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Book Break

Literacy

Mission

Staff, families, and community members work in partnership to ensure that all students have adequate and equitable access to high-quality instructional experiences that will prepare them to graduate ready to transform their communities and beyond.

Vision

Hartford Public Schools is a model urban district for Literacy and English Language Arts. Students achieve grade-level literacy proficiency aligned to the Common Core State Standards in reading, writing, and speaking by third grade and are prepared for rigorous high school work by 8th grade. All students graduate from high school with literacy and language expertise prepared to transform our world.

At-Home Literacy Resources

Elementary Curriculum

Wit & Wisdom

From Great Minds®, the organization that created Eureka Math®, Wit & Wisdom is an English language arts curriculum that brings the rich content everyone loves into the classroom. We believe that classrooms are places where students and teachers encounter wit, wisdom, wonder, rigor, and knowledge and that literature, history, art, and science all have a place in ELA instruction. Wit & Wisdom helps your student meet the expectations of the new standards while celebrating the joy of reading and writing.

Hartford Public Schools will begin implementing the Wit & Wisdom curriculum during the 2024 - 2025 academic year.

The information above is adapted from Wit & Wisdom's Curriculum Overview for Families.

EdReports Ratings

Wit & Wisdom curriculum met expectations, the highest category, across all three gateways from EdReports for grades K - 5.

The Wit and Wisdom K-5 curriculum provides engaging and rigorous texts with multimedia options. It offers opportunities to apply literacy skills through tasks designed to grow students' knowledge and skills over the year, with differentiation options. The materials support knowledge-building through integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language experiences, helping students develop vocabulary and independent reading skills while providing comprehensive writing and research instruction.

Heggerty

At Hartford Public Schools, educators use the Heggerty curriculum to help students from early Pre-K through 1st grade build strong literary foundations. The curriculum follows an intentional and systematic progression of skill development, covering a range of phonological and phonemic awareness skills.

The information above is adapted from Heggerty Resources.

Prek

Pre-K Sample Lesson
K

Kindergarten Sample Lesson
1-2

Grades 1 & 2 Sample Lesson
Level 3

Heggerty Review

A new research study from the 2022-2023 school year found Heggerty’s Phonemic Awareness Curriculum to demonstrate promising evidence of a relationship between score gains and Heggerty inclusion.

 

   Learning Experience Design Research and Consulting

Fundations

Fundations® utilizes a structured literacy approach grounded in the science of reading to make learning to read fun while laying the groundwork for lifelong literacy. The program’s research-based approach and extensive materials allow teachers to confidently present a carefully structured reading, spelling, and handwriting curriculum using engaging, multisensory techniques. Fundations® is aligned with the science of reading and guides teachers to provide effective instructional practices.

Fundations Program Overview

The information above is adapted from Fundations Curriculum Overviews.

Skill Work in Controlled Text

Students apply skills to connected text to transition from accuracy to automatic word recognition.

Comprehension

Students think actively about their reading and self-monitor, forming a visual image and imagining a scene.

Fluency

End of the Unit activities let students practice reading phrases to build automaticity and prosody.

Trick Word Practice

Activities give opportunities to practice automatic recognition of new and review Trick Words.

Geodes

Geodes are a collection of books for emerging and developing readers, published by Great Minds® in association with Wilson Language Training®. These books combine Wilson's expertise in foundational reading skills with Great Minds' experience in building content knowledge, aligning with both Fundations® and Wit & Wisdom®. The books help students apply learned skills while learning about science, history, and the arts.

The information above is adapted from Geodes Classroom Libraries.

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Secondary Curriculum

SpringBoard

From the sixth grade onwards, the SpringBoard English Language Arts program equips students with essential skills in critical thinking, close reading comprehension, diverse writing genres, and research methodologies. As they progress through the curriculum, students engage with various literary works, including poetry, novels, plays, biographies, nonfiction narratives, speeches, and films, honing their analytical capabilities. Concurrently, they develop proficiency in crafting various written forms, such as essays, personal narratives, argumentative pieces like editorials, and research papers.

The information above is adapted from SpringBoard's Curriculum and Resources.

EdReports Ratings

SpringBoard ELA curriculum met expectations, the highest category, across all three gateways from EdReports for grades 6 – 12.

The results of a high-quality instructional materials review demonstrated CollegeBoard's commitment to providing teachers and students with engaging, grade-level, comprehensive yet flexible materials—whether instruction is taking place in the classroom or virtually. It integrates instruction, assessment, and professional learning to create a pathway to college and career readiness for all students.

SpringBoard EdReport
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AP Overall Part
SpringBoard Research

Data shows that SpringBoard improves classroom engagement and college readiness. A nationwide study found that, when schools used SpringBoard, students received higher SAT scores and took more AP courses and exams.

 

   SpringBoard Compendium of Research

Contacts

Name

Title

Email

Tracy Avicolli

Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning

tracy.avicolli@hartfordschools.org

Mario Carullo

Director of Elementary Teaching & Learning

mario.carullo@hartfordschools.org

Vanessa Cruz

Assistant Director of Secondary Teaching and Learning

vanessa.cruz@hartfordschools.org

Amanda Kushner

Assistant Director of Elementary Teaching and Learning

amanda.kushner@hartfordschools.org