Maximized reading and writing skills are crucial for K-8 students to excel in high school, college and beyond, especially in an era of artificial intelligence.
That’s why River Forest School District 90 is stoked about its new English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum, which was technically implemented in January and February but is in its first full school year, which began Aug. 20.
The curriculum is essentially “a portfolio of resources,” according to Christine Trendel, district director of curriculum and instruction.
Kindergarteners through fourth graders are using Collaborative Classroom resources “Being a Reader” and “Being a Writer,” which are contoured exclusively for elementary students. Fifth graders are using “Arts and Letters,” published by Great Minds, while sixth- through eighth graders are weighing in with Great Minds’ “Wit and Wisdom.”
Students across the K-8 spectrum read developmentally appropriate books and develop writing techniques and strategies inspired by examples in literature. Kindergarteners will read stories about animals like penguins and hippos and write about their similarities and differences. On the other end of the spectrum, eighth graders will read the classic World War I novel “All Quiet on the Western Front,” and develop essays with thesis statements, evidence, elaboration and transitions.
The early returns are positive, said Joy McKenna-O’Reilly, instructional coach at Lincoln Elementary School, who is working with teachers using the new curriculum.
“When teachers have the resources that help provide students with what they need to be successful readers, classrooms are full of joyful, engaged learners,” she said. “That’s what we have here in River Forest.”
Trendel said there are typically five-year curriculum cycles for all content areas. The cycle for District 90’s ELA curriculum review began in September 2023, conducted by the district’s Literacy Curriculum Committee, consisting of teachers, instructional specialists and administrators comprising every grade and school.
A guiding principle was Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s Reading Rope, which Trendel said is a research-based model that “summarizes the main strands of content that skilled readers need – language comprehension and word recognition.”
The proposed new curriculum was piloted in spring 2024, with recommendation to the board of education that November.
“After five years, you do a needs assessment, education landscape, current research, you determine if your current curriculum meets your needs, or not,” said Trendel, who began her District 90 tenure in fall 2024.
“There were plans to do a pilot when I came in,” she said. “The pilot was already determined. I helped identify the pilot process and we were going to collect data from students and teachers.”
The insights gained from the spring rollout were important to build success heading into this fall, Trendel said.
“Teachers were enthusiastic about reading and writing, and really excited about what students can do,” she said. “That’s anecdotal, but we’ve collected some of our spring data and we’re excited about the growth of our students.
“What we see consistently from students K-8, they are thinking critically as readers and they are producing high-quality writing.”
