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Reading Lessons vs. Math Lessons

Every group in Spark covers one subject - Reading or Math - and the two curricula are organized differently. Knowing how each is laid out helps you plan which lessons to teach and understand how your group moves through the material.

One Subject Per Group

When you create a group, you choose either Reading or Math, and every student in that group shares that curriculum. If you teach both subjects to the same students, you’ll create a separate group for each. See How to create a group.

How Math Is Organized

Math curriculum is grouped into Domains - broad areas of math skill. Each Math group has one active Domain that sets where in the curriculum the group is working, and a starting Domain is assigned automatically when the group is created. As the group masters the current Domain, it moves on to the next one. You can review or change the active Domain on the Group Details page.

How Reading Is Organized

Reading curriculum follows its own lesson sequence rather than Domains, so there is no active Domain to set for a Reading group. You browse and assign Reading lessons directly from the Library.

Previewing Lessons in Either Subject

Reading and Math lessons open with the same kinds of resources - a lesson plan, teaching slides, and activities - and you preview them the same way. See Previewing a Lesson for the steps, and Browsing the Lesson Library to find lessons in the first place.

What Starts Your Group Off

For both subjects, a pre-assessment is assigned automatically based on your students’ grade levels and the curriculum, so a new group usually begins with one. See How pre-assessments get assigned automatically.