astor
K curriculum: fact-check log (English and Math)
Checked Oct 19, 2026 (America/New_York). Status: OK = matched to the cited source; ASTOR = Astor's own design choice, labeled as such in the documents; OPEN = could not be verified, flagged in the documents.
Standards
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| All 53 K ELA entries (KR1-KR9, KRF1-KRF4 with subs, KW1-KW4, KW6-KW7, KSL1-KSL6 with subs, KL4-KL6 with subs, L1/L2 P-2 band) copied word for word | NYSED NG ELA Standards PDF pp. 16-21, 94-95 (text extracted with pdftotext and pasted into the generator, not retyped) | OK |
| No KW5, KL1, KL2, KL3 exist; W5 begins grade 4, L3 begins grade 2, L1/L2 banded P-2 | Same PDF, pp. 19-20 | OK |
| NYSED PDF prints "KLS1a" and "KLS1c" under KSL1 | Same PDF, p. 19 | OK (typo in source; we write KSL1a/KSL1c) |
| KRF1e, KRF2 sub-standards changed from the 2011 version | NYSED K ELA crosswalk | OK |
| All 30 K math entries (NY-K.CC.1 to NY-K.G.6) copied word for word | NYSED NG Math Standards PDF pp. 18-24 | OK |
| NY-K.OA.6 and NY-K.MD.4 have no 2011 match | NYSED Math K crosswalk (blank 2011 column) | OK |
| The four K problem subtypes are the unshaded cells: Add To/Result Unknown, Take From/Result Unknown, Put Together/Total Unknown, Put Together/Both Addends Unknown | NYSED NG Math PDF p. 20 chart (checked visually from the rendered page) | OK |
| K Overview: two focus areas; more time on number than any other topic; seeing equations encouraged, writing not required; numeral reversals common; manipulatives connected to symbols | NYSED NG Math PDF pp. 17-21 | OK |
New York City
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| NYC Reads launched 2023-24; K-5 curricula EL Education, Wit and Wisdom, HMH Into Reading; K-2 also adopt a foundational skills program; five areas of reading | schools.nyc.gov NYC Reads page | OK |
| Foundational skills options Fundations, Heggerty, Really Great Reading; Acadience K-2 screener 3x/year | NYC Reads Family Guidance (2023-24, school-hosted copy); NYCPS University Partnerships article | OK (2023-24 edition; newer edition not found) |
| NYC Solves Math Shifts (sense-making; low-floor high-ceiling tasks; discourse) and Phase 1 Elementary SY 2026-27 Districts 5, 11, 12, 25 | schools.nyc.gov NYC Solves page | OK |
| D5 i-Ready, D11 and D12 Illustrative Mathematics, D25 Amplify Desmos | NYC Mayor's Office release May 21, 2026; Chalkbeat May 22, 2026 | OK |
| 2026-27 dates: first day Sept 10, 2026; last day June 28, 2027; all closures used in the week count | NYCPS 2026-2027 School Year Calendar | OK |
| 177 student days | Astor count from the calendar (Nov 3 remote day counted) | ASTOR (NYCPS publishes no total on the page) |
| NYC Acadience testing windows for 2026-27 | not found | OPEN (plan uses Astor-estimated weeks) |
Curricula and texts
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| EL K modules (Toys and Play; Weather Wonders; Trees Are Alive; Enjoying and Appreciating Trees), writing tasks, trade books | EL Education K-2 Curriculum Plan; EL ELA K page | OK (2017-edition plan; 2025 edition reorganizes modules) |
| EL K-2 Skills Block is a 1-hour block | EL ELA K page | OK |
| Wit & Wisdom K modules, essential questions, core texts | Great Minds Core Texts PDF; Modules at a Glance PDF | OK |
| HMH Into Reading K module titles | only a school's re-sequenced chart found | OPEN (no unit mapped to an HMH module) |
| IM K unit titles and section titles | im.kendallhunt.com K units and scope pages | OK |
| IM K lesson counts (17, 22, 15, 18, 15, 13, 16, 21) | IM v1 K-5 Scope and Sequence PDF | OK (v1; "subject to minor changes") |
| All 58 anchor-text title/author pairs | Open Library search API, plus curriculum lists above | OK (publication years deliberately omitted) |
| Removed as unsourced: story settings for Knuffle Bunny and Umbrella, Keats's birthplace, Moon Rope's origin, Ferdinand's setting | - | removed |
Foundational skills and assessment
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Letter order s a t p / i n m d / g o c k / ck e u r / h b f ff l ll ss, then j v w x / y z zz qu | DfES Letters and Sounds (2007) Phase 2 and 3 sets | OK |
| All 61 high-frequency words are in Fry's first 100 | SightWords.com Fry 1st 100 PDF; checked by script | OK |
| Acadience K benchmarks and cut points (FSF 10/5, 30/20; PSF 20/10, 40/25; NWF-CLS 17/8, 28/15; Composite 26/13, 122/85, 119/89; no LNF benchmark) | Acadience Benchmarks and Composite Score handout, Mar 11, 2021 | OK |
| Monthly letter-sound, HFW, and math targets | Astor, derived from the week-by-week sequence | ASTOR |
Not done (from the original K-STATUS plan)
- "First spark" origin stories per unit: not written in v1, to avoid unsourced history claims. Needs a separate sourced pass.
- Draft pages under site/methods/k/ and screenshots: not built (no site edits in this pass).
v2 subjects (Science, Social Studies, Arts, PE and Health), checked Oct 20, 2026 (America/New_York)
Status key as above: OK = matched to the cited source; ASTOR = Astor's own choice; OPEN/LEFT OUT = could not be verified, so not used.
Standards
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| All 14 K science performance expectations (K-PS1-1, K-PS2-1, K-PS2-2, K-PS3-1, K-PS3-2, K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-2, K-ESS3-3, K-2-ETS1-1, -2, -3) copied word for word, with clarification statements and boundaries | NYSED P-12 Science Learning Standards PDF pp. 4-7, 15 [24] | OK |
| K-PS1-1 is a NYS addition with no NGSS match | Could not open the NGSS document to compare | OPEN (not claimed) |
| Social Studies K has Key Ideas K.1-K.9 with 21 Conceptual Understandings; no K.10 or K.11 | NYS K-8 SS Framework pp. 16-18 [25] | OK |
| PDF prints "K9.c" | Same, p. 18 | OK (written K.9c) |
| K units "may be presented in any order"; A BOOK ABOUT ME; Liberty Bell, bald eagle, Pledge, flag parts, patriotic songs named in K.3b specs | Same, pp. 15-16 | OK |
| 16 K Visual Arts standards (VA:Cr1.1.K to VA:Cn11.2.K), wording from the K column | NYSED Visual Arts At-A-Glance [26], column extracted by position and checked against page images | OK |
| 25 K General Music indicators (MU:Cr1.1.K a to MU:Cn11.1.K b) | NYSED Music At-A-Glance [27], same method | OK |
| Music word definitions (beat, tempo, dynamics, pitch, melodic contour, iconic notation, rhythm, motif) | NYS Music Glossary [28] | OK |
| 13 K PE outcomes NY.S1.1.K-NY.S6.1.K; 2.2 and 5.1 start grade 3, 6.2 starts grade 6 | NYS PE Learning Standards 2020 pp. 16-18 [29]; At a Glance [30] | OK |
| NY.S4.2.K: full document "Follows directions..." vs At a Glance "Recognizes and follows directions..." | [29], [30] | OK (full-document wording used; difference noted) |
| K-3 daily PE, minimum 120 minutes a week; recess does not count | NYSED PE FAQ E1, E2 [31] | OK |
| Health Education Standards 1-3, elementary indicators (not numbered by NYSED) | NYSED HPE/FACS standards pp. 2, 8, 14 [32] | OK (cited as Health Std 1-3) |
| K.PDH.1-K.PDH.10 titles and indicators | NYSED K Early Learning Standards guide, Domain 2 [33] | OK; K.PDH.7's printed indicator does not match its title, so it is used only as practice |
Facts told to children (kids site)
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Ice melts when warm; water freezes when very cold; pushes and pulls change speed and direction; sunlight warms Earth's surface; living things' needs; plants and animals change their environment; weather words | NYSED Science Standards DCIs [24] | OK |
| NYC hazards include extreme heat, heavy rain and flash floods, coastal storms, winter weather (cold, snow, ice) | NYC Emergency Management [44] | OK |
| Every thunderstorm produces lightning; if outside in a storm, get indoors | NYCEM Thunderstorms [45] | OK |
| Flag: 13 stripes = 13 original colonies, 50 stars = 50 states; bald eagle is a national symbol | USAGov [41] | OK |
| Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island in New York Harbor; gift celebrating US-France friendship | NPS [42] | OK |
| Liberty Bell is in Philadelphia | NPS Liberty Bell Center [43] | OK |
| MLK Day honors Dr. King's life and legacy; national day of service | NPS [50] | OK |
| School closures and holiday dates | NYCPS 2026-27 calendar [48] | OK |
| Reasons for other holidays (Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, and so on) | No source checked | LEFT OUT |
| Red, yellow, blue are primaries; red+yellow=orange, blue+yellow=green, red+blue=violet; warm and cool colors | O'Keeffe Museum [46]; Cincinnati Art Museum [47] | OK |
| Handwashing: 5 steps, at least 20 seconds (Happy Birthday twice), before eating and after the toilet | CDC [34] | OK |
| Cough or sneeze into a tissue or elbow, not hands | CDC [35] | OK |
| Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste (pea-sized for ages 3-6) | CDC [36] | OK |
| Ages 3-5 need 10-13 hours of sleep including naps | CDC [37] | OK |
| Ages 3-5 active throughout the day; 6 and up at least 60 minutes a day | CDC [38] | OK |
| Hard play makes the heart beat faster and you breathe harder; makes heart and lungs stronger | NIH NHLBI [39] | OK |
| Five food groups; make half your plate fruits and vegetables | USDA FNS Meet MyPlate [40] | OK |
| 911 for emergencies; know a guardian's name and phone number; hold an adult's hand near a street | NYSED Health Std 3 sample task [32]; K.PDH.9, K.PDH.10 [33] | OK |
| The 2024 law naming the bald eagle the national bird | uscode.house.gov was down during checking | LEFT OUT |
Books
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Every new read-aloud title and author pair | Open Library search [49] | OK |
| "Melting" (Darlene Stille) and "Who Pushed Humpty?" | Not found in Open Library | LEFT OUT |
| "I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato" (Lauren Child), exact title | Open Library | OK |
Design
| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| Unit order, timing, minutes, activities, materials, sample days, end-of-year tasks | ASTOR |