TDOE Releases Free Curriculum Supplement to Support Early Literacy

Nashville, TN—The Tennessee Department of Education today released a free, optional supplement to support early literacy, TN Foundational Skills Curriculum Supplement, which follows evidenced-based research to build a solid foundation for literacy in pre-K through second grade. 

This supplement is completely free, optional, and uses a systematic and explicit approach to sounds-first instruction to help all students gain the foundational skills necessary to become proficient readers. Teachers, districts, and parents can access and download the materials in the supplement at any time here. 

“Early literacy is the foundation for the rest of a student’s educational career. We are incredibly excited to provide this free supplement to our Tennessee teachers, districts, and parents to assist in helping students learn to read,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “The supplement builds upon the critical work already happening across the state around literacy and will assist teachers and parents in explaining the relationship between sounds and vocabulary to kids and improve overall comprehension.” 

The supplement was developed by Tennessee district leaders, teachers, and nationally recognized literacy experts, David and Meredith Libens, to be used by Tennessee districts, teachers, parents, and higher education agencies to support students’ foundational literacy skills. Implementation guides are available for district leaders, building leaders, teachers, and families along with digital learning opportunities to assist in facilitation and how to incorporate the materials into daily instruction.  

Resources are organized by age—pre-K, kindergarten, first grade, and second grade— and ancillary materials, six to ten units, decodable readers, and intervention support are available depending on grade level. These resources include teacher guides, student workbooks, and practice activities to help early learners focus on phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and fluency. 

Tennessee teachers and district staff shared their excitement regarding the supplement and the benefits it will provide on social media: 

“I am so excited about the release of our TN Foundational Skills Curriculum Supplement.  Tennessee teachers and students are certain to benefit from this explicit and systematic curriculum.” -Joyce Harrison, Shelby County Schools 

“#TNFoundationalSkills Supplement is a real page-turner! These materials are fantastic at providing teachers and students with excellent skills and support for reading and writing!” -Carissa Comer, Putnam County Schools  

“I could not be more excited for the new foundational skills curriculum supplement! I am thrilled to finally have access to a FS resource that helps teachers build a strong foundation for the readers in their classrooms. The support and tools in this supplement, along with the continued hard work of teachers, will make a profound impact in the literary lives of TN students.” -Rachel Darnell, Elizabethton City Schools