A groundbreaking, full-day, open educational resource (OER) curriculum for children birth through eight

Administrators

“Your curriculum is a million times better than anything I have ever used. They are reading and engaged. I can’t wait to see where they are come March. I would definitely recommend Great First Eight.” – a veteran first-grade teacher piloting Great First Eight

As an administrator, Great First Eight offers you the best of all worlds: a comprehensive, open-source curriculum that is substantially better for children, teachers, and families than anything on the market. The current approach to curriculum has failed to lead to the achievement levels necessary to redress educational inequity. Great First Eight is the new and better approach that is urgently needed. Here are Great First Eight’s design features:


Necessary Conditions

  1. Serve classrooms, in metropolitan areas, with a number of children from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds.
  2. Align with Great First Eight’s design principles.
  3. Begin using the curriculum by or before kindergarten.
  4. Use the curriculum exclusively and in its entirety within an age/grade level.
  5. Provide all the necessary materials and technology
  6. Engage in all of the professional learning required for the curriculum.
  7. Ensure all key stakeholders are on board.
  8. Align assessments, teacher evaluations, and other components of the system.
  9. Commit for at least three years.

Ready for a Radically Better K-2 Student and Teacher Experience?

A select group of leading districts, charter schools, and community-based organizations are implementing Great First Eight this school year. We are currently inviting inquiries for the next cohort of Great First Eight adopters: implementing Great First Eight K in ’25 – ’26. Age/grade levels available for adoption inquiries are PreK-3, PreK-4/TK, and kindergarten (we recommend implementation of first and second grade only after sites have implemented the kindergarten curriculum). After reviewing the Necessary Conditions for Adopting the Great First Eight Curriculum and the relevant grade level Touring Guides, if your district, network, or program meets the conditions, we invite you to submit a Great First Eight 25 – ’26 Adoption Inquiry.  We will respond as soon as possible to all inquiries.


Our Offerings by Age/Grade