3rd-5th Grade - Gateway 3

The teacher guidance for enacting the program in myView meets the expectations for indicator 3a. Materials provide comprehensive guidance to support teachers in implementing both student and ancillary materials. On the Savvas Realize platform, teachers have access to an extensive range of resources, including program overviews, walkthroughs, instructional guides, and manuals that explain each component of the curriculum, such as reading instruction, writing processes, assessment systems, and small-group differentiation. Within each unit’s Teacher’s Edition, point-of-use annotations are embedded throughout lessons to offer real-time instructional support connected to lesson objectives, such as learning goals, genre features, language supports for multilingual learners, and targeted teaching points, though teachers would benefit from more specific timing guidance. The materials also provide annotated texts with prompts for first reads, close reads, vocabulary development, and text analysis, as well as guidance for managing small-group instruction and independent student work. 

• Materials provide comprehensive guidance that will assist teachers in presenting the student and ancillary materials.

  • In the Savvas Realize platform’s Getting to Know myView, Overview section, the materials provide numerous resources to help teachers enact the program. These resources include guides and videos to explain to teachers how the program functions. The Overview includes a Science of Reading Roadmap, Proven Practices in the Science of Reading, Reading Block Walkthrough, Foundational Skills Pathway, Writing Block Walkthrough, Text Collection, Assessment Overview, and Digital Resource Guide. Each of them explains a specific component of the myView program.

  • The Getting to Know myView, Guides and Manuals section of the Savvas Realize Platform provides comprehensive guidance about how to enact various components of the program and includes the Teacher’s Edition, Reading Routines Companion, Language Awareness Handbook, myFocus Intervention Teacher’s Guide, Small Group Guide, Dual Language Educators Implementation Guide, Assessment Guide, Summative Assessments Teacher’s Manual, Progress Check-Ups Teacher’s Manual, and other guidance for teachers. These guides and manuals take a deep dive into the specified topic. 

  • The front matter of each unit’s Teacher’s Edition also provides an overview of how myView functions, the unit’s trajectory, how the reading block is sequenced, the writing process, and the assessment options.

• Materials include sufficient and useful annotations and suggestions that are presented within the context of the specific learning objectives.

  • Throughout all of the lessons in the myView program, the materials provide point-of-use annotations and suggestions for teaching the lesson, in addition to the scripting and guidance that comprise the main lesson components. While not indicated at point-of-use, the materials provide some timing guidance in the Weekly Planner, but teachers are responsible for the timing of individual lesson components. 

    • In Grade 4, Unit 5, Week 4, Lesson 1, the materials provide point-of-use annotations about the Learning Goal, Objectives, Language of Genre, Anchor Charts, and Language Supports for Multilingual Learners. The materials also include an image of the associated Student Interactive pages for easy access. 

  • The Teacher’s Edition in each unit includes the full text of each text selection with various types of annotations to support teachers in teaching that text. These annotations include First Read notes, Foundational Skills Extensions, notes about building content knowledge, Possible Teaching Points, and Close Read notes.

    • In Grade 3, Unit 3, Week 2, Lesson 2, some of the annotations about the text Granddaddy’s Turn: A Journey to the Ballot Box by Michael S. Bandy and Eric Stein include:

      • A First Read note about connecting personal experience

      • A Close Read note about Vocabulary in Context that connects to the lesson’s objectives

      • A Possible Teaching Point about synonyms and antonyms

      • A Possible Teaching Point about reading like a writer

      • A First Read note about generating questions

      • A Close Read note about analyzing characters that connects to the lesson’s objectives

  • The materials also provide guidance for teachers on implementing small-group teaching and independent work. After each lesson, a section details how to support students who may need additional instruction after the whole-group lesson. There is also guidance about what students should be working on independently while the teacher works with small groups.

    • In Grade 5, Unit 1, Week 2, Lesson 1, the materials detail the various independent work students can be doing while the teacher works with small groups: Comprehension, Vocabulary, Writing, Building Knowledge Library, Word Study, and Book Club. Each section gives an overview of the activity students can complete during this time. The materials also provide lessons for different skill groups that are aligned to what was taught whole group. For Lesson 1, the skill group lesson focuses on identifying informational text. There is also guidance for a Challenge Group and an Intervention Group.

The explanations to support teachers in improving their knowledge of literacy partially meet the expectations for indicator 3b. Materials provide resources to support teachers in deepening their understanding of grade-level concepts, standards, and the progression of learning across grades. Through the Savvas Realize platform, teachers have access to a variety of guides and videos that explain the research foundations of the program, the structure and purpose of instructional blocks, how texts build knowledge over time, and how assessments provide a comprehensive view of student progress. Within daily lessons, Expert’s View notes from literacy specialists offer insights into instructional practices and the impact of literacy development on student growth. The scope and sequence documents on the Savvas Realize platform outline skills and vertically aligned themes across grades K–5, allowing teachers to see instruction across levels. However, they lack standards and may not provide enough detail to clearly show how each grade fits into the overall program.

• Materials contain explanations and examples of grade/course-level concepts and/or standards so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject.

  • The myView materials provide numerous documents to support teachers in improving their knowledge of the subject. Many of these guides can be found in the Getting to Know myView, Overview section of the Savvas Realize platform. Guidance includes:

    • Science of Reading Roadmap: This document explains how students build knowledge across the program, how teachers can support that through planning, and how various components of the program function. 

    • Proven Practices in the Science of Reading: This document explains the research behind the program and how it is grounded in reading research.

    • Reading Block Walkthrough: This video takes teachers through the reading block to help them understand the components.

    • Writing Block Walkthrough: This video takes teachers through the writing block to help them understand the components.

    • Text Overview: This document explains how the texts within myView work together to build knowledge from kindergarten to Grade 5.

    • Assessment Overview: This document explains how the various types of assessments work together to give teachers a complete picture of a student’s progress.

  • Within the Teacher’s Edition for each unit, some lessons include an Expert’s View note for teachers that provides information from a literacy expert related to the day’s lesson. For example, in Grade 4, Unit 3, Week 2, Lesson 1, the Expert’s View note is from Jim Cummins at the University of Toronto: “Having a strong conceptual foundation in the first language creates a solid foundation for learning academic language in English. It is good to encourage kids to continue to learn and read in their first language. Knowledge transfers from one language to another. If students have the concept in their first language, it is an easier lift because they only have to learn the English vocabulary.” 

• Materials contain some explanations and examples of how the concepts and/or standards align to other grade/course levels so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject.

  • In Getting to Know myView, Scope and Sequences, the Savvas Realize platform includes the scope and sequence documents for all grades K-5 and foundational skills so that teachers in each grade level can see the instruction happening above and below the grade level they are teaching. The scope and sequence documents detail skills and concepts, but do not include standards. The units have been designed to be vertically aligned in their topics/themes to allow students to build knowledge across the entire program. While teachers do have access to other grade levels’ scope and sequence documents, this information may not be detailed enough to allow teachers to truly understand how the grade level they teach fits into the scope of the entire program.

  • In Getting to Know myView, Vertical Articulation, the Savvas Realize platform provides a Vertical Articulation document that details the vertical alignment across the grade levels for reading, writing, and the Project-Based Inquiry. This document shows how the cross-curricular focus, unit theme, essential questions, weekly questions, writing focus, and Project-Based Inquiry grow in complexity over time as the grade levels progress, which allows teachers to see how the grade level they are teaching is situated within the program as a whole.

Materials include standards correlation information that outlines skills and concepts, but they are not integrated into a comprehensive year-long scope and sequence. While standards are listed at the lesson level in separate planning documents, they are not embedded in the Teacher’s Edition or linked to specific lesson components or formative assessments. However, a separate CCSS Correlations document connects standards to lessons, and the Summative Assessment Teacher’s Manual includes an Item Analysis Chart showing which standards are assessed.

• Materials include standards correlation information, but it is not organized in a year-long scope and sequence.

  • In Getting to Know myView, CCSS Correlations, the materials provide a document that lists the standard in one column and the lessons that address the standard in another column. 

  • Within the Teacher’s Edition for each unit, the materials do not list any standards, though daily learning objectives are provided for each lesson. While the standards are not listed in the Teacher’s Edition, the Getting to Know myView, Common Core Planners section of the Savvas Realize platform includes editable copies of the Weekly Planner that list the standards addressed in each lesson. The standards are listed at the top of the lesson and not further broken down to specific lesson components.

  • In Getting to Know myView, Scope and Sequences, the materials provide a scope and sequence for each grade that details the unit information and skills taught, but does not include standards correlation information.

• Materials identify the standards addressed within a lesson as a whole, but not at the individual assessment level for formative assessments.

  • In the Getting to Know myView section of the Savvas Realize platform, the materials provide Common Core Planners, which are duplicates of the Weekly Planner found in the myView Teacher’s edition that include the standards addressed in each lesson. While the lesson is labeled with the standards addressed within that lesson, the formative assessment opportunities themselves are not labeled. During the writing block, Lesson 5 of each week has a Standards Practice activity for students to complete related to the Language & Conventions skills taught throughout the week, but the standards are not listed in the Teacher’s Edition or Student Interactive.

  • While the lessons and formative assessments in the Teacher’s Edition do not list the standards, the materials do include Objectives for each lesson, which are similar to the standards. Like the standards, these Objectives are written at the lesson level, not the assessment level.

• Materials identify the standards assessed for culminating tasks/summative assessments.

  • The Summative Assessment Teacher’s Manual provides an Item Analysis Chart for the Baseline, Unit, Middle-of-Year, and End-of-Year Tests detailing the section, item numbers, item focus/skill, DOK level, and standards the items assess.

The explanation of instructional approaches, research-based strategies, and the role of standards meets the expectations for indicator 3e. Materials clearly explain the instructional approaches of the program, providing teachers with a well-defined framework grounded in research-based practices. Through resources like the Science of Reading Roadmap and Proven Practices in the Science of Reading guide, the program outlines how knowledge building is anchored by essential questions, thematic units, and vertically aligned concepts across grades. Instruction emphasizes a structured reading block that integrates foundational skills, vocabulary development, comprehension strategies, close reading, and writing connections throughout the week, culminating in a Project-Based Inquiry that synthesizes learning. Teachers are guided to differentiate instruction through small groups and independent activities that reinforce whole-group learning. The materials also reference a solid research base for key literacy components, including phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension, and include tools like Common Core Planners and standards correlation documents to help teachers align lessons to grade-level standards, even though the role of standards is not explicitly explained in program overviews.

• Materials explain the instructional approaches of the program.

  • In the Savvas Realize platform’s Getting to Know myView, Overview section, the materials provide a Science of Reading Roadmap document detailing how the program approaches building knowledge. It explains that each unit begins with an essential question that is vertically aligned across all grade levels that “anchors the weekly texts, increases brain-based connections, and elevates understanding.” The roadmap highlights the following instructional approaches:

    • Focus on Text: “The Spotlight on Genre highlights three texts in a focus genre of the unit, two other texts spiral through different text types and connect to the unit theme.”

    • Plan Long Term: “The Skills Overview page at the beginning of each unit showcases the skills and strategies that students will focus on throughout the unit. It gives teachers a quick at-a-glance view of the entire unit.”

    • Introduce the Unit: “Introduce the Unit begins by talking about the Essential Question. Jumpstart background knowledge with a Unit Video and get students talking about what they already know within the topic.”

    • Set Goals: “Setting both Independent Reading Goals and Unit Learning Goals at the beginning of each unit allows students to take ownership and understand their purpose for learning throughout the week.”

    • Build Vocabulary: “Academic Vocabulary words are built upon each week through lessons that explore Morphological Connections, Synonyms, Antonyms, Oral Language, and more. Teachers introduce words at the beginning of the unit and plant the seeds for future word growth.”

  • The Science of Reading Roadmap also details how myView approaches foundational skills through “practical application, progress in complexity, and spiral continuously.” The document explains how the program teaches phonological awareness, phonics, high-frequency word instruction, and word study.

  • The Science of Reading Roadmap then goes on to explain each type of lesson in the reading block. All lessons begin with foundational skills and word study, then move into comprehension.

    • Day 1 focuses on comprehension and vocabulary through a weekly launch to build knowledge, listening comprehension through a read-aloud, a spotlight on genre, and using the unit’s academic vocabulary.

    • Day 2 again focuses on comprehension and vocabulary through a First Read of the text, developing vocabulary and responding to the text through a Check for Understanding.

    • Days 3 and 4 focus on close reading through teaching a comprehension skill or strategy, modeling and guided practice in close reading, and independent practice in close reading. These lessons also focus on author’s craft through reading like a writer and writing for a reader.

    • Day 5 focuses on reflecting and sharing through discussion and writing to sources.

    • After each lesson, the materials detail Teacher-Led Small Group lessons “to differentiate, reinforce skills that were taught in whole group lessons, and close learning gaps.” There are also Weekly Independent Activity Options “that connect to the content learned during whole group lessons.”

  • The Science of Reading Roadmap also explains The Science of Skilled Writing, which consists of the foundational writing skills, handwriting, spelling, and language and conventions, and the composition process of prewriting, drafting, revising and editing, and publishing. Week 6 of each unit brings it all together in a Project-Based Inquiry, which requires students to “look back at all of the texts they read in the unit, synthesize what they have read, and reflect on the Unit Essential Question and theme.”

• Materials include and reference research-based strategies.

  • In the Getting to Know myView, Overview section of the Savvas Realize platform, the materials include a Proven Practices in the Science of Reading guide that explains the research base for the program with a bibliography. This guide documents the research that forms the basis of myView’s teaching of

    • Phonological and phonemic awareness

    • Phonics, word recognition, and spelling

    • Multisyllabic decoding, word recognition, and spelling

    • Oral language and vocabulary

    • Effective reading comprehension instruction

    • Text-dependent comprehension

    • Connecting reading and writing

• Materials include and reference the role of the standards in the program.

  • While the materials do not explicitly explain the role of standards in the program, they do include Common Core Planners for each grade that show what standards are addressed in each lesson and CCSS Correlations that show when each standard is addressed.

 The list of supplies needed to support instruction in the myView materials meets the expectations for indicator 3f. Materials include a comprehensive and organized list of supplies needed to support instructional activities. Each unit’s Teacher’s Edition features a Weekly Planner that identifies the texts for the week, helping teachers prepare in advance. Additionally, a Gather Your Materials Resource Overview offers a visual, day-by-day breakdown of required materials for whole group, small group, assessment, and independent activities. For digital users, the Savvas Realize platform provides all necessary materials within each lesson in the order they are used, along with tools to assign student-facing resources online, ensuring teachers have clear and accessible support for lesson preparation and delivery.

• Materials include a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support the instructional activities.

  • In the Teacher’s Edition for each unit, the Weekly Planner lists the week’s texts so that teachers know what texts to have on hand. The program also includes a Gather Your Materials Resource Overview that provides a pictorial list of the materials needed for each day’s lesson, including materials needed for whole group instruction, small group instruction, assessment, and individual work.

  • For teachers using the Savvas Realize platform, each lesson includes all of the materials a teacher would need in order of when to use them, as well as the ability to assign student-facing materials online.

The strategies and supports for students in special populations to work with grade-level content meet the expectations for indicator 3j. Materials offer various strategies, supports, and resources designed to ensure students in special populations can actively and successfully engage in grade-level literacy work. The program includes a myFocus Intervention Teacher’s Guide with scaffolded lessons and assessments that address key literacy areas such as foundational skills, comprehension, writing, and language. This guide is supported by myFocus Readers and lesson plans aligned to each unit. The Reading Routines Companion further supports differentiation with targeted instruction on skills like phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, and is frequently referenced within the Teacher’s Edition. Teacher-Led Small Group Instruction provides structured support for students needing additional practice, including links to intervention resources. Additionally, embedded Language Demands notes help teachers support multilingual learners by addressing specific language development needs within each lesson.

• Materials provide strategies, supports, and resources for students in special populations to support their regular and active participation in grade-level literacy work.

  • The Savvas Realize platform contains a myFocus Intervention Teacher’s Guide that provides “Scaffolded lessons with reproducible student pages and checkpoint assessments addressing:

    • Foundational skills

    • Reading literature

    • Reading informational text

    • Writing

    • Language and conventions

    • Inquiry and research”

    Accompanying this guide in each grade level are the myFocus Readers for each unit and lesson plans for teachers.

  • In each grade level, the myView Teacher’s Edition has a Reading Routines Companion guide that provides additional lessons about phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, word study, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, dictation, high-frequency words, and syllable patterns. These lessons include links to specific myView lessons and provide differentiation options. The myView Teacher’s Edition also references applicable Reading Routines Companion lessons.

  • Within each unit’s Teacher’s Edition, the materials provide Teacher-Led Small Group Instruction based on what was taught whole group. These lessons provide guidance for teachers to support students who struggle with additional teaching, guided practice, independent practice, and formative assessment. This section of the Teacher’s Edition also directs teachers to use the myFocus Intervention Teacher’s Guide for their intervention groups.

  • Within the lessons themselves, the materials provide Language Demands notes for teachers of multilingual learners to help support them in language development.

The extensions and/or opportunities for advanced students to engage with material at a greater depth meet the expectations for indicator 3k. The materials provide opportunities for advanced students to engage more deeply with grade-level literary concepts without requiring additional assignments beyond those of their peers. The Reading Routines Companion offers extension lessons across a range of literacy skills, with clear links to core instruction and specific guidance for enriching learning for students who have already mastered targeted skills. Additionally, during Small Group Instruction, teachers receive support for guiding Challenge Groups through differentiated tasks such as inquiry-based research and exploration of complex ideas. While the materials provide these extensions for advanced students, the teacher guidance for enacting this instruction is much more limited and less explicit than the guidance provided to support struggling students.

• Materials regularly provide multiple extensions and/or opportunities for advanced students to engage with grade-level/course-level literary concepts at greater depth. There are no instances of advanced students doing more assignments than their classmates.

  • In each grade level, the myView Teacher’s Edition has a Reading Routines Companion guide that provides additional lessons about phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, word study, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, dictation, high-frequency words, and syllable patterns. These lessons include links to specific myView lessons and provide differentiation options, including extending the learning for students who have already mastered the skill. Each lesson includes a section to “Make It Easier” or “Make It Harder,” depending on students’ skill level. The myView Teacher’s Edition also references applicable Reading Routines Companion lessons. 

  • During the Teacher-Led Small Group Instruction time, the materials provide guidance for teachers to support Challenge Groups in addition to the Skill and Intervention Groups. For example, in Grade 4, Unit 4, Week 3, Lesson 1, the guidance to teachers for the Challenge Groups says, “Question and Investigate Have students use the fairy tale on Student Interactive pp. 292-293 to generate questions about performing good deeds and then choose one question to investigate. Throughout the week, have them conduct research about the question. See Extension Activities pp. 170-174 on SavvasRealize.com.” While the materials provide this type of guidance, they do not provide full lesson plans for the Challenge Groups like they do for the Skill Groups.