Planning for Geodes

Geodes supports Fundations learning. We can use Geodes to help students learn how to read and apply the foundational skills they are learning in Fundations when we meet with small groups in the K-2 classroom. It is also a resource that will help build background knowledge and vocabulary.

As you prepare for teaching with Geodes in your classroom, it is very important to put in work before you teach. Following the planning protocols provided by Great Minds is imperative to the success of teaching the program. Great Minds provides extensive resources and support to help you plan accordingly.

If you have not read your Inside Geodes Manual, start with that! Read it. Make notes and mark important pages as you go. We often ask students to complete a close reading of material. Teachers should do the same with this. This is the most important thing to do before you start working with Geodes.

Teachers are greatly encouraged to check out the resource section at the back of your manual. You will find a glossary of terms, genre information, Geodes flash cards, and Family Tip Sheets written in English and Spanish. It is highly recommended to send home these Family Tip Sheets as you begin each module.

Teachers are encouraged to meet weekly with their team to plan and discuss the work they are doing within Fundations/Geodes. Instructional coach attendance at these meetings would be beneficial for consistency with instruction across grade levels.

As you begin each new school year, reflect on the previous year and update your instructional practices as needed. Keep learning, growing, and making your practice better.

The above document contains 6 steps to implementing Geodes. It's important to break those steps down in order to understand how they align to our district initiatives and resources.

1. Assess Students-We have most of this step covered! Our benchmark assessment document for the district lists the formal assessments that can be completed. Informal assessments take place all of the time in your classroom. Of course, our grade K students are not reading words at his time, so their letter/sound identification/fluency will help with determining immediate hurdles. Kindergarteners should not be assessed on their oral reading fluency, so the oral reading fluency assessments are appropriate only for grade 2 and mid year of grade 1. Discussion will help determine listening comprehension at the beginning of the year and throughout the year for struggling readers in grades 1 and 2.

2. Group Students-Use data to group your students. This step mentions immediate hurdles in fluency or comprehension. Hurdles in fluency for kindergarten (and grades 1 and 2) could be letter/sound fluency, not just word reading fluency. Group students according to the skill deficits that have appeared as you have assessed them.

3.Identify The Entry Point-This step refers to identifying what skills need to be addressed and how students will access the text. All students will access the same text. For some, you might need to read the text aloud as they follow along pointing to the text as your read. Others might be able to read one sentence that they have practiced while you read the rest of the book aloud to them. Others will be able to read with a partner and some will be ale to read the text on their own. There are so many ways to differentiate this entry point to the text. Get creative. The goal is to help every child access the text in some way creating an equitable literacy learning experience for our students.

4. Determine Strategies-Some of this will be done in your pre-reading work with your groups. However, be ready to address specific group/individual needs with immediate feedback during the access of the text. The Instructional Decision Making section of Inside Geodes includes details of targeted supports and scaffolds.

5. Assess Informally-This step involves gathering formative data as student engage with text in your small groups. This is where a teacher would be taking anecdotal notes for each student to inform future steps to instruction. In a recent PD, the term Oral Reading Analysis was suggested as a term that we could use for this process. Thanks Liz C. for the suggestion! The sample lesson planning template include a spot for formative assessment notes. Here are some formative assessment ideas that can be adapted to be grade level and topic appropriate.

6. Plan with Book Notes-Based on the completed lesson, the teacher plans future lessons utilizing the resources within the Inside Geodes Manual.

Set Your Students up for Early Reading Success

Supporting emerging readers in your classroom means providing high-quality materials aligned to the science of reading. This three-part webinar series, Braiding the Reading Rope, shows how Geodes books help students build strong content and vocabulary knowledge and practice crucial literacy skills.

Watch: Knowledge-Rich, Readable Texts for Emerging & Developing Readers

Watch: Growing Strong Reading Roots in Emerging Readers

Watch: Growing Developing Readers with Levels 1 & 2 Geodes

Geodes are controlled texts that are controlled for what skill we want to practice with students. These skills are aligned to Fundations.

You do not have to use every Geodes texts in a school year. There are many and you can choose which texts to use that align with the previously taught Fundations skills.

Grades 1-2 Geodes are 80% decodable and come with word lists and alignment to Fundations. The book sets consist of 64 books divided into 4 Modules. The books emphasize the skills already learned in Fundations. They also emphasize knowledge building in students.

Kindergarten Geodes are intentionally different. This is because kindergarteners are at a different learning phase than students in grades 1 and 2. Kindergarteners are focused on concepts of print and the alphabetic principle at the beginning of the year. Many students don't have the sound/spelling pattern knowledge needed to decode. K Geodes are organized to practice the skills they are learning in Fundations.

The first 2 modules of K Geodes contain wordless books and sound search books. These work well for having students tell a story or retell a story, depending on what the teacher chooses do with the book. The wordless pictures can be used to discuss, "What do you notice and what do you wonder? This helps to create curiosity and higher level thinking about the text.

K Geodes Module 3 and 4 contain Duet books. The Duet books are books where the teacher reads (models) and then the student reads. They take turns with the text. Your high readers who have mastered decoding can read both parts if you'd like. All of the books come with book notes that provide word lists and alignment to Fundations.

How you use Geodes with readers will be different than how you use them with nonreaders. It's all about how you scaffold to meet all student needs.

Click the pictures below to access a list of titles for each grade level.

The Black & White Geodes anthologies are for you to use at your discretion. Originally, they were intended for sending home, so that students may practice reading the stories. Some teachers have used them in stations during their small group time. There are many ways to use them. The books are extremely expensive. The school district has not budgeted for replacements yet, so handle with care:)

Geodes is not only a way for students to apply their foundational skills they also are knowledge building texts. The goal is to make sure that all students can access the text in some way, providing an equitable literacy learning experience for all students. The following document has some extensive scaffolding ideas. This is a working document and more ideas will be added as we continue to grow our understanding of how to scaffold for all of our students. So, keep this link handy so that you can check back in for updates every once in a while.

There are so many ideas that teachers across the district have shared. Talk to each other, connect, and share your ideas!

The lessons below are quick views into what your lessons might look like. Geodes lessons are personalized for specific student needs. Thank you to our teachers who volunteered to share their teaching.

Geodes Lesson 1 Grade 1 Library Cat

Geodes Lesson 2 Grade 1 Library Cat

Geodes Lesson 1 Grade 1 Spiny Mouse

Geodes Lesson 2 Grade 1 Spiny Mouse

Fundations pacing dictates which Geodes you are utilizing in small groups. You DO NOT have to use every Geodes that is available for each skill/module. You might find that your Fundations pacing only allows for you to use one or two Geodes titles per skill.

Remember, Geodes are for students to apply their Fundations learning.

As you prepare for the new school year, remember that sound walls are the logical choice for our primary classrooms. This practice aligns with our work in foundational skill building and will act as a resource for students that aligns with our evidence based reading instructional practices.

Use the books below for read aloud or as mentor texts for writing tasks. These books align with the Geodes module themes and can help make connections and build knowledge in your classroom.

Use Those Leveled Readers From The Past To Create Texts Sets! Leveled readers are NOT being used to teach kids how to read anymore. They can be used to enrich the knowledge being gained from the Geodes texts.

We know that knowledge building and background knowledge play a large part in students' literacy success. Work with your school team to create text sets from the leveled readers in your building that vary in levels and align with the themes presented in Geodes for each grade level. Place these in a center for free/independent reading, let kids check them out and take them home, or use them to conduct research on the theme topics.