Recently, I have met a number of district leaders who are committed to using high-quality curriculum, and who have recently selected the Wonders 2020 curriculum – without realizing some of the concerns in the field about the program (as well as other recently-revised basal readers). As such, it feels like a good time to revisit […]| Curriculum Matters
Our community has long preached the importance of pairing high-quality curriculum with professional learning that is specific to those materials, giving teachers the What, the Why, and the How for strong instruction. Research has shown that this approach has a strong evidence base, whereas professional learning alone is unlikely to raise student outcomes. We pair […] The post Curriculum-Aligned Professional Learning at Statewide Scale appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
Tennessee has been in the news this year for our reading progress – well-deserved recognition for a smart strategy, well-executed. As states look for ways to improve reading outcomes, I believe the Tennessee model should be the Go To approach. Here’s why. Tennessee hasn’t just trained teachers, we’ve given them the right tools: curriculum. Teacher […] The post Why Tennessee Should Be the National Model for Literacy appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
Sometimes, a tweet can stop you in your tracks. We had a number of those moments in recent weeks – and we want to make sure that our friends beyond Twitter have a chance to see the special stories coming out of classrooms using high-quality curriculum. Student outcomes move us every time! Jonathan Criswell shared […] The post Curriculum Chatter: Lower Rates of Learning Disabilities, Rich Writing in Science Class, and More appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
It’s too hard to see into classrooms using high-quality curriculum, something we know all too well, because of all of the requests we get to host visitors! Social media can offer an excellent way to glimpse work with high-quality materials, so we have collected some nice illustrations from Twitter in the week-ending October 30th. We […] The post Curriculum Chatter at the Close of October, 2022 appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
In the wake of the troubling EdReports reviews of Fountas & Pinnell and Reading Workshop, many districts are considering a switch away from balanced literacy programs, to materials that better align to reading research. Given the popularity of these programs, many districts worry that this will be a difficult shift to make. Previously, we hosted […] The post The Shift from Fountas & Pinnell to Research-Aligned Reading Instruction appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
Dr. Alfred Tatum believes advanced reading and writing has become taboo – especially for Black boys. He seeks to refocus on the life of the mind in elementary schools. How do we refashion classrooms as intellectual spaces, and writing as an intellectual exercise, beginning in the elementary years? Tatum brings fresh evidence to these questions […] The post Teaching Black Boys in Elementary Grades – a Conversation With Dr. Alfred Tatum appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
Amidst growing critique of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Program ‘Units of Study’ materials, the authors have announced that a revised version will be available for purchase for the 2022-23 school year. The nature of the revisions has been somewhat unclear, and many in the field have raised questions. This webinar unpacks the changes […] The post Revisiting Concerns About Reading Workshop appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
Recently, I have met a number of district leaders who are committed to using high-quality curriculum, and who have recently selected the Wonders 2020 curriculum – without realizing some of the concerns in the field about the program (as well as other recently-revised basal readers). As such, it feels like a good time to revisit […] The post As More Districts Choose Wonders, We Should Revisit Basal Bloat appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
This blog series shares the curriculum implementation journeys of districts across the country, through interviews with each of our squad members. In your district, what problem or data prompted you to adopt a new literacy curriculum? How did you hope the curriculum you chose would help you address it? We are a school district operating […] The post A Work in Progress, Focused on Equity: The Richmond Curriculum Journey appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
The creative professional learning approaches in Aldine and Sumner County have been earning cheers in social media, and we want to learn more! Each district is refining a model that we can all borrow. In Aldine ISD, grade level teams have been doing Lesson Rehearsals, allowing each teacher to try out his or her instructional […] The post Level Up Professional Learning appeared first on Curriculum Matters.| Curriculum Matters
