Our ELA Guiding Principles
Building knowledge to nurture critical thinking and agency
Effective literacy instruction builds students’ reading/writing skills and knowledge, develops students' identity and agency, helps students understand the world around them, and creates independent critical readers.
Centering diverse, relevant, and rigorous texts
Every student, regardless of background and reading level, should read complex, engaging texts written in a variety of genres and by diverse voices, to highlight the diversity and richness of the human experience.
Prioritizing student voices and ideas
Engaging in regular academic discourse is essential for students to synthesize texts and content, spark their curiosity, develop original ideas, and find their own voice.
Learning to write, writing to learn
Writing and language skills are best taught in context, allowing students to authentically analyze an author’s craft and structure, develop their own voice as writers, and build deeper meaning with the texts and ideas.
Preparing teachers to support students
Intellectual preparation allows teachers to do their best teaching: when teachers deeply understand the text and unit themes they can help all students master grade-level content and standards.
Before committing to a full school adoption, experience our high-quality curriculum firsthand with your own students and teachers. Our free 6-month pilot program allows you to see the impact of our materials on your classrooms before making a full commitment.
We offer two pilot windows to align with your school's schedule: a fall/winter session and a spring session. Your piloting teachers will receive free access to Fishtank Plus for two core units, along with dedicated onboarding support to ensure a successful pilot. For a longer, full-year experience, we also offer a paid pilot program.
Ready to see how Fishtank can transform your classrooms? Request a Demo or contact us at [email protected].
Ready to Get Started?
We’re here to answer all of your questions about bringing Fishtank ELA to your school.
Knowledge-Building Curriculum
Fishtank ELA is among the top knowledge-building curricula recognized by the Knowledge Matters Campaign. The rich, rigorous, and diverse texts that ground each lesson help build students' knowledge of themselves, the world around them, and their power.
School Spotlight
CS 300
“With Fishtank, the children do see themselves in the curriculum, and not just by way of how they look, but they relate to the stories and to issues that are in the stories.”