New Curriculum Review: McGraw Hill's Literacy Emerge!
Developing strong readers, writers, and thinkers requires instructional materials that combine research-based literacy instruction, knowledge building, and support for students with diverse learning needs.
McGraw Hill's Literacy Emerge! (Emerge!), a comprehensive English language arts program for grades K–5 designed around the Science of Literacy research. Available in print and digital formats, the program integrates explicit, systematic instruction with knowledge-building activities and differentiated learning opportunities.
Learning List has reviewed Emerge! for grades K–5, evaluating its alignment to the Common Core State Standards for English language arts, instructional quality, and technology compatibility. Below are a few highlights from our review.
Research-Based, Explicit and Systematic Literacy Instruction
One of Emerge!'s strengths is its research-based instructional design, which supports teachers in delivering explicit, systematic literacy instruction.
Foundational skills lessons follow consistent instructional routines that address decoding, encoding, high-frequency words, and the application of skills through decodable passages. Instruction builds on skills introduced in earlier grades and progresses toward more complex word structures and literacy skills.
The program also integrates comprehension, knowledge building, and writing instruction, helping students develop literacy skills while exploring topics across content areas.
In-the-Moment, Data-Informed Instruction
Emerge! provides teachers with multiple opportunities to assess student understanding and adjust instruction as learning occurs. Lessons include embedded formative assessments, such as observational checklists, rubrics, and skills-practice activities, that help teachers identify student needs and make instructional adjustments.
The program's digital learner profile provides visual representations of student performance and recommendations for addressing individual learning needs.
These tools help teachers use assessment data to make timely instructional decisions rather than waiting until the end of a unit to identify learning gaps.
Comprehensive Resources for Differentiated Instruction
Another notable strength of Literacy Emerge! is its extensive collection of resources designed to support students with varying learning needs. Teachers have access to embedded differentiation guidance, skill-specific, small-group lessons, and differentiated texts. The program also includes Instructional supports, such as graphic organizers, visual vocabulary cards, and sentence stems that enable teachers to address student learning needs at various levels.
Support for multilingual learners is extensive. Units and lessons include embedded, targeted guidance. Small-group lessons for multilingual learners include language objectives, academic vocabulary development, and strategies for strengthening reading, writing, and comprehension.
These resources help teachers tailor instruction to students' needs while maintaining a consistent instructional approach.
What Else Should Educators Know about McGraw Hill's Literacy Emerge!?
Beyond its instructional strengths, Literacy Emerge! includes several features that district and campus leaders should consider when evaluating the program. Learning List's editorial review provides additional insight into the program's teacher resources, approach to building knowledge across grade levels, and use of decodable and authentic texts.
Understanding these features can help educators determine how well the program aligns with their instructional priorities and implementation needs.
About Learning List
Learning List provides curriculum support services, including its hallmark instructional materials review service for school districts. This subscription service provides immediate access to independent, evidence-based alignment, quality, and technology compatibility reviews of more than 4,000 widely used PreK-12 instructional materials. Subscribing districts can submit materials for review at no additional charge.
About McGraw Hill*
McGraw-Hill Education’s mission is to accelerate learning through intuitive, engaging, efficient, and effective experiences – grounded in research.
By partnering with educators around the globe, McGraw-Hill learning engineers, content developers, and pedagogical experts are developing increasingly open learning ecosystems that are proven to improve pass rates, elevate grades, and increase engagement for each learner while improving outcomes for all.
*Information in this section is provided by or adapted from McGraw Hill Education.
