EdReports’ Application of Scarborough’s Reading Rope

The instructional materials districts choose can make a difference. At EdReports, our reviews of English language arts (ELA) programs are designed to empower educators with high-quality content to support the kind of reading instruction that helps all students succeed in school and beyond.

EdReports’ review process for K-5 ELA instructional materials is built on a foundation of college- and career-readiness standards and well-established research about how students learn to read and write. Our reports reflect not only alignment to the standards but also whether or not materials include the innovations necessary to prepare students to master the content and skills in the standards.

This graphic shows where EdReports’ K-2 ELA review criteria overlaps with the elements of Scarborough’s Reading Rope, a seminal illustration of the components of the reading process, and how those components work together, to address the complexity of reading acquisition. We hope to better illustrate how EdReports infuses the science of reading into our reviews and what we look for in quality materials.

For a full crosswalk of how our K-5 ELA review tools (including our Foundational Skills and 3-5 review criteria) address both college and career-ready standards and the science of reading, explore our Quick Guide on Where to Locate Reading Science. We also recommend diving into EdReports' evidence guides for the research supporting each indicator in our review criteria.

Download a PDF of this graphic and EdReports K-2 review criteria focused on reading science.