ARC Core Designs for Deep Knowledge Building

ARC Core’s topic-based modules feature a research lab that develops reading and writing expertise and deep knowledge. In addition to shared content-rich readings, students choose connected topics to explore, inspired by their interests. For example, in grade 4’s Animal Adaptations Unit, after the class studies behavioral adaptations, students research the specific adaptations of their self-selected animals supported by dozens of related books. Students learn together, motivating and engaging each other in essential study.

Grammar, vocabulary, discussion, and writing activities connect to the topics and solidify core learnings. Culminating assignments focus on the essential takeaways from class readings and student research, using teacher and peer feedback to build students’ confidence, capacity, and skills. At each module’s conclusion, students present their research to showcase their expertise in the content and writing mode of the unit.

ARC Core Designs for Systematic Foundational Skills and Fluency

ARC Core combines explicit, systematic, whole-group foundational skills instruction with differentiated support. The IRLA assessment system precisely tracks students’ progress, including their stamina and enjoyment with what they’re learning. Its toolkits are designed around a combined analytic and synthetic phonics approach. ARC uses authentic trade literature and a word study notebook with decodable text to provide students with important practice. ARC’s program is brimming with fun games and activities addressing phonemic awareness and manipulation, spelling, and phonics. Grade-level fluency remains a priority as students frequently read to each other from a wide variety of texts.

ARC Core Designs for Equitable Access to Challenging Texts

Students regularly work with grade-level core texts and select related topics to research, fueled by their intrinsic curiosity and supported by hundreds of related titles at a wide variety of complexity levels. Abundant supports are available, along with an array of easy-to-follow discussion routines. In addition to text-dependent questions, ARC invites student-initiated questions, building students’ ownership over their learning.

*Read more about the Sciences of Reading in ARC Core at https://knowledgematterscampaign.org/curriculum/arc-core/