Teaching Strategies launches a powerful, science of reading-based pre-K literacy curriculum supplement, literacy screener, and enhanced assessment system as recent national data show just one in three students proficient in reading by fourth grade
WASHINGTON, March 12, 2025 -- Teaching Strategies, the leading developer of early childhood curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and family engagement solutions, has expanded its suite of literacy-focused solutions to include a supplemental play-based pre-K curriculum aligned to the science of reading; a screener to identify early reading challenges, including dyslexia; and an enhanced comprehensive assessment system that blends game-based and observational assessments to capture a holistic and actionable view of child development over time.
The new solutions arrive as the nation continues to analyze results from the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report, which shows just 30% of fourth graders are proficient or advanced in reading, and as states push policies to address declining reading scores. In recent years, as the science of reading gained popularity, many states passed legislation requiring schools to adopt literacy screeners and supplement their existing reading curricula with instructional tools explicitly focused on phonological and phonemic awareness skills.
"Every child, not just one out of three, should be able to enter fourth grade reading proficiently and confidently," said Nicol Russell, chief academic officer at Teaching Strategies. "To achieve that goal, we must build the foundation of literacy stronger and earlier. This means using multiple sources of evidence to understand in real time where children are in their reading journeys—and how to develop their skills in a way that's fun, engaging, and tailored to their unique needs. Our new curriculum and assessment solutions make that possible."
Among the new solutions is Kickstart Literacy™, a supplemental literacy curriculum designed for the year before kindergarten that engages children in exciting, fun play- and science of reading-based lessons focusing on phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary–the skills children need to build a strong foundation for reading. Skills are spiraled throughout the year in large-group activities and independent discovery. The print and digital supplement can be used alongside any pre-K curriculum, and it's easy to fit into a busy school day with daily, 20-minute, three-part lessons using rich, hands-on classroom materials that help bring lessons to life. It's also teacher-friendly with onboarding training and short video examples for every lesson.
Following the acquisition of Cognitive Toxbox last year, Teaching Strategies has also enhanced—and expanded—its assessment suite through the creation of GOLDFinch™. GOLDFinch™ combines GOLD®, the most widely used and industry-leading observational assessment tool, with Finch™, a new game-based assessment product. Together, they offer a comprehensive view of each child's development and school readiness—in reading and math and other areas—and provide educators with actionable data and insights to individualize learning.
GOLDFinch™ includes:
- Finch Literacy Screener: The new Finch Literacy Screener helps identify reading challenges, including dyslexia, for children in pre-K and kindergarten, so they can receive early intervention support. The screener uses automatic speech recognition to capture and score language development data, generates a tailored report, and automatically feeds into GOLD® documentation.
- Finch Formative Games: Available in both English and Spanish, the new Finch Formative Games capture developmental progress directly from children in preschool, pre-K, and kindergarten. Children play the fun, research-based games for five minutes or less each week, and the results automatically feed into GOLD® documentation. By capturing assessment data directly from children, teachers save valuable time. It also reduces the pressure on teacher observations alone.
Watch a video of GOLDFinch in action.
All of the new solutions are now available for purchase ahead of the 2025-2026 school year and build on Teaching Strategies' existing efforts to support research-based early literacy instruction. In 2024, Teaching Strategies launched a first-of-its-kind pre-K curriculum that pairs play with explicit math and literacy instruction and a flexible, online early literacy certification program designed to build the literacy foundation, skills, and confidence early childhood educators need to support young learners on their journey to reading and writing fluency.
About Teaching Strategies
Teaching Strategies® is the leading provider of early childhood curriculum, assessment, professional development, and family engagement solutions. Its products, including the most widely used curriculum and assessment solutions, The Creative Curriculum® and GOLD®, are found in over 270,000 classrooms and more than 80 countries around the world and reach over 4 million children each year. A trusted partner and advocate for the early education community for 45 years, today Teaching Strategies connects teachers, children and families to inspired teaching and learning experiences, insightful data, stronger family partnerships, and robust professional learning through SmartTeach™, the leading early learning platform. Learn more at www.teachingstrategies.com.
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