The Core Knowledge Sequence: Content and Skill Guidelines for Preschool–Grade 8
We at the Core Knowledge Foundation fervently believe that our experience over the past thirty years in championing the use of a coherent, cumulative, content-specific curriculum in schools throughout the United States can be of significant value to states and school districts looking to take the next step forward.
To that end, we offer this updated, 2023 edition of the Core Knowledge Sequence. Our original mission, Excellence and Equity for All Children, remains unchanged. The simple, yet powerful underlying premise of Core Knowledge, that knowledge builds on knowledge, still fuels our mission. Many of the changes made in this latest edition reflect new findings from cognitive research, current standards, and a concerted effort to incorporate more inclusive representation of the peoples and cultures that have shaped the world into what we know today, while still holding true to the idea there is a body of lasting knowledge and skills that form the core of a strong Preschool through Grade 8 curriculum. This includes the fundamentals of science, basic principles of government, important events in history, essential elements of mathematics, widely acknowledged masterpieces of art and music from around the world, and stories and poems passed down from generation to generation. This explicit identification of what children should learn at each grade level ensures a coherent approach to building knowledge across all grade levels, making efficient and effective use of instructional time.
The essential document for any Core Knowledge teacher or school, the 2023 Core Knowledge Sequence is intended to help children establish strong foundations of knowledge, grade by grade. It represents our best effort to identify and describe the specific core of shared knowledge that all children should learn in U.S. schools.
For grades K–8, the Sequence is organized by grade level and, within each grade, by subject. The K–8 Sequence provides a coherent, cumulative, and content-specific outline of specific knowledge and skills to be taught in language arts, history and geography (world and American), mathematics, science, visual arts, and music. You can download a high-level summary of topics in the K–8 Core Knowledge Sequence.
The Preschool Sequence provides model guidelines of fundamental competencies and specific knowledge to build coherent foundations for later learning in kindergarten and beyond. It outlines a cumulative and coherent progression of knowledge and skills in all developmental areas and integrates developmentally-appropriate practices for both content and instruction.The Preschool Sequence is meant for children between the ages of three and five.
We are grateful to those who took the time to provide feedback on our draft sequence and proposed updates. Over the past thirty years, we have been able to refine and fine tune the implementation of Core Knowledge, thanks to the effort and feedback of thousands of teachers who have put the Core Knowledge Sequence into practice in real classrooms with real students. We have attempted to reflect our increased wisdom with regard to effective implementation in this 2023 edition of the Sequence.
