Summary Table for FCRR Reports

Comprehensive Core Reading Programs

A Comprehensive Core Reading Program (CCRP) is intended to be the initial instructional tool used to guide high quality instruction in K-5 classrooms. The CCRP correlates to all Reading and Language Arts Sunshine State Standards and includes instructional content based on the five essential components of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The CCRP contains instructional design components including explicit instructional strategies, coordinated instructional sequences, ample practice opportunities, and aligned student materials.

We would encourage schools to use the table below very carefully. It is meant only as an initial indicator of the extent to which specific areas of instruction are explicitly included in programs that have been reviewed. The best strategy is always to consider the specific needs of the students with whom the program will be used, and then pick a program that will most powerfully meet those needs. For example, if many students in your school need extra support or interventions in the area of reading fluency, then the extent to which a program provides powerful instruction in that area would be an important consideration. Programs that provide coverage across all possible areas of reading development may be an excellent choice for students who need extra, or more explicit instruction in all areas of reading development, but a comprehensive program may not provide as powerful instruction in a single important area (i.e. phonics, vocabulary, fluency, or reading comprehension) as one that is primarily focused on that area, and might be more difficult to use in providing focused instructional support in a given area. It is very important to read the FCRR Report for every program that you are considering. The reports provide specific details that we are unable to convey in the summary table.

In 2002, The Florida Center for Reading Research conducted a formal review of several core reading programs intended to be used as initial instruction. The process for these reviews was a little different than the one used for the programs below, but it produced a list of core reading programs that were aligned with the basic Reading First standards and were suitable for use by Reading First schools in Florida. These core reading programs were: Trophies published by Harcourt (2003), A Legacy of Literacy published by Houghton Mifflin (2003), Open Court published by SRA (2002), Reading Mastery Plus published by SRA (2002), and Scott Foresman Reading as long as the manual called Links to Reading First is used (2002). All of the aforementioned programs should be considered to have been positively reviewed by the Florida Center for Reading Research.

Specific information can be found at the bottom of the table or by rolling the mouse over each category within the table.