GRAND RAPIDS — The Minnesota READ (Reading to Ensure Academic Development) Act was passed in 2023 with a goal to have every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, starting in kindergarten.
Schools were provided funding from the state Legislature to start meeting the goal.
Carol Copp is a curriculum integration specialist with ISD 318, which covers the Grand Rapids and Bigfork school region. She was a recent guest on the KAXE Morning Show, along with Clayton Lindner, assistant principal at East and West Rapids Elementary schools.
They talked about working with a new curriculum called Wit & Wisdom this school year, as well as a series of literacy nights in the schools Tuesday through Thursday, Feb. 18-20.
“Our district made the bold decision to do the curriculum alongside the training so that the teachers would see all of that in practice at the same time," said Copp, adding it has been a lot for the teachers while also showing great things.
Wit & Wisdom was vetted by the University of Minnesota. Modules for each grade are built around core texts. Currently, second graders in the district are reading "Creature Features" and using these books as a foundation for writing and grammar lessons.
Lindner shared what he has seen in classrooms, including witnessing a Socratic seminar in a kindergarten class.
"Socratic seminars are where you sit around in a circle and you discuss and debate and talk," he said. "It was just outstanding, and the kids were doing great and they were engaged and they were loving it."
Copp said she has made connections with other districts, including Rochester and St. James, to share what is working well for them.
According to Copp, the district is seeking to be as transparent as possible with this process. The planned Literacy Nights will be at Bigfork School on Tuesday, Feb. 18; Cohasset Elementary on Wednesday, and at West Rapids Elementary on Thursday (for students at East, West, and Robert J. Elkington Middle School).
All programs are 5-7 p.m. with a presentation by Copp at 5:30. The evenings will also include displays of student work, time for questions and book giveaways. Click here to submit your questions about the new curriculum.