A strong foundation for middle school readers and writers
Today’s middle school students and teachers need something different. Students need authentic learning materials and time off screens, and teachers need quality instructional materials that value their time. Inquiry by Design is the comprehensive solution that gives students and teachers the tools they need to thrive.
Print first.
Tech intentional.
To prepare students for a digital world, IBD takes a research-backed yet unexpected approach: we begin with print. Studies show that students comprehend more deeply when reading on paper, so our program prioritizes print-based materials. Technology isn’t sidelined—it’s used with purpose. Alongside students building strong comprehension habits in print, they engage with technology, multimedia, and scaffolded research tasks to develop digital literacy.
Intentional design
Every text has a purpose, and every activity has a reason.
Books in the hands of students
Tangible materials promote student ownership and build reading stamina as students engage with complex texts — stories, articles, poetry, essays, graphic texts, and full-length novels.
Purposeful work
Student tasks are intentional, grounded in the essential questions, and connected across the unit to ensure students have opportunities to build knowledge independently and collaboratively with work that matters.
Integrated Literacy
Our fully integrated program ensures reading, writing, vocabulary, speaking, listening, and language work together to build lasting literacy so that students learn to think, read, and write like real authors and scholars.
Knowledge-building units
Students dig deeply into topics throughout each unit that activate prior knowledge, build content knowledge, explore multiple perspectives, and encourage students to revisit and refine their thinking with each new text.
Explicit language instruction
We embed language forms and functions so that students can successfully engage with the reading, writing, speaking, and listening expectations of the unit.
Scaffolded research
Our yearlong approach invites students to view research as an ongoing process of curiosity, critical thinking, reevaluation, and evidence-based understanding.
Essentials for teacher success and growth
Less time spent planning, more time focused on the art of teaching.
Lean
No more sifting through overwhelming resources; our curriculum is designed for efficient, impactful teaching.
Comprehensive
Our curriculum equips you for success from the first day of school through the last, with everything you need to teach provided.
Realistic
Every lesson and unit is built for real classrooms, where time is limited and every minute matters.
Aligned
Included rubrics promote alignment across grades and teams to support each component of student learning.