Fishtank ELA
Also called Fishtank Learning ELA, Fishtank Plus ELA.
Ages Kindergarten through grade 8 here, roughly ages 5 to 14 (the publisher also lists grades 9 to 12)Grades K–8Planning A plan you adaptScreens Some screen timeShelf Reading, writing and EnglishUpdated November 2026
Fishtank ELA is an English language arts curriculum from Fishtank Learning, for kindergarten to grade 12. Its pages call it knowledge-building, built on complex, authentic texts, with students writing in every lesson. Peabody is not connected to Fishtank Learning; this page only describes what the publisher's pages and one independent review say, and points to free practice you can use beside the program. The publisher's pages do not describe a separate phonics strand, which matters for early readers.
1 Where it came from
Peabody is not connected to Fishtank Learning, and nothing here is written or checked by the company. Fishtank Learning publishes the curriculum in four grade bands: kindergarten to grade 2, grades 3 to 5, grades 6 to 8 and grades 9 to 12. A pop-up on its page says its lesson plans are available for free with a sign-up; the pages read give no price for fuller access. The company says more than 600 schools and 300,000 students use Fishtank ELA, a figure that comes from the company itself.
2 The big ideas
- Knowledge builds readers. The publisher calls the curriculum knowledge-building, with units that grow knowledge and vocabulary through texts.
- Complex texts sit at the center. Every unit centers on complex texts and is organized around Essential Questions.
- Students write in every lesson. The foundations page says students write in every lesson, with sentences first at the elementary level and longer pieces over time.
- Talk is part of the design. Daily discussion is built in, and some lessons are Socratic Seminars or debates.
- Skills are practiced through text. The page says the focus is regular practice with complex text and academic language, not separate skill drills.
3 What a lesson looks like
The foundations page names the parts of a lesson: Key Questions, Close Reading moments, Discussion and Writing Prompts, and Target Task Questions. Each unit centers on complex texts and is organized around Essential Questions. As children grow comfortable with the routine, some lessons become Socratic Seminars or debates. Teachers also get Unit Launches, Teacher Tools and Enhanced Lesson Plans. The pages do not give timings for a day, so look at a free lesson plan in the grade you teach to see how long each part takes.
4 The adult's job
The teacher plans around the unit's Essential Question, leads close reading and discussion, and has children write in every lesson. Teachers have Unit Launches, Teacher Tools and Enhanced Lesson Plans for support, and the company lists professional learning on its site.
5 How progress is checked
The pages read name Target Task Questions as part of each lesson, but do not describe the other ways the curriculum checks progress. Look at a free lesson plan to see what each task asks and how you would judge it.
6 Strengths and criticisms
Strengths
- Centers each unit on complex, authentic texts and an Essential Question, so reading builds knowledge.
- Has children write in every lesson and talk about texts each day.
- Offers lesson plans for free with a sign-up, so you can read real lessons before deciding on more.
- Has independent review: EdReports rated the grades 3 to 5 materials as meeting expectations for text quality and for building knowledge.
Criticisms and watch-outs
- No separate phonics strand is described. The foundations page says the focus is practice with complex text rather than discrete skills. Children still learning to decode need a phonics program beside it.
- Usability scored lower. EdReports rated usability for grades 3 to 5 as partially meeting expectations, at 72%.
- The review is on an earlier tool. EdReports released it on 12 January 2022 using an earlier version of its review tools.
- Reviews for other grades were not read. EdReports findings for kindergarten to grade 2 and grades 6 to 8, and a Reading League report, are linked on the publisher's page but were not read for this page.
7 What the research says
EdReports released its report on Fishtank Plus ELA for grades 3 to 5 on 12 January 2022. It rated text quality and complexity at 88% and building knowledge at 93%, both meeting expectations, and usability at 72%, partially meeting expectations. The ratings were the same for grades 3, 4 and 5, and the report used an earlier version of the review tools. EdReports reviews look at how the materials are built, not at how children score. The publisher also links reviews for other grades that this page did not read, so it states nothing about them.
8 How to try it
- Sign up for the free lesson plans and read one full unit for the grade you teach.
- Notice how much of each lesson is reading, talking and writing, and how long each part takes your class.
- If you teach kindergarten to grade 2, find out which phonics program will run beside it, since the publisher's pages do not describe one.
- Try one Socratic Seminar or debate lesson once children know the routine.
- Keep a short daily phonics or fluency routine for children who cannot yet read the unit's texts on their own.
9 Using Peabody with it
- DecodablesFor a young reader who needs sound-by-sound practice that the program does not describe, give short decodable texts each day.
- CVC worksheetsUse these for a beginner who is still learning short vowel words before they take on the unit's texts.
- Elkonin boxesLet a child push counters for each sound in a word to practice hearing and spelling sounds.
- Decodable readersHand a child a decodable reader for reading practice at their own level beside the topic reading.
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10 Programs that follow it
Programs and materials often named with this approach: Essential Questions, Target Task Questions, Unit Launches, Socratic Seminars.
Questions people ask
- Is Peabody connected to Fishtank Learning?
- No. Peabody is not connected to Fishtank Learning. This page describes what the publisher's pages and an independent review say, and links to free practice you can use beside the program.
- Is Fishtank ELA free?
- A pop-up on the publisher's page says its lesson plans are offered for free with a sign-up. The pages read give no price for fuller access, so ask the company.
- Does it teach phonics?
- The publisher's foundations page does not describe a separate phonics or decoding strand. It says the focus is regular practice with complex text and academic language, so plan a phonics program beside it for early readers.
- What did the independent review find?
- EdReports rated grades 3 to 5 as meeting expectations for text quality and for building knowledge, and as partially meeting expectations for usability, in a report released on 12 January 2022 on an earlier review tool.
Sources
- Fishtank ELA curriculum, Fishtank Learning.
- Fishtank ELA foundations, Fishtank Learning.
- Fishtank Plus ELA (grades 3-5) review, EdReports.
Compare with
- Knowledge-building English: Reading and writing organized around weeks-long topics in science, history and the arts, so children build the knowledge and words comprehension depends on.
- Common Core and state standards: A list of what a child should know and be able to do in each grade: the goal posts, not the lessons. Most US public schools follow a set like it.
- Every approach in the curriculum guide
Written by Peabody Teach. No ads, no affiliate links, and no program pays to appear. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us.