Core Knowledge Foundation Information

Every child deserves access to the knowledge that opens doors. The Core Knowledge Foundation builds the curriculum, resources, and community that make it possible. We develop and publish content-rich, cumulative K–8 curriculum, including Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), Core Knowledge History and Geography (CKHG), Core Knowledge Science (CKSci), Core Knowledge Visual Arts (CKVA), and Core Knowledge Music (CKMusic). Through our Core Knowledge Free Library, we provide free read-aloud biographies, cross-curricular resources, and professional learning tools to teachers and homeschooling families nationwide. Our work is grounded in a simple, research-backed idea: building broad knowledge from the earliest grades is the foundation for reading comprehension, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. The Core Knowledge Sequence provides the detailed, grade-by-grade outline that makes coherent, cumulative instruction possible. Founded in 1986 by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., professor emeritus at the University of Virginia and author of Cultural Literacy, the Core Knowledge Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia.