Once educators and administrators are knowledgeable about the science of reading, administrators and a team of curriculum decision-makers may want to determine whether a new core curriculum and/or aligned intervention materials are needed. 

The Reading League’s K-5 Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines were intentionally developed to guide this process. They feature scientifically-based sources to alert curriculum selection teams to red flags, which are instructional components not aligned with reading science. They also highlight evidence-aligned practices that are substantiated by the scientific evidence base. It is important to note that there are no curricula featuring all of these practices; it will be up to the knowledgeable selection team to carefully select a program to best suit their needs and supplement if necessary.

Steps to take when using the Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines:

  1. Assemble a team of knowledgeable stakeholders to identify gaps as well as opportunities to strengthen instruction across grade levels and tiers.
  2. Evaluate curricula for all components (e.g., word recognition, language comprehension, reading comprehension, writing, assessment) and ensure there is not an over-emphasis of one component of literacy at the expense of another.

Although the Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines were created to guide teams of curriculum decision-makers in evaluating curricula, which is a valuable process, The Reading League recognized that many consumers lacked the time, resources, and/or knowledge to thoroughly evaluate instructional materials. Because of this, The Reading League assembled expert review teams to conduct a large-scale curricula review, resulting in informative Curriculum Navigation Reports based on the Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines. Access the guidelines and reports on the Curriculum Decision-Makers Compass page.

Important: Although many publishers produce excellent, evidence-aligned programs, it is important to build professional knowledge before meeting with them. Knowledgeable curriculum teams can ask important questions during site visits and better evaluate the answers.