English Language Arts
About the Literacy Framework
Joliet Public Schools District 86 believes that well-designed curriculum and sound instruction are the hallmarks of a high-quality education. To articulate the District's approach to the English Language Arts curriculum, instruction, assessment, materials/resources, and organization, the Literacy Framework has been developed. The Joliet Public Schools District 86 Literacy Framework consists of eight core components: Speaking & Listening Skills, Phonological & Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, Writing, Building Knowledge, and Comprehension. These components work together to achieve the goal of our English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum program: for students to read, understand, critically examine, and express their understanding of complex text independently and develop a love and passion for reading.
Elementary Literacy FrameworkJunior High Literacy FrameworkClick here or the image above to learn more about the Literacy Framework and the eight components for elementary classrooms.Click here or the image above to learn more about the Literacy Framework and the six components for junior high classrooms.
About the Core Materials
In August of 2022, after a year-long pilot, Joliet Public Schools District 86 began implementing Wit and Wisdom and StudySync as the core curricula. When choosing the core curriculum, the selection team worked to ensure that the programs and materials supported the designed Literacy Framework and were:
of high interest,
diverse in authors,
diverse in their representation of culture, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, sexual identity, size, gender, and any other factor related to individual identity, and
intertwine the National Reading Panel's five components of effective reading instruction: phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension (2000 National Reading Panel Report).
Elementary Classrooms
In the elementary classrooms, Wit & Wisdom, FUNdations, and Geodes are the core programs for English Language Arts instruction. To learn more about these wonderful programs, please use the links below.
Junior High Classrooms
In the junior high school classrooms, StudySync is the core English language Arts (ELA) program, and Wit & Wisdom is used in the advanced ELA classrooms. To learn more about these wonderful programs, please use the links below.
Grade-Level Wit & Wisdom Tips for Parents
Click here to visit the company's webpage with video and information about the program.