180-Day School Year vs. HB 1605: Are we Teaching 5th Graders or a Canon?
The Texas Education Agency has officially proposed the 5th-grade mandated reading list, a core part of the new "shared literary foundation" required by HB 1605. For 5th graders, this list pivots sharply toward foundational American texts, primary source documents, and classical unit anchors designed to build broad cross-curricular knowledge. Nothin' wrong with that. Right?
5th Grade Mandated List: Reading Time Breakdown
At the standard 5th-grade fluency rate of 130–150 words per minute (WPM), the sheer volume of mandated text is a significant instructional hurdle.
| Category | Mandated Title / Required Work | Word Count (Approx.) | Estimated Reading Time |
| Central Novel | The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster | ~42,000 | ~5 Hours |
| Central Novel | The Giver by Lois Lowry | ~43,000 | ~5 Hours |
| Historical Fiction | Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt | ~53,000 | ~6 Hours |
| Primary Source | The Declaration of Independence (Entirety) | ~1,400 | ~10 Minutes |
| Primary Source | The Mayflower Compact | ~200 | ~2 Minutes |
| Texas History | Colonization of Texas Excerpts | ~3,000 | ~25 Minutes |
| Persuasive Text | Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville (Excerpts) | ~5,000 | ~40 Minutes |
| Speech | "I Have a Dream" by Martin Luther King Jr. (Entirety) | ~1,600 | ~12 Minutes |
| Religious/Cultural | The Parable of the Prodigal Son / Road to Damascus | ~1,500 | ~15 Minutes |
| Other Works | 12+ Additional Works (Primary Sources/Short Stories) | Varies | ~10+ Hours total |
Genre Comparison: 2017 TEKS vs. HB 1605 Mandated List
The table below compares the mandated list against the Multiple Genres strand of the 2017 TEKS.
| 2017 TEKS Genre Requirement | HB 1605 Mandated Title | Alignment Status |
| Traditional Literature (Folktales, Legends, Myths) | Anansi the Spider, Fables | Full Coverage: Strong focus on foundational oral traditions. |
| Contemporary & Classical Fiction | The Phantom Tollbooth, The Giver | Full Coverage: Heavy reliance on complex anchor novels. |
| Informational Text (Evidence, Graphics) | Colonization of Texas, Science Excerpts | Full Coverage: Strong links to Social Studies and Science. |
| Literary Nonfiction (Biography, Primary Source) | Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence | Full Coverage: High prioritization of American foundational documents. |
| Argumentative Text (Claims, Persuasion) | Democracy in America excerpts | Full Coverage: Uses historical philosophy to meet analysis standards. |
| Digital & Multimodal Texts | Not explicitly listed in mandated titles | Significant Gap: The state recommends print over digital. |
The "Time Trap" for 5th Grade
The 70% Year: With approximately 17 to 34 mandated works per grade, analysis that nearly 70% of the instructional year will be consumed by this list.
The Loss of Autonomy: While the TEA states the list is a "minimum baseline," teachers argue that the density of the list leaves no time for the self-selected reading mandated by TEKS 5.7.A.
Digital Gap: The draft explicitly recommends print books over digital formats to encourage "hands-on engagement". However, as the STAAR RLA is a 100% digital test, teachers are concerned about when students will practice the digital navigation skills required for state assessments.
But what would this REALLY Look Like in Teaching?
To determine the actual instructional time in days, we have to look past the "eyes-on-text" reading speed and account for the comprehensive instructional cycle required for 5th grade, which includes vocabulary, analysis, discussion, and writing.
The "Instructional Day" vs. "Reading Speed" Gap
While a 5th grader can "read" a novel like The Giver in ~5.5 hours, typical classroom instructional models for these core works extend significantly:
Comprehensive Novel Studies: Most research-based models for 5th-grade literature suggest 12 to 22 instructional days per anchor novel to meet TEKS standards.
Deep-Dive Units: Highly structured novel studies (like those for The Giver or The Phantom Tollbooth) often take 3 to 4 weeks (15–20 days) to complete, including final projects and assessments.
Primary Source Analysis: While a document like the Declaration of Independence only takes 15 minutes to read, it typically requires 2 to 3 days of instructional time to break down the language, context, and persuasive claims.
Projected Days for the Mandated 5th Grade List
Based on typical instructional pacing (approx. 60–90 minutes of RLA daily), here is how the mandated list translates into school days:
| Work Category | Estimated Instructional Days | Reason for Time Gap |
| Central Novel 1 (The Phantom Tollbooth) | 15–20 Days | Includes map-making, vocabulary journals, and cross-curricular math/wordplay. |
| Central Novel 2 (The Giver) | 12–15 Days | Requires Socratic seminars and deep literary analysis of theme/character. |
| Historical Fiction (Across Five Aprils) | 15–18 Days | Heavy historical context and complex language scaffolding. |
| Primary Source Units (5-6 Docs) | 10–12 Days | Analyzing archaic language and intent (approx. 2 days per doc). |
| Poetry & Drama Units | 5–7 Days | Form analysis and script-based performance reading. |
| Additional 12+ Works | 12–15 Days | Assuming a minimum of 1 full day per shorter work. |
Total Projected Days: ~69 to 87 Instructional Days
And now - let's plug that crap into a calendar:
| Category | Impact in Days | What's Left for the Teacher? |
| Total Calendar Days | 180 Days | The full school year baseline. |
| Federal & State Holidays | -10 Days | Labor Day, Thanksgiving, MLK, etc. |
| STAAR Testing & Prep | -15 Days | Includes 3 days of testing (RLA, Math, Science) plus ~12 days of required review. (More with the new law.) |
| HB 1605 Mandated Works | -87 Days | The time required for deep-dives into 17–34 mandated works. |
| TOTAL REMAINING DAYS | 68 Days | This must cover all Science, Social Studies, Math, and Writing. |
Basically, we have less than 4 months to fit in 12 months of work.
APA References
Texas Education Agency. (2026, January 9).
State Board of Education TEA Proposed Literary Works List Dallas Express. (2026, January 20).
Reading: Texas Proposes Required Classics List Texas Public Policy Foundation. (2026, January 17).
Important changes coming to Texas students' required reading list Texas Tribune. (2026, January 28).
Texas Board of Education delays vote on reading list
