Instructional Materials

Read more about the materials that are used to help students learn the curriculum
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 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
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025. New research shows significant shifts in how teachers are teaching reading, as well as the materials and PD they receive, but some still use older methods.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy How the Science of Reading Is Reshaping Teaching: What the Data Say
A nationally representative survey shows how reading curriculum, PD, and teacher practice have shifted.
Sarah Schwartz, April 29, 2026
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9 min read
Handout showing Library at Austin Achieve in Austin, Texas.
A classroom library at Austin Achieve, a charter school in Austin, Texas, which uses Every Child Ready, one of three curriculum series recently reviewed by an external rating organizations.
Every Child Ready
Early Childhood What Are the Ingredients of a Good Preschool Curriculum?
Nonprofit curriculum reviewer EdReports has started reviewing pre-K materials.
Sarah Schwartz, April 28, 2026
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7 min read
Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, is at ACLU headquarters in New York on Nov. 8, 2024.
Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, is at ACLU headquarters in New York on Nov. 8, 2024.
Ted Shaffrey/AP
Social Studies The ACLU Is Making Videos for the Classroom, Telling Students 'Know Your Rights'
The series encourages students to exercise free speech and view book bans with a critical eye.
Sarah Schwartz, April 23, 2026
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4 min read
FILE - A Bible is seen on a chair in the House chamber in Washington, Jan. 6, 2023. The Bible will return to the shelves in a northern Utah school district that provoked an outcry after it banned them from middle and elementary schools. The Davis School District said in a statement on Tuesday, June 20, that its board had determined the sacred text was age-appropriate for all school libraries.
A Bible is seen on a chair in the House chamber in Washington, Jan. 6, 2023. Utah joins several other states that have moved to incorporate Christian teaching and text into the classroom.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Social Studies Another State Is Requiring Students to Study the Bible in School
In Utah, schools will teach Biblical passages that are “cited or alluded to in founding documents."
Sarah Schwartz, April 2, 2026
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3 min read
Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on Creating an Authentic Reading Culture
Create a culture of literacy: abundant books, explicit skills, daily reading, and real engagement that turns students into lifelong readers.
March 13, 2026