This document presents curriculum materials for evidence-based reading instruction for kindergarten through grade 3 as outlined in Article XV-N of the School Code.
Reading Curriculum Materials
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the PDE Reading Leadership Council (Council) identified the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), and EdReports as clearinghouses for reading curriculum materials. These organizations are nationally recognized and provide high-quality resources to support schools in making informed decisions about literacy programming and have review processes that are in alignment with the requirements of Article XV-N for evidence-based reading curriculum materials.
In this context, a clearinghouse refers to a repository of programs or materials that have been evaluated using a transparent, research-based process. Such repositories may be housed within federally funded centers, private organizations, nonprofits, or state education agencies.
The list within this document features only the most recent editions of both curriculum materials and review tools used by identified clearinghouses and is organized by the number of positive evaluations each program received. A table focused on core reading instruction curriculum materials to support Spanish-speaking learners is also provided.
For a comprehensive list of curriculum materials —including prior versions, items reviewed with earlier versions of review tools, and materials not positively reviewed by clearinghouses, see the PDE Reading Curriculum Materials for Evidence-Based Reading Instruction Comprehensive Resource (Excel).
In addition, PDE also recognizes the work of The Reading League (TRL) and its informational reports intended to support decisions on choosing instructional materials. These reports are not recommendations of any particular program but serve as informational reports for curriculum decision makers to identify practices aligned to the Science of Reading. These reports, along with guidance on the review process, intent, and recommended use can be found at Curriculum Decision Makers - The Reading League. Such reports are identified within the PDE Reading Curriculum Materials for Evidence-Based Reading Instruction Comprehensive Resource (Excel).
Intended Use for School Entities
The Curriculum Materials for Evidence-Based Instruction list is designed to support school entities in making informed decisions about the selection and use of reading curriculum materials. Inclusion on the list does not constitute approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Education; rather, it indicates that the material was evaluated by one or more of the identified clearinghouses. School entities retain discretion in determining how to use this information to meet their literacy needs and are not limited to selecting only the resources included. This list is not exhaustive and will be reviewed to incorporate newly evaluated materials from the clearinghouses. Visit PDE’s Annual Review Cycle Schedule for more information.
Reading Curriculum Materials Clearinghouse Keys
Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Rating System Key:
On Advisory List: Material is on Colorado's Advisory List of Instructional Programming
Ohio Department of Education (ODE) Rating System Key:
On List: Material is on Ohio's Approved List of Core Curriculum and Instructional Materials
EdReports Rating System Key:
Meets: Received the points necessary to satisfy the "meets" threshold
Blank cells within the table indicate there is no information on the review, or lack of review, for that resource by a given clearinghouse.
Core Curriculum Materials List
This list features only the most recent versions of both curriculum materials and review tools used by identified clearinghouses and is organized by the number of positive evaluations each program received as of July 31, 2026.
For a comprehensive resource, including prior editions of curriculum materials, items reviewed using earlier versions of clearinghouse tools, and materials that were not positively reviewed by clearinghouses, see the PDE Reading Curriculum Materials Comprehensive Resource (Excel).
