K-3 Literacy Curriculum Developer: Two Structured Literacy Modules (Science of Reading)

Title: K-3 Literacy Curriculum Developer: Two Structured Literacy Modules (Science of Reading) Category: Education & Tutoring / Instructional Design | Type: Fixed price | Budget: $2,400 to $3,000 total ($1,200 to $1,500 per module, depending on experience, paid per milestone About the project Little Ruth Children's Collection is a K-3 children's publisher whose books anchor structured literacy programming delivered by partner organizations: after-school programs, schools, libraries, and community organizations. Partners run our programming on site with their own staff, and those facilitators are often not teachers; they're after-school staff, youth program leaders, and community volunteers. Our Story Lab Kits™ give them everything they need: one anchor book per quarter with hands-on, story-centered activities, facilitator guides, and student materials, run in recurring group sessions. The experiences are joyful and game-like by design. We're hiring a literacy specialist to build the intentional literacy layer inside them. This is a deliberately staged build: these two modules are the foundation, designed so we can add depth over time rather than overbuilding up front. Two future modules (Fluency; Retelling and Comprehension) are anticipated as separate contracts for the specialist who's a great fit. What you'll create Two foundational literacy modules, delivered as separate milestones: Module 1: Phonics and Word Recognition (building the code and high-frequency words), complete early to mid September Module 2: Decoding (reading unfamiliar words), complete late October to mid November A module is one lesson built around one literacy concept, tied to one clearly defined, measurable learning outcome. Inside each module are sub-units: four core weekly activities plus a fifth lighter flex piece (review game, skill demonstration, or family extension), so a site runs one sub-unit per week across a typical month, with the flex piece covering five-week months. A week's deliverable might look like: mini lesson, book connection, word game, student practice page. Group activities fit a 45-minute block; independent or take-home pieces run about 20 minutes. How much engagement it takes before re-assessment makes sense is your professional call, and your recommendation becomes the program standard. Each module includes: Unit overview: target skill with beginner-friendly definition, learning objective, measurable student outcome, age/grade range, implementation timeline Assessment plan: baseline, progress-monitoring, end-of-module check, and simple scoring a non-teacher can complete in about five minutes per child; repeated skill demonstration over single test scores, and it must never feel like school testing Activity sequence: the four core weekly sub-units plus the flex piece, all reinforcing one learning objective through varied group formats Facilitator guide per sub-unit: objective, materials list, prep, step-by-step directions, suggested facilitator language, differentiation, extensions, written so someone with no teaching background can run it cold Student materials: activity pages, recording sheets, printable game materials as needed Implementation adaptations for groups of 5 to 10, up to 25 with one facilitator, and mixed ages (K-2 and 3-5) Design requirements Core activities must work with any anchor book; book-specific pieces (word lists, prompts, retelling supports) built as swappable components Low-cost, reusable materials (laminated, cardstock, print-and-play); realistic for after-school and community settings Scalable and updatable, so more content can slot in later and materials can be refreshed Fun and story-centered; measurable does not mean it feels like school Ideal qualifications Structured literacy training: Science of Reading, Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, LETRS, or equivalent Experience designing instruction or curriculum for K-3 learners Experience writing for non-specialist implementers (paraprofessionals, tutors, volunteers, parents) a strong plus M.Ed. or reading specialist certification a plus To apply, please include a short note on your structured literacy background and one sample of instructional material you've designed (any format). Please also confirm you can meet the early-to-mid-September date for Module 1.