Districts have made big strides in K–2 phonics. Now the focus is shifting to grades 3–5.

Several new, unproven, stand-alone word study and morphology programs have entered the market for upper elementary grades, but word study alone is not a complete foundational literacy plan.

Every student in kindergarten through 5th grade benefits from a consistent instructional framework, and students in grades 3–5 still need explicit, continued phonics instruction alongside morphology as grade-level texts become increasingly complex.

Understand your next steps with clear comparison points. Inside our guide, you can explore:

• Key questions about how program design affects teacher workload, student outcomes, and instructional coverage across grade levels to guide adoption decisions
• A side-by-side comparison of stand-alone word study and morphology instruction versus a grade-specific K–5 foundational-skills curriculum
• Common pitfalls that may not be obvious during initial review