EdReports Releases Reviews of 5 ELA Supplemental Programs

Last month, EdReports.org released reviews of five ELA Foundational Skills programs, evaluating them each based on the reading foundational skills called for, including whether or not the skills apply research-based practices and are presented systematically with explicit instruction.

Linda Diamond, president of our partner organization, CORE, was a reviewer and provided feedback on the development of the rubrics used to evaluate the various curriculum programs and also reviewed the detailed descriptions the reviewers used along with the rubrics. Five programs have been reviewed so far. We encourage you to read the reviews, especially if you’re currently using or considering implementing one of the programs.

Summary of the Reviews

The purpose of the EdReports.org reviews is to provide independent analyses of foundational skills programs so that educators can ensure they’re selecting strong, research-based supplemental reading curriculum. Unfortunately, the review revealed that none of the five programs fully meet expectations for alignment to college- and career-ready standards.

Partially Met Expectations for Alignment to College- and Career-Ready Standards:

• The Fountas & Pinnell Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study System (Heinemann)
• Puzzle Piece Phonics (Corwin Literacy)
• Wilson Fundations (Wilson Language Training)

Did Not Meet Expectations for Alignment to College- and Career-Ready Standards:

• Express Readers Foundational Reading Program (Express Readers)
• Jolly Phonics (Jolly Learning)