Instructional Materials

Read more about the materials that are used to help students learn the curriculum
3D digital illustration of an AI robot representing an small child learning to read.
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Artificial Intelligence AI Tutors Are Now Common in Early Reading Instruction. Do They Actually Work?
AI reading tutors are only now being studied, and raise difficult questions about how to judge efficacy.
Sarah Schwartz, November 20, 2025
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7 min read
First grader Aizlynn Castillo works on an assignment in Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s English learner class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025.
First grader Aizlynn Castillo works on an assignment in Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s English-learner class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio on Sept. 3, 2025. The school district has embraced the "science of reading" and is applying it to instruction for English learners and in dual-language programs.
Noah Devereaux for Education Week
English Learners How One District Approaches the 'Science of Reading' With English Learners
Leaders shared three guiding principles in a recent Education Week virtual event.
Sarah Schwartz, October 28, 2025
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4 min read
Timothy Rimke reads during Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025.
Timothy Rimke reads during Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025. Some observers of English/language arts curriculum fear that several growing in popularity subordinate the reading of novels and whole texts to shorter excerpts, but the evidence is still sketchy.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Reading & Literacy Novels vs. Excerpts: What to Know About a Big Reading Debate
Here are three core things to keep in mind about new evidence on the texts used in reading classes.
Sarah Schwartz, October 27, 2025
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3 min read
Mon., October 20, 2025, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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A selection from the basal reader, Reading Street, pictured on Oct. 8, 2025.
A selection from the basal reader Reading Street, published in 2013, pictured on Oct. 8, 2025.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Reading & Literacy Explainer What Is a Basal Reader, And Why Are They Controversial?
From the Civil War to the new millennium, one reading tool has held a secure spot in American classrooms.
Sarah Schwartz, October 15, 2025
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8 min read
Handwritten excerpts of student writing
Laura Patranella's 5th graders write verses in response to <i>Love That Dog</i>, by Sharon Creech. One of Patranella's English/language arts unit features that novel alongside the poems that inspired it.
Illustration by Vanessa Solis/Education Week. Student writing courtesy of Laura Patranella
Reading & Literacy Are Books Really Disappearing From American Classrooms?
Measuring whether "whole texts" are vanishing in favor of excerpts isn't clear cut.
Sarah Schwartz, October 13, 2025
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17 min read
Stylized calendar planner in monthly and weekly views in spiral notebook display
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Curriculum Sponsor Choosing the Best Student Planners for Your School from Success By Design
A good student planner can be a game-changer for students of any age. However, to make the best choice, it is important to understand why and how these materials benefit children, what key features to look for and how to choose the best student planners for your requirements.
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Jennifer Watkins, who runs a STEM program for the Fouke school district in rural Arkansas, shared how she uses inexpensive ed-tech tools to help students understand robotics at the ISTE+ASCD annual technology and learning conference this summer.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Classroom Technology How One Teacher Built a STEM and Robotics Program on a Shoestring Budget
This rural Arkansas elementary and middle school teacher gives her students rich STEM experiences by using a creative mix of tools.
Alyson Klein, September 4, 2025
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4 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
Curriculum Opinion Here’s Why It’s Important for Teachers to Have a Say in Curriculum
Two curriculum publishers explain what gets in the way of giving teachers the best materials possible.
Rick Hess, August 19, 2025
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5 min read
First grade students listen as their teacher Megan Goes helps them craft alternate endings for stories they wrote together at Moorsbridge Elementary School in Portage, Mich., on Nov. 29, 2023.
First grade students listen as their teacher Megan Goes helps them craft alternate endings for stories they wrote together at Moorsbridge Elementary School in Portage, Mich., on Nov. 29, 2023. In reading classrooms nationwide, teachers tend to mix core and supplemental materials—whether out of necessity or by design.
Emily Elconin for Education Week
Curriculum The Many Reasons Teachers Supplement Their Core Curricula—and Why it Matters
Some experts warn against supplementing core programs with other resources. But educators say there can be good reasons to do so.
Sarah Schwartz, August 8, 2025
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7 min read
First grader Geniss Gibbs practices reading skills at Eastern Elementary School in Washington, N.C., on May 23, 2022.
First grader Geniss Gibbs practices reading skills at Eastern Elementary School in Washington, N.C., on May 23, 2022. Although districts are choosing new curricula purportedly aligned with evidence-based reading practices, they still frequently supplement with other teaching materials.
Kate Medley for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Districts Using 'High-Quality' Reading Curricula Still Supplement With Other Materials. Why?
A new report maps the shifting reading curriculum market.
Sarah Schwartz, August 4, 2025
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5 min read
Rising To The Challenge metaphor success concept with a paper boat transforming into a bird symbol of adaptability and change to avoid a crisis
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Reading & Literacy Opinion ‘She Gave Us a Way In’: A Teacher’s Defense of Lucy Calkins
Every decade, a new savior for literacy emerges: Phonics! Whole language! Balanced reading! Phonics, again!
Dana Palubiak, August 1, 2025
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5 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 Do 'High Quality' Math Materials Add Up?
A veteran math teacher explains how he judges textbooks and programs.
Rick Hess, July 31, 2025
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6 min read
An illustration of hands on the keyboard of a laptop with a male educator writing a speech bubble on a green classroom chalkboard.
Taylor Callery for Education Week
English Learners Here's What Resources ESL Teachers Say Would Improve Their Morale
EdWeek Research Center survey data found two key priorities that could raise morale.
Ileana Najarro & Alex Harwin, July 25, 2025
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3 min read
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