A Closer Look at RISE Summer School Curriculum
The RISE curriculum is carefully designed to help students SHINE brighter in literacy and math, setting them up for a successful school year. This high-impact summer curriculum is designed to fit the time constraints of summer and aligns with Common Core, state standards, and the science of reading. Our carefully crafted daily schedule includes 90 minutes of dedicated literacy instruction and 75 minutes of engaging math curriculum.
Rise ELA Curriculum
We believe that learning to read should be a joyful journey. The RISE K-2 literacy curriculum fosters confidence and a love of learning through an interactive approach.
As students move beyond the foundational skills emphasized in earlier grades, ELA instruction transitions to strengthening comprehension and analytical skills. This shift recognizes that students need to decode words accurately, engage deeply with the meaning of texts, and develop the ability to think critically about their reading.
RISE's systematic approach to phonics instruction is carefully designed to ensure all students have the opportunity to master foundational reading skills.
RISE Phonics Curriculum Includes:
Explicit Instruction: Teachers clearly explain phonics rules and patterns to students.
Cumulative and Sequential Learning: Phonics lessons in the RISE program follow a logical progression, each building on previously taught concepts.
Multisensory Activities: RISE incorporates visual aids and manipulatives into phonics instruction, creating a multisensory approach that caters to diverse learning styles and makes learning more engaging.
Decodable Readers: These books feature carefully controlled vocabulary and progressively introduced phonics patterns, allowing students to practice their skills in context. At RISE, we believe in the power of engaging stories to support phonics instruction. That's why we use RedThread Readers. These books are more than just practice tools—they're engaging stories that captivate young readers.
Using genre as an inroad, the RedThread Close Reading for Meaning method teaches students to use a symphony of strategies to unpack complex texts that are at or above grade level. This curriculum prepares students to attend to both the essential meaning and the author's craft.
After engaging in a shared experience with their teachers, students are given the opportunity to apply the RedThread Close Reading for Meaning method to a new text, honing their ability to tackle any text confidently and independently
RISE Close Reading for Meaning Curriculum Includes:
Authentic Texts: Each week, students will engage with a carefully selected authentic text—whether a book excerpt, poem, article, essay, speech, or other form of real-world writing. Our goal is to immerse students in the depth and complexity of genuine language, offering them exposure to sophisticated vocabulary, nuanced expression, and diverse viewpoints. By working with texts created for authentic audiences, students will build critical thinking skills, deepen their cultural understanding, and strengthen their ability to navigate the complexities of language and ideas in the world beyond the classroom.
Phonics, Fluency, and Morphology: The lessons include dedicated time for students to focus on text and grade-level-specific concepts like morphology, fluency, and vocabulary, helping them unpack and understand the texts more deeply.
Transferable Questions: Genre-based, transferable questions prompt students to refer back to the text for evidence, fostering a deep understanding of the material and encouraging them to support their thinking with textual evidence.
Building on foundational reading skills, RISE's Author Study and Novel Study component teach students how to be thoughtful, engaged readers. By focusing on a single author or immersing in a complete novel, this literacy block encourages deeper comprehension, vocabulary development, and a love of reading.
RISE Author Study/Novel Study Workshops include:
Responsive Text-Selection: We carefully curate literature that reflects our students' diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our selections showcase the richness of our global society, ensuring children see themselves, their families, and others represented authentically in their summer reading. We actively choose texts free from bias, stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice.
Knowledge Building: We strategically connect the topics in Close Reading to the texts in Novel studies to develop students' vocabulary and deeper understanding of themes, topics, and ideas. This interconnected approach helps students construct meaningful knowledge networks.
Writing Integration: The curriculum includes daily text-based tasks that require students to write about the topic using vocabulary and language appropriate for their grade level. These text-based tasks encourage students to express their thoughts using grade-appropriate vocabulary and language, reinforcing their comprehension and analytical skills.
RISE's systematic approach to phonics instruction is carefully designed to ensure all students have the opportunity to master foundational reading skills.
RISE Phonics Curriculum Includes:
Explicit Instruction: Teachers clearly explain phonics rules and patterns to students.
Cumulative and Sequential Learning: Phonics lessons in the RISE program follow a logical progression, each building on previously taught concepts.
Multisensory Activities: RISE incorporates visual aids and manipulatives into phonics instruction, creating a multisensory approach that caters to diverse learning styles and makes learning more engaging.
Decodable Readers: These books feature carefully controlled vocabulary and progressively introduced phonics patterns, allowing students to practice their skills in context. At RISE, we believe in the power of engaging stories to support phonics instruction. That's why we use RedThread Readers. These books are more than just practice tools—they're engaging stories that captivate young readers.
Rise math Curriculum
The math curriculum maintains a uniform structure across all grade levels, focusing on two core components: story problems and routines.
Story problems are included in the RISE Summer Learning Program to develop students’ understanding of key concepts such as place value, fractions, and proportional relationships. Story problems also allow students to develop their flexibility with operations and their problem-solving skills through solving real-world math problems.
RISE Math Story Problems Curriculum Includes:
Engaging Contexts: Story problems are in familiar contexts, like going shopping, playing sports, or going on a trip. This approach makes the problems more relatable and interesting.
Variety of Problem Types: There are many different kinds of story problems with different actions, situations, and unknowns. Solving different types of standards-aligned story problems allows students to use a variety of strategies to solve any problem flexibly.
Focus on Process and Explanation: RISE emphasizes that it's important not just to get the right answer but also to explain how you got there and what steps you took. This focus on the process helps students understand math better and feel more confident.
Created specifically for RISE, these shorter, structured activities target common gaps in student knowledge and strengthen foundational math skills and concepts, such as counting, operations, place value understanding, and proportional relationships. The routines are designed to build both conceptual understanding and fluency through regular practice.
RISE Math Routines Curriculum is:
Short, Structured, and Targeted activities: Teachers can easily incorporate routines into daily math instruction without consuming excessive time.
Focused on Foundational Math Skills: The routines support students’ conceptual understanding of essential math content that students need in order to be successful in the next grade level.
Designed to Promote Fluency and Accuracy: Regular practice with these routines helps students develop speed and confidence in performing fundamental math operations.
Consistently Structured: The RISE curriculum uses 5 different math routine structures that are consistent across grades and content, making them easy for teachers to implement.
Story problems are included in the RISE Summer Learning Program to develop students’ understanding of key concepts such as place value, fractions, and proportional relationships. Story problems also allow students to develop their flexibility with operations and their problem-solving skills through solving real-world math problems.
RISE Math Story Problems Curriculum Includes:
Engaging Contexts: Story problems are in familiar contexts, like going shopping, playing sports, or going on a trip. This approach makes the problems more relatable and interesting.
Variety of Problem Types: There are many different kinds of story problems with different actions, situations, and unknowns. Solving different types of standards-aligned story problems allows students to use a variety of strategies to solve any problem flexibly.
Focus on Process and Explanation: RISE emphasizes that it's important not just to get the right answer but also to explain how you got there and what steps you took. This focus on the process helps students understand math better and feel more confident.
Curriculum Alignment
The RISE curriculum is strategically designed so it can be used by any educator in any state.
Adapting to State Standards
View More
RISE recognizes that states present standards differently, even when addressing similar concepts. By using "crosswalks," the program translates Common Core-aligned content to specific state requirements.
Focusing on Power Standards
View More
Rather than covering an extensive range of standards, RISE focuses on each grade and subject's most critical skills and concepts. This focus helps students gain deeper mastery within the limited summer timeframe.
Addressing Unfinished Learning
View More
RISE targets standards from the previous grade to bridge learning gaps. For example, students entering 5th grade will engage with 4th-grade concepts, reinforcing foundational skills before tackling new content in the fall.
Aligned to the Science of Reading
View More
Students will receive explicit demonstration and practice in foundational reading skills and as they progress, students will apply background knowledge, gain vocabulary, and make inferential meaning from various texts in multiple genres.
Download Common Core Standards Alignment
Want to see how RISE aligns with your state standards?
Fill out this form for a customized breakdown of how RISE aligns with your state’s specific standards. Our team will provide the resources you need to ensure RISE fits seamlessly into your local curriculum standards.
How RISE Curriculum
Aligns with Year-Round HQIM
| Literacy | Math |
|---|---|
| Evidence-Based Approach: The curriculum is grounded in the science of reading—including a focus on explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. |
Mathematical Reasoning: There are opportunities within every lesson for students to participate in mathematical reasoning, both abstractly and quantitatively. |
| Knowledge-Building: The materials provide a coherent sequence or collection of connected texts that consistently build vocabulary knowledge and knowledge about themes with connected topics and ideas. |
Real-World Application: Students regularly solve problems that connect math to real-world scenarios, using models to explore relationships and variables. |
| Rich, Engaging Texts: Students work with a mix of controlled and complex texts, enhancing vocabulary and comprehension. Materials also include read-alouds to model fluent reading and build background knowledge. | Skill Development: The curriculum focuses on accuracy, efficiency, and recognizing patterns, helping students build a deep, flexible understanding of math concepts through repeated practice and generalizations. |
| Writing Integration: The program includes text-based tasks that require students to write about the topic using vocabulary and language appropriate for their grade level. | |
| Teacher Support: Easy-to-navigate teacher guides offer clear connections between resources and guidance on scaffolding and differentiating complex tasks. | |
| Interactive Learning: Every lesson offers opportunities for students to engage in interactive discussions, make conjectures, defend their reasoning, or examine the reasoning of others. | |
| Clear Instructional Design: It provides age-appropriate, structured lessons with regular assessment opportunities to monitor progress. | |
Evidence-Based Approach: The curriculum is grounded in the science of reading—including a focus on explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Knowledge-Building: The materials provide a coherent sequence or collection of connected texts that consistently build vocabulary knowledge and knowledge about themes with connected topics and ideas.
Rich, Engaging Texts: Students work with a mix of controlled and complex texts, enhancing vocabulary and comprehension. Materials also include read-alouds to model fluent reading and build background knowledge.
Writing Integration: The program includes text-based tasks that require students to write about the topic using vocabulary and language appropriate for their grade level.
Teacher Support: Easy-to-navigate teacher guides offer clear connections between resources and guidance on scaffolding and differentiating complex tasks.
Interactive Learning: Every lesson offers opportunities for students to engage in interactive discussions, make conjectures, defend their reasoning, or examine the reasoning of others.
Clear Instructional Design: It provides age-appropriate, structured lessons with regular assessment opportunities to monitor progress.
Building Bright Futures Together
Together with schools, districts, and funders across the nation, we’re helping students shine bright.
Building Bright Futures Together
Together with schools, districts, and funders across the nation, we’re helping students shine bright.
Spotlight: Summer Discovery and RISE
Spotlight: Summer Discovery and RISE
Ballmer Group partnered with United Way to launch Summer Discovery to address a clear need in Southeast Michigan–a lack of accessible summer learning options for K-8 students.
This initiative provided free, high-quality summer learning programs big and small, from charter schools to traditional districts and community-based organizations.
But what makes a summer program more than just a checkbox on a to-do list?
How do we ensure it leads to meaningful, lasting outcomes for students?
Recognizing the need for impactful summer learning, Summer Discovery partnered with the RISE Summer Learning Program.
Schools receiving funding through Summer Discovery could implement RISE, bringing a structured, engaging curriculum to their students.
Participating schools saw impressive academic growth–16 percentage point growth on the math assessment and a 19 percentage point growth on the ELA assessment.
Testimonial
“This PD was one of the most helpful PDs I have ever attended. High energy and very applicable to my students this summer. The Lavinia Group trainers were passionate, engaging, and experts in their content area”
Caitlin Walther, Math – Baltimore Public Schools
Request More Info
Curious about how the RISE Summer Learning Program can make a difference for your students? Fill out the form below, and our team will contact you.