Creative Commons Licensing You are free: to Share — to copy, distribute and transmit the work to Remix — to adapt the work Under the following conditions: Attribution — You must attribute the work in the following manner: – This work is based on an original work of the Core Knowledge® Foundation made available through licensing under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. This does not in any way imply that the Core Knowledge Foundation endorses this work. Noncommercial — You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Share Alike — If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one. With the understanding that: For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the license terms of this work. The best way to do this is with a link to this web page: 1

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation2 Core Knowledge Helping Schools and Parents Develop Responsible, Productive Citizens

E. D. Hirsch, Jr., Founder © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation3

4 Based on cognitive science, Core Knowledge corrects several mistaken theories about what constitutes effective instruction.

Mistaken Ideas from the Romantic Movement Because human nature is innately good it should be permitted to take its “natural course.” A child is a unique being, whose development should be left to unfold naturally, without the unnatural constraints imposed by traditional education. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation5

Mistaken Ideas from Progressivism Child-centered, child-directed learning is the only way foster love of learning, individuality and creativity. Discovery learning and active, hands-on learning are always superior to teacher-directed learning. Process and skills are more important than content. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation6

Romanticism & Progressivism Romanticism & Progressivism A Legacy of Failed Ideas in U.S. Classrooms Learning is natural; it happens automatically as nature intended. Individual choice is paramount. Process and skills do not depend on knowledge. Verbal skills, including reading, will develop when the child is ready. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation7

The Consequence: Achievement Gaps The excellence gap internationally © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation8

The Consequence: No Growth in 12 th Grade Reading The Consequence: No Growth in 12 th Grade Reading (NAEP, 1971–2012) © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation9

A Snapshot of Reading Achievement in the U.S. A Snapshot of Reading Achievement in the U.S. (NAEP, 2009) 62% of 12th graders failed to meet the Proficient standard. 26% of 12th graders failed to meet the Basic standard. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation10

The Fairness Gap within the U.S. American children from low-income families lag far behind their peers from higher-income families. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation11

A Snapshot of The Fairness Gap A Snapshot of The Fairness Gap (NAEP, 2009) 54% of white 12 th graders failed to meet the Proficient standard. 78% of Latino 12 th graders failed to meet the Proficient standard. 83% of African American 12 th graders failed to meet the Proficient standard. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation12

CORE KNOWLEDGE © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation13

“Knowledge makes people competent regardless of race, class, or ethnicity. It is the great social equalizer.” - E. D. Hirsch, Jr. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation14

Speakers and Writers Assume Certain Knowledge © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation15

Core Knowledge Teaches the Content Adults Are Expected to Know © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation16

The Core Knowledge Foundation Founded in 1986 by E. D. Hirsch, Jr., Core Knowledge is a nonprofit in Charlottesville, VA. It offers instructional materials, professional development, and networking to educators and parents in over 1,000 schools in 47 states. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation17

What is Core Knowledge? A Powerful Idea A Source for Research-Based, Content-Rich Instructional Materials An Education Reform Movement © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation18

A Powerful Idea Intellectual Capital “Just as it takes money to make money, it takes knowledge to make knowledge.” - E. D. Hirsch, Jr. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation19

A Source Research-Based, Content-Rich Instructional Materials What people are able to learn at any given moment depends on what they already know. What they already know is a function of their previous experiences. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation20

An Education Reform Movement The Foundation’s Motto: Educational Excellence and Equity for All Children The Foundation’s Mission: Offer all children a better chance in life and create a fairer and more literate society by educating America's youth in a content-specific, coherent, cumulative and shared curriculum. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation21

The Core Knowledge Sequence Content and Skill Guidelines for Preschool and K–8 Content specific Coherent Cumulative © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation22

Content Specific Explicit Identification of What Students Should Learn at Each Grade Level English Language Arts World History and Geography American History and Geography Visual Arts Music Math Science © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation23

Coherent Content is carefully organized so knowledge builds on knowledge, as in this example from kindergarten: © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation24 1.Nursery Rhymes and Fables 2.Five Senses 3.Stories 4.Plants 5.Farms 6.Native Americans 7.Kings and Queens 8.Seasons and Weather 9.Columbus and the Pilgrims 10.Colonial Towns and Townspeople 11.Taking Care of the Earth 12.Presidents and American Symbols

Cumulative Content is carefully organized so knowledge builds across grade levels: Kindergarten: The Five Senses Grade 1: The Human Body Grade 2: Human Body: Building Blocks and Nutrition Grade 3: Human Body: Systems and Senses © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation25

Instructional Materials & Professional Development © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation26

CKLA is a new, revolutionary approach to reading instruction. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation27

“We need to see the reading comprehension problem for what it primarily is—a knowledge problem. There is no way around the need for children to gain broad general knowledge in order to gain broad general proficiency in reading.” © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation28 —E. D. Hirsch, Jr. The Knowledge Deficit

Knowledge Matters Teaching science is teaching reading. Teaching history is teaching reading. Teaching geography is teaching reading. Teaching art is teaching reading. Teaching music is teaching reading. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation29

CKLA: Key Insights CKLA is based on theinsight that reading is a two-lock box; it requires two keys to open:  The first key = decoding skills  The second key = oral language, vocabulary, and background knowledge © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation30

Decoding skills, along with writing skills (including spelling, grammar, and punctuation), are taught in our Skills strand. Content knowledge and vocabulary are taught in our Listening & Learning strand. © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation31 CKLA: Key Insights

Teaching with CKLA © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation32 CKLA for preschool–grade 3 is available online for free download: For details on the Skills strand, the Listening & Learning strand, and the foundational research, see:

© 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation33 “We will achieve a just and prosperous society only when our schools ensure that everyone commands enough shared knowledge to communicate effectively with everyone else.” —E. D. Hirsch, Jr. The Schools We Need and Why We Don’t Have Them

Join the Core Knowledge community today! © 2013 Core Knowledge Foundation34