to learn more about how Wit & Wisdom and Geodes incorporate the latest research on student learning, including the science of reading, as well as evidence-based instructional best practices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Science of Reading in Action

Learn more about Geodes and the importance of students building knowledge while applying decoding skills.

The Science of Reading: What is prior knowledge and why is it important?

Learn the importance of prior knowledge and new knowledge-building practices to support literacy instruction.

READ MORE

Phonics-Based Reading: Helping Emerging Readers Build Knowledge

Learn how word recognition and language comprehension support emerging readers build knowledge.

READ MORE

Beyond Reading Foundations: Nurturing Joyful Readers

Explore the research behind the Science of Reading and practical implications for educators of students at all grade levels.

VIEW WEBINAR

Supporting Student Equity

Learn more about how Wit & Wisdom empowers educators to provide high quality, equitable instruction.

The Relationship Between Knowledge and Learning

Learn how Wit & Wisdom students can build new knowledge and connect that knowledge to what they already know.

READ MORE

How All Students Can Read Complex Texts


Learn how to support students in reading complex texts to prepare students for reading beyond the classroom.

READ MORE

How To Support ELA Students With the UDL Principles

Learn how Wit & Wisdom makes knowledge building accessible to all students through Universal Design for Learning Principles.

READ MORE

How to Make ELA Accessible for Multilingual Learners

Learn how Wit & Wisdom's carefully curated texts and inclusion of fine art make ELA accessible for all learners.

READ MORE
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