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Over the last few years, schools around the country have made a concerted effort to emphasize character education in curriculum. These efforts can vary from formal curricula to teachers being given a particular virtue or trait to “highlight” that month. In the case of the latter, teachers are often left to find the time and resources to fill a tasked requirement.

As with so much in education, finding a way to meet multiple needs with a single resource can be the key to incorporating the development of character virtues in students while not sacrificing valuable instructional time. This is where using a biography for a read-aloud can be useful.

Developing Students’ Character Virtues

Character virtues can effectively be developed through reading stories to students, especially if those stories are about real people. This idea of instilling the values of a culture through stories is one that can be traced back to Aristotle. He argued that cultural stories hold a power that can inspire emotions and motivations necessary for virtues to develop.

Biographies of historical figures are tools to introduce students to real-life role models for morality and virtues across cultures and throughout history. These accounts can serve as effective educational tools by providing relatable stories of real individuals who faced challenges and overcame them, inspiring students to emulate positive qualities.

Biographical narratives can cultivate empathy and understanding, enhancing students’ sense of connection to historical figures and their struggles. Providing students with exemplar narratives can also give students a glimpse into the good and the bad of a person’s character and their moral development.

The Value of Flawed Heroes

In biographies of historical figures, the main characters are most often portrayed as heroes, even if they are shown to have flaws. This is where inspiring class discussions can take place. Many of these figures are strong moral role models, because they have already overcome their own weaknesses or traits that are perceived as negative.

Having meaningful discussions about historical “heroes” with students can provide an opportunity for them to see how moral characteristics are represented in others while reflecting on how they can improve their own positive character traits and virtues. Within these discussions, it can be acknowledged that even heroes have flaws; it is how you overcome those flaws that is important.

Biographies from The Core Knowledge Foundation

The Core Knowledge Foundation has created its Voices in History series to help teachers and students learn more about famous and not-so-famous historical figures. This series encourages young readers to learn about real superheroes in history. As a result of acts of extraordinary bravery, ingenuity, strength, and determination, these people made a difference and changed the world. Perhaps their remarkable stories will inspire young readers to become the superheroes of the future.

The Voices in History series includes famous figures like Helen Keller, Thomas Edison, and Abraham Lincoln and not-so-famous figures like Toypurina, Federico Fernández Cavada, and Susan La Flesche Picotte.

Each written by an award-winning author, these books are designed to be read independently or read aloud in a classroom setting. The people featured in this series appear in the Core Knowledge Sequence and in the following curriculum programs: CKLA, CKHG, and CKSci.These books are suitable for readers aged 8 and up.

Our approach to curriculum and learning is organized around the idea that what students learn and know at each grade level matters. The Core Knowledge Sequence is a curriculum that represents our best effort to identify and describe the specific core of shared knowledge that all children should learn in U.S. schools.

The Sequence is intended to help children establish strong foundations of knowledge grade-by-grade from preschool through grade eight, whether in a classroom or homeschool setting.

For parents and guardians responsible for their child’s homeschool education, we have guidance available for implementing the Core Knowledge Sequence, as well as resources available for free download.

An Introduction to the Teacher Guide

The Teacher Guide for each unit provides a teacher, whether in a classroom or a homeschool setting, with the details needed to use the curriculum. Key features of our Teacher Guides for CKLA, CKHG, and CKSci include:

  • An introduction to what students will learn and why: Learn about the scope of each unit by reading the Introduction and seeing an overview of what materials you will need to organize in order to implement the unit well.
  • Pacing Guides: Suggested pacing and/or the total length of a unit is outlined in the Introduction section of each unit.
  • Activity Pages: In CKHG and CKSci, these pages are found in the back of the Teacher Guide. While most CKLA units offer activity pages as stand-alone resources, activity descriptions and answer keys are always provided in the Teacher Guide.
  • Lesson Plans: The interior of each Teacher Guide offers step-by-step instructions for what knowledge-based schooling looks like. The lesson plans in each guide offer instructions for activities to do with your children and guiding discussion questions to dig into the content.
  • Guided Reading Support: The Teacher Guides also include prompts and guidance for how to use the Student Book, Student Reader, or read-aloud text with your young readers in order to check for understanding and build literacy skills.

Download Teacher Resources

Implementing the Core Knowledge Sequence for At-Home Instruction

Determine Time Needed for Instruction

The first step for determining your homeschool schedule is to start with a realistic assessment of how much time you can dedicate to teaching your child, or children, each day. While parents and guardians may not be able to provide a typical six-hour school day, keep in mind that working one-on-one or in a small group can be more efficient than a teacher with a large classroom.

Priorities for Grades K–2: Higher Involvement Needed

Next, prioritize areas of instruction within your allotted time. Students in grades K–2, and other beginning readers, will be less capable of working on their own and will require more guidance and attention. At these grade levels, if you are only able to set aside 1–2 hours daily to teach, we recommend that you primarily focus on reading and math instruction.

Priorities for Grades 3–8: Fostering Reading Independence

Students in Grade 3, and above, can often work with some degree of independence. For example, many can read multiple pages or chapters for 15–20 minutes without assistance, and can complete assignments or projects with minimal guidance. As students get older, their attention span and perseverance increase, allowing for longer periods of instruction. Take advantage of this by planning for longer blocks of instruction.

Free Resources Available for Download

You can download and use the FREE materials on a laptop or print out Teacher Guides and Student Books. The Foundation also offers Core Knowledge History and Geography (CKHG) and Core Knowledge Science (CKSci) resources available as affordable Homeschool Sets.  The CKHG and CKSci materials, available for download at no cost, are exactly the same as the print materials offered for purchase.

Other Helpful Tips

  • Download or purchase all of the teacher and student-facing materials in advance. This will provide you with time to preview the Student Book, Student Reader, or Read-Aloud Anthology.
  • Before sitting down with your child to work through each lesson, carefully review the entire lesson so that you are familiar with the content and have all materials readily available.
  • Listen to our Building Knowledge podcast with veteran homeschooler, Julie Freickert. Julie shares what parents should consider when thinking about homeschooling with Core Knowledge as well as discusses the resources available through her “Homeschool Work Plan” website.

Connect with Other Core Knowledge Homeschool Instructors

We have a growing network of more than 1,600 homeschooling parents on our Facebook Discussion Group.

You may also be interested in connecting with us across these social networks:

Links to Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Stay in the Know sign up, and Pinterest

This post is geared toward middle school instruction; if you’re looking for information regarding K-5 instruction, find that post here.

Middle school is a critical stage of academic development, where students transition from the foundational skills of elementary education to the more complex concepts of higher-level learning. In this journey, literacy remains a cornerstone, enabling students to comprehend, analyze, and communicate effectively across all subject areas. We intentionally constructed the Core Knowledge CKLA Curriculum for 6-8 to develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills, while simultaneously building content knowledge. This approach offers a powerful framework to embed literacy skills seamlessly into middle school instruction. As educators and administrators, let’s explore strategies to reinforce literacy in various subjects using the Core Knowledge Curriculum.

1. Interdisciplinary Exploration:

The Core Knowledge Curriculum encourages interdisciplinary connections, emphasizing the interwoven nature of knowledge. Seize this opportunity to immerse students in texts related to the subjects they study. When possible, classroom and special area teachers coordinate the timing of instruction. For example, in grade 7, students learn about the Harlem Renaissance in ELA, and they listen and learn about Jazz and Blues music in music class.

2. Vocabulary Enrichment Reimagined:

Middle school is a time for vocabulary expansion. Leverage the rich vocabulary embedded in the Core Knowledge Curriculum to introduce new words in context. Encourage students to not only learn the definitions in context, using outside resources when necessary, but to also apply them in discussions, written assignments, and presentations across subjects.

3. Writing Integration:

Effective communication through writing is essential. Integrate writing assignments into subjects beyond the language arts class. In science, have students write research papers on scientific phenomena. In social studies, ask them to craft persuasive essays on historical events. This approach reinforces literacy skills while enhancing content knowledge.

4. Literature Across Subjects:

Literature isn’t limited to language arts alone. Infuse literary works into history, science, and other subjects. Analyzing characters, themes, and symbolism across disciplines deepens comprehension and cross connections.

5. Research and Information Literacy:

Middle school marks the beginning of more rigorous research projects. Teach students how to access and evaluate information effectively. This includes identifying credible sources, conducting thorough research, and citing references properly.

6. Debate and Discussion:

Engage students in debates and discussions on controversial topics relevant to their subjects. This develops their ability to articulate arguments, listen actively, and formulate responses—all vital components of comprehensive literacy.

7. Creative Projects with Writing:

Encourage creativity by assigning projects that involve writing. For instance, in art class, students can write artist statements explaining the inspiration behind their work. In mathematics, they can create story problems that require mathematical reasoning and writing.

8. Cross-Curricular Projects:

Foster collaboration between subjects by designing cross-curricular projects. For instance, a project on earthquakes can involve science, geography, and language arts. This holistic approach reinforces literacy while highlighting the interconnectedness of knowledge.

9. Digital Literacy Integration:

Today’s world demands digital literacy. Incorporate technology by having students research and present using digital tools. Teach them to navigate online resources, critically evaluate information, and communicate effectively through digital mediums.

10. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs):

Teachers can collaborate within Professional Learning Communities to share best practices for embedding literacy in their middle school subjects. PLCs also share instructional strategies and resources that enhance learning, design common objectives and assessments that enhance instruction and build equity, and discuss data and how to adjust instruction based on results. This collective effort enhances instructional techniques and supports a unified approach to comprehensive literacy.

Fostering comprehensive literacy in middle school through the Core Knowledge Curriculum equips students with the skills they need to excel academically and beyond. By embracing interdisciplinary exploration, vocabulary enrichment, analytical reading, integrated writing, cross-subject literature, literature circles, research skills, debate, creative projects, cross-curricular endeavors, digital literacy, and collaborative professional development, educators and administrators can guide students towards a future where they are capable of critically engaging with diverse subjects and effectively conveying their insights. Middle school is a pivotal time in shaping well-rounded learners, and the integration of Core Knowledge Approach into instruction paves the way for their success.

This post is geared toward K-5 instruction; if you’re looking for information regarding middle school instruction, find that post here.

As educators, we understand the profound impact that literacy skills have on a student’s academic success and lifelong learning journey. Literacy goes beyond reading, i.e., decoding and understanding a single text,  and writing —it’s about comprehending, analyzing, and effectively communicating ideas across all subject areas. One powerful approach to achieving comprehensive literacy is through the Core Knowledge Curriculum. Developed by the Core Knowledge Foundation, this curriculum framework offers a structured way to infuse literacy skills throughout K-5 instruction, fostering a deep understanding of diverse topics while honing essential reading and writing abilities.

Be sure to check out our FAQs on K-5 CKLA for more information.

1. Embrace Interdisciplinary Connections:

The Core Knowledge Curriculum thrives on interdisciplinary connections, where various subjects are intertwined to create a holistic learning experience. Use this approach to your advantage by encouraging students to read texts related to the subject they’re studying. For example, if the science unit is about animals, provide reading materials on the same topic. If the history class is exploring ancient civilizations, provide reading materials that align with the historical period, building a deeper understanding of the era while honing literacy skills.  This not only reinforces literacy skills but also deepens students’ understanding of the subject matter.

2. Vocabulary Enrichment:

A robust vocabulary is the foundation of effective communication and comprehension. The Core Knowledge Curriculum is designed with rich vocabulary in mind. Make it a practice to introduce new words to students and ensure they understand their meanings within the context of the subject. Encourage students to use these words in their discussions, writing assignments, and even presentations.

3. Close Reading Strategies:

Close reading involves analyzing a text in-depth, focusing on understanding its nuances, themes, and author’s intent. Incorporate close reading techniques across subjects, encouraging students to critically engage with texts. Provide guiding questions that prompt them to explore the text’s structure, tone, and underlying messages.

4. Writing Across the Curriculum:

Effective writing skills are essential for expressing thoughts coherently. Infuse writing assignments into every subject area. For instance, in history, ask students to draft a letter from a historical figure’s perspective. In science, have them write research reports on various topics. This approach not only strengthens their writing skills but also reinforces their knowledge of different subjects.

5. Literature-Based Learning:

The Core Knowledge Curriculum emphasizes the importance of classic literature. Integrate age-appropriate literary works into your lessons. Apart from standalone literature classes, use literary texts to teach history, science, and even art. Encourage discussions about characters’ motivations, settings, and themes to promote critical thinking and literacy.

6. Interactive Notebooks:

Interactive notebooks are a creative way to engage students in active learning and reinforce literacy. Have students create personalized notebooks for each subject. In these notebooks, they can write summaries, reflections, and reactions to what they’re learning. This process helps them process information and express their thoughts effectively.

7. Inquiry-Based Learning:

Encourage curiosity and critical thinking by implementing inquiry-based learning, based on what they are currently reading. Pose open-ended questions that require students to explore and analyze information from various sources. This approach strengthens their research and reading skills as they seek answers and engage with different viewpoints.

8. Socratic Seminars:

Socratic seminars provide a platform for student-led discussions. Select a compelling text related to the subject, and facilitate a discussion where students share their insights, ask probing questions, and build upon each other’s ideas. This approach cultivates strong communication skills and encourages active listening.

9. Cross-Grade Collaborations:

Create opportunities for students of different grades to collaborate on projects. For instance, older students can mentor younger ones in reading comprehension activities. This approach, known to us as the Core Knowledge Sequence, promotes peer learning, fosters a sense of community, and reinforces literacy skills across different age groups.

10. Utilize Technology Wisely:

Integrate technology tools that promote literacy while aligning with the Core Knowledge Curriculum. Explore interactive websites, educational apps, and multimedia resources that enhance students’ reading, writing, and comprehension abilities.

11. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs):

Teachers can collaborate within Professional Learning Communities to share successful strategies for integrating literacy into their subject areas. These communities provide a space for discussing challenges, sharing resources, and refining instructional techniques.

Reinforcing literacy skills across all subject areas and specials through the Core Knowledge Curriculum offers a robust framework for nurturing well-rounded learners. By embracing interdisciplinary connections, vocabulary enrichment, close reading, writing across the curriculum, literature-based learning, guided reading groups, interactive notebooks, inquiry-based learning, Socratic seminars, cross-grade collaborations, technology integration, and collaborative professional development, educators can empower students to excel academically and beyond. As teachers and administrators, your commitment to embedding literacy within the Core Knowledge Curriculum will undoubtedly shape a generation of lifelong learners who are capable of critically engaging with diverse subjects and effectively communicating their insights.

Core Knowledge Foundation and Louisiana Department of Education Partnership Announcement

The Louisiana Department of Education and the non-profit Core Knowledge Foundation® have entered into a partnership to create Bayou Bridges: A K-8 Louisiana Social Studies Curriculum. The materials will be designed to align with the student expectations of the  2022 K-8 Louisiana Student Standards for Social Studies and will be created using criteria similar to the quality indicators of the Louisiana instructional materials review rubric.  Further, these materials will advance Louisiana Literacy by building explicit content knowledge and disciplinary literacy. All units will emphasize primary sources and be reviewed by subject matter experts, typically university professors.

Bayou Bridges: A K-8 Louisiana Social Studies Curriculum will be an Open Educational Resource available for free download and free use non commercially. Low-cost print copies of these materials will also be available for purchase.

Work is underway and all Bayou Bridges units will be posted online on both the Louisiana Department of Education and  Core Knowledge Foundation® sites by June, 2024. Both parties are excited about this partnership and eager to provide high quality instructional materials for social studies.

for Grades 6 – 8

Designed to Build Knowledge and
Skills Systematically & Coherently

Remember–Knowledge Builds on Knowledge!
  • Aligned to the 2023 Core Knowledge Sequence & the CCSS
  • Intentionally constructed to develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, spelling and writing skills, while simultaneously building content knowledge
  • Each unit includes a Teacher Guide, Student Book, Student Activity Book and Teacher Handbook for Working with ELL Students

CKLA Grade 6

Unit 1: Flying Lessons & Other Stories
Unit 2: Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor
Unit 3: The Heritage of Ancient Greece and Rome
Unit 4: The Iliad, the Odyssey, and Other Greek Stories
Unit 5: The Tragedy of Julius Caesar
Unit 6: 90 Miles to Havana
Unit 7: The Blessings of Liberty – Vol. 1
Unit 8: Realms of Gold – Vol. 1

•

Available for Free Download and/or Purchase

CKLA Grade 7

Unit 1: Hello Universe
Unit 2: The Tempest
Unit 3: Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Unit 4: The Time Machine
Unit 5: Realms of Gold – Vol. 2
Unit 6: The Genius of the Harlem Renaissance
Unit 7: Anne Frank’s Tales from the Secret Annex
Unit 8: Code Talker

•

Available for Free Download
Will be available for Purchase February 1, 2023

CKLA Grade 8

Unit 1: In Progress: Short Stories About Young Latinos
Unit 2: Frankenstein
Unit 3: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Unit 4: The Genius of the Harlem Renaissance, Part II
Unit 5: A More Perfect Union
Unit 6: The Squatter and the Don
Unit 7: The Importance of Being Earnest
Unit 8: Realms of Gold – Vol. 3

•

In Development
Will be available May 1, 2023

Robert Pondiscio
9.15.2022

Reposted with permission from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute:
https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/wanted-science-reading-comprehension-movement

Just in the nick of time for the last days of summer beach reading, there were a pair of big stories about reading instruction in TIME magazine and The New Yorker last month. That’s about as mainstream as media attention gets, and signals that maybe the tide really has turned on literacy instruction in American schools. Given the undeniable magnitude of learning loss after three successive school years disrupted by Covid, such a shift couldn’t be more welcome or timely.

A third recent piece got less attention than those other two but deserves no less. Last month, the Knowledge Matters campaign (I was a co-founder in 2015) released a statement from its scientific advisory committee, which rightly lauds the blossoming “Science of Reading” movement as “an important catalyst for improved and more equitable outcomes for all students.” But the statement wisely observes that this laudable and overdue enthusiasm for research-based instructional methods and materials has “often been interpreted far too narrowly as exclusively focused on foundational skills.” The statement continues:

Reading success requires much more than foundational skills. There are
other factors critical for literacy development, including those that address
language, meaning, and communication. Among the most important is knowledge.
Knowledge is necessary to comprehend what we read. Foundational skills are
literally meaningless unless readers can make sense of words and texts. This
sense-making requires knowledge that must be systematically built
(not just activated!) through instructional experiences and curricula that
evoke curiosity and the desire to learn more. In short, knowledge matters.

Regular readers know that I’m a fervent disciple of E.D. Hirsch, Jr., who has articulated a clearer view of educational “equity” than any other researcher or theorist of the last half century. “We will be able to achieve a just and prosperous society only when our schools ensure that everyone commands enough shared background knowledge to be able to communicate effectively with everyone else,” he observed. This is no mere homily. Hirsch’s body of work centers on a simple fact about how language operates: Writers and speakers make assumptions about what their readers and listeners already know, which makes language a kind of shorthand. When those assumptions are correct, communication is fluid and effortless; when they’re faulty, comprehension collapses.

This scientifically unassailable insight, however, has vast and unavoidable implications for K–12 education, for curriculum, and ultimately for the long-term success or failure of the science of reading movement itself. Following the science where it leads suggests that the most important job of public education in a diverse nation is to ensure that every child—rich or poor; Black, White, or Brown—has fair and equal access to the same body of knowledge in history, science, art, and literature. Foundational reading skills are just the starting line of literacy and language proficiency.

Getting to the finish line will be uphill work. Fashionable thought in education practice and policy has long run in the opposite direction, dwelling on socioeconomic differences between students, and nearly fetishizing personalized or culturally-affirming curricular content. Think the “reading wars” pitting phonics against whole language were painful? That was small beer compared to fights over curriculum content. Our reluctance to state what kids need to know surely contributed to the dominance (and failure, mostly) of content-agnostic
“comprehension strategies” instruction and “leveled” reading.

I’ve never given a talk on the importance of building background knowledge to improve language proficiency where someone didn’t ask, “Well, fine. But whose knowledge should we teach?” It’s a question usually aimed at probing for cultural biases in curriculum. University of Virginia cognitive scientist Dan Willingham, one of the signers of the Knowledge Matters statement, has heard the “whose knowledge” question, too. He sympathizes with educators’ reluctance to make decisions that might make people uncomfortable or angry. “But we can’t avoid choosing,” he usually replies. “Doing nothing is a choice and probably the worst one. It leads to incoherence across years which is bad for everyone and worst for children with limited opportunities to acquire background knowledge outside of school.”

Follow the science: If we know that shared knowledge is essential to language proficiency, and that reading comprehension cannot be reduced to an all-purpose suite of “skills and strategies,” then our reluctance to build knowledge in a systematic and coherent way is not merely a poor choice, it’s choosing to impose illiteracy on disadvantaged children. Initiatives like the Knowledge Map project being undertaken at Johns Hopkins under David Steiner (another Knowledge Matters science advisor), which evaluates the content knowledge that an English language arts or social studies curricula reinforces or omit, might offer a way forward to schools, districts, and states squeamish about answering the question of “whose knowledge” is to be taught.

Even careful, sophisticated mainstream media pieces like those in TIME and The New Yorker elide or fail to parse sufficiently the difference between decoding and reading comprehension, or teaching foundational literacy skills and the long-term, patient, and painstaking knowledge-building work needed for language proficiency. I’ve long noted that my fifth grade students in a low-performing South Bronx elementary school could all decode. Yet they struggled with comprehension of what they read. The issue was not lack of student engagement, “culturally relevant pedagogy,” or our failure to get students to fall in love with books, which New Yorker writer Jessica Winter eviscerates as “vibes-based literacy.” It was the inevitable result of an education that was, as I’ve written elsewhere, all mirrors and no windows—a proof point of the caution sounded by Knowledge Matters’s science advisors.

If you’d told me ten or fifteen years ago that educators and state lawmakers would embrace a movement called the “science of reading,” and that hundreds of thousands of teachers would join online forums to learn everything about reading instruction they weren’t taught in ed school, I’d have responded, “Well, great. But not in my lifetime.” So, it’s hard for me to be sanguine that we will develop taste for prescribing content at a time of heightened “culture war” sensitivity.

But neither did I expect the rise of the science of reading movement.

The Core Knowledge Foundation is pleased to announce the development of free, downloadable instructional materials for use by middle school teachers and students. 

Given our mission to advance excellence and equity in education for all children, the instructional materials that the Foundation has developed have been informed by research based findings. As Core Knowledge founder E. D. Hirsch, Jr., explained in Why Knowledge Matters, “Only a well-rounded, knowledge-specific curriculum can impart needed knowledge to all children and overcome inequality of opportunity.” As such, our initial attention focused on creating curricula for students in the early grades.

The Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) instructional materials for Kindergarten–Grade 5 received early recognition as a curriculum that fully exemplified the science of reading, incorporating a strong phonics based program in the early grades with read-alouds designed to develop a coherent, cumulative, and sequenced base of knowledge, on which to build in subsequent years.

Amplify CKLA PreK

But it would, indeed, be shortsighted to think that a strong start in the early grades would be sufficient. Remember, knowledge builds on knowledge. We therefore encourage educators and parents to carefully review and make use of our middle school materials.

Core Knowledge Language Arts
for Middle School

These CKLA middle school materials are being created by the same Core Knowledge Foundation team that developed CKLA K–5.

Grade 6 CKLA was successfully field tested in pilot schools
last year and is available for FREE DOWNLOAD or
PURCHASE as a printed classroom set here.

Please also note that Grade 6 CKLA will be available for a fee as a digital platform for the 2022–2023 school year through Kiddom—a platform that offers additional flexibility, streamlines workflows for teachers and students, and offers data-driven actionable insights that help guide instruction. Would you like to talk about how CKLA Grade 6 + Kiddom could work for your learning community? Click here to schedule a DEMO.

Grade 7 CKLA is in development, with units being posted as they are completed here.
All units will be posted for free download by the end of August. A prepublication sale
will be announced for the purchase of print materials.

Grade 8 CKLA – the Core Knowledge Foundation team will begin development of CKLA Grade 8 in September, 2022. We will post units as they are completed.

Please complete this FORM to receive Grade 7 prepublication sale 
and Grade 8 unit posting announcements.

Core Knowledge History and Geography
for Middle School

Grade 6 CKHG is available for
FREE DOWNLOAD or PURCHASE.

Grade 7 CKHG, a Survey of American History is available for
FREE DOWNLOAD or PURCHASE.

Grade 8 CKHG, a Survey of World History, is currently under development
with completion expected in September, 2022.

Please complete this FORM to receive announcements when all
Grade 8 CKHG instructional materials are posted and/or available for purchase.

Core Knowledge Science for Middle School

These materials are currently under development, with units being posted as they are completed. All units will be posted by mid-July.

GRADE 6 CKSCI UNITS FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

GRADE 7 CKSCI UNITS FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

GRADE 8 CKSCI UNITS FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

Please complete this FORM to receive
announcements when all CKSci 6–8 instructional materials
are posted and/or available for purchase.

Core Knowledge Math for Middle School

These materials are currently under development, with units
being posted as they are completed.

GRADE 6 CKMATH UNITS FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

GRADE 7 CKMATH UNITS FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

GRADE 8 CKMATH UNITS FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

Please complete this FORM to receive
announcements when CKMath instructional materials
for K–8 are posted and/or available for purchase.

Have you ever heard a fellow educator share an experience and thought to yourself, “the same thing happened to me?” While the field of education is often rewarding—observing a student, who struggled, start to make gains, witnessing a steady increase in family and community involvement at school events, collaborating with colleagues to plan and problem solve—for many of us we also encounter challenge and even frustration when our best efforts do not appear to be paying off. Hearing similar stories from other educators, and how they addressed challenges, reminds us that we are not alone in this journey.  Their experiences can inspire our next steps and offer renewed hope that our work can make a difference.

Recognizing the power of these stories, the Core Knowledge Foundation is offering opportunities for you to hear and connect with teachers and leaders who, just like you, experience implementation successes and challenges.

Core Knowledge Leadership Institute

Join us in-person at the Core Knowledge Leadership Institute where you can listen to and interact with leaders who support Core Knowledge implementation at the district, school, and classroom levels. Our speaker and panelists include:

Speaker:

  • Gerald Terrell, former Principal of Cale Elementary School (Albemarle Public Schools, VA)

Panelists:

  • Joy Cantey, Senior Director of K-12 Literacy/MTSS (Guilford County Schools, NC)
  • Lari Dean, Principal of John Adams Elementary (Riverside Unified School District, CA)
  • Susan Kraft, Instructional Coach/Consultant (Milwaukee, WI)
  • Alexis Mays-Fields, Special Education Coach (Center City Public Charter Schools, Washington, D.C.)
  • Stephanie Musser, Chief Executive Officer (Candeo Schools, Inc., AZ)
  • Christie Olsen, Professional Learning Coach (Lake Havasu Unified School District, AZ)
  • Adrienne Williams, Director (Student Achievement Partners)

Visit our Leadership Institute webpage for more details.  In addition to interacting during sessions, the afternoon round tables offer you an opportunity to engage with each of these experienced leaders. You won’t want to miss it!

Core Knowledge Podcast Series “Building Knowledge”

Hear stories from the field on your own time. Last month, we announced the launch of our new podcast series “Building Knowledge.” In addition to speaking with experts and curricula developers, these discussions will also engage school leaders and teachers. Here’s list of our latest interviews:

Casey Churchill, Principal of Liberty Common Elementary School, shares his experience teaching and leading Core Knowledge implementation in a classical school model.

Kelly Romm, 2nd grade Teacher and Core Knowledge Coordinator at Grayhawk Elementary School, talks about how she juggles her dual-positions as well as how her school fosters parent-community partnerships and strong cross-curricular instruction.

Stephanie Musser, CEO of Candeo Schools, Inc., shares her schools’ experience teaching multiple Core Knowledge curricula (i.e., CKLA, CKHG, and CKSci), the strategies she employs to hire the “best” teachers, and the ways in which she cultivates a growth mindset and supports staff in the spirit of continuous improvement.

On Tuesday, March 22, we celebrate the 94th birthday of the founder of Core Knowledge, E. D. Hirsch, Jr.

“Don,” as he is fondly called here at the Foundation, remains a vital and consistent voice of reason, affirming the need for a coherent, sequential, knowledge-rich curriculum as the key to educational equity and excellence.

In a series of books—from Cultural Literacy in 1987 to How to Educate a Citizen in 2020—Don has tirelessly and eloquently made the case that “the unifying aim of early schooling” should be to impart “the enabling knowledge that is possessed by the most successful adults in the wider society.” His newest book, American Ethnicity, will be available in late Spring 2022.

Here at the Foundation, we’re ever grateful for the intellectual leadership Don has provided, and we’re looking forward to new insights and inspiration to come.

To mark this 94th birthday milestone, we are launching the first episode of our new podcast Building Knowledge, with part one of an interview Dr. Hirsch. These podcasts can be listened on the Spotify or iHeartRadio apps or through this link.

New podcasts will be dropping every week ranging from discussions with creators of the Core Knowledge curriculum to interviews with school leaders and teachers discussing a wide range of topics. Don’t miss a single episode by subscribing to podcast today.