This fall, English Language Arts (ELA) instruction in our elementary classrooms will look different from previous years. After a year of researching, evaluating, and piloting instructional materials, the district will begin implementing Magnetic Literacy, a new English Language Arts curriculum for all kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms.

Like all instructional materials, curriculum is reviewed on a regular adoption cycle to ensure students and teachers have access to high-quality resources that reflect current research and best practices.

Throughout the past school year, a committee of elementary teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators spent months reviewing multiple ELA curriculum options. They attended presentations from curriculum providers, evaluated each program using detailed rubrics, and worked together to identify the resource they believed would best support Turner students. Their recommendation was ultimately presented to and approved by the Board of Education.

As part of the adoption process, the district piloted Magnetic Literacy in twenty-six elementary classrooms during the spring semester. The curriculum was also used during summer school, giving teachers valuable opportunities to experience the program firsthand, provide feedback, and help prepare for its full implementation this fall.

One of the first things pilot teachers noticed was how connected the learning feels. Instead of teaching reading, writing, grammar, phonics, and comprehension as separate skills, Magnetic Literacy weaves everything together through engaging units of study that allow students to build knowledge while strengthening literacy skills.

First grade teacher Kate Kennedy explained, "Our new curriculum has everything tied together to help students learn critical reading, writing, and grammar skills in the context of one area of study. It helps students see how the skills they are learning apply to real life."

Second grade teacher Caroline Clark agreed, "The new curriculum does an exceptional job of interweaving knowledge into phonics and comprehension skills. For example, we did a unit where we learned all about national parks while also practicing vowel teams, main idea, and opinion writing."

Teachers also appreciated the variety of rich texts students experienced throughout each unit. Rather than reading short, disconnected passages or completing isolated worksheets, students spend more time reading complete texts, discussing ideas with classmates, and writing in response to what they have read.

As fifth grade teacher Jillian Daniel shared, "[this] leads to deeper engagement and stronger connections between reading and writing as skills that support each other."

Beyond building literacy skills, teachers found that the curriculum sparked genuine curiosity. Students became invested in the topics they were studying, asked thoughtful questions, continued conversations outside of school, and even brought items from home that connected to what they were learning. "The students get really into the unit topic and the curriculum encourages them to be curious and take their learning beyond the book," said Kennedy.

While teachers agreed the curriculum is more rigorous than what students had previously experienced, they also saw students rise to the challenge.

At first, many students found the increased expectations difficult. They were reading more complex texts, writing more frequently, and engaging in deeper discussions than before. But as the pilot continued, teachers watched students grow in both confidence and independence.

Daniel reflected, "Students noticed right away that the reading was more rigorous than what they were used to, and it pushed them outside their comfort zone, but that's exactly when the real learning happened."

Another highlight of Magnetic Literacy is the way each unit culminates in a meaningful project that allows students to apply everything they’ve learned. Throughout the pilot, students created murals inspired by national parks, designed costumes for readers' theatre performances, and completed writing projects that demonstrated both their literacy skills and their growing understanding of each unit's topic.

For families, the new curriculum may spark more conversations at home. Teachers noticed students talking about their learning outside of school, asking more questions, and becoming genuinely excited to share what they were discovering.

As Turner teachers prepare to fully implement Magnetic Literacy this fall, they recognize that learning a new curriculum is a significant undertaking. At the same time, there is a shared excitement about the opportunities it will create for students.