Instructional Materials

Read more about the materials that are used to help students learn the curriculum
Wed., October 21, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Teacher Adam Gravenor hands out lesson sheets he created with the help of AI technology to accompany the class textbook at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025.
Teacher Adam Gravenor hands out lesson sheets he created with the help of AI technology to accompany the class textbook at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025. More teachers are using AI to generate decodable texts and other tailored reading, and not much research points to best practices.
RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Artificial Intelligence Using AI-Generated Text in Reading Class? Watch for These Pitfalls
Not all AI tools are equally skilled at crafting texts for teaching, studies have shown.
Sarah Schwartz, September 9, 2026
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4 min read
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO- NOVEMBER 17: Teacher Adam Gravenor uses AI technology to assist his instruction at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025.
Teacher Adam Gravenor uses AI technology to assist his instruction at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Nov. 17, 2025. As AI continues to enter the classroom, some teachers are using both general tools and those provided by educational publishers to generate "decodable" text to supplement phonics lessons, or texts of varying complexity.
RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Reading & Literacy More Kids Are Learning to Read on AI-Generated Text. What Are the Pros and Cons?
AI tools can easily create practice passages. Are they comparable to those written by humans?
Sarah Schwartz, August 27, 2026
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8 min read
Conceptual image of gears drawn in flowing line art being tethered together and a lasso bounding box.
Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty
Curriculum Q&A Should State Boards Have More Oversight of Curricula?
A more active role would help schools select strong, research-based curricula, an expert argues.
Evie Blad, August 17, 2026
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5 min read
Julie Celestial, center, teaches her kindergarten class a literacy lesson at Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach, California on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 . A new bill could change how literacy is taught in elementary schools by providing transitional kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers with training and textbooks that stress what's known as science of reading, an approach to literacy that focuses heavily on phonics and foundational reading skills to combat California's literacy crisis. Though other states have shifted to this evidence-based reading, California's reading instruction has largely been left to the control of school districts, many of which have not made the switch. The school has begun their shift to a science of reading approach and are seen as an example for other California districts.
Julie Celestial, center, teaches her kindergarten class a literacy lesson at Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach, Calif. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Proponents of a "speech-to-print" phonics approach say it works more efficiently than other methods. But research evidence is inconclusive.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via TNS
Reading & Literacy What is 'Linguistic' Phonics and Why Are Some Schools Adopting It?
A new question is emerging in the "science of reading": Is one type of phonics instruction better than another?
Sarah Schwartz, August 7, 2026
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8 min read
Reading & Literacy Spotlight From Teacher Overload to Literacy Impact
New research, literacy shifts, and teacher support strategies are reshaping instruction and classroom practice nationwide.
July 15, 2026
Children look at the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the lyrics of the American national anthem, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Washington.
Children look at the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the lyrics of the American national anthem, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History on June 10, 2025, in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
Social Studies Trump Admin. Calls Popular Smithsonian History Teaching Materials 'Radical'
The White House criticized the Smithsonian's classroom lessons. But some teachers say the materials are invaluable.
Sarah Schwartz, July 14, 2026
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5 min read
Connecticut passed legislation requiring public preschools and kindergartens to provide play-based learning during the school day.
Connecticut passed legislation requiring public preschools and kindergartens to provide play-based learning during the school day.
Victor J. Blue for Education Week
Early Childhood Video How Play Carts Can Transform Early Education
Play carts make it easy to follow Connecticut’s play-based learning mandate.
Marvin Joseph, July 13, 2026
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1 min read
MJ20813
Details of math homework photographed in Annandale, Va. on June 8, 2026. Many teachers use multiple math programs in their classrooms—and the content doesn't always line up.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Mathematics Teachers Want Their Math Curricula to Do More. Here's How
The Gates Foundation has awarded several grants focused on instructional "coherence" in math.
Sarah Schwartz, July 1, 2026
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5 min read
20250205 AMX US NEWS NEW DATABASE LOOK UP K5 1 PO
An educator at Holcomb Elementary School in Oregon City, Ore. works with students on phonics and phonemic awareness on Feb. 5, 2025. New studies point to the mix of factors teachers should consider when selecting texts for students.
Julia Silverman/OregonLive.com via TNS
Reading & Literacy How Should Teachers Select Books for Young Readers? (Hint: It's Not Just Decodability)
Three new studies offer clues about what makes texts easier and harder for young students to read on their own.
Sarah Schwartz, June 12, 2026
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5 min read
The State Board of Education meeting room is pictured on Sept. 26, 2022 inside the William B Travis Building (which houses the Texas Education Agency) in downtown Austin, Texas .
The Texas State Board of Education meeting room is pictured on Sept. 26, 2022, inside the William B. Travis Building in downtown Austin, Texas. The board will vote later this month on revised standards and a required reading list that include biblical passages.
Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
States Texas Considers a Bigger Role for Christianity in Schools This Month. Here's How
The state board will vote on a required reading list that includes biblical passages.
Silas Allen, The Dallas Morning News, June 5, 2026
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7 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Letter to the Editor Classic Literature Has Value in English Classes
A letter to the editor pushes back on the argument that classic literature is boring.
May 29, 2026
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1 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Social Studies Opinion Reading Scores Are Awful. Can Teaching History Help?
A curriculum expert explains why teaching context is key to student learning.
Rick Hess, May 26, 2026
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9 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Mathematics Opinion Why There’s Still No ‘Science of Reading’ Equivalent for Math Instruction
A leading curriculum designer lays out the biggest problem in math instruction today.
Rick Hess, May 19, 2026
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10 min read