Latest Posts
Reading to Learn
Strategies to build a love of learning through content-rich nonfiction
Q&A – Supporting Fluency in K-12 Classrooms
Practical suggestions for focusing on reading fluency
Limiting “Teacher Talk,” Increasing Student Work!
A team of teachers share strategies to increase student ownership in literacy
What Really Counts When We Teach?
What should we look for in powerful classrooms?
A Case for High-Quality Instructional Materials
Because we don’t want to confuse the math teachers…and other reasons we need high-quality instructional materials
Demonstrating Conceptual Understanding of Mathematics Using Technology
Using free recording software to capture students’ solution methods and help teachers reflect on their instruction
STEM Integration in Algebra: A Bridge to Opportunity
Relating mathematical thought processes to those in 21st Century careers
Five Places for Trusted Resource Recommendations
Amid the sea of free online materials and digital applications, here are five places we’d start our search.
Part 7
Empowering Primary Math Teachers
How one school moved from contention to ownership of their math curriculum
Part 1
At the Foundation of Foundational Skills: Structured Phonics
Learn how structured phonics instruction is critical to literacy development and a necessary part of an ELA curriculum
Forming a United Whole – The Coherence Map
A K-12 STEM District Supervisor Explains How He Used the Coherence Map to Improve His District's Math Curriculum
Top 5 Questions About ELA Scaffolding in High School
What do we do when they “don’t get it”?
Top 5 Questions about ELA Scaffolding in Elementary School
Real-world advice for how to scaffold complex text for struggling students
The Wild West of Open Literacy Materials
Identifying and using high-quality, ELA Open Educational Resources successfully
Lessons Learned after Teaching without a Textbook
A high school teacher explores the lessons learned after moving away from a textbook-based curriculum.
Part 6
Math in Focus: The Search for an Aligned Math Program
One district’s implementation of a new elementary math program
Part 5
Navigating the Spiral in Mathematics Textbooks
A classroom teacher and curriculum coordinator describe how they used the spiral design of their textbook to help them focus on creating coherent instruction.
Part 4
Using an EdReports Review to Improve My Math Curriculum
A 5th grade teacher explains how she made small adjustments to improve the Everyday Math Curriculum after identifying its weaknesses.
What Do They Actually Know?
Using mini-assessments to break free of the norm
The Essential Elements of an ELA Curriculum
Standards co-author Susan Pimentel explains how the elements of a high-quality ELA program contribute to student learning. She pinpoints where many current programs are missing the mark.
How to Create Book Baskets
Designing book baskets to boost motivation, enthusiasm and engagement
Using Mini-Assessments in a Professional Learning Setting
How a math coach used mini-assessments to spark conversations with her teachers
Designing Classroom Libraries that Build Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Engagement
The benefits of topic-based independent reading on student motivation
Pinterest: A Useful Tool for the Educator’s Toolbox
Learn how educators can use Pinterest to identify and collect high-quality instructional resources
Part 3
Everyday Math Kindergarten Tips
A kindergarten teacher explains how she adapted some of the Everyday Math Daily Routines to challenge her students more.
Strategies to Support Learners Who Are Below Grade Level
An experienced educator introduces different support methods to allow struggling students to engage with grade-level materials.
Taking Ownership over Assessments – A Case Study in Kentucky
Assessments should align to good standards-based instruction. Instruction shouldn’t align to a bad assessment.
Building a New Curriculum from Existing Materials
Public Prep Charter Schools created a new curriculum based on their teachers’ recommendations. Can you?
Introduction to EdReports
Identifying excellence in instructional materials
Getting to Know Mini-Assessments
Learn about free, high-quality mini-assessments for math and literacy.
Planning for Argument Writing
Learn how to plan effective argument writing instruction
Part 3
Determining Reading Fluency
Learn how to determine a student’s current reading fluency level and pinpoint problems impeding students from becoming fluent readers
Part 2
Everyday Math: Small Routines Build Bigger Understanding
A Kindergarten teacher dives into Everyday Math and finds ways to make minor Routines into Major Work of the Grade practice
Which text set approach is right for you?
Compare the features of popular text set sources
Five APPS to Redefine your Math Class
Focusing on building a student-centered classroom through the integration of apps in the math classroom
Part 1
What is Reading Fluency?
Literacy experts David Liben and David Paige explain the characteristics of reading fluency
Putting Focus into Practice: The Case of Word Problems in Grades K–2
Standards co-author Jason Zimba explains how word problems can build understanding of addition and subtraction.
Introduction to Argument Writing
A long-time middle school teacher and writing expert explains how to design strong writing instruction
Training Materials for the ELA/Literacy IMET
New training modules on the IMET’s Non-Negotiables and Alignment Criteria
Four APPS to Redefine Your Language Arts Curriculum
Focusing on building a student-centered classroom through digital applications
Supplementing Your Curriculum with Knowledge-Building Text Sets
Discover why text sets work and how to use them to build student knowledge
Assessment Item Alignment Modules
Learn how examining assessment items can be a source of professional development and deepen your understanding of the Shifts
The Rectangle Area Formula—How Does Your Curriculum Introduce It?
Standards co-author Jason Zimba unpacks the rectangle area formula and highlights problems with the way textbooks sometimes introduce the formula to students.
Part 2
Adapting Journeys Common Core
A veteran Journeys user shares recommendations to improve basal lessons and better support teachers and students.
Part 2
Piloting New Curriculum Options with Educators
Learn about OUSD’s piloting process and find out what teachers thought of three popular ELA/literacy programs
Lessons from the Fordham Assessment Review
One of the reviewers explains how the assessment review was conducted and what the findings mean for educators and students.
Supporting All Learners with Complex Texts
Strategies to scaffold instruction of Standards-aligned, complex texts
Sitting Beside the Learner: The ‘Me’ in Assessments
Common Core-aligned assessments must capitalize on teacher-student relationships
Part 6
Digging Deeper into SMP 4 – Model with Mathematics
Learn the difference between modeling the math and modeling WITH math
Part 1
Designing a Review Driven by Local Needs
How the Oakland Unified School District designed a teacher-centered materials review selection process
Choosing Alignment over Familiarity
How a district made the decision to select a new textbook provider instead of a long-used vendor
Part 5
Putting the Math Practices into Practice
A K-12 math team collaborated in creating tools about the practices to enhance understanding and planning
Part 4
A Recommendation to Fellow Publishers
The President of Core Knowledge challenges fellow publishers to complete an alignment rubric
Part 4
Digging Deeper into SMP 3 – Construct Viable Arguments and Critique the Reasoning of Others
A math teacher explains how to recognize math tasks that help students craft strong mathematical arguments
Part 5
Unlocking the Power of Aligned Materials
How the Louisiana DOE is developing PD and looking for connections to help all districts maximize the impact of standards-aligned materials
Part 4
What to Do When Curricular Materials for ELLs Are Not Available
Where to look for additional ELL resources to support Common Core-aligned lessons
Part 3
How Core Knowledge Supports CCSS-Aligned Instruction
Core Knowledge's approach to literacy instruction
Part 3
Reason Abstractly and Quantitatively
A math teacher explains how well-designed materials can help students learn to deal with challenging math problems
Part 3
CCSS-Aligned Materials for ELL Students
Where to Find High-Quality Curricular Materials for ELLs in the Public Domain
Part 2
Criteria for Curricular Materials Labeled as Appropriate for ELLs
How to determine whether instructional materials support ELL's needs
Part 1
The Shifts and ELLs
An ELL expert explains what the Common Core means for teachers of English language learners
Part 1
Common Confusions about CCSS-Aligned ELA Materials
Core Knowledge's Linda Bevilacqua explains where purchasers can improve their CCSS understanding to make better decisions
Customizing the IMET PD Training for a Local Setting
A training leader explains how she customized the IMET PD training to better match the professional learning needs of her district’s educators.
Part 1
A Teacher’s Thoughts on the Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum
First grade teacher, Adrienne Williams, describes the strengths and challenges of Core Knowledge Language Arts.
Part 12
Essential Knowledge for Adapting Math Instructional Materials
What do teachers need to know to make decisions about adapting math materials?
Part 11
Supplementing Your Anchor Math Curriculum with Rich Tasks
A New York math specialist explains how he’s enhanced his school’s curriculum with tasks from Illustrative Mathematics.
Part 10
Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching
How building specific mathematical knowledge in teachers can strengthen classroom instruction
Part 9
Creating a Conducive Environment for Teachers to Adapt Materials
An administrator’s guide to promoting teacher innovation
Part 8
A More Powerful Teacher’s Guide
How administrators can help teachers sort through the clutter in today’s math textbooks
Using Flashcards in Math
CCSS author Jason Zimba shares how he uses flashcards with his daughters.
Why We’re Choosing Instructional Materials Blindly
A Brookings Institution report explains how much we DON’T know about instructional materials in use in today’s classrooms.
Part 7
Using Complex Texts with All Readers
A reading interventionist explains the strategies she uses to help struggling readers benefit from complex texts.
Decision-Making that Matters: 10 Ways Teachers Can Impact Curricular Decisions
A high school English teacher shares 10 ways classroom teachers can influence curriculum
Top Five Ways to Improve Your Basal Reading Program
If you’re not satisfied with your current basal reading program, here are five things you can do to improve it.
Top Five Ways to Make the Most of Your Math Materials
If you’re not satisfied with the quality and CCSS-alignment of your existing math materials, here are five tips to improve them.
Choosing Wisely: A Strategic Approach to Curriculum in Duval County
An interview with Dr. Nikolai P. Vitti, Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools
A Publisher’s View on the Changing Instructional Materials Landscape
An interview with Anne Schreiber, Senior VP of Learning Strategies, Renaissance Learning
Training Materials for the Math IMET
New training modules on the IMET’s Non-Negotiables and Alignment Criteria
Part 5
Creating Full-Course Open Educational Resources (OER)
The K-12 OER Collaborative plans to create a year-long open educational resources curriculum.
Part 2
SMP 1: Make Sense of Problems & Persevere in Solving Them
Well-designed materials help students tackle challenging math problems
Part 6
Outcomes of the Adaptation Process
New case studies share a look at the process of adapting math and ELA materials
Part 5
Adapting Basal-Based Literacy Programs
A team of 4th grade educators adapted a Pearson Reading Street lesson to better serve their students and enhance CCSS alignment
Including Tier 2 Vocabulary Instruction in Curricular Materials
Building tier 2 vocabulary is critical to comprehending texts across content areas, yet it often receives insufficient attention in existing curriculum options. What can teachers do to fill the gap?
Creating a Coherent Math Curriculum
The Coherence Map can help you uncover gaps in understanding and find resources to supplement your instructional materials.
Part 1
The Standards for Mathematical Practice & Instructional Materials
What to look for in instructional materials that align to the SMPs
Recognize Alignment
Making the Connection Between Materials and Instruction
Why instructional practice should be at the heart of all instructional materials decisions
Part 5
Most Misunderstood Middle School Mathematics Standards in Grade 7
Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
Part 4
Most Misunderstood Middle School Mathematics Standards In Grade 6
Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
Improve Your Materials
Choosing Text Excerpts for Close Reading
A teacher's recommendations for how to select text excerpts that make students love reading
Effective Reading Instruction
Why a text-centered approach, instead of a strategies-based approach, is more effective
Part 2
Designing High-Quality Writing Tasks
Three steps for creating an effective writing assignment
Conduct a Textbook Review
We’re Bullish on Bookworms
A reflection on the free Bookworms ELA curriculum for K-5
The Connection Between Math Materials and Assessment
What happens when curricula and summative assessments don't match?
Three Ways You Can Improve Your Math Textbook Tomorrow
A mathematics specialist shares quick adaptations you can apply to any textbook to quickly improve it to better serve students.
Understand Aligned Assessment
The Connection Between Math Materials and Assessment
What happens when curricula and summative assessments don't match?
Formative Assessments and Feedback in the Digital Age
How implementing Pear Deck changed my classroom.
Illuminating Interims
What makes a good interim assessment program?