Houston ISD has adopted Texas’ Bluebonnet curriculum. Here’s what elementary students will actually read, from classic children’s books to Bible-linked lessons.
Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag
Houston ISD elementary students could encounter Bible stories, historical religious figures, and classical literature side by side under Texas’ Bluebonnet Learning curriculum, adopted Thursday night by the district’s state-appointed Board of Managers.
HISD’s state-appointed Board of Managers voted unanimously to adopt the state-developed materials for kindergarten through fifth grade, giving the district access to about $3.3 million in additional state funding.
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Bluebonnet Learning is a set of Texas Education Agency-developed instructional materials for reading, language arts and math. The district plans to use Bluebonnet English and Spanish reading and language arts materials, along with math materials, for K-5 students.
So what does that actually mean for HISD families?
Students are introduced to fictional and historical royalty through read-alouds designed to build background knowledge about leadership, customs and daily life in royal courts. Figures and stories include:
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“King Midas and the Golden Touch” and “Cinderella”
Mansa Musa of the Mali Empire, noted for his wealth
King Solomon, as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible, described as known for wisdom
First grade (Parable of the Prodigal Son)
Students are introduced to a story drawn from the Book of Luke in the New Testament:
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The parable tells of a rebellious son and a forgiving father
Teachers are instructed to define parables as short fictional stories that teach moral or spiritual lessons
The lesson is used to build background knowledge for future literature and history study
Houston ISD approved Texas’ Bluebonnet curriculum. Here’s which Bible stories, religious lessons and books elementary students may study next year. (Photo by Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images
Second grade (Image Preview lessons)
Students are introduced to historical and cultural figures before read-alouds, including:
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Queen Esther, described as saving the Jewish people in Persia
William Penn, associated with religious freedom
William Wilberforce, credited with efforts to end slavery
Jackie Robinson, noted for breaking baseball’s color barrier
Rosa Parks, recognized for challenging segregation laws
Martin Luther King Jr., described as a civil rights leader who advanced equality
Students analyze Psalm 23 through reading and writing exercises focused on literary devices:
Identify imagery and metaphor in the text
Complete “Poet’s Journal” comprehension questions
Respond through timed freewriting activities
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According to Bluebonnet’s own K-5 reading guide, younger students will spend much of their literacy time listening to read-aloud lessons designed to build background knowledge before students are expected to read more complex texts independently. In kindergarten through second grade, students receive daily foundational skills lessons and daily reading-language arts lessons. By third grade, the program shifts toward more integrated literacy instruction, while fourth and fifth graders spend more time reading, writing and discussing longer texts.
The curriculum’s official trade book list includes “Luna Loves Art” and “A Life Made by Hand” in kindergarten; “Mae Among the Stars” and “Shark Lady” in first grade; aviation-themed books in second grade; jazz-focused books such as “Drum Dream Girl,” “Tito Puente, Mambo King” and “Duke Ellington” in third grade; and “Number the Stars” in fourth grade.
But Bluebonnet has drawn statewide controversy because some lessons also include Bible stories, biblical references and Christian themes.
The TEA’s Program and Implementation Guide says religious source material is included for “literary and historical value,” not to advance a religious belief. The guide also says students may encounter content connected to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and ancient religions.
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Critics, however, argue the balance is not equal.
Houston ISD approved Texas’ Bluebonnet curriculum. Here’s which Bible stories, religious lessons and books elementary students may study next year. (Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
Austin American-Statesman/Hearst/Austin American-Statesman via Ge
In a 2025 article published in the academic journal Religion & Education, Southern Methodist University religious studies professor Mark A. Chancey wrote that Bluebonnet’s English language arts lessons devote “notably more attention to the Bible than to other religious texts and to the Christian tradition than to other religions.”
Chancey identified 11 lessons focused primarily on biblical content, including lessons on Solomon, creation, David, Esther, the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the life of Jesus and the growth of Christianity. He also noted that fifth graders spend an entire novel study on C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” which the teacher’s guide describes as a biblical allegory.
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Supporters of the curriculum have argued the Bible is being used as literature and cultural background, not religious instruction. HISD has said the materials align with state standards and include reading selections and vocabulary students may encounter on future state assessments.
Parents and religious leaders who opposed the adoption said the district moved too quickly and without enough public input. Members of Houston’s Jewish community, per the Houston Chronicle, also raised concerns about whether the lessons could blur the line between teaching about religion and teaching religion.
For families, that means Bluebonnet will not just be an abstract state curriculum debate. It could shape the books, passages, vocabulary, writing prompts and classroom conversations thousands of HISD elementary students encounter during the 2026-2027 school year.
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