Curriculum Compacting as an Instructional Practice

Looking back at my earliest years in school, I rarely had to do any work. Teachers recognized that I already knew the material; however I wasn’t offered more challenging content in its place. Instead, I was rewarded by getting to help the teacher grade papers, teach other students, organize the classroom, or read a book on my own. This was a dream come true for me as an aspiring teacher! However, knowing what I know now, I can’t help but realize how much learning time I lost. I could have been absorbing new knowledge, not regurgitating what I knew to other students. I could have been refining my writing style, not grading papers for the teacher. I definitely could have had the reading curriculum compacted; how I would have loved to work on higher level comprehension skills and strategies and been introduced to more advanced reading materials with substance! I don’t blame my teachers, though. They asked me what I wanted to do instead of the classroom work, and I told them. But, I didn’t know that I could have asked to learn something new. I could have asked them to compact the curriculum for me.

Curriculum Compacting is, “a technique for differentiating instruction that allows teachers to make adjustments to curriculum for students who have already mastered the material to be learned, replacing content students know with new content, enrichment options, or other activities” (NAGC, 2026). Curriculum compacting can help remove frustration and boredom, which can ultimately lead to underachievement. So, how can we, as teachers, effectively compact our lessons or units?

How do I Compact Curriculum?

Pretests are an important first step when determining appropriate areas for compacting. When a student shows mastery of a unit skill or concept, their content can be replaced for that lesson or unit. These pretests will also help decide when a student has earned a mastery-based exemption, which excuses the student from completing tasks that they have already shown mastery on, and may lead to an alternative homework assignment or Independent Study Project. On a larger scale, compacting can involve entire subjects – such as math – often resulting in acceleration. 

When Should I Compact Curriculum?

In addition to pretests, there are various factors that may indicate a student would benefit from compacting. A student who completes tasks quickly, asks advanced questions or brings background knowledge to class. These are all indicators that the student may need modified instruction that provides an increased challenge and complexity.

Should I Compact Curriculum?

In short, yes. When compacting is done with purpose, intention, and based on instructional goals, studies show that achievement soars, motivation increases and repetition decreases. Ultimately, curriculum compacting empowers students to progress at an appropriate pace while staying challenged and engaged.



- Amanda Ironside, WATG Board Member