Kindergarten - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2a. 

Materials provide a well-defined teacher resource for content presentation through well-detailed lesson plans from pre-instruction to lesson videos to post-instruction. The online teacher resource contains detailed information and instructional routines that help the teacher to effectively implement all foundational skills content, with many supports found within the Professional Development library of videos. Materials contain technology that provides support and guidance for the teacher.

Materials provide a well-defined, teacher resource (teacher edition, manual) for content presentation. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, How Do Teachers Use It?, materials provide a sample lesson plan with an outline of lesson steps that include step-by-step instruction and follows the gradual release model. The Lesson Steps include: Set the Stage, which prepares students for learning; Teach, which provides explicit instructions to teach and model foundational skills; Guided Practice, which provides students practice with skills taught in the Teach section; Independent Practice which provides digital experiences for students independent practice; Closure which brings students together again and ties in language connection and knowledge building; and Reteach and Enrichment, which allows for differentiated small group instruction based on student data.

• In Lesson Plans, within the Lesson Plan tab of the program, each unit contains a link to the scope and sequence for the grade level, the caregiver letter for each unit, and a link to professional development for concepts within the unit. Materials include tabs for the four modules within each lesson. Upon clicking a module, the module expands and displays the five lessons within the module with videos for each lesson. Lesson plans follow a consistent format throughout all eight units and include the following components: objectives, student objectives, pre-instruction, instruction, and post-instruction. 

The teacher resource contains detailed information and instructional routines that help the teacher to effectively implement all foundational skills content (i.e., phonological awareness, print concepts, letters, phonics, HFW, word analysis, decoding). For example: 

• In the Program Guide, How Do Teachers Use It?, materials include a section on how Foundations A-Z uses multimodal strategies. The resource lists instructional routines and what they consist of. Materials provide detailed instructional routines for the following: Handwriting routines, High-Frequency Word routines, Word-Building routines, Word Chaining, and Word Sort routines. For example, the Word-Building routine consists of students listening to a word and using bingo chips on sound mats as they say and count each sound in a word. Then students build the word by replacing the bingo chips with phoneme-grapheme cards, and finally, students read the word out loud. 

• In Professional Development, materials provide videos on instructional routines. Lesson plans also include links to the videos where applicable. For example, the Sight Words vs. HFW video in the Professional Development library provides a routine for all irregular high-frequency words: See it, Say it, Sound it, Spell it, and Write it. This video appears in Unit 2, Module 1. 

• In Unit 3, Module 1, Lesson 3, the teacher uses the I Do, We Do, You Do instructional routine for the phoneme-grapheme correspondence for the letter Yy. In the I Do Phonics section of the lesson, the directions follow a Show, Display, Explain, Review, Review, Practice approach during the phoneme-grapheme correspondence drill. The instructional routine within this lesson outlines the routines that follow a sequential approach, starting with a phonological awareness activity that includes resources such as sample dialogue, teacher tip, culturally responsive tip, mouth articulation presentation picture, social-emotional tip, observation rubrics, and embedded practice sheets for printing or projecting.

Any technology pieces included provide support and guidance for the teacher and do not create an additional layer of complication around the materials. For example: 

• In Guided Walkthroughs, materials provide a menu of teacher resources for web-based tools to assist teachers with adding, transferring, deleting students, and editing their student roster for web-based practice lessons and testing. Teachers can also customize their student groups and directions on assigning foundational skills practice lessons to students. 

• For each lesson, teachers can assign students independent work to practice and apply new concepts and skills using the digital resources, which may include videos, games, or reading resources.

• In Unit 6, Module 2, Lesson 1, materials provide links to the resources needed throughout the lesson. For example, in the I Do portion of the lesson, the phonics section includes directions and links to the Phoneme/Grapheme cards singular wheel. In Unit 6, Module 2, materials also provide an Observational checklist. Teachers have the option to download or present the online resources.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2b.

Materials contain complete, detailed adult-level explanations for foundational skills taught in the grade. The Professional Development library includes videos and detailed examples of grade-level foundational skills concepts to support teachers with developing and building their content knowledge.  

Complete, detailed adult-level explanations are provided for each foundational skill taught at the grade level. For example: 

• In Professional Development, materials provide a library of videos for teachers on various foundational skills concepts with filters by grade level, resource type, and topic. There are four types of videos: Listen and Learn, Read the Research, Learn from Experts, and Put into Practice. For example, materials include a Put into Practice video on the alphabetic principle. The video includes the following definition for the alphabetic principle, “Idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language.” 

• In Unit 2, Module 2, materials provide a link for Professional Development which contains two videos on phonological awareness: a Read the Research video and a Put into Practice video with instructional routines. The Read the Research video answers the questions, “What is phonological awareness?”; “How does it develop?”; and “Why is it important to teach?”

• Each lesson within all units and modules provides teacher tips along the right side of the lesson plan. These tips are designed to deepen teacher understanding of the foundational skills being taught and provide examples to assist teachers with implementing that particular foundational skill. For example, in Unit 3, Module 3, Lesson 3, the teacher tip reminds teachers to allow students to repeat the focused sound many times during the lesson.

Detailed examples of the grade-level foundational skill concepts are provided for the teacher. For example: 

• In Unit 2, Module 1, materials provide a link for Professional Development that contains the Put into Practice: Sight Words vs. HFW video. The video provides the definitions of sight words and high-frequency words, as well as regular and irregular high-frequency words. Sample high-frequency word cards are used in the video, which include the words: ask, want, fast, best, rest, come, said, must, and last. Irregular high-frequency words provided are identified with a heart for the portions of the words students will need to learn by heart, such as said and come.

• In Unit 4, Module 1, materials provide a link for Professional Development, which contains the Put into Practice: Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping video. The video provides definitions for phonemes and graphemes, as well as what the concept of phoneme-grapheme mapping is. The word light is used as an example, breaking the word into three phonemes and its matching graphemes l-igh-t. The word send is also used to model phoneme-grapheme mapping by showing it has four sounds and four graphemes s-e-n-d.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2c.

Materials contain lesson plans that utilize a research-based design for early literacy instruction. The pacing of each component of daily lesson plans is clear and appropriate and contains an outline with detailed sections of the lesson plan and times for each lesson plan section. The program contains 160 lessons, can reasonably be completed in one school year, and should not require modifications to do so. The effective lesson design structure includes suggestions for both whole-group and small-group instruction. 

Lesson plans utilize effective, research-based lesson plan design for early literacy instruction. For example: 

• In Research and Rationale, materials provide a Research Summary. The Research Summary begins by referencing Scarborough’s Rope, where in order to become a skillful reader, students must engage in both word recognition skills and language comprehension skills simultaneously. It states, “Word recognition requires decoding skills, including alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, phoneme-grapheme associations and sight recognition.” In the Predictors of Reading Achievement section, it states, “When measured in preschool and kindergarten, foundational skills such as alphabetic knowledge and phonological awareness predict word recognition skills in the first and second grades (NICHD 2005, Storch and Whitehurst, 2002) when decoding is the major reading challenge.” The Research Summary also references the Simple View of Reading: “A similar view of skilled reading is evident in Simple View of Reading (1986), which suggests reading comprehension includes both decoding and language comprehension (see Figure F2). According to Gough and Tunmer, if either process breaks down, comprehension cannot occur: “In other words, in order for students to be skilled readers, it requires deliberate instruction to both sides of the equation: decoding (word reading)and understanding the nuances of spoken language (listening comprehension).”

• In Research and Rationale, the Research Summary states, “Based on the scientific reading research and development by educators, the Foundations A-Z literacy program is unique in that it offers explicit, systematic foundational skills from kindergarten through grade 5.” The summary states that the program contains grade-level scope and sequences with a continuum of foundational skills which go from simple to more complex skills, starting at the alphabetic phase and ending with the polysyllabic and morphemic phase. It also states that the program and scope and sequence are aligned to both state and national standards.

• Lesson plans follow a research-based design appropriate for early literacy instruction. For example, in Unit 2, Module 1, Lesson 1, the Set the Stage serves as the opening for the lesson and states the module question. The lesson follows a simple to complex model, starting with phonological awareness activities for the targeted phoneme, phonics practice for the targeted phoneme-grapheme correspondence, and fluency practice with the targeted grapheme. The lesson follows the I Do, We Do, You Do gradual release model for each lesson in all eight units. 

The effective lesson design structure includes both whole group and small group instruction. For example:  

• In the Program Guide, How Do Teachers Use It?, in Frequently Asked Questions, one of the recommendations provided for teachers with limited time in grades kindergarten through grade 2 is as follows: complete 30 minutes of whole group instruction four days a week, with independent practice assigned as homework and the Reteach and Enrich be used for small group instruction.

• In the Program Guide, How Do Teachers Use It?, in Frequently Asked Questions, one of the recommendations provided for teachers with limited time in grades kindergarten through grade 2 is as follows: complete the 10–15 minute Teach lesson in a whole group setting, followed by the 10–15 minutes of Guided Practice in a small group setting during reading center time, and use the 10–15 minutes of Independent Practice within center rotations.

The pacing of each component of daily lesson plans is clear and appropriate. For example:  

• In the Program Guide, How Do Teachers Use It?, materials provide a sample lesson plan with duration suggestions that list the total suggested time as 45–60 minutes for kindergarten through grade 3. This time includes 25–30 minutes for explicit instruction through Teach and Guided Practice, 10–15 minutes for independent practice, and 15 minutes for the optional lesson plan components found in Set the Stage, Closure, and Reteach and Enrich. 

• In Unit 5, Module 1, Lesson 1, the lesson plan provides an outline with detailed sections of the plan and times for each plan section. Instruction includes the following sections: Set the Stage (5 minutes) during which the model question is introduced and there is a preview of the Shared reader; I Do: Teach (15 minutes) which includes a phonological awareness, phonics, high-frequency words, and fluency lesson; We Do: Guided Practice (15 minutes) which includes a phonics and phonics and fluency activity; You Do: Independent Practice (15 minutes) which includes digital resources for students; Closure (5 minutes) which includes a language connection; and Reteach and Enrich (5 minutes for each). 

The suggested amount of time and expectations for maximum student understanding of all foundational skill content (i.e. phonological awareness, print concepts, letters, phonics, HFW, word analysis, decoding) can reasonably be completed in one school year and should not require modifications. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, How Do Teachers Use It?, materials state that the program provides 160 lessons per grade level kindergarten through grade 5. The program contains eight units with four weeks per unit for a total of 960 foundational skills lessons.

• In Lesson Plans, materials provide a Grade K Scope and Sequence. The scope and sequence includes the following foundational skills: phonological skills, phonics, handwriting, high-frequency words/phonograms, print concepts, fluency, and language connections. The scope and sequence provides detailed information for each foundational skill over the span of eight units, each of which includes three modules of lessons and Module 4, which includes a review of Modules 1–3 within the unit. 

For those materials on the borderline (e.g., approximately 130 days on the low end or 200 days on the high end), evidence clearly explains how students would be able to master ALL the grade level standards within one school year. For example: 

• The materials do not fall on the borderline.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2d.i. 

Materials contain a clear and evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy for teaching phonological awareness skills. The materials contain a phonemic awareness scope and sequence of instruction and practice based on the expected hierarchy.

Materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy for teaching phonological awareness skills. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, Research and Rationale, the Phonological Awareness section provides a chart that contains a sequence of phonological awareness acquisition derived from researchers: Liberman et al. 1974, Treiman and Zukowski 1991; and Yopp 1998. The chart states that instruction should go from the “Largest to smallest units of language,” for example, recognition and manipulation within large units of language, which are listed as word awareness, sentence segmentation, syllable blending and segmenting, rhymes, and onset-rime blending and segmenting. Then move on to “Work with the smallest units of language.” The chart also provides a breakdown of “Easiest to most complex tasks,” like working with less complex tasks listed as identifying similar phonemes in words, producing individual phonemes, and categorizing phonemes. Then, moving on to “Work with more complex tasks,” which lists blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes.  

• In the Program Guide, Research and Rationale, the Phonological Awareness section states that in the Reading A-Z program, “PA follows a systematic scope and sequence with skills progressing from simple to complex, with built-in review.” Materials state the scope and sequence for kindergarten and grade 1 are provided and can be referenced for elements covered. 

• In the Professional Development Library, the “What is Phonological Awareness?” video explains the overall purpose of phonological awareness, how to use it in the classroom, and the hierarchy of skills based on research. The video reminds teachers to start teaching at the phoneme level right away, as the early phonological skills do not need to be mastered to start work at the phoneme level. 

• In the Professional Development Library, Phonological Awareness, Read the Research provides multiple evidence-based explanations behind the hierarchy for teaching phonological awareness. Materials cite all research at the bottom of the page under the Works Cited tab. 

Materials contain a phonemic awareness sequence of instruction and practice based on the expected hierarchy. For example: 

• In Lesson Plans, Scope and Sequence, the scope and sequence can be accessed for each grade level. The Grade K Scope and Sequence contains the following sequence for phonological awareness in each unit for Modules 1–3, with Module 4 used for review:

  • Unit 1: Sentence segmentation, rhyme detection, blend words, identify initial sound (CVC words), rhyme production

  • Unit 2: Count and pronounce syllables, rhyme production, identify and produce initial sound (CVC words, syllable segmentation, blend syllables, blend onset, and rimes)

  • Unit 3: Word deletion, syllable segmentation, identify and produce initial and final sounds, syllable deletion, onset and rime segmentation, onset and rime deletion

  • Unit 4: Identify and produce initial, medial, and final sounds (CVC words), categorization, phoneme blending (CVC words), phoneme segmentation, phoneme manipulation, addition (CVC words); 

  • Unit 5: Phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation (CVC words), initial and final isolation, phoneme manipulation (addition-initial), phoneme manipulation(substitution)

  • Unit 6: Initial and final isolation, phoneme blending, phoneme segmentation, phoneme manipulation (addition-initial), phoneme manipulation (substitution-initial), final isolation

  • Unit 7: Medial categorization (addition-final), phoneme manipulation (substitution-final), medial categorization (deletion-final), phoneme manipulation (addition-final),  phoneme segmentation

  • Unit 8: Medial categorization (substitution-final), phoneme manipulation (deletion-initial and final), phoneme manipulation (addition-initial and final)

Materials have a cohesive sequence of phonemic awareness instruction based on the expected hierarchy to build toward students’ application of the skills. For example: 

• In the Grade K Scope and Sequence, phonological awareness lessons include a simple to complex progression that moves from identification to production and from initial sounds to initial, medial, and final sounds in CVC words. In Unit 1, Module 3, students identify initial sounds in CVC words; in Unit 2, Module 2, students identify and produce initial sounds in CVC words; in Unit 2, Module 3, students identify and produce initial and final sounds in CVC words; in Unit 3, Module 3, students identify and produce initial and medial sounds in CVC words; and in Unit 4, Module 1, students identify and produce initial, medial, and final sounds in CVC words.  

• In Unit 3, Module 3, Lesson 2, students identify and produce medial vowel sounds in CVC words. In Unit 7, Module 3, Lesson, students practice medial categorization as the teacher provides them with three words, and they have to determine which word does not belong. The words contain short and long vowels. 

• In Unit 4, Module 1, Lesson 1, students identify initial, medial, and final sounds in CVC words. In Module 2, Lesson 2,  students practice phoneme segmentation in CVC words, and in Module 3, Lesson 1, students practice phoneme manipulation by adding initial sounds to words to create new CVC words.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2d.ii. 

Materials contain a clear and evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy for teaching phonics skills, and the materials contain a kindergarten phonics scope and sequence of instruction and practice based on the expected hierarchy. The materials contain phonics instruction based on high utility patterns and/or common phonics generalizations. The patterns and generalizations are carefully selected to provide a meaningful and manageable number of phonics patterns and common generalizations for students to learn deeply, incorporating review and repetition.  

Materials clearly delineate a scope and sequence with a cohesive, intentional sequence of phonics instruction and practice to build toward application of skills. For example:

• The Grade K Scope and Sequence illustrates a simple to complex phonics progression as phonics lessons move from introducing and reviewing consonants and vowels in Units 1 through 3 to beginning to read CVC words in Unit 4. Units 5–6 focus on more complex skills such as the digraphs, doublets (-ff, -ss, -zz, -ll), -ck spelling rule, and -ng. Units 7–8 focus on the VCe syllable type with long vowel sounds.

• The Grade K Scope and Sequence contains the following sequence for phonics in each unit for Modules 1–3, with Module 4 used for review.

  • Unit 1: introduce consonants and vowels: n, a, p, i, m, t, d, o, s

  • Unit 2: introduce consonants and vowels: e, f, h, b, r, u, j, l, w

  • Unit 3: introduce consonants: k, v, y, y as a consonant or a vowel; q(u), x, z, c, g; review consonants and vowels

  • Unit 4: read CVC words with short a, short i, short e, short o and short u, closed syllables

  • Unit 5: doublets: ff, ll, ss, tt, zz; closed syllables; introduce consonant digraph sh; consonant digraph ch; closed syllables 

  • Unit 6: introduce consonant digraphs th, wh, ph, ck, and ng; closed syllables

  • Unit 7: one-syllable words with initial and final consonant digraphs, closed syllables, introduce VCe long a and long o

  • Unit 8: introduce VCe long i, long u and -one-syllable words with VCe pattern  

Materials have a clear research-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence. For example: 

• In Program Guide, Research and Rationale, materials provide their full Research Base. The Phonics section states, “To be effective, phonics instruction should follow a systematic scope and sequence, moving from simple to more complex skills. Scope refers to instructional content; sequence refers to the order in which letter-sound correspondences are taught Mesmer & Griffith (2005). The sequence should start with the correspondences that have the greatest utility in making reading and words (Adams, 1990; Moats, 2009). It also states that high-frequency consonants such as /m/,/n/, and /s/ are usually found at the onset of phonics instruction “... because they appear frequently in common words and are not prone to mispronunciation (Adams, 1990; Stahl et al., 2006). Short vowel sounds should follow high-use consonants, allowing students to segment and blend the sounds in simple CVC words such as mat. As students gain proficiency with more common phonics elements, they can move on to digraphs, inflectional endings, and long vowels (Moats, 2009).”

• In Program Guide, Research and Rationale, the Phonics section states that within the Reading A-Z program, “The program progresses from simple phoneme-grapheme correspondence(sound spellings) to complex morphology and incorporates frequent regular spiral review and repetition. Instruction is explicit and cumulative and includes sample dialogue to teacher and model skills and concepts using research-based, multimodal instructional routines.” 

• In Professional Development Library, the Phonics Read the Research article contains research from various cited evidence that supports the scope and sequence selected for Kindergarten, emphasizing the simple to complex approach. An embedded video also explains practical strategies to implement foundational skills in the classroom.​​

Phonics instruction is based in high utility patterns and/or common phonics generalizations. For example: 

• According to the Grade K Scope and Sequence, Units 1–8 contain phonics instruction with high utility patterns such as closed syllable rule, digraphs, -ck spelling rule, doublets (-ff, -ss, -zz, -ll), and VCe syllable types.

• The Grade K Scope and Sequence provides the information for the instruction of high-frequency consonants and vowels taught in Unit 1, Module 1: n, a, p; Module 2: i, m, t; Module 3: d, o, s.

• The Grade K Scope and Sequence provides the information for instruction of reading CVC words in Unit 4, Module 1: read CVC words with short a and short i; Module 2: read CVC words with short a, short i, short e, and short o; Module 3: read CVC words with short a, short i, short e, short o, and short u. 

Patterns and generalizations are carefully selected to provide a meaningful and manageable number of phonics patterns and common generalizations for students to learn deeply. For example: 

• According to the Grade K Scope and Sequence, Units 1–8 provide enough time for students to learn and master the necessary skills according to the standards. For example, in Units 1–4, students learn three letters per week, with Unit 4 consisting of a review for students to practice reading CVC words with all consonants and vowels taught. As the skills advance, in Units 5–8, students are expected to learn and master one to two skills per week, with a review built into each lesson. 

• In Unit 5, Module 1, students work on decoding words with final double consonants in all five weekly lessons. In Lesson 1, students decode words with final ll doublet; in Lesson 2, students decode words with final ff and ss doublets; in Lesson 3, students decode words with final zz and tt doublets; in Lesson 4, students decode words with final ll, ff, ss, zz and tt doublets; and in Lesson 5, students review decoding words with final  ll, ff, ss, zz and tt doublets. 

• The Grade K Scope and Sequence provides the information for introducing VCe words in Units 7 and 8. In Unit 7: introduce VCe long a and long o. In Unit 8, introduce VCe long i, long u and one-syllable words with VCe pattern.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2f.i.

Materials include a variety of decodable texts that contain grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s scope and sequence to ensure that students secure newly-taught phonics skills and materials provide ample opportunities to review previously-taught phonics skills. Students have opportunities to read decodable texts with the teacher and with the teacher’s support. Students also have opportunities to independently read decodable texts during the Independent Practice portion of the lesson. Every fourth module in a unit includes a decodable text that includes most of the unit’s phonics elements to help secure phonics skills. 

Materials include decodable texts to address securing phonics. For example: 

• In Unit 5, the materials include four decodable texts, one for each module within the unit. Module 4 includes the decodable text A Home for Jazz, which reviews the unit’s phonics elements, including doublets, consonant digraphs, closed syllables, and the unit’s target phonograms. 

• In Unit 8, Module 2, Lesson 4, students read the decodable text Look Up, which includes VCe words with long u and the phonograms -ice and -ide. 

Decodable texts contain grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. For example: 

• In Unit 4, Module 1, Lesson 3, students read the decodable text The Tan Van, which includes CVC words with short a and i, closed syllables, and phonograms -ad and -in. These phonics skills match the Kindergarten Scope and Sequence for Unit 4, Module 1. 

• In Unit 7, Module 3, Lesson 4, students read the decodable text How Will You Get There?, which includes VCe words with long o and phonograms -ale and -ame. These phonics skills match the Kindergarten Scope and Sequence for Unit 7, Module 3. 

Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing phonics skills. For example: 

• In Unit 6, Module 1, Lesson 4, students engage in a second read of the decodable text Beth on the Path. The teacher connects the text to the day’s phonics lesson by highlighting the digraph th in the book’s title words. The teacher reads the first page of the text with students and draws students’ attention to newly-taught phonics patterns. Students whisper read the rest of the book. 

• In Unit 8, Module 1, Lesson 4, students engage in a second read of the decodable text What is the Weather Like? The teacher connects the text to the day’s phonics lesson by highlighting the long i word in the book’s title words. The teacher reads the first page of the text with students and draws students’ attention to newly-taught phonics patterns. Students whisper read the rest of the book. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2f.ii.

Materials include 20 decodable texts with high-frequency words that align with the program’s scope and sequence and provide students with multiple opportunities to encounter the words and the decodable texts. Each decodable book includes an Instructional Focus Chart highlighting the newly and previously taught high-frequency words. Every fourth module in a unit includes a decodable text that includes most of the unit’s high-frequency words.  

Materials include decodable texts that utilize high-frequency/irregularly spelled words. For example:

• In Unit 4, the materials include four decodable texts, one for each module within the unit. Module 4 includes the decodable text The Big Sun, which reviews the unit’s high-frequency words, including big, but, did, do, had, has, him, look, set, six, sun, to, and too. 

• In Unit 7, the materials include four decodable texts, one for each module within the unit. Module 4 includes the decodable text King Thane, which reviews the unit’s high-frequency words, including ate, came, game, here, king, long, made, make, same, take, them, they, this, what, and with. 

Decodable texts contain grade-level high-frequency/irregularly spelled words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. For example: 

• In Unit 5, Module 3, Lesson 3, students read the decodable text Chad Gets Mad, which includes the decodable high-frequency words much and wish and the irregularly spelled words he, she, and wash. These high-frequency words match the Kindergarten Scope and Sequence for Unit 5, Module 3. 

• In Unit 6, Module 3, Lesson 3, students read the decodable text A Visit from Bick, which includes the decodable high-frequency words back, black, bring, pick, and sing. These high-frequency words match the Kindergarten Scope and Sequence for Unit 6, Module 3. 

Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing reading high-frequency words/irregularly spelled words in context. For example: 

• In Unit 4, Module 2, Lesson 4, students engage in a second read of the decodable text Max Is Sad, which includes the high-frequency words do set, to, and too. The teacher reads the first page of the text with students. Students whisper read the rest of the book. 

• In Unit 8, Module 3, Lesson 4, students engage in a second read of the decodable text What Time Is It?, which includes the decodable high-frequency words line, side, time, while, and white. The teacher reads the first page of the text with students. Students whisper read the rest of the book. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2g.i.  (K-1)  

Materials include regular assessment opportunities in print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. Assessments include daily Observation checklists and digital Practice Interactivities, formative Unit Assessments, and summative Interim Assessments. Scoring criteria provide teachers with information about students’ present levels of performance and indicate which Reteach and/or Extend activities and lessons can be used to help students progress toward mastery. 

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. For example: 

• Each lesson includes a daily Observation checklist linked to the lesson’s Check for Understanding. Observation checklists include letter formation, letter identification, and print concepts skills. 

• Each lesson includes a game-style Interactivity in the Independent Practice portion of the lesson. These interactivities function as student practice and as a formative assessment. Interactivities include letter identification skills and some print concept skills, including identifying letters and words and identifying words in a sentence. 

• Units 1–8 include a formative Unit Assessment. Unit Assessments include items that assess letter naming and identification in Units 1–3 and Units 5–7. Unit Assessments include print concepts items, including identifying letters, words, and sentences in Units 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8. 

• The program includes three Interim Assessments. Interim Assessment 1 includes naming or identifying letters u, c, f, m, i, k, t, d, and r. Interim Assessment 2 includes naming or identifying letters t, g, a, q, c, e, h, j, and i. Interim Assessment 3 includes naming or identifying letters z, w, u, n, x, y, k, v, and a. 

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. For example: 

• In the Observation checklist, the teacher records observations of student practice. Teachers describe students as approaches, meets, or exceeds in specific skills. This feedback can guide teachers in choosing the appropriate reteach or enrich activity at the end of each lesson.

• Digital Interactivity games at the end of each lesson and digital Unit and Interim Assessments generate automatic formative assessment information. Student results are color coded. Red indicates a score of 0–69% correct and signals the need for a reteach opportunity. Yellow indicates a score of 70–79% correct and signals the need for a reinforce opportunity. Green indicates a score of 80–100% correct and signals the need for an enrich opportunity.  

• Assessment reports include scores for each item and provide details on the skills and standards taught. The reports provide information on how students/class are performing on foundational skills and what areas they may need further instruction in, along with which skills specific students may need further instruction in.

Materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. For example: 

• The program includes an option to assign auto-recommended resources. Based on formative assessment data, the program recommends independent practice activities tailored to individual students that teachers can choose to assign. 

• The materials indicate that daily Observation checklists should be used to inform instruction in the Reteach/Enrich portion of the lesson and to select lessons for the Lesson 5 “stretch day.” The “stretch day” lesson  offers teachers a menu of review options, including both reteach and enrich options. Teachers also use Observation checklists to select target review activities for Module 4 of each unit, the unit review module. 

• The right side of the lesson plans include Teacher tips to help support teachers for students that may struggle or need enrichment. For example, in Unit 2, Module 1, Lesson 5, the teacher tip states, “Choose the alphabet book with the letter that students struggled with most during the week to provide additional practice. Use information from the module’s observation checklists to determine which Alphabet Book meets the needs of your students.”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2g.ii. 

Materials provide varied opportunities for teachers to assess students’ understanding of phonological awareness through daily Observation checklists, assigned games/interactive activities, and Unit Assessments. The Observation checklists help teachers make day-to-day instructional decisions about whether concepts need to be retaught or whether students are ready for enrichment in that concept. The assigned games and Interactivities, along with the Unit Assessment information, feed into the digital reports and allow teachers to see how students are progressing individually and as a whole class. The reports also provide teachers the option of auto-assigning instructional resources to students based on their performance and include instructional suggestions for teachers. 

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonological awareness. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, How Do Teachers Use Foundations A-Z?, Assessments, the materials describe all of the assessments available in the program, including daily Observation checklists, Practice Interactivities, Unit Assessments, and Interim Assessments. The materials also provide an Assessment Administration Guide, which describes when and how to use the assessments, and an Assessment Research Guide, which provides research on why these assessments are used.

• Each lesson includes a daily Observation checklist linked to the lesson’s Check for Understanding. Observation checklists include all grade-level phonological awareness skills specific to each lesson. For example, in Unit 1, Module 3, Lesson 4, the materials provide a printable observation checklist that allows teachers to keep observational notes about how students are understanding counting syllables and identifying initial sounds.

• Each unit includes a Unit Assessment aligned to standards that assesses phonological awareness and other skills learned in the unit. For example, in the Unit 7 Assessment, Question 3 asks students to “Listen to these words. Choose the picture of the word with a different middle sound.”

• In Collections, Interim Assessments, Interim Assessment 1 includes items that assess counting syllables in spoken words, rhyming, blending onset and rime, isolating and identifying initial phoneme, and manipulating the initial and final phoneme.  

• Each lesson includes a game-style interactivity in the independent practice portion of the lesson. These interactivities function as student practice and as a formative assessment. Interactivities include rhyming, counting syllables, identifying initial sounds, identifying ending sounds, adding initial sounds, changing initial sounds, identifying ending sounds, identifying medial sounds, changing ending sounds, changing ending sounds, taking away sounds, changing sounds, segmenting, and blending. 

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of phonological awareness. For example: 

• The daily Observation checklists can provide teachers with information about what skills need to be retaught and what skills can be enriched. The Assessment Administration Guide indicates, “The teacher can review the information collected on the checklist from Lessons 1 through 4, and then choose which review activities would most benefit students in whole-group or small-group instruction. For example, if the teacher notices that most students are ‘approaching expectations’ with a particular phonics objective, the whole class can be administered the Lesson 5 reteach activity.” 

• Assessment reports include scores for each item and provide details on the skills and standards taught. The reports provide information on how students/class are performing on foundational skills and what areas they may need further instruction in, along with which skills specific students may need further instruction in.

• Digital interactivity games at the end of each lesson and digital Unit and Interim Assessments generate automatic formative assessment information. Student results are color coded. Red indicates a score of 0–69% correct and signals the need for a reteach opportunity. Yellow indicates a score of 70–79% correct and signals the need for a reinforcement opportunity. Green indicates a score of 80–100% correct and signals the need for an enrichment opportunity.  

Materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in phonological awareness. For example: 

• In the Assessment Administration Guide, Using Test Scores, the materials describe how to provide students with automatic instructional resources based on their performance. The Assessment Administration Guide states, “Educators receive instructional recommendations to reteach important foundational skills that students are struggling with, reinforce student understanding to ensure progress, or enrich student learning by providing  appropriate challenges to expand their skills.”

• The program includes an option to assign auto-recommended resources. Based on formative assessment data, the program recommends independent practice activities tailored to individual students that teachers can choose to assign. 

• The materials indicate that daily Observation checklists should be used to inform instruction in the Reteach/Enrich portion of the lesson and to select lessons for the Lesson 5 “stretch day.” The “stretch day” lesson offers teachers a menu of review options, including both reteach and enrich options. Teachers also use Observation checklists to select target review activities for Module 4 of each unit, the unit review module. 

• Lesson plans include corrective feedback to help support teachers with additional ideas for students who may not be mastering the skill. For example, in Unit 4, Module 3, Lesson 3, the corrective feedback states that if students struggle adding initial sounds to CVC  words, keep the ending sounds the same for several words (cat, bat, sat, rat, mat, pat).

• Materials include an Auto-Recommended Resources Button in Show by Student reports assists teachers with reteaching, reinforcement, and enrichment opportunities. This feature recommends resources based on students’ assessment results.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2g.iii.

Materials include regular assessment opportunities in phonics in and out of context. Assessments include daily Observation checklists and digital practice interactivities, formative Unit Assessments, and summative Interim Assessments. Assessment of phonics in context is limited to Observation checklists and digital interactivities. Scoring criteria provide teachers with information about students’ present performance levels and indicate which Reteach and/or Extend activities and lessons to use to help students progress toward mastery. 

Materials provide resources and tools to collect ongoing data about students’ progress in phonics. For example: 

• Each lesson includes a daily Observation checklist linked to the lesson’s Check for Understanding. Observation checklists include observations of decoding and encoding tasks, both in isolation and in the context of phrases and sentences. For example, in Unit 2, Module 1, Lesson 1, teachers collect data about how well students understand the initial consonant /h/ sound.

• Each lesson includes a game-style Interactivity in the Independent Practice portion of the lesson. These Interactivities function as student practice and as a formative assessment. Interactivities include decoding and encoding tasks that practice and assess newly-taught phonics skills. Interactivities include letter and word-level phonics tasks and tasks that occur in the context of sentence and sentence building. 

Materials offer assessment opportunities to determine students’ progress in phonics that are implemented systematically. For example: 

• In the Assessment Administration Guide, the materials describe how the Observation checklists, Practice Interactivities, Unit Assessments, and interim Assessments work together as a system to help teachers determine students’ progress and make instructional decisions.

• In the Assessment Administration Guide, the materials indicate that teachers should use the formative Observation checklists and Practice Interactivities daily in the context of lessons. 

• In the Assessment Administration Guide, the materials indicate that the teacher should administer Unit Assessments eight times per year after each unit. 

• In the Assessment Administration Guide, the materials indicate that the teacher should administer the first Interim Assessment at the beginning of the year, the second Interim Assessment after Unit 4, and the third Interim Assessment after Unit 8. 

Multiple assessment opportunities are provided regularly for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence with phonics. For example: 

• Units 1–8 include a formative Unit Assessment. Unit Assessments include items that assess encoding words, decoding words, and decoding sentences and short passages in Units 1–8. For example, in Unit 4, Module 4, Lesson 5, the Unit Assessment includes questions related to identifying initial sounds, blending and segmenting phonemes, decoding CVC words, understanding plurals, and reading and spelling high-frequency words.

• The program includes three Interim Assessments. The Interim Assessments include encoding words, decoding words, and decoding short passages. Interim Assessments are taken three times a year—at the beginning of the year, the middle of the year, and the end of the year.

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information about students’ current skills/level of understanding of phonics. For example:

• In the Observation checklist, the teacher records observations of student practice. Teachers describe students as approaches, meets, or exceeds in specific skills. 

• Digital Interactivity games at the end of each lesson and digital Unit and Interim Assessments generate automatic formative assessment information. Student results are color coded. Red indicates a score of 0–69% correct and signals a reteach opportunity. Yellow indicates a score of 70–79% correct and signals a reinforce opportunity. Green indicates a score of 80–100% correct and signals an enrich opportunity. 

• In the Assessment Administration Guide, the Scoring and Reporting section details how the digital assessments provide data to teachers in multiple ways. The reports for the assignments, Unit Assessments, and Interim Assessments answer questions such as:

  • “How are students performing, and what are their domain-specific (foundational category) needs?

  • What misconceptions might students have based on their answers?

  • For each standard, did students make progress or show growth?”

Materials genuinely measure students’ progress to support teachers with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in phonics. For example: 

• The program includes an option to assign auto-recommended resources. Based on formative assessment data, the program recommends independent practice activities tailored to individual students that teachers can choose to assign. 

• The materials indicate that daily Observation checklists should be used to inform instruction in the Reteach/Enrich portion of the lesson and to select lessons for the Lesson 5 “stretch day.” The “stretch day” lesson offers teachers a menu of review options, including both reteach and enrich options. Teachers also use Observation checklists to select target review activities for Module 4 of each unit, the unit review module. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2g.iv.

Materials include regular assessment opportunities in word recognition and analysis. Assessments include daily Observation checklists and digital Practice Interactivities, formative Unit Assessments, and summative Interim Assessments. Scoring criteria provide teachers with information about students’ present performance levels and indicate which Reteach and/or Extend activities and lessons to use to help students progress toward mastery. 

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of word recognition (high-frequency words or irregularly spelled words) and analysis. For example: 

• Each lesson includes a daily Observation checklist linked to the lesson’s Check for Understanding. Observation checklists include word analysis skills and high-frequency words.  

• Each lesson includes game-style Interactivity in the Independent Practice portion of the lesson. These Interactivities function as student practice and as a formative assessment. Interactivities include reading and spelling high-frequency words, counting word parts and syllables, identifying syllables and reading words, identifying and reading phonograms, identifying and reading words with digraphs, and phoneme/grapheme matching. 

• Units 1–8 include a formative Unit Assessment. Unit Assessments include items that assess singular/plural noun identification in Units 1–8, identifying and reading phonograms or digraphs in Units 1–8, reading high-frequency words in Units 1–8, and identifying the word family in Unit 2. 

• The program includes three Interim assessments. Interim Assessment 3 includes reading high-frequency words and identifying singular and plural nouns. 

• In Unit 6, Module 4, Lesson 5, students take an online assessment that assesses the skills learned throughout the unit, including decoding words with initial or final consonant digraphs, decoding CVC words, and reading and spelling high-frequency words.

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of word recognition and word analysis. For example: 

• In the Observation checklist, the teacher records observations of student practice. Teachers describe students as approaches, meets, or exceeds in specific skills. 

• Digital Interactivity games at the end of each lesson and digital Unit and Interim Assessments generate automatic formative assessment information. Student results are color coded. Red indicates a score of 0–69% correct and signals a reteach opportunity. Yellow indicates a score of 70–79% correct and signals a reinforce opportunity. Green indicates a score of 80–100% correct and signals an enrich opportunity. 

• In the Assessment Administration Guide, the materials instruct teachers on using Observation checklists and digital reports to determine instructional next steps. The materials state that teachers can use the information they collect on the Observation checklists “to prioritize reteach opportunities for struggling students and to plan enrichment opportunities for students who have exceeded expectations.” The digital reports help teachers answer the following questions:

  • “How did my students perform on the foundation standards in this program in each of the three interim assessments?

  • Which items are my students struggling with or performing well on?

  • Which standards do my students need more practice with based on each of the three interim assessments?

  • For each standard, did students make progress or show growth?”

Materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in word recognition and word analysis. For example: 

• The program includes an option to assign auto-recommended resources. Based on formative assessment data, the program recommends independent practice activities tailored to individual students that teachers can choose to assign. Based on students’ performance on the unit assessment at the item level, the reports will auto-recommend “instructional recommendations to reteach important foundational skills that students are struggling with, reinforce student understanding to ensure progress, or enrich student learning by providing appropriate challenges to expand their skills.”

• The materials indicate that daily Observation checklists should be used to inform instruction in the Reteach/Enrich portion of the lesson and to select lessons for the Lesson 5 “stretch day.” The “stretch day” lesson offers teachers a menu of review options, including both reteach and enrich options. Teachers also use Observation checklists to select target review activities for Module 4 of each unit, the unit review module. 

• In Unit 8, Module 2, Lesson 4, students practice making word chains with VCe long u patterns. While students are working with a partner, the materials direct teachers to observe students while they create the word chains using the Observation checklist for this unit. Based on these observations, the instructions tell teachers, “If students are struggling to create a word chain, stay in whole group/small group settings to create the chains collaboratively and with extra scaffolding.”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2h.

Materials include standards correlation information within daily lessons and attached to specific questions, tasks, and assessments. Each lesson lists the standards addressed within it, and the games and Interactivities students complete during Independent Practice also include standards alignment information. Each Unit and Interim Assessment includes a standards alignment document that details standards alignment at the item level.

Materials include denotations of the standards being assessed in the formative assessments. For example: 

• Digital Interactivity assessments include correlation for Common Core State Standards and state-specific standards. 

• In Unit 7, Module 4, Lesson 4, students play “A Game with a King: High-Frequency Words this, what, king, made, game, and with” during Independent Practice. The interactive game is aligned to standards L.K.2c, L.K.2d, RF.K.1a, RF.K.1b, RF.K.1c, RF.K.3c, and RF.K.4.

• In Assessments, Unit Assessments, all Unit Assessments contain a Standards Alignment for Unit Assessments document that cites the Common Core standard assessed for each item. For example, in the Unit 3 Assessment, a multiple choice item related to phonological awareness where students will say the final sounds in a spoken word is aligned to standard RF.K.2d, “Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words. (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.”

Materials include denotations of standards being assessed in the summative assessments. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, How Do Teachers Use Foundations A-Z? Assessments, the materials provide standards alignment documents for each interim assessment that details what standard each item on the assessment is aligned to. 

• In Interim Assessment 3, students name the letter f, which aligns with standard Rf.K.1d, “Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.” 

Alignment documentation is provided for all tasks, questions, and assessment items. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, How Do Teachers Use Foundations A-Z?, Assessments, the materials provide standards alignments documents for each Unit Assessment and Interim Assessment that details what standard each item on the assessment is aligned to.

• In the Independent Practice section of each lesson, students have various activities they can complete, like watching instructional videos related to the day’s lesson, playing interactive games, and reading decodable texts. Each of these activities includes standards alignment information.

Alignment documentation contains specific standards correlated to specific lessons. For example: 

• Each lesson includes standards correlation information at the top of the page. For example, in Unit 6, Module 2, Lesson 3, the materials list the following standards: L.K.1a, L.K.1f, L.K.2c, L.K.2d, RF.K.2e, RF.K.3, RF.K.3a, RF.K.3b, RF.K.3c, RF.K.3d, RF.K.4.

 The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2i.ii.

Materials include extensive opportunities for reteaching. These opportunities are structured in the materials in a recurring pattern, which includes Reteach opportunities at the end of each Base Day lesson, during Lesson 5 Stretch Days, and during Module 4 Unit Review weeks. The materials instruct teachers to use formative assessment data to select appropriate reteaching lessons. Additionally, teachers may assign suggested reteaching and review digital interactivities based on digital formative and summative assessments. 

Materials provide opportunities for small group reteaching. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, Mindful Reading Teacher, Differentiating Below Grade Level, the materials outline a three-layer approach to small group reteaching for students needing additional support. The first layer occurs on Base Days (Modules 1–3, Lessons 1–4), in which the Reteach section includes instructions for small-group reteaching of lesson objectives. The second layer occurs on Stretch Days (Lesson 5 of Modules 1–3), where instruction is dedicated to reteaching or enrichment lessons based on student need. The third layer occurs in the Unit Review (Module 4 of each unit), during which the teacher reviews unit skills and concepts, with embedded opportunities for reteaching. 

• In Unit 4, Module 4, Lesson 1, the materials provide a fluency review during the We Do: Guided Practice section. A callout box indicates, “The teacher, with the help of students, applies the content of the concept being taught; may include think-alouds, whole group and small-group activities, checks for understanding, and formal evaluation.”

• In Unit 7, Module 2, Lesson 2, the Reteach & Enrich section at the end of the lesson includes opportunities for reteaching the lesson’s skills in phonics, print concepts, phonological awareness, fluency, and letter formation. The materials instruct teachers to select reteaching lessons based on observations made using the formative Observational Checklist. 

Materials provide guidance to teachers for scaffolding and adapting lessons and activities to support students who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level in extensive opportunities to learn foundational skills at the grade-level standards. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, Lesson Plans, the materials indicate that every fourth module is a review week, which provides pause points for review and reteaching. The materials indicate that teachers choose the activities based on the needs of each student. 

• In Unit 2, Module 3, Lesson 2, the Reteach & Enrich section includes a five-minute check for understanding “for students who need additional instruction and practice to meet a learning objective or skill.”

• In Unit 4, Module 4, Lesson 1, the Phonological Awareness section offers a Reteach Review option in which students identify the word in a spoken set with a different initial sound. The lesson includes corrective feedback support for students who struggle. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2i.iii.

Materials include extensive opportunities for enrichment lessons. These opportunities are structured in the materials in a recurring pattern, which includes Enrich opportunities at the end of each Base Day lesson, during Lesson 5 Stretch Days, and during Module 4 Unit Review weeks. The materials instruct teachers to use formative assessment data to select appropriate enrichment lessons. Additionally, teachers may assign suggested enrichment digital interactivities based on digital formative and summative assessments. 

Materials provide multiple opportunities for advanced students to investigate grade-level foundational skills at a greater depth. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, Mindful Reading Teacher, Differentiating Above Grade Level, the materials outline a three-layer approach to small group enrichment for students working above grade level. The first layer occurs on Base Days (Modules 1–3, Lessons 1–4), in which the Enrich section includes instructions for small-group extension of lesson objectives. The second layer occurs on Stretch Days (Lesson 5 of Modules 1–3), where instruction is dedicated to reteaching or enrichment lessons based on student need. The third layer occurs in the Unit Review (Module 4 of each unit), where the teacher reviews unit skills and concepts, with embedded opportunities for extension and enrichment. 

• In Unit 3, Module 2, Lesson 5, a stretch lesson dedicated to reteaching or enrichment activities, the materials provide enrichment opportunities embedded within the lesson, including “Give students two-syllable words and delete the first syllable. Have students say the remaining syllable. Use the following words: napkin, helmet, velvet, and wombat.”

• In Unit 5, Module 2, Lesson 2, the Reteach & Enrich section at the end of the lesson includes opportunities for extending the lesson’s skills in the areas of phonics, phonological awareness, fluency, and letter formation. The materials instruct teachers to select enrichment lessons based on observations made using the formative Observational Checklist. 

There are no instances of advanced students simply doing more assignments than their classmates. For example: 

• In the Program Guide, Lesson Plans, the materials indicate that every fourth module is a review week, which provides pause points for review and/or enrichment. The materials indicate that teachers choose the activities based on the needs of each student. 

• In Unit 6, Module 3, Lesson 3, the Post-Instruction section of the lesson contains short reteaching or enrichment opportunities based on the data the teacher has recorded on the Observation Checklist. Teachers can provide enrichment opportunities for phonics, phonological awareness, high-frequency words, fluency, handwriting, or language connection.

• In Unit 6, Module 4, Lesson 2, the Phonics section offers an Enrich option in which students list words with a chosen digraph. The teacher encourages students to find words with the digraph in the initial and final locations, then share them with the class.