Frequently Asked Questions
Grades K-8 (Second Edition) Language Arts Curriculum
This page is updated periodically. Please check here for more information regarding changes or updates to our website and content.
Following the release of the top-rated EL Education K-5 Language Arts curriculum, we are excited to announce that a new edition of the 6-8 Language Arts curriculum has been released. Many schools are already achieving remarkable results with the K-5 curriculum. Now, for the first time, schools will be able to implement the consistent second edition of the full K-8 curriculum. We expect even more transformational results as we work together to close literacy opportunity gaps.
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1. Why do I need to register to download the free version of the curriculum?
The EL Education K-8 Language Arts curriculum is an open educational resource available for free on this website. Premium formats are available from our distribution partners. Click here to learn more.
Create your account! Registering for an account on Curriculum.ELeducation.org should only take a minute or two. You will be prompted to register only when you are ready to download files from the curriculum website. For your convenience, the website is designed to remember your login so you only need to log in once, provided you use the same computer.
By adding registration to our curriculum website, we can learn how our curriculum is being used so we can better support educators. We can also get in touch when changes or upgrades to the curriculum are coming. We may email you occasionally to let you know about important changes to the curriculum or to share resources and opportunities for support. You can unsubscribe to these emails at any time. EL Education does NOT share your information. Read our full privacy policy here.
2. What if I already have an account for the EL Education Resource Library?
The EL Education curriculum lives on a separate website from the EL Education resource library, where you access tools like teacher practice videos and the K-5 Language Arts curriculum assessments. You will need to create a separate login to download the curriculum on Curriculum.ELeducation.org. In the coming years, we aim to streamline our websites so that you only need one account to access all EL Education resources.
Grades 6-8 (Second Edition) Language Arts Curriculum
1. How can I access the new EL Education 6-8 Language Arts curriculum (Second Edition)?
All lessons and supporting materials (including homework, assessments, and performance tasks) can be accessed on our curriculum website. To learn more about what is available, visit Getting Started Suggestions.
Like the first edition EL Education authored for EngageNY, the second edition of grades 6-8 is the result of deep collaboration with teachers, students, and literacy experts. Thanks in great part to their contributions, you can look forward to these highlights in the second edition:
- Building World Knowledge through Content: The curriculum builds students' deep subject matter expertise, immersing them in the study of real-world social and scientific topics that fuel creativity, higher-order critical thinking, and literacy.
- Embedded Social-Emotional Learning: We know that middle schoolers need what they learn to have emotional resonance. New topics and texts prepare students to be more effective learners and ethical people.
- National Relevance and Standards Alignment: The second edition engages students with topics that resonate nationally, based on recommendations from students and teachers, while maintaining close alignment with targeted NGSS (science) and C3 (social studies) content standards for each grade band.
If you would like to order the curriculum in other formats from our distribution partners, please visit our How to Order page.
2. Are there any updates to required trade books or additional materials? The EL Education 6-8 Language Arts curriculum (Second Edition) includes several new and exciting topics, including new anchor texts and DVDs. Please reach out to our distribution partners for a finalized procurement list.
Highlights include:
- A similar quantity of trade books as in K-5
- New media formats such as DVDs and audiobooks
- No extra materials or kits required
- One module per grade utilizing a first edition trade book: Grade 6: Module 1 (The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan), Grade 7: Module 1 (A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park), Grade 8: Module 2 (The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan) Please note that this text was used in the first edition curriculum in Grade 8: Module 4.
3. How is the new Grades 6-8 Language Arts curriculum (Second Edition) different from the first edition?
The EL Education 6-8 Language Arts (Second Edition) maintains the same overall design and structure, with 45-minute lessons. EL Education has made some significant updates, including:
- Structure and format aligned to the K-5 curriculum, with streamlined teacher guides to support navigability and accessibility
- Four modules across the year (no alternative modules)
- Tighter alignment to standards, including checklists and rubrics, more exemplars and models, more explicit writing instruction, and explicit language and grammar instruction
- More explicit supports for English language learners focused on differentiation, e.g., sentence starters, supportive images on handouts, and glossaries of terms
- Design informed by the Universal Design for Learning Framework to increase meaningful access and reduce barriers to learning for students with diverse learning needs
- Greater representation of diverse cultures and identities in topics and communities studied, book authors, and characters; core texts including contemporary contributions in lieu of traditional canon texts
- A consistent approach to writing across all levels and grade bands
EL Education Flex Curriculum: 2020-21 Retiring on August 1st, 2021
Please note the EL Education Flex Curriculum: 2020-21 will retire on August 1st, 2021. A few of the materials created will remain available on our website, see below for more information:
1. Has EL Education provided recommendations for the 2021-22 School Year?Yes! We recently released updated recommendations and guiding principles for returning to the classroom for the 2021-22 school year here: https://curriculum.eleducation.org/content/recommendations-2021-22
You can also review our Re-Opening Guidance for more helpful information: https://eleducation.org/resources/reopening-guidance-a-transformative-opportunity-for-more-equitable-schools
2. What is included in the EL Education Flex Curriculum: 2020-21 that will be retiring on August 1st?
- Recommendations for teaching the Flex curriculum in a variety of formats in the SY 2020-21, including assessment recommendations;
- Adaptations of the existing curriculum for teaching in the 2020-21 school year;
- Sample schedules for teaching the curriculum remotely or in a hybrid format;
- A standards crosswalk outlining recommendations for incorporating the skills potentially missed in the previous grade level;
3. What resources will remain as part of the core curriculum?
Grades K-2 Reading Foundational Skills Block Videos and Flex Your Skills Videos. You can find these resources on our About Skills Block page.
4. Are all trade books available digitally?
We have partnered with Overdrive and their ebook platform Sora to provide an ebook option for trade books found in our curriculum. You can find contact information on our How to Order page.
5. When should I use the Flex Curriculum: 2020-21?
Curriculum adaptations should be used in the 2020-21 school year only due to the ramifications of the coronavirus, and only when remote or hybrid. We recommend you use the standard EL Education K-8 Language Arts curriculum when schools are in session in person after 2021.
EL Education Flex Curriculum: Trade Book Access
Ordering for K-2 Read Aloud Videos and CCC Print Content will no longer be available after June 1st, 2021. For Ebook access please visit our How to Order page.
EL Education was granted unprecedented access by publishers to trade books because of the crisis, which enabled us to provide alternative resources for remote learning for a limited time only. This includes K-2 Read Aloud Videos and print content from Copyright Clearance Center This limited time access expires on June 1st, 2021.
If you have additional questions, please contact us using the "Leave Feedback" button at the bottom of this page.
Curriculum Updates and Feedback
Periodically, we make updates to correct errors or refine the content. If you notice an error or a broken link, you can send us a report by leaving us feedback on our feedback form.
1. I came across an unavailable online resource (or "broken link") in the curriculum. Where can I find an updated list of links?
We embed authentic third-party content from other sources in our curriculum, including online resources to increase student engagement and keep content relevant. We carefully vet all sources with the aim of selecting websites with stable content. There are, however, instances when links can change or disappear over time, as website owners update and adjust their content.
You can find a list of updated third-party links on the Third-Party Links page. All of these updates have been made to the online curriculum, and most were corrected in the refreshed print materials (available as of March 2019). We will update the above page on an ongoing basis.
If you come across a broken or incorrect link in the curriculum, please let us know using our feedback form.
2. Why was The Big Dinosaur Dig removed from the trade book list in Grade 2, Module 2? Should I not be using the materials related to this text?
In Summer 2019, we revised Unit 3 of Grade 2: Module 2, as we had the opportunity to interview a new paleontologist, Dr. Holly Woodward Ballard, about her discoveries in the field. This change involved removing references in the Teacher Guide and the Teacher Supporting Materials to the trade book The Big Dinosaur Dig (978-0756655952, DK Publishing, $3.99), which was previously required as a one-per-classroom purchase.
To replace the reading and writing work students previously did with The Big Dinosaur Dig, the Curriculum Design Team created a similar narrative around one of Dr. Ballard's fossil discoveries. This narrative is included in the updated Teacher Supporting Materials along with revised student materials to reflect the specifics of Dr. Ballard's story. NOTE: The updated unit is fully optional and covers similar content and addresses the same CCS standards as the original unit.
No new trade book purchase is required to replace The Big Dinosaur Dig, since the new text is included in the supporting materials. Schools that have already purchased The Big Dinosaur Dig can continue to use it along with the earlier version of the unit, or they can switch to the updated version of the unit and use The Big Dinosaur Dig as a supplemental text.
An archived version of the original unit (2017) is available here: Grade 2: Module 2.
2012 ELA Curriculum (First Edition)
Looking for the first edition?
1. Where can I find the first edition Grades 3-8 ELA curriculum?
In June 2018, we decommissioned CommonCoreSuccess.ELeducation.org. For any users who continue to implement the first edition Grades 3-5 ELA curriculum, this content is available on New York State's curriculum website EngageNY. We also no longer offer printed copies of the first edition of Grades 3-5. Please update any bookmarked links so that they direct to Curriculum.ELeducation.org.
For users looking to learn more about the specific enhancements to the second edition Grades 3-5 Language Arts curriculum, please review the Second Edition Enhancement documents (for Grades 3-5) on the Tools page.
2. Where can I find the first edition Grades 6-8 ELA curriculum?
Grades 6-8 First Edition (2012) has now been retired from Curriculum.Eleducation.Org. Users who have not yet transitioned to the new edition can access the Grades 6-8 ELA Curriculum via EngageNY.
For users looking to order print materials of the Grades 6-8 ELA curriculum, please refer to our How to Order page for details.
Updates to Grade 7 Module 2 (Second Edition)
EL Education completed an update to Grade 7: Module 2: Epidemics in Spring 2021 in response to a revision of the central text, Patient Zero, by the publisher. EL Education made necessary content changes addressing how to discuss the topic of epidemics with students and families as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please download and review the "Summary of Changes" document for more information on these changes to assist in planning for the upcoming 2021-22 school year.