How EL Education designs for:

Deep knowledge building

The eight-week modular structure allows students to go deep with each topic and read full-length core texts supported by a whole range of supplemental readings. EL Education seamlessly incorporates life skills into history, science, and literature lessons. For example, students often plan and evaluate their day’s work in terms of its content but also by their ability to stay focused, think flexibly, and prioritize tasks.

All writing and conversations are purposeful, focused, and anchored in the content students are learning. Students write about and discuss texts daily. They also are given straightforward tools to work with vocabulary and syntax encountered in their readings. Many of these are designed for universal use and are especially helpful for multilingual learners.

Foundational skills and fluency for beginning and older readers

EL Education offers a research-based foundational skills program grounded in the Science of Reading. It includes a comprehensive 60-minute skills block where students work through a systematic scope and sequence. Lessons are rich and playful—a reminder of how joyous it is to learn to read. Students practice skills through a spirited mix of games, songs, and dances. Weekly assessments allow teachers to precisely measure progress and respond with extra reinforcement or quicker pacing. Decodable readers used in the primary grades connect to the read-alouds and module topics. Written and oral routines build automatic word recognition.

Reading fluency is a focus of foundational skills instruction from first grade on. Grade-level fluency practice opportunities are baked seamlessly into the lessons. In grades 6-8, for instance, the curriculum includes suggestions for building fluency and meeting the needs of all learners, providing varied and lively ways for students to identify and engage with the material while getting the practice repetitions they need. Students are asked to reflect on their goals and progress at various points, establishing agency early on.   

Unlock Phonics, a parallel, asynchronous support designed for students in grades 3-5, is a versatile program that also caters to the unique needs of intermediate students who require additional foundational grounding. Its adaptability ensures that all students, regardless of their starting point, can access essential reading skills through tailored support, interactive digital learning, and a focus on fluency.

Throughout the curriculum, teachers can find extensive guidance in the Teaching Notes section under the subheading “Support All Students.” A separate Teacher’s Guide for each module provides heavy and light support options for multi-language learners, including extra practice with foundational skills.

Equitable access to challenging texts

Students engage deeply with complex texts over carefully crafted repeat encounters. Peer-to-peer learning protocols and classroom routines provide concrete supports for accessing the readings. Frequent assessments solidify learning and provide tools for re-teaching as needed. Social learning is a mainstay, with students working together frequently. EL Education pays attention to students owning their learning and developing the habits of successful student-citizens.

Learning and exhibiting deep knowledge

• Exhibit 1 (PDF)
• Exhibit 2 (PDF)

Foundational skills instruction

• Exhibit 1 (PDF)

Access EL Education

EL Education was developed by the nonprofit EL Education, which continues to make the curriculum openly available on its website. Both Open Up Resources and Imagine Learning have partnered with EL Education to offer print materials and trade books necessary to use the curriculum.