Fishtank Plus ELA 3-5

Name: Fishtank Plus ELA 3-5
Brand: Fishtank Learning

by Fishtank Learning

ElaGrades 3–5

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

Fishtank Plus ELA 3-5 is a grades 3-5 English Language Arts curriculum from Fishtank Learning that emphasizes building knowledge through high-quality texts. The curriculum meets expectations for text complexity and knowledge-building but has some limitations in teacher support and usability features.

Best for

Schools seeking a knowledge-rich ELA curriculum for grades 3-5 with strong text selection, but with experienced teachers who can supplement limited instructional support materials.

Evaluation Criteria

2 strengths · 2 concerns · 5 insufficient evidence

Knowledge RichStrength

The curriculum demonstrates a strong commitment to systematic knowledge-building through texts.

EdReports Gateway 2 rating of 'Meets Expectations' specifically for 'Building Knowledge — whether the curriculum builds knowledge through texts'

Text ComplexityStrength

The curriculum successfully provides grade-appropriate complex texts that meet standards expectations.

EdReports Gateway 1 'Meets Expectations' specifically for 'Text Quality & Complexity — alignment to grade-level text demands'

Teacher TrainingConcern

Teacher support and professional development materials appear to have notable limitations.

Gateway 3 'Partially Meets Expectations' for 'teacher support' indicates gaps in professional development and instructional guidance

Direct InstructionConcern

The level of explicit instructional guidance appears limited based on usability concerns.

Gateway 3 'Partially Meets Expectations' for teacher support suggests some gaps in instructional guidance and support materials

Retrieval PracticeInsufficient Evidence

Assessment and review practices are not detailed in the available evaluation evidence.

EdReports mentions assessment as part of Gateway 3 evaluation but doesn't specify retrieval practice or spaced review components

Systematic PhonicsInsufficient Evidence

As an upper elementary curriculum (grades 3-5), systematic phonics instruction is not a primary focus area.

No phonics instruction details provided for this grades 3-5 curriculum, which typically emphasizes fluency and comprehension over foundational phonics

Vocabulary BuildingInsufficient Evidence

Specific vocabulary instruction approaches are not detailed in the available evidence.

While text quality is noted as meeting expectations, explicit vocabulary building strategies are not mentioned in the EdReports evaluation

Writing InstructionInsufficient Evidence

Writing instruction components are not specifically addressed in the available review data.

EdReports evaluation focuses on text quality and knowledge-building but doesn't detail writing instruction approaches

Whole Books Vs ExcerptsInsufficient Evidence

Evidence suggests the curriculum uses high-quality texts, but the specific balance between whole books and excerpts is unclear.

EdReports notes the curriculum meets expectations for 'range and quality of texts' but doesn't specify whole book usage

Sources: edreports.org