Grades and subjects
Reviewed · 2 min read
Sixteen pages, one for each grade band and core subject. Each tells a teacher or leader what matters most in that classroom, ranked by evidence, and says plainly where the evidence runs out.
How these pages work
Every page follows the same order:
- Bottom line. One sentence.
- What matters most here. The practices with the best evidence for this band and subject, ranked, each with its grade and a link to the principle.
- A lesson in this room. What it looks like on a normal day.
- Stop doing. The common practice the evidence argues against.
- Leader look-fors. Two or three things to check in a five-minute visit.
- Where the evidence runs out. What isn't known for this age and subject.
Cross-cutting, every page: teach new material in small steps (principle 1), explain before releasing (2), check every student (4), feedback on the work (5), and daily review from memory (6, 7). Pages don't repeat these; they focus on what is specific to the band and subject.
Where the evidence is strongest
| K–2 | 3–5 | 6–8 | 9–12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading and ELA | Deepphonics trials | Somelottery study | Thinnone specific | Thinnone specific |
| Math | Somecurriculum trial | Deepfraction trials | Deepmixing trial | SomeChicago tutoring |
| Science | SomeMORE trial | SomeKlahr studies | Somequizzing studies | Thinnone specific |
| Social studies | Somelottery, MORE | Thincorrelation only | Somequizzing studies | Thinnone specific |
Source: judged from the studies cited on each of the 16 grade pages
Where a cell is thin, the page says so and grades its advice lower, rather than stretching findings from other grades.
16 of 16 pages
Reading and ELA
K–2
Evidence here: Deep · phonics trialsTeach the code directly and every day, and build knowledge through read-alouds at the same time. These are two of the best-evidenced practices on the whole site.
3–5
Evidence here: Some · lottery studyReading time should build knowledge in connected units, and students who still decode slowly need targeted phonics, not just more reading.
6–8
Evidence here: Thin · none specificFor students who decode well, comprehension now depends heavily on knowledge and vocabulary, so ELA should read substantial texts tied to what students are learning, and every content class should be a reading class.
9–12
Evidence here: Thin · none specificTeach the background and the vocabulary, then the analysis, and keep pulling earlier texts back through quizzing so students remember what they read.
Math
K–2
Evidence here: Some · curriculum trialChoose a structured curriculum, teach each idea explicitly with objects, then drawings, then numbers, and practice addition and subtraction facts every day until they're automatic.
3–5
Evidence here: Deep · fraction trialsThese are the fraction years. Get multiplication facts automatic, teach fractions as numbers on a number line, and use worked examples and mixed practice for every new skill.
6–8
Evidence here: Deep · mixing trialThis band has the strongest classroom evidence on the site. Mix practice problems across units, quiz from memory, and pair new problem types with worked examples.
9–12
Evidence here: Some · Chicago tutoringHigh school math students who are behind can still catch up with daily in-school tutoring, and everyone benefits from worked examples, mixed review, and cumulative quizzing.
Science
K–2
Evidence here: Some · MORE trialYoung children learn science best as knowledge: taught directly, read aloud in connected units, and revisited, with hands-on activities after the ideas are taught.
3–5
Evidence here: Some · Klahr studiesTeach scientific methods directly, like how to design a fair test, and build connected science knowledge that reading lessons can draw on.
6–8
Evidence here: Some · quizzing studiesMiddle school science has some of the best real-classroom quizzing evidence anywhere. Quiz often, teach before the lab, and use worked examples for any calculation.
9–12
Evidence here: Thin · none specificWorked examples and frequent retrieval are the core. For advanced students who already have the basics, a short problem before instruction is a reasonable option to test.
Social studies
K–2
Evidence here: Some · lottery, MOREStart the history and geography sequence in kindergarten. Stories of people and places, read aloud and revisited, build the knowledge later reading depends on.
3–5
Evidence here: Thin · correlation onlyProtect social studies time and teach it as connected knowledge. It is linked to better reading, not competing with it.
6–8
Evidence here: Some · quizzing studiesQuizzing works in real middle school social studies classrooms. Tell the story clearly, then quiz on it again and again across the year.
9–12
Evidence here: Thin · none specificStudents can only analyze history they know. Teach the narrative and context first, then use sources, and keep earlier units alive with cumulative quizzing.