The Core Knowledge Sequence movement is an educational reform based on the premise that a grade-by-grade core of common learning is necessary to ensure a sound and fair education. Simply put, knowledge builds on knowledge. The more you know, the more you are able to learn. The movement was started by Dr. E. D. Hirsch, Jr., author of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know and The Schools We Need, and is based on a large body of research in cognitive psychology, as well as a careful examination of several of the world’s fairest and most effective school systems. Due to the completeness and rigor of the curriculum, students are able to achieve the most important goals for education — greater reading comprehension, the ability to think critically and solve problems, and higher test scores.
