Why Benchmark Books Are No Longer Available in Raz-Plus and Reading A-Z
As part of our commitment to providing high-impact, evidence-based resources, we have deprioritized Benchmark Books for Grades K–1 from the Raz-Plus and Reading A-Z platforms.
What’s Changing?
Benchmark Books for Grades K–1 have been removed from the platform.
Benchmark Passages are still available and can be accessed under the Books by Grade/Level section—just beneath the filters on that page.
Why Were Benchmark Books Removed?
This change supports our ongoing efforts to align more closely with the Science of Reading and to ensure that our assessment tools promote effective literacy development.
Benchmark Books for early grades often relied on highly predictable patterns and cueing strategies. While these features may seem helpful, they can actually encourage students to guess words based on context or pictures rather than using decoding skills—a practice that research shows is less effective for building strong reading foundations.
What’s the Benefit?
By refining our assessment offerings, we aim to:
Provide tools that better reflect evidence-based practices.
Help educators more accurately measure reading development.
Support students in building foundational literacy skills through decoding and phonics-based strategies.
We appreciate your understanding as we continue to evolve our resources to best support educators and learners.