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Core Knowledge
WHAT YOUR 6TH GRADER NEEDS TO KNOW
Grade by grade, these groundbreaking and successful books provide a solid foundation in the fundamentals of a good education for first to sixth graders.
B & W photographs, linecuts, and maps throughout; two-color printing.
B & W photographs, linecuts, and maps throughout; two-color printing.
392 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1993
78 people are currently reading
187 people want to read
About the author
E.D. Hirsch Jr.
82 books111 followersE. D. Hirsch, Jr. is the founder and chairman of the Core Knowledge Foundation and professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several acclaimed books on education in which he has persisted as a voice of reason making the case for equality of educational opportunity.
A highly regarded literary critic and professor of English earlier in his career, Dr. Hirsch recalls being “shocked into education reform” while doing research on written composition at a pair of colleges in Virginia. During these studies he observed that a student’s ability to comprehend a passage was determined in part by the relative readability of the text, but even more by the student’s background knowledge.
This research led Dr. Hirsch to develop his concept of cultural literacy—the idea that reading comprehension requires not just formal decoding skills but also wide-ranging background knowledge. In 1986 he founded the Core Knowledge Foundation. A year later he published Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, which remained at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for more than six months. His subsequent books include The Schools We Need, The Knowledge Deficit, The Making of Americans, and most recently, How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation.
In How to Educate a Citizen (September, 2020), E.D. Hirsch continues the conversation he began thirty years ago with his classic bestseller Cultural Literacy, urging America’s public schools, particularly in Preschool – Grade 8, to educate our children using common, coherent and sequenced curricula to help heal and preserve the nation.
A highly regarded literary critic and professor of English earlier in his career, Dr. Hirsch recalls being “shocked into education reform” while doing research on written composition at a pair of colleges in Virginia. During these studies he observed that a student’s ability to comprehend a passage was determined in part by the relative readability of the text, but even more by the student’s background knowledge.
This research led Dr. Hirsch to develop his concept of cultural literacy—the idea that reading comprehension requires not just formal decoding skills but also wide-ranging background knowledge. In 1986 he founded the Core Knowledge Foundation. A year later he published Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, which remained at the top of the New York Times bestseller list for more than six months. His subsequent books include The Schools We Need, The Knowledge Deficit, The Making of Americans, and most recently, How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge to Unify a Nation.
In How to Educate a Citizen (September, 2020), E.D. Hirsch continues the conversation he began thirty years ago with his classic bestseller Cultural Literacy, urging America’s public schools, particularly in Preschool – Grade 8, to educate our children using common, coherent and sequenced curricula to help heal and preserve the nation.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 9, 2009
I just re-read the whole CORE Knowledge Series this week. I have to say, I'm torn by these...bit of a love/hate relationship I suppose. How awesome that Hirsch takes the basics and breaks them down into digestible bits of information in a meaningful sequence...always building on what kids have learned already. At the same time, how scary that educators may pick these up and think that truly this is all a first-grader, second-grader, etc. needs to know. Knowledge is infinite and true love of learning can never be developed by focusing on a single textbook no matter how many subjects it covers. I know Hirsch didn't intend for this to be all that kids are taught, and yet that always feels a little suggested to me as I read them. A good resource that has no hope of ever replacing great literature.
December 29, 2020
Great ideas for homeschooling a 6th grader
May 6, 2014
This is essentially the equivalent of a Readers Digest Condensed Book of an entire grade's textbook. Other than purposely using it as supplement at home by setting time aside to read it it with your child, I don't really see an application for this style of book. The material is presented very dryly and in this large book seems overwhelming so no child would read it alone.
November 1, 2008
Using this for basic knowledge.
February 28, 2011
These are great supplemental books for elementary grade levels This one was just as good as the others.
October 8, 2013
We started homeschooling this year and this series is a very good backbone for making your own curriculum. I checked this out at the library then later purchased it for use at home.
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January 4, 2015I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13100095
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February 17, 2016
Good for parents and grandparents to supplement their child's school learning.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews