Wonders 2023

Educator Newsletter
Issue 6, Back-to-School 2024

Wonders News!

Hello, Wonders community,

Welcome back to the classroom! We’re honored to partner with you to support literacy learning this year.

We know a new school year can bring both excitement and overwhelm, so this newsletter shares back-to-school resources to streamline and bolster Wonders implementation. You’ll find helpful videos, how-to guides, a professional learning event, and more, plus an important update about our Wonders newsletters.

We can’t wait to see what lies ahead. Thank you for all that you do!

- The Wonders Team

The Wonders Newsletters Are Moving!

This is the final Wonders newsletter that will be delivered to you by email. Thank you for letting us be a part of your inbox! We hope you’ve found these updates beneficial and inspiring.

But don’t worry! The Wonders newsletters aren’t over. Moving forward, we’ll be sharing them in the Wonders user community.

To ensure you stay updated on all things Wonders, register for the user community at the link below. You’ll continue to see our newsletters as well as get support from Wonders experts, access exclusive classroom resources, and have the opportunity to attend exciting community events.

Join Today

Curious about the type of exclusive content the Wonders community provides? Check out this episode of Bite-Sized Wonders, a community-exclusive video series featuring McGraw Hill Curriculum Specialists answering your Wonders queries. This episode discusses progress-monitoring assessments–and you can delve into additional episodes on other topics in the community!

McGraw Hill Summer 2024 Literacy Symposium

It’s not too late to join us for the Summer 2024 Literacy Symposium, a FREE professional learning event designed to expand your literacy knowledge and connect research to classroom practice!

In this webinar series, our all-star lineup of researchers, authors, and experts explore key literacy topics across K–12. You can dive into sessions on topics like Knowledge Building and the Science of Literacy to support your instruction this back-to-school season.

The next live session is on August 7th and features Wonders author and renowned researcher Dr. Timothy Shanahan on the Science of Literacy.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Back-to-School Resources

As you and your students settle into new classroom and learning routines, you may have questions around getting started with and implementing Wonders. Whether you’re a new user or simply need a refresher, the resources below will help you feel comfortable and confident with Wonders.

Wonders Basics: This professional development course gives you an overview of Wonders through self-paced, interactive modules. In addition to sharing information on curriculum design and structure, Wonders Basics offers guidance on teacher materials, classroom setup, and building foundations for differentiated instruction.

Find it online at Resources > Professional Development > Overview > Learn to Use Wonders

Instructional Routines Handbook: This comprehensive resource shares the broad collection of research-based routines at the heart of Wonders. You can explore routines on key literacy skills like spelling, close reading, analytical writing, and more. The introduction also gives you an overview of “why” and “how” we do things the way we do in Wonders!

Did You Know? The digital version of the Instructional Routines Handbook now includes spelling generalizations and new routines!

Find it online at Resources > Resource Library > Teacher Resources > Instructional Routines

Author and Coach Videos: Get unparalleled support from the minds behind Wonders! Our library of Author and Coach videos offers expert insights on instructional elements like writing, foundational skills, assessment, and supporting multilingual learners. You can view videos from Wonders experts and literacy leaders to grow your knowledge of the Science of Reading and support your everyday instruction.

Find it online at Resources > Professional Development > Author & Coach Videos

Summer ELA Product Trainings: Sign up for upcoming Zoom trainings to enhance your understanding and implementation of Wonders! These trainings are delivered by Wonders Curriculum Specialists and will provide guidance around its instructional path, digital space, and teacher and student components.

Additional Program Resources: Find more Wonders-specific instructional support with the Wonders Program Resources. You can access guides to Teacher and Student Dashboards, view teacher tutorials from our Digital Tech Support team, and discover implementation tools to empower your instruction this year.

Inspired Ideas

Looking for resources to share with parents, research to inform your work, or inspiration from experts and peers? Visit our blog, Inspired Ideas. You’ll discover stories from educators, strategies from experts in reading instruction, and news from learning scientists and edtech experts. Here are three highlights:

10 Activities to Take Your Class Outside: Learning can go beyond the classroom! Spending time outside can inspire student engagement, encourage their interaction with nature, and invite students to explore and learn about their community. Discover ten activities to help get your class outside.

Projects to Foster Student Collaboration Across Grades: In this post, we discuss a collection of projects to inspire collaboration beyond individual classrooms and across grades. Ideas shared include establishing a buddy system, having students lead a school field day, and creating interactive museum experiences.

How Knowledge Supports Reading Comprehension: Support for student knowledge building is an important part of effective literacy instruction. Learn more about how knowledge can help reading comprehension, and find ways you can build student knowledge in your classroom.