Innovative core curriculum builds strong readers by using knowledge-rich texts to integrate writing, oral language, and vocabulary—helping students think critically and communicate with confidence.
Building on its successful track record of improving students’ reading skills, Curriculum Associates, the maker of i-Ready, is expanding its impact with Magnetic Literacy, a core reading curriculum for Grades K to 6. While other programs limit instruction to decoding and surface-level knowledge building, Magnetic Literacy takes learning further.
Curriculum Associates’ program addresses a critical challenge facing educators: how to build foundational literacy skills while also moving students beyond knowledge building into insight, critical thinking, and the ability to express ideas through writing and discussion. Research shows decoding alone isn’t enough; students need knowledge-rich experiences to truly comprehend what they read. Magnetic Literacy closes this gap by uniting carefully sequenced text sets with integrated instruction and real-time assessment, so students can connect skills to knowledge.
“The true purpose of literacy is to cultivate minds that are curious, thoughtful, and empowered to make sense of the world,” said Barrie Olson, vice president of reading curriculum and instruction at Curriculum Associates. “Magnetic Literacy goes beyond teaching skills—it is designed to help students read, write, speak, and listen with intention, so they can think deeply, ask meaningful questions, and solve problems creatively.”
Every part of the Curriculum Associates’ program is connected to that vision: preparing learners not just to know but also to understand, reason, and act with insight and purpose.
Magnetic Literacy is built on Magnetic Foundations™, the first supplemental foundational skills program to earn perfect, all-green scores from EdReports. Thousands of students have developed early literacy skills through its explicit, systematic instruction. Magnetic Literacy takes that momentum further, extending foundational learning into a fully integrated core program that connects skills to knowledge across the literacy block.
Each unit of Magnetic Literacy begins with a clear purpose, guiding students with a compelling question that shows where their learning is headed and why it matters. As they work through a text set, students build knowledge, strengthen literacy skills, and engage in structured discussions that help them connect and organize their ideas. The unit culminates in authentic writing tasks that draw on everything they’ve learned. Students don’t just practice skills in isolation; they apply them in context and express their ideas effectively.
Magnetic Literacy enables educators to:
- Build independent readers and thinkers by pairing explicit foundational skills with knowledge-rich texts that deepen understanding and spark analysis.
- Develop strong writers and speakers through scaffolded opportunities to share ideas, craft arguments, and communicate with evidence.
- Connect every literacy skill in backward-designed units where reading, writing, speaking, and language are taught together in sequenced texts.
- Support every learner’s growth with targeted instruction guided by i-Ready Assessment data.
“Literacy is more than a skill—it’s a gateway to possibility,” said Kelly Sia, chief executive officer at Curriculum Associates. “At Curriculum Associates, we believe every student deserves the chance to do more than just learn—they deserve the opportunity to explore, connect, and create meaning from what they know. Magnetic Literacy is built on that promise.”
Magnetic Literacy is now available for review and adoption for the 2026–2027 school year. Schools and districts across the country can explore how the program supports comprehensive literacy instruction and prepares students to read, think, and communicate with confidence.
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