Coming for Back to School: Imagine MyPath Content Refresh 

Imagine MyPath

June 2025

Imagine MyPath Grow Bot with small flower hat

Improved engagement for grades 6–12

All middle and high school math and reading lessons will feature modernized content. The core lesson structure and sequence will remain unchanged, ensuring continuity while enhancing engagement. 

Imagine MyPath Grow Bot with small flower hat
Imagine MyPath Grow Bot with big flower hat

Science of reading content refresh

Updated K–3 lessons in Imagine MyPath Reading better align with science of reading principles, strengthening foundational reading instruction. In response to state legislation, we have removed three-cueing methodology, ensuring our content meets educational requirements while providing clear, research-based instruction. 

Coming for Back to School: Imagine Sonday System Updates

Imagine Sonday System

June 2025

Imagine Sonday System E

Science of reading expansion

New science of reading activities are now available across all Essentials levels, with targeted vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency exercises that complement core phonics instruction. 

Enhanced performance and accessibility for digital content

Imagine Sonday System 1 & 2

Slides throughout Imagine Sonday System 1, 2, and Essentials have been upgraded to HTML format for faster loading and the inclusion of ADA compliance features, including alt text and updated fonts. 

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Improved support

The new Help Center replaces the Support site to improve navigation and level of detail in support documentation. Static PDF User Guide content on the current digital site will be repurposed and is now housed dynamically in the new Help Center. 

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New URLs for digital

Teacher and administration platform URLs will now reflect Imagine Learning branding and be found at imaginesonday.com (old URLs will redirect automatically, but we recommend updating bookmarks). 

Coming for Back to School: Updates to Imagine+ Screener, Formerly EarlyBird 

Imagine Plus Screener

June 2025

Whoo Hoo Pip

Upcoming enhancements

  • Grade 3 assessment to expand early literacy screening  
  • Mic check and device troubleshooting streamline testing process  
  • Major enhancements to Kindergarten assessment  
Whoo Hoo Pip

June 23, 2025 9:03 am

Imagine Learning Partners with School District of Philadelphia to Host Summer Institute and Boost Student Literacy

The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) will support 1,050 educators with science of reading literacy training and resources, leveraging Imagine Learning EL Education

Philadelphia, PA — June 23, 2025 — Imagine Learning, the nation’s largest provider of digital-first curriculum solutions, announced today its continued involvement in the School District of Philadelphia (SDP)’s Summer Institute, taking place June 23–27, 2025. This multi-day professional learning experience will equip 1,050 educators and administrators with best practices for implementing high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) in classroom instruction for the upcoming school year.

Now in its second year, the Summer Institute will nearly double the previous year’s participation and underscore SDP’s systemwide commitment to improving literacy outcomes. In partnership with Imagine Learning EL Education, the training delivers the tools and in-depth support educators need to make instruction more engaging, effective, and equitable for all students.

The hands-on feedback and classroom insights from SDP educators will directly inform Imagine Learning’s ongoing evolution of its implementation strategies, educator supports, and product development, ensuring our solutions continue to meet real classroom needs at scale.

“SDP’s commitment to academic achievement goes beyond test score performance — we want our students to feel empowered, engaged, and confident in their literacy skills,” said Tony B. Watlington, Sr. Ed.D., Superintendent of the School District of Philadelphia. “We are eager to continue implementing practices, like the science of reading principles and Imagine Learning’s EL Education, to make instruction more personalized and learning more equitable for educators and students alike.”

“At Imagine Learning, our mission is to support educators so they feel empowered and prepared to help every student on their unique learning journeys,” said Kinsey Rawe, EVP & Chief Product Officer. “We’re proud to partner with the School District of Philadelphia on the Summer Institute and collaborate on this critical work.”

In celebration of student success, SDP, Imagine Learning, and the Free Library of Philadelphia will also co-host a recognition dinner honoring 15 students in grades K–8 for outstanding EL Reading projects. These students exemplify the impact of high-quality, evidence-based instruction and the potential of every learner.

About Imagine Learning

Imagine Learning creates K–12 learning solutions that support the boundless potential of students in more than half the districts nationwide. Empowered with data and insights from educators, we innovate to shape the future of education with a robust, digital-first portfolio of school services and core, courseware, and supplemental solutions. Imagine Learning. Empower potential.® Learn more: imaginelearning.com.

About the School District of Philadelphia

The School District of Philadelphia is the eighth-largest school district in the nation and the largest school district in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Enrollment includes nearly 198,000 students in public, charter, and alternative schools, and approximately 19,000 employees. Under the leadership of Superintendent Dr. Tony B. Watlington Sr., the School District’s vision is to prepare students to imagine and realize any future they desire. For more information about the School District, visit www.philasd.org.

New Imagine Sonday System 2 Readers

Imagine Sonday System

May 2025

Help students practice decoding chapter books at their reading level

New decodable readers aligned with levels 6–34 of Imagine Sonday System 2 and advanced levels of Imagine Sonday System 1 are now available. With three chapter-format stories each, these readers help students practice accurate, fluent decoding at their current reading level. Each set includes an activity guide for vocabulary and comprehension. Readers are directly integrated into Imagine Sonday System 2 lessons as additional guided reading options for Step 6 (Read Aloud). Students can access readers independently, as a class, or even at home.  

Imagine MyPath Grow Bot

Imagine MyPath Formatives Library Expansion

Imagine MyPath

May 2025

More formative assessments available 

76 new formatives have been added across language arts (48) and math (28), offering expanded grade-level coverage in foundational areas, such as vocabulary, grammar, geometry, data, and operations, along with enhanced support for early grades (K–3) and upper grades (6–8) with skills aligned to classroom instruction and state standards. 

Imagine MyPath Grow Bot

New Imagine Math Live Teaching Summer Hours

Imagine Math

May 2025

Access live support all summer long 

Imagine Math Teacher Scheduling
Learn More

Imagine EdgeEX: Section Gradebook Now Available 

Imagine EdgeEX

May 2025

Track progress for all section enrollments

Educators can now easily see progress, take action, and download the grading information for all enrollments in a section with the Section Gradebook. 

Learn More
Imagine EdgeEX Section gradebook

May 15, 2025 6:47 pm

7 Fun and Simple Ways to Encourage Reading at Home and in the Classroom

Struggling to get students to read for fun? This blog post shares seven creative tips for educators and families to make reading a joyful habit both in school and at home. From library cards to daily reading routines, discover easy strategies to boost literacy and engagement.

From building vocabulary and attention spans to increasing empathy, it is common knowledge, especially in the education field, that reading for pleasure provides us with so many benefits. But did you know that it can help alleviate depression symptoms and even make you live longer? (BRB while I go find a new book to read.) 

Unfortunately, students today are consuming media tailored to short attention spans and designed to keep them glued to their screens — making it a monumental task to get them to see reading as “fun.” 

Since longevity and mental health might not be the right angles to convince elementary (or even high school) students to read more, read on for some ideas for both educators and families with this shared goal. 

Four Tips to Encourage Reading for Fun (Educators) Assessment is essential for guiding instruction, but they don’t all serve the same purpose.

1. Help students get library cards

As part of back-to-school prep (or whenever the mood strikes), make a quick trip to your local library to grab a pamphlet with instructions for opening a library card. A lot of times, they’re even in the form of a bookmark — bonus! Check with the librarian to see if they can get you enough copies for your classes or even a poster you can hang on your classroom wall. Also, ask how many books a student can check out at once — being able to walk out with a stack of 30 books (some libraries even go up to 100) might be a selling point.  

2. Check that each student has an independent reading book (if not, lend them one) 

Whether independent reading is part of class time or solely for homework, consider making getting a book its own homework assignment. Some students may not have books they like at home, so in that case you can tap your library card poster (see tip #1), set up a class trip to the school library, or allow students to borrow books from your own classroom library. Either way, they may need some guidance around choosing a book in the first place — something I learned with my reluctant high school readers was to find out what movies or TV shows they like and help them find similar books.  

Hint: your reading curriculum may have a digital library of books that students can access at home, like Imagine Language & Literacy’s Seuss Corner. 

3. Choose read-aloud books that are part of a series

If reading aloud is part of your classroom routine, book choice is crucial. Of course, choose something high interest and age and reading-level appropriate, but also consider selecting the first book in a series. Once you get students hooked on the first book, they may want to keep reading the rest of the series on their own.

4. Hold a classroom contest 

I know what you’re thinking: we want students to be intrinsically motivated to read. While I whole-heartedly agree with that, sometimes a little extrinsic motivation can serve as a jumping-off point. It can be something as simple as a class goal for number of books read each month or semester to earn a reward or as ambitious as a competition between classes for a pizza party, but a contest can go a long way toward motivating students to read outside of class. 

Supporting reading at home 

It can be hard for families to know how to encourage their students to read at home. While educators can only control what happens in their classrooms, here are some ideas to suggest to families in school- to- home communication: 

Three Tips for Families to Encourage Reading at Home 

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Model reading yourself 

The next time you take your child to the library or bookstore, grab a book for yourself, too. Make sure your child sees you reading it. As much as we don’t want them to sometimes, children learn from watching and mimicking their caregivers. If they see you reading as a regular part of your day, they’re more likely to make it part of theirs. 

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Read
the world  

This tip doesn’t require books at all! When you’re out and about as a family, take the time to read your surroundings. You’ll be surprised at how much language there is to explore. From street signs and business names to local event posters and menus, encourage your child to find words they know and use them to develop a deeper understanding of their location.  

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Have dedicated reading time each day  

It might seem daunting with full-time jobs and extra-curriculars to juggle, but setting aside even 10 minutes a day for reading can really make a difference in developing good habits. Maybe after dinner you turn on some instrumental music and read in the living room for 15 minutes. Or for younger kids you can work reading into their bedtime routine. (Older kids can do this too, but they may feel they’ve outgrown a “bedtime routine”).  

While convincing students that reading might help them live longer or feel happier may not always work, small, intentional actions from educators and families can plant the seeds for a lifelong reading habit. Whether it’s a book that mirrors their favorite show or a quiet 10-minute routine at home, these simple steps can help students rediscover that reading is fun — and who knows, maybe even life-changing. 

About the Author – Ally Jones

Ally Jones is a former high school educator who specialized in teaching English language learners. Outside of education, she is passionate about fitness, literature, and taking care of the planet for her son’s generation.

May 14, 2025 12:56 pm

3 Tips to Take the Stress Out of Summer School Planning 

Teaching summer school? These three practical tips will help you plan efficiently, support your students, and still make time to enjoy your summer break.

It’s that time of year again — when teachers and students alike are starting to feel the exciting pull of summer break. But you may not share that feeling if you’re teaching summer school this year. 

Taking time to plan now will help make sure things run smoothly and have you sitting by the pool with a good book in no time.  

Here are three ideas to get your summer planning started on the right track: 

1. Rely on curriculum you already have 

Before you put “summer school lesson plans” into your favorite search engine and embark down the rabbit hole of downloadable worksheets that almost fit your needs (with a few easy tweaks that end up taking hours of your time), pause for a moment. Consider starting with the curriculum you use for daily instruction. You already know it’s aligned to your standards, plus both you and your students are familiar with it.  

If you have a supplemental program that you haven’t used as much this year, that’s another great place to look for summer inspiration. While you and your students know how the program works, it will feel new and fresh for summer if it wasn’t used for daily instruction throughout the year.  

Tip: Check for a shortened scope and sequence or abbreviated unit plans — these are often perfect for summer school. Imagine Math even has summer pathways designed to prepare students for the next grade level. 

2. Be realistic about time 

Summer school is typically 4–6 weeks long, which is shorter than the typical grading period during the school year. Depending on what grade level you’re teaching, you may be required to get through a certain amount of material by the end of the summer term. This can result in feeling pressured to cram in as much instruction as possible.  

There are ways to cover the most important (and required) standards without overwhelming yourself and your students. If you’re following a shortened scope and sequence (from tip #1), great. If not, choose the standards most important for your students — maybe one per week of instruction — and focus only on those.  

Tip: Establish a simple routine that is the same each day to maximize your class time.  

3. Make it fun 

Students aren’t often itching to go to summer school when they could be playing with friends or relaxing at home. For that reason, taking steps to make learning fun can go a long way. I know this seems to go against tips 1 and 2, but there are ways to add fun without adding work.  

Consider taking a page from the summer camp book and having a theme for each week. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. An ocean theme could mean the text you’re focusing on is loosely related to the ocean or the science lab is related to water properties.  

Going back to tip #2, add a daily or weekly time slot for a game of some kind. The game can change each day or week, or you can even use something like Kahoot or bingo to serve as an exit ticket (formative assessment and fun all at once!). 

Tip: No time to add themes or create games? No worries. See if you can do part of your lesson outside and let students enjoy the summer weather while reading or working independently.  

With a little thoughtful planning, summer school can be both manageable and meaningful. Stick to what works, keep it simple, and don’t forget to have a little fun along the way — you’ve earned it. 

Ready for more summer school inspiration?

Check out our summer learning guides to keep planning.  

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