State Standards Aligned and Spiraling

Development Process

In order to ensure the best quality resource that matches both the intent and content of all state standards, we used the following process:

1. Created a master list of all state standards using the curriculum from each state.
2. Drafted a table of contents that made sense based on the master list of state standards. 
3. Engaged with classroom teachers from Illinois, New York, California, Texas and Tennesee to create a review team and review the table of contents to ensure 

• 100% curriculum coverage. 
• flow of content makes sense.
• all features were useful and beneficial to students
• revised the table of contents based on feedback.

    4. Content was written that matched the table of contents and based on discussions with these classroom teachers. 

    5. Same teachers reviewed and at times revised the content based on the feedback given by the review team. 

    6. Process repeated for every lesson in every book.

    7. Answers created and checked by classroom teachers to ensure accuracy.

These are the steps we used to create each resource over a 2-year period.

Spiraling

Yes—our curriculum is spiraled. Students meet the same big ideas more than once, each time at a deeper level (fractions in Grade 4, then operations with fractions in Grade 5, and so on). While this spiral isn’t always overt in the layout, it’s built into our design so prior knowledge is reviewed, extended, and readies students for future success.

Our built-in spiral—true to form

A spiral curriculum has three essentials:

1. Students loop back to the same ideas many times.
2. Each return digs deeper and adds complexity.
3. New lessons always grow from what students already know instead of starting over.

That’s exactly how our Grade 4-8 resources work. Fractions, for instance, begin as simple parts of a whole in Grade 4; Grade 5 opens with a quick review and then moves into adding and subtracting fractions; later grades tackle multiplication, division, and mixed numbers—each revisit building on the last. The same pattern holds for integers leading into algebra: we refresh integer rules first, then use them to simplify expressions and solve equations.

This spiral isn’t always stamped on the page, but it underlies every unit. By continually connecting prior knowledge to tougher concepts, the design keeps learning fresh, confidence high, and students—whether in homeschool, classroom, or tutoring settings—ready for the next step.