Units of Study

Grounded in classroom practice and refined through ongoing research, the Units of Study support best practices in literacy instruction across grades K–8. The Units integrate science of reading principles, language development, and knowledge building within a workshop model structure, emphasizing daily practice, responsive teaching, and meaningful engagement with texts.

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Sample Writing K-5 Sample Reading K-2 Sample Reading 3-5

The Units of Study Story

The Units of Study grew out of early research and the pioneering work Dr. Lucy Calkins began when she joined Teachers College at Columbia University more than forty years ago. Dr. Calkins and her colleagues at The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower center this work on understanding how children learn to read and write and on designing instruction that is responsive, rigorous, and grounded in research-informed practice.

Since then, the work has evolved through decades of practice alongside schools and districts and continues to be refined through ongoing work with students and teachers, current literacy research, and instructional best practices.

Pie chart showing the suggested workshop structure: minilesson, less than 10 minutes; work time, 35-45 minutes, including small groups, conferences, mid-workshop teaching, and partner work; and share, 3-5 minutes.

The Workshop Model

The Units of Study are built on the workshop model, a research-informed instructional framework that gives students dedicated time and support to engage in authentic reading and writing every day. Within this flexible structure, students read, write, talk, and think daily, developing skills and strategies through meaningful, scaffolded practice.

Rooted in decades of classroom practice and research, the workshop model emphasizes daily practice, responsive feedback, and student agency within intentionally designed instruction across grade levels and subject areas. Learn more about the workshop model and how it can strengthen reading and writing instruction and help schools meet instructional goals.

Reading Workshop eBook

Writing Workshop eBook

Writing Process eBook

Reading

The Units of Study in Reading for Grades K–5 have been thoroughly updated, combining proven pedagogy with a user-friendly design to create a research-informed curriculum that makes reading workshop more engaging and flexible for today's classrooms. These new editions do not include instruction anchored in three-cueing nor do they encourage kids to guess at words in lieu of decoding.

Authentic Texts and Whole Books

The Units of Study in Reading, Grades K–5 deliver structured, scaffolded instruction focused on students reading and discussing authentic, whole books, not just excerpts or short passages. Lessons are centered on complete, high-quality trade books and mentor texts, giving students meaningful opportunities to build stamina, deepen comprehension, and develop a strong reading identity.

Built on science of reading principles and best practices in literacy instruction, the Units of Study in Reading integrate comprehension, vocabulary, and knowledge building within the workshop approach. Instruction is aligned to the Reading Rope, supporting students' development in word recognition and language comprehension through daily, connected practice.

Explore Reading K–5

Explore Reading 6–8

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Explore Classroom Libraries

Writing

The Units of Study in Writing for Grades K–5 are designed to help students write authentically across genres, not just respond to what they read. Through a workshop structure, students engage in the writing process while building stamina through daily practice. Rooted in decades of classroom practice and research, the Units provide a flexible, consistent framework that supports responsive teaching and student growth.

Purposeful Writing Across Genres

The Units of Study in Writing for Grades K–5 draw on current research related to oral language development, writing instruction, grammar, vocabulary, knowledge building, and feedback to support responsive teaching and authentic writing across classrooms.

Writing instruction is aligned to the strands of the Writing Rope, allowing teachers to address multiple aspects of writing development within daily instruction.

In Grades 2–5, each writing session includes a daily grammar extension that explicitly supports language skills. Lessons focus on syntax, sentence elaboration, morphology, punctuation, and conventions of English, helping students strengthen language comprehension and apply learning directly to their writing.

Explore Writing K–5

Explore Writing 6–8

Explore Up the Ladder

The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower

The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower is the creator of the Units of Study in Writing, Reading, and Phonics, as well as several series of engaging decodable texts. At its core, the Project is a community of practice and professional learning organization dedicated to improving literacy instruction through sustained work with educators and schools.

Partner With The Project

The Project's work is ongoing and reflective, shaped by classroom-based learning, and engagement with current research in the field of education. Through this work, the Project continues to refine its approach to literacy instruction in response to what it learns in real classrooms.

The Reading & Writing Project at Mossflower provides professional development services and events for writing, reading, phonics, and decodable text instruction. Offerings include on-site, online, and on-demand professional learning, as well as study groups, conference days, and institutes. Visit Mossflower.com to learn more about how they can support your instructional goals.

Professional Development Opportunities

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Students Deserve Daily Opportunities to Read, Write, Think, and Grow

See how the Units of Study can support your reading and writing goals.

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