Literacy Program Links Student Books to ELA Standards

A new literacy program aims to help teachers and students in grades 2-5 meet evolving state standards for English language arts (ELA) instruction.

Standards Close-Up from Benchmark Education offers student books (print and digital formats) matched to specific ELA standards they need to master, including ones related to science and social studies. The program focuses on three key areas:

Image: Benchmark Education

  • Practice using complex texts and academic language;
  • Finding and using evidence; and
  • Building knowledge and vocabulary.

It is designed to support small-group instruction and is especially suited for first-time teachers, according to information from the company. The books break down the ELA standards into manageable skills and strategies: Each begins with a “mini-lesson” and multiple reading passages that target a specific standard, followed by a writing prompt and questions.

Grade-level sets are priced starting at $859 per grade and include six copies of 18 book titles, as well as access to instructional materials (like rubrics, assessments, and other teaching and learning resources). Teachers interested in digital materials only can opt for the online subscription priced at $385, which offers more customization options. For instance, teachers and students can insert pages, videos, images, sounds, links and more into any e-book. The complete print and online set for grades 2-5 costs $3,825.

Standards Close-Up can found on the Benchmark Education site.

About the Author

Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • a cloud, an AI chip, and a padlock interconnected by circuit-like lines

    CrowdStrike Report: Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud, AI Systems

    According to the 2025 Threat Hunting Report from CrowdStrike, adversaries are not just using AI to supercharge attacks — they are actively targeting the AI systems organizations deploy in production. Combined with a surge in cloud exploitation, this shift marks a significant change in the threat landscape for enterprises.

  • digital learning resources including a document, video tutorial, quiz checklist, pie chart, and AI cloud icon

    Quizizz Rebrands as Wayground, Announces New AI Features

    Learning platform Quizizz has become Wayground, in a rebranding meant to reflect "the platform's evolution from a quiz tool into a more versatile supplemental learning platform that's supported by AI," according to a news announcement.

  • Schoolchildren Work on Personal Computers

    Code.org Reinvents Hour of Code as Hour of AI

    Education nonprofit Code.org has partnered with CSforALL to launch the Hour of AI, a global initiative providing learning activities for AI education.

  • student holding a smartphone with thumbs-up and thumbs-down icons, surrounded by abstract digital media symbols and interface elements

    Teaching Media Literacy? Start by Teaching Decision-Making

    Decision-making is a skill that must be developed — not assumed. Students need opportunities to learn the tools and practices of effective decision-making so they can apply what they know in meaningful, real-world contexts.