READING TO LEARN WHILE LEARNING TO READ

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A New Approach to
Early Literacy for Texas

Introducing Geodes®

Reading can open up new worlds for students by helping them build knowledge and sparking their curiosity. But often students don’t gain access to these enriching literacy experiences until they’ve mastered basic reading skills. Geodes are here to change that.

Geodes are accessible information-rich books for emerging and developing readers, aligned with the scope and sequence of the Fundations® foundational reading program from Wilson Language TrainingTM. Each book in the collection is designed to cultivate a deep reading experience, enabling students to apply decoding skills while building knowledge.

Geodes Walkthrough

AT THE CORE OF GEODES

ENGAGING

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Geodes honor students’ natural curiosity by providing authentic reading experiences while
the beautiful illustrations and photographs enrich and expand on the text of each book.

ACCESSIBLE

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Geodes are at least 80 percent decodable based on the Wilson Fundations® scope and sequence, and they reflect a broad range of identities and experiences, allowing students to see themselves and others in the books, and see worlds both familiar and new.

KNOWLEDGE BUILDING

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Geodes allow students to experience the joy of building deep knowledge and vocabulary, connecting ideas across texts as they read books on science, history, and the arts.

"I’ve never seen kids with this level of vocabulary, content knowledge, and decoding skills."


—KATIE E., READING SPECIALIST
CHARLES C. BELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, NC
Research-Based Learning Design

Learning with Geodes

Geodes allow students to practice constrained and unconstrained skills in tandem rather than decoding isolated from comprehension. Students learn that the purpose of reading is not just to decode but to seek meaning and gain understanding.

Geodes are organized into three levels: Level K, Level 1, and Level 2. Each level contains four modules, that center on a rich topic that sparks students’ interest. The topics give all students an opportunity to explore new places, cultures, and creatures, and classrooms using Wit & Wisdom® for English language arts instruction will see alignment across Geodes and Wit & Wisdom module topics. Geodes modules are grouped into four text sets, and individual texts in the set explore an aspect of the topic so students build knowledge and a deep understanding of the each topic.

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LEVEL K

The Level K Geodes set offers students 48 unique books organized into four modules. From the very first book, students begin to build knowledge. Geodes are accessible while introducing students to new worlds—in science, art, and human cultures around the globe—that open up to them as they begin their journey of phonemic awareness and decoding.

WORDLESS PICTURE BOOKS
Level K begins with Wordless Picture Books that give students an opportunity to tell a story based on a sequence of narrative illustrations. Each book has an About section that provides an account of the illustrated story in the book for the teacher to read aloud. After listening to the read-aloud, students are encouraged to add more details to their own retelling of the story.

SOUND SEARCH BOOKS
Next, Sound Search Books help students boost their letter-sound recognition skills by finding pictures associated with the sounds of a given letter.

DUET BOOKS
Students begin to apply their phonetic knowledge as they tap out words, and the Duet Books in Level K allow for just the right amount of adult assistance to help them build knowledge even as they read on their own for the first time.


Fabric of the Andes

Level K Sound Search Book

Book Notes

 

LEVEL 1

The Level 1 Geodes set contains 64 unique books organized into four modules. With beautiful artwork and engaging topics, these texts help students truly enjoy exercising their growing phonetic skills. Geodes were designed to ensure that emerging readers see that learning to read isn’t just about practicing skills. It’s about building knowledge.

Jerry Draws

Level 1 Geodes
Book Notes

 

LEVEL 2

Level 2 Geodes are also a set of 64 unique books. By this level, students have gained confidence in their reading skills and continue to expand their phonetic understanding and reading stamina. While the complexity of the texts increases with each module, they remain at least 80 percent decodable as aligned with the Wilson Fundations® scope and sequence. 

And the Winner Is...

Level 2 Geodes
Book Notes

 

A NEW DIGITAL EXPERIENCE

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Beginning this summer, students can access Geodes from any device with the new 
My Geodes digital experience. This add-on service gives students unlimited access to the vibrant journey of reading as they practice their skills independently and build enduring knowledge. Students can read to learn while learning to read during school, at home, or wherever they go.

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REQUEST A GEODES SAMPLE
QUESTIONS? REQUESTS?

CONTACT THE GREAT MINDS TEXAS TEAM

Click the link below to reach out to the Great Minds Texas team with any questions, requests, or to schedule time to discuss bringing Geodes to your emerging and developing readers.

GET IN TOUCH
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