Heinemann Community –
There is no question that K-12 education in America is undergoing a sea change. The pandemic not only widened existing achievement gaps, but accelerated the use of digital tools in classrooms, drove new legislation across the country to shape the instruction students receive, and hastened the rise of generative AI tools along with a widespread debate about the appropriate use of this technology in schools and universities. As an organization, we have been dedicated to working alongside teachers in the classroom for more than 40 years. Heinemann is navigating these changes to support educators and students and to create resources that harness the power of technology, allowing teachers more time to do what they do best: Forge connections with students and help unlock their learning potential.
A little over a year ago, I shared with you a vision for the future of Heinemann that outlined a path forward for our company by focusing on three areas: strengthening and diversifying our resources, modernizing our approach to professional learning, and accelerating our digital transformation. As we continue into 2024, I’d like to share with you the work Heinemann has done so far to advance this vision, as well as some exciting projects we’ll launch this year in support of teachers and students.
Strengthen and Diversify Our Resources
We’ve ensured that our flagship literacy products continue to be grounded in the latest research and focused on being user-friendly for teachers, including the addition of new digital tools. In 2023, we began the release of the second edition of Fountas & Pinnell Classroom, providing additional foundational skill instruction and application, updated lessons, a 180-day implementation plan, and further clarity on the appropriate use of strategies to develop reading comprehension as part of a comprehensive approach to literacy. We also released a new edition of the Units of Study in Writing K-2, and this summer we plan to release Writing Units 3-5 that will incorporate generative AI to help enhance the breadth and depth of teacher feedback on student writing.
We are also pleased to welcome an updated Saxon® Phonics and Spelling to the Heinemann Literacy portfolio with new digital tools, assessments and reporting capabilities as well as an increased focus on phonological awareness and decodable text. New implementation pathways will make it easier for teachers to provide a targeted, explicit, systematic foundational literacy program that complements Heinemann’s other inquiry-based, responsive approaches to literacy instruction.
In 2023, we introduced the Math@Heinemann brand, offering research-backed, inquiry-based curricular solutions. This portfolio now includes core, supplemental, and intervention programs, assessment, teacher support, and professional books from the nation’s leading math experts and educators. And we announced the launch of the AI-driven math solution Matific for U.S. schools. This game-based, supplemental resource for K-6, grounded in rigorous pedagogy, will now be integrated with Heinemann’s Do The Math and Math Expressions programs.
Modernize Our Professional Learning
This past year, we’ve worked to provide multiple ways for educators to engage with our professional learning content, from books to podcasts and videos, as well as through more robust course and coaching offerings. In August 2023, we launched a commuter podcast series, offering curated segments from Heinemann’s audiobook library with practical, easy-to-implement ideas that teachers can use in their classrooms right away—from guidance for creating a classroom where all students feel valued to lessons for specific reading strategies.
Our Professional Books have long been at the center of Heinemann, providing both a foundation for growth and an opportunity to learn alongside industry thought leaders. This year, we announced the acquisition of a new professional book on transforming teacher practice from bestselling author Chris Emdin, which is set to publish in 2025. In addition to publishing a robust list of new professional books from leading voices each year, we’ll be creating multimedia opportunities for educators to engage in an immediate and productive way with diverse experts and authors to meet their professional learning needs.
Our Professional Services team continues to ensure educators have a strong start with their Heinemann resources as well as rich opportunities to engage in year-round learning. In 2023, instructional coaches not only provided initial implementation training for all teachers with new Fountas & Pinnell, Saxon or Heinemann math programs, but also delivered program-aligned courses on high-interest, high-impact topics and personalized, job-embedded coaching sessions to help educators deepen their practice and achieve their classroom goals. In 2024, we’re excited to offer schools new live online courses designed to power up their professional learning communities with rich, shared learning experiences. These courses focus on proven growth drivers in the classroom, like implementing science-based reading practices, engaging students with math discourse and addressing the social-emotional needs of learners.
Accelerate Our Digital Transformation
We launched our digital platform Heinemann Flight at the end of 2022 to provide seamless digital access to educators using Heinemann’s resources.
Since then, we have continued to add capabilities and have increased administrator access through a revamped license allocation experience. As we move further into 2024, new digital products like Matific, Units of Study in Writing 3-5 and Saxon® Phonics and Spelling will also be integrated into the Heinemann Flight platform. To support these additions, we’ll be creating a new navigation experience that will allow teachers to move seamlessly between products via a teacher dashboard with access to classes and assignments, all designed to save a teacher time and provide a personalized experience. We’ll also be adding AI capabilities within the platform centered around writing instruction, allowing teachers to provide deeper feedback in real time to increase student engagement and success.
We are proud of the work Heinemann has accomplished in this last year, and I continue to be excited about the transformation underway in 2024 – we’re evolving into a new version of ourselves, with increased capacity to help educators and students meet the challenges of our times. What remains constant is our dedication to teachers as the most critical component of academic success.
Together in teaching and learning,
Matthew Mugo Fields
