Lerner Publishing Group, a leading publisher of K-12 educational materials, is launching Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s Genius and Joy curriculum in Summer 2026. This new supplemental curriculum for Grades K–5 is grounded in Dr. Muhammad’s Five Pursuits Framework, a research-based educational model that enhances student engagement and intellectual growth.
Introduction to the Genius and Joy Curriculum
The Genius and Joy curriculum prioritizes academic rigor by developing literacy skills, building subject area knowledge, and centering students’ learning experience on joy. Dr. Muhammad’s Five Pursuits framework of Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality, and Joy is a research-based instructional approach that enhances student engagement and achievement.
According to the report, the framework has led to measurable gains in the Lemon Grove School District in California, where Black and African American students have consistently increased their academic achievement, even surpassing the overall student population in English Language Arts proficiency.
Impact of the Five Pursuits Framework
Multilingual Learners (MLLs) in the district have experienced a tripling in reclassification rates, reflecting the effectiveness of equity-centered, data-informed practices that align with the framework’s core tenets. Schools and districts across forty-three states have implemented the Five Pursuits Framework into their instructional practices.
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad said, “I wanted teachers to see curriculum as the stories we teach and tell, as the world around us, and as the legacy that we leave in the lives of our children.”
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The Genius and Joy Curriculum provides easy-to-implement approaches and strategies that include space within the learning experience where students can live out and discover their fullest potential. Joy is a safe and creative space to be free—free to learn, free to dream, and free to be.
Key Features of the Genius and Joy Curriculum
Through powerful stories and dynamic activities, every lesson is designed to spark curiosity, encourage inquiry, and build students’ confidence in their own unique brilliance. The five pursuits—identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy—of the HILL model are intended to teach the whole student and honor the goals of genius and joy.
Adam Lerner, Publisher and CEO of Lerner Publishing Group, said, “We know that true learning happens when students see themselves in the material, feel their voices are valued, and are encouraged to think critically about the world around them.”
Genius and Joy will be available for purchase through Lerner Publishing Group starting Summer 2026, accompanied by professional development resources to help educators implement the framework effectively.
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