Introducing The Core Knowledge Reading Program

“7, 8, lay them straight / 9, 10, a big fat hen.”Illustration by Rebecca Miller for Nursery Rhymes and Fables, Listening and Learning Strand

The Core Knowledge Foundation is currently developing a groundbreaking language arts program for the early elementary grades. The program combines systematic phonics-based instruction in decoding skills with extensive reading aloud to build background knowledge, vocabulary, and cultural literacy.

The Foundation is now working on materials for grades K, 1, and 2. Version 1.0 of the kindergarten materials is currently being piloted in 40+ classrooms all around the United States. Sample pages from the kindergarten materials can be viewed by clicking the link below. These samples include general introductions which explain the two strands of the program and the instructional rationale for each strand.
We expect to pilot version 1.0 of the grade 1 materials in the Fall of 2009.
If you have additional questions about the program, please send an email to Rachel Wright.

• Overview of Kindergarten program and pilot
• Kindergarten samples
• Kindergarten pilot video

Presentations by Project Director Matthew Davis:

• Presentation at Core Knowledge National Conference, Washington, D.C., 23 February 2007. Web pop-up demo
• Presentation at Core Knowledge National Conference, Philadelphia, PA, March 2005

Preliminary page spread for Code Breakers! Easy Reader, skills strand. Illustration by Steve Morrison

Articles and Books by Matthew Davis:

• When Two Vowels Go Walking, Common Knowledge, 20.3, Oct. 2007
• Two Ways of Explaining the Listening and Learning Strand, Common Knowledge 20.2, July 2007
• ‘Ph’ is for Phonics: The Great Decoding Debate, Common Knowledge 20.1, January 2007
• The Simple View of Reading, Common Knowledge 19.2, October, 2006
• Green Eggs and Ham: Or The Case for Phonics Instruction and Decodable Text, Common Knowledge 19.1, July, 2006.
• Reading Instruction: The Two Keys

Articles, Talks, and Books by E. D. Hirsch, Jr.:

• Strategic Thoughts, Undelivered Remarks, Philanthropy Roundtable, Nov. 10, 2006
• Manhattan Institute Talk, May 4, 2006
• The Case for Bringing Content into the Language Arts Block, American Educator, Spring, 2006
• Many Americans Can Read But Can’t Comprehend, USA Today, February 25, 2004
• Not So Grand a Strategy, Education Next, Spring, 2003
• Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge — of Words and of the World, American Educator, Spring, 2003
• The Latest Dismal NAEP Scores: Can We Narrow the 4th-Grade Reading Gap? Education Week, May 2, 2001 
• Overcoming the Language Gap, American Educator, Summer, 2001
• The Knowledge Deficit
• The Schools We Need
• Cultural Literacy

Miscellaneous:

• Reading Research Links

Last updated: Wed, March 19 2008