Knowledge

Accelerate Literacy Learning with
RedThread Knowledge Curriculum

The Principles Behind RedThread Knowledge

Empowering students to think critically and independently is key to their future success. RedThread helps students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Our K-8 language arts curriculum builds literacy skills while engaging and inspiring young minds.

Comprehensive Teacher Tools & Guides

Empower teachers with detailed teacher guides. From preparing to teach, to evaluating student work, each unit guide is packed with teaching tips, student work exemplars, and resources.

Content-Rich Materials that Bridge the Knowledge-Gap

Equip all students with the knowledge they need to succeed with comprehensive, content-rich materials that connect knowledge-building within and across grades.

Meaningful Topics and Themes

Engage students with meaningful topics and texts aligned to cohesive themes across grades and integrated into reading, writing, and project-based work across units.

Multicultural Literature that Reflects our Multicultural World

Expose students to a range of cultures, experiences, and viewpoints through engaging, multicultural texts that expand their understanding of the world around them.

Our immersive curriculum adoption and implementation support promotes consistency in instructional practices and curriculum delivery across all levels of implementation. Our interactive leader cohorts, curriculum launches, and yearlong unit launches provide support every step of the way. Download our Sample Coaching Guide to see an example of the tools and resources we provide through high-quality professional learning.

Download a Sample Coaching Guide
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The Curriculum Components

Develop confident and independent readers, writers, and thinkers.

RedThread Knowledge K-2

A multicultural, project-based, and integrated reading and writing curriculum.

  • Delivers a focused 75-minute daily literacy session
  • Aligns with our K-2 RedThread Foundations phonics curriculum

RedThread Knowledge 3-5

A multicultural, project-based, and integrated reading and writing curriculum.

  • Delivers a focused 90-minute daily literacy session
  • Aligns with our 3-5 RedThread Foundations phonics curriculum

RedThread Knowledge 6-8

A global, thematic, and project-based middle school reading and writing curriculum.

  • Delivers a focused 90-minute daily literacy session
RedThread Knowledge K-2

RedThread Knowledge K-2

A multicultural, project-based, and integrated reading and writing curriculum.

  • Delivers a focused 75-minute daily literacy session
  • Aligns with our K-2 RedThread Foundations phonics curriculum
RedThread Knowledge 3-5

RedThread Knowledge 3-5

A multicultural, project-based, and integrated reading and writing curriculum.

  • Delivers a focused 90-minute daily literacy session
  • Aligns with our 3-5 RedThread Foundations phonics curriculum
RedThread Knowledge 6-8

RedThread Knowledge 6-8

A global, thematic, and project-based middle school reading and writing curriculum.

  • Delivers a focused 90-minute daily literacy session
Download Curriculum Samples

Download Curriculum Samples

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Connect with Every Learner

Inspire students to fall in love with reading and encourage them to think more deeply about the world around them. Guided by our carefully selected themes, students deepen their understanding of themselves, their communities, and the world. This thematic approach enables students to progressively build knowledge, deepen critical thinking, and synthesize skills and concepts throughout each unit and grade.

RedThread Curriculum Institutes

Guide students to success with our immersive curriculum adoption and implementation support. Promote consistency in instructional practices and curriculum delivery across all levels of implementation with interactive leader cohorts, curriculum launches, and yearlong unit launches.

Explore RedThread Institutes

Explore K-5 Themes

Integrated into our RedThread Foundations curriculum for grades K-5, RedThread Knowledge uniquely combines English language arts and phonics instruction, delivering a powerful, dual-impact approach to knowledge-building.

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Grade: KINDERGARTEN

Growing Together

What does it mean to be part of a community?

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Grade: First

Making a Difference

How do people solve problems?

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Grade: Second

Traveling Through Time & Space

How do people and communities change over time?

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Grade: Third

Discovering My Voice

What does it mean to be a citizen in a democracy?

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Grade: Fourth

Finding Freedom

What does it mean to be free?

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Grade: Fifth

Cultivating Ingenuity and Resilience

How do people innovate, create, and thrive?

Explore 6-8 Themes

Encourage students to explore their identity, societal roles, and personal impact throughout our middle school curriculum.

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Grade: Sixth

Identities and Human Development

Who am I and what does it mean to be human?

Students embark on a yearlong exploration of themselves and their own identities.

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Grade: Seventh

Collaboration, Conflict, and Community Throughout Human History

What is my role in society?

Students shift their focus from personal and individual human development to a study of human interactions in the United States and the world throughout history.

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Grade: Eighth

Changemakers in the Ancient, Modern, and Future World

What is my impact on the world?

Students learn and reflect on change makers throughout history, while exploring how humans continue to work to positively impact the future.

Inspire Every Child

Our book lists for each grade aren't just chosen for their literary quality. They also are selected for their ability to connect with students on multiple levels—emotionally, intellectually, and socially.

Explore 1st Grade, Unit 2 Literary Works

In our RedThread Knowledge curriculum, first graders explore the yearlong theme, "Making a Difference," through multicultural books, such as What Do You Do with a Problem?, Every Dog in the Neighborhood, and Maybe Something Beautiful. Each is read aloud or independently, connecting students to diverse stories and topics that inspire empathy, creativity, and community involvement.

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Students explore the theme Making a Difference

Explore 4th Grade, Unit 4 Literary Works

Fourth graders navigate the yearlong theme, “Finding Freedom,” in our RedThread Knowledge curriculum. Throughout the year, students interact with multicultural texts including Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and Pushing Up the Sky that help students answer the essential question, “What does it mean to be free?” Read aloud and independently, these literary works deepen cultural connections, enrich vocabulary, ignite curiosity, and foster critical thinking.

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Students explore the theme Finding Freedom

Explore 8th Grade, Unit 4 Literary Works

In eighth grade, our RedThread Knowledge curriculum introduces students to classical texts like Antigone and modern works including Uprising. Throughout the school year students read and analyze these texts, relating them back to the yearlong theme, “Changemakers in the Ancient, Modern, and Future World.” Students grow as independent readers, writers, and thinkers as they engage with global, thematic books that help develop deep content knowledge.

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Students explore the theme Changemakers in the Ancient, Modern, and Future World

Teacher and Leader Testimonials

"RedThread Knowledge 6-8 has brought a refreshing element of relatability to my ELA class. The curriculum inspires my 8th graders to envision themselves as change-makers in the world by providing them with texts that show them how others, from a diverse variety of backgrounds, have made a global impact across history. The project-based learning approach emboldens my students to envision their dreams and make them reality. Many curriculums bolster rote thinking and thus dim intellectual curiosity. RedThread Knowledge, on the other hand, encourages creativity and embodies the vision that all people, whatever their background or identity, can achieve greatness and push the world forward. This is how lifelong learners are born."

Katie, 8th Grade ELA teacher at Harlem Village Academies

"RedThread Knowledge 6-8 has brought a refreshing element of relatability to my ELA class. The curriculum inspires my 8th graders to envision themselves as change-makers in the world by providing them with texts that show them how others, from a diverse variety of backgrounds, have made a global impact across history. The project-based learning approach emboldens my students to envision their dreams and make them reality. Many curriculums bolster rote thinking and thus dim intellectual curiosity. RedThread Knowledge, on the other hand, encourages creativity and embodies the vision that all people, whatever their background or identity, can achieve greatness and push the world forward. This is how lifelong learners are born."

Katie, 8th Grade ELA teacher at Harlem Village Academies

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Frequently Asked Questions

What grade levels are Best for RedThread Knowledge?

The RedThread Knowledge curriculum is a comprehensive K-8 literacy program integrating reading, writing, and project-based learning. 

 

The curriculum offers tailored content for each grade, with age-appropriate themes and materials that build upon previous knowledge, ensuring a coherent progression of skills and concepts.

How does RedThread Knowledge benefit students?

RedThread Knowledge helps students become confident readers, writers, and critical thinkers by integrating literacy, project-based learning, and age-appropriate themes. Instead of rote memorization, students build deep, interconnected knowledge through reading, writing, and hands-on projects, while vocabulary and grammar are taught in context. Grade-level themes—like "How do people innovate?" (5th grade) or "What is my impact on the world?" (8th grade)—spark curiosity and civic awareness. This approach fosters creativity, problem-solving, and real-world skills, preparing students to engage meaningfully in their community.

How does RedThread Knowledge address different grade levels?

Each grade level explores unique themes that build knowledge progressively, such as community in Kindergarten, problem-solving in first grade, and freedom in fourth grade. These themes are carefully designed to deepen students' understanding as they advance.

 

  • K-2: Focuses on foundational literacy skills, integrated with RedThread Foundations phonics instruction, in daily 75-minute sessions.
  • 3-5: Expands literacy skills and critical thinking through thematic and project-based learning in daily 90-minute sessions.
  • 6-8: Prepares middle school students for complex literacy tasks with global, thematic, and interdisciplinary approaches in 90-minute sessions.
What kinds of themes do students explore in RedThread Knowledge?

Each grade level explores a different theme to foster knowledge-building and critical thinking:

  • Kindergarten: Growing Together (What does being part of a community mean?)
  • First Grade: Making a Difference (How do people solve problems?)
  • Second Grade: Traveling Through Time & Space (How do people and communities change over time?)
  • Third Grade: Discovering My Voice (What does it mean to be a citizen in a democracy?)
  • Fourth Grade: Finding Freedom (What does it mean to be free?)
  • Fifth Grade: Cultivating Ingenuity and Resilience (How do people innovate, create, and thrive?)
  • Sixth Grade: Identities and Human Development (Who am I, and what does it mean to be human?)
  • Seventh Grade: Collaboration, Conflict, and Community Throughout Human History (What is my role in society?)
  • Eighth Grade: Changemakers in the Ancient, Modern, and Future World (What is my impact on the world?)
How long are daily literacy sessions?

Daily literacy sessions in the RedThread Knowledge curriculum are designed to meet the needs of different grade levels:

  • RedThread Knowledge K–2: 75 minutes daily for an integrated reading and writing curriculum that aligns with RedThread Foundations.
  • RedThread Knowledge 3–5: 90 minutes daily for a multicultural, project-based literacy program aligned with 3–5 RedThread Foundations.
  • RedThread Knowledge 6–8: 90 minutes per day in a global, thematic reading and writing program, including 30 minutes of routines and opportunities for formative assessment.