Fishtank ELA 3-5

Name: Fishtank ELA 3-5
Brand: Fishtank Learning

by Fishtank Learning

ElaGrades 3–5

Fishtank ELA 3-5: Knowledge-Building Curriculum with Implementation Gaps

Fishtank ELA 3-5 is a free, open-source curriculum from Fishtank Learning designed for grades 3-5 that emphasizes building knowledge through high-quality texts. The curriculum meets expectations for text quality and knowledge-building but falls short in providing adequate teacher support and implementation guidance.

Best for

Schools seeking a free, knowledge-rich ELA curriculum for grades 3-5 with strong text selection, but who have capacity to supplement teacher training and implementation support

Evaluation Criteria

3 strengths · 2 concerns · 4 insufficient evidence

Knowledge RichStrength

The Fishtank ELA 3-5 curriculum explicitly builds knowledge through texts and meets expectations for knowledge-building approaches.

EdReports confirms the curriculum 'Meets Expectations' for Building Knowledge, indicating systematic domain knowledge development through text selection

Text ComplexityStrength

The curriculum demonstrates strong alignment to grade-appropriate text complexity demands.

EdReports confirms the curriculum 'Meets Expectations' for Text Quality & Complexity, indicating proper grade-level text selection and progression

Whole Books Vs ExcerptsStrength

The curriculum demonstrates strong alignment to grade-level text demands with a range of quality texts.

EdReports notes the curriculum 'Meets Expectations' for text quality and complexity, suggesting engagement with substantial texts rather than fragmented excerpts

Teacher TrainingConcern

The curriculum provides insufficient professional development and implementation support for teachers.

EdReports rates the curriculum as 'Does Not Meet Expectations' for Usability, highlighting inadequate teacher support and guidance materials

Direct InstructionConcern

The curriculum appears to lack adequate teacher support for implementing direct instruction effectively.

EdReports rates the curriculum as 'Does Not Meet Expectations' for Usability, specifically noting insufficient teacher support

Retrieval PracticeInsufficient Evidence

Assessment and review practices are not clearly documented in available evidence.

EdReports does not provide specific details about retrieval practice or spaced review components in the curriculum

Systematic PhonicsInsufficient Evidence

Phonics instruction assessment is not applicable for this upper elementary curriculum focused on grades 3-5.

No evidence provided regarding phonics instruction, which is expected given the grade levels served

Vocabulary BuildingInsufficient Evidence

Evidence suggests vocabulary development through quality texts, but specific instructional approaches are unclear.

The curriculum's strength in text quality and knowledge-building implies vocabulary development, but EdReports does not detail explicit vocabulary instruction methods

Writing InstructionInsufficient Evidence

Writing instruction components are not detailed in the available review evidence.

EdReports evaluation does not specifically address writing instruction quality or structure within the curriculum

Sources: edreports.org

Key Facts

GradesGrades 3–5

SubjectEla

PedagogyNot specified

Faith-BasedNo

FormatDigital + Physical