Kindergarten - Gateway 3

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for being well-designed and taking into account effective lesson structure and pacing. Daily lessons include structures and resources for both whole group and small group literacy instruction.

Daily lesson structures include the components of Reading with 30-40 minutes for whole group reading instruction, 30-40 minutes for small group instruction, and 30-40 minutes for whole group writing instruction. The pacing is defined in the following way:

• Whole group instruction includes Built-In Foundational Skills Mini-Lessons, Building Understanding, Close Reads, Reading Analysis Lessons, and Focused Independent Reading.
• Small Group Instruction includes Small Group Options such as additional instruction, practice, or extension as needed in the areas of fluency, foundational skills, and reading and language analysis, Independent Literacy Work with a choice between student-selected grade level text, leveled text library books, and decodable and practice readers, and ReadyGen Intervention which provides support for struggling readers.
• Whole Group Writing Instruction contain focused lesson on one specific writing types critical to college and career readiness and conventions mini-lessons. During these lessons the teacher sets the purpose, teaches and models, prepares students to write, and gives students time for independent writing. In addition to whole group there are also daily conventions mini-lessons.

Following is a detailed example of the lesson structure from Unit 2, Module A, Lesson 5:

• Whole Group Reading Instruction: 1) Building Understanding, during this portion of the lesson, teachers “Set the Purpose” by telling students the following: “We can ask and answer questions about key details in a text to help us understand the meanings of “then” and “now.” 2) Read, Four Seasons Make a Year with the students. Have the students read along with you. When you get to the end of a page ask them what you should do next. During this first reading students should focus on understanding who or what the story is about and what happens. 3) Turn and Talk, after these pages, the teacher has the students turn to a partner and discuss this question using examples: “How does the farm change as the seasons change?” 4) Close Read: Engage the class in a discussion about what they just read . . . Use these questions to guide the discussion: “Look at the pictures on pages 30-35. What happens during spring?” “What happens during summer? Point to the pictures that show this.” “What is sold at the roadside stand? Why would people want to buy these things from a roadside stand?” “What season is it? How do you know?” “These pictures show how the farm changed over the year. What is alike and different about these pictures?” 5) Benchmark Vocabulary: Teachers use the “Benchmark Vocabulary Routine for Literary Text” “Students find and read sentences from the text with the words spring and droops.” 6)Text Analysis: Students work on identifying the roles of the author and illustrator. Students work in small groups to discuss the roles of authors and illustrators in telling stories.
• Small Group Time: Focused Independent Reading: Students read their self-selected texts. The teacher announces the two focus points to the class for their self-selected reading. For Unit 2 Module A, Lesson 5, the focus is “Engagement and Identity” and “Comprehension”. During focused independent reading, students look for the names of the author and illustrator of their book and how they help tell the story. Teachers monitor students’ progress by having them record their reading in a daily reading log and having them point out the author and illustrator of their text. Additional instruction, practice and extension during “Small Group Time” are offered through a variety of options: Word Analysis use pp. WA2-WA4 in Teacher’s Guide, Unlock the Text use pp. 8-13 in Scaffolded Strategies Handbook, teachers conference each day with two or three students to discuss their self-selected texts, Reading Analysis Support for students who struggle with point of view, there is a “Support Reading Analysis Mine-Lesson.” and Reading Analysis Extension for students who easily understand point of view, there is an “Extend Reading Analysis Mini-Lesson.”
• Whole Group Writing Instruction: Students focus on narrative writing, and first “Establish The Sequence of a Story.” The teacher sets the purpose by going back to the essential question. The teacher uses models from Four Seasons Make a Year to chart and then make a story sequence chart. Next, during Write Events in Order students make a story sequence chart about their first day of school. Finally, during Independent Writing Practice students use the prompt on p. 71 in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal and write about their first and last events on their story sequence chart. After writing, students can volunteer to share their introductions with the class.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for the teacher and student reasonably being able to complete the content within a regular school year with the pacing allowing for maximum student understanding These lessons are intended to be done one a day, totaling an hour and a half to fit in both Reading and Writing. The suggested pacing has students reading, in small groups, and then writing during these 90 minutes. Each lesson is broken down by Read, Benchmark Vocabulary, Reading Analysis, and Writing.

• There are 6 units that are each broken into 2 modules. Module A in every unit contains 13 lessons and Module B in every unit has 12 lessons. There are a total of 150 lessons in the Kindergarten materials.
• Lessons are set up for 90 or 120 minute blocks that include Reading (Build Understanding, Close Read, Benchmark Vocabulary, Text Analysis – either language or reading) Small Group Time (Focused Independent Reading, Small Group Options), and Writing (Focused Writing, Independent Writing Practice).
• Additional lessons are included for the Performance Based Assessment as well as other unit assessments. Time is built in for teachers to modify lessons to tailor to their student’s needs.
• Pacing suggestions are provided in the Implementation Guide that suggests teachers can vary the lessons from day to day based on the text, needs of the students, and the amount of scaffolding necessary to delivery instruction appropriately. (Implementation Guide p. 19)

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the requirements for resources including ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanations, and correct labeling of reference aids (e.g. visuals, maps, etc). Students have access to an array of materials including the Text Collection, anchor texts, Sleuth, leveled text library, online resources, and center options. Other resources available to students include, trade books, text collections, Close Reading, performance tasks, Reader’s and Writer’s Journal, Independent Reading Activities, as well as digital interactive tools such as Reader’s and Writer’s Journal, Envision It! Animations, TikaTok (students as authors), and Grammar Jammers. In the online resources, activities and exercises are found, such as Monster Word Mania and Pack Up The Skills interactive games. There are Close Reading and Independent Reading modeling videos. Each of these resources include ample opportunity to review and practice, clear directions, and correct labeling.

Some examples of the resources that provide review and practice opportunities are:

• Daily Focused Independent Reading routines and structures allow students to extend and apply what they are learning in daily whole group instruction to a text of their own choosing,at their ability and interest level.
• Daily Independent Writing Practice gives students opportunity to apply the writing skills and conventions they have discussed and learned in whole class instruction to a daily writing prompt that prepares them for Performance Based Writing Assessment at the end of each module.
• Digital Opportunities for Writing and Reading are provided daily during Small Group Instruction.
• Daily mini-lessons in Language Conventions focus on one or more language standards. Students apply these conventions to their own writing, then practice these newly acquired skills for teacher to monitor progress in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal.
• Sleuth, a collection of short, high interest selections, serves to support and extend daily close reading lessons for struggling and accelerated learners. Three to four times in each unit, or sixteen times over the course of the school year, the Scaffolded Instruction during Small Group lessons use Sleuth to reteach, practice, and apply close reading skills and strategies .
• Scaffolded Strategies Handbook Part One: Unlock the Text contains lessons for every anchor and supporting text, the section Express and Extend allows struggling and accelerated learners opportunities to react to the text through discussion and writing.
• During Small Group Instruction, students use independent center activities to practice and apply standards in Reading, Writing, Word Work, and Research. Digital Components are available and suggested for each of these four sections.
• There is a scaffolded strategies handbook, along with teacher resources, that has a multitude of graphic organizers, rubrics, and sentence frames that are available for students to use.
• Common Core Correlations section in Implementation Guide shows where each standard is addressed in Units’ Teacher’s Guides across the units and across the year.

Examples of clear explanation and directions included in materials are:

• In the Kindergarten Scaffolded Strategies Handbook on p. 328, the directions for the Unit 1,Module A, Part 4, Unlock Language Learning states, “For students who need support in access key ideas and key language in Where is Home, Little Pip? Use the Sentence Talk Routine on pp. 408-409 to draw students’ attention to the relationships between meaning and the words, phrases, and clauses in the text.
• On page 123 of the Kindergarten Reader’s and Writer’s Journal, the directions for Language Benchmark Vocabulary routine for Unit 3, Module A, Lesson 3, state, “Have children use p. 123 in the Reader’s and Writer’s Journal to show contextual understanding of the Benchmark Vocabulary. Monitor children’s vocabulary development.”
• On p. 10 of the Teacher's Guide for Unit 4, Module A, as a writing center, students Write in Response to Reading by completing the appropriate writing response to Reading prompts, found within pp. 175-203 of their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal. Children log into TikaTok and write their own book about their own life or about the life of a classmate or friend. Have them go to www.tikatok.com.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for including publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items. In the Implementation Guide there is a Scope and Sequence of all four units, that show where each of the standards is hit within the curriculum. Lessons clearly denote standards alignment. Standard documentation is found in the lesson objectives.

Examples of materials of publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed include, but are not limited to:

• The Implementation Guide’s Scope and Sequence section lists all English Language Arts standards for Kindergarten, and which unit and module addresses them.
• The Implementation Guide’s Unit Overviews Standards Maps section describes the Performance Based Writing Assessment for each module. It lists Essential Questions, Enduring Understanding, and Goals for each module, along with corresponding standards, and lists all standards addressed in each module.
• The Implementation Guide’s Common Core Correlations section lists Common Core Standards along with page numbers in each Unit’s Teacher’s Guide where these standards are addressed in lesson, task, assignment, or assessment.

Standards and Lesson Objectives are clearly stated on left hand side of Teacher Guides at the beginning of each lesson. For example:

• In Unit 4, Module A, Lesson 4 publisher-produced alignment to standards is provided. Students will:
  • RL.K.7 pp. 42, 44, 47 – Describe the relationship between pictures and the story in which they appear. Tell how pictures are related to the story in which they appear. Tell how pictures are related to the story in which they appear.
  • RL.K.10 p. 42 – Engage group in reading activities.
  • RL.K.4 p. 44 – Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
  • L.K.6 p. 44 – Use words acquired from texts.
  • RL.K.7 p. 44 – Tell how pictures are related to the story in which they appear.
  • RF.K.4 Build fluency through oral reading.
  • W.K.3 pp. 48, 49 – Draw and dictate or write about an event.
  • W.K.7 p. 48 – Participate in a shared narrative writing task.
  • W.K.6 p. 49 – Use technology to produce and publish writing and to collaborate with others.
  • L.K.1.b Use frequently occurring nouns.
• In the Unit 1, Module A, Performance Based Assessment, standards being assessed are included. Students will:
  • W.K.3 p. 142 – Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing.
  • W.K.3 p. 142 – Tell about a character and setting.
  • W.K.3 p. 142 – Narrate a single event.
  • W.K.6 p. 142 – Explore a variety of digital tools to publish and produce writing.
  • SL.K.4 p. 142 – Describe familiar places, things, and events and provide additional details.

Standards are also listed at the bottom of each Foundational Skills lesson which are located in the Foundational Skills portion of every Teacher's Guide. For example in Unit 2, Module A, Lesson 1, on p. FS2 standards include:

• RF.K.1.d Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
• RF.K.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
• RF.K.2.d Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial, vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words.
• RF.K.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
• RF.K.3.b Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectation for materials containing a Teacher's Guide with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

Materials include a Teacher's Guide that includes a clear outline of each unit as well as notes and suggestions of how to present content. The Teacher's Guide also includes the objectives of the lesson, explanations of where to find descriptions of routine, suggested ways to present content, as well as possible questions to ask are noted in blue. Each question asked is followed by a sample student answer. The Teacher's Guide includes scaffolded instruction boxes to address learners’ needs with ideas on differentiating instruction for those students in need of strategic or English language support.

• In Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 1, the teacher is provided with a Teach and Model guide to present the way illustrations and words convey the meaning in stories. Teachers use discussion questions to probe students’ recognition of the actions and feelings of the characters. The teacher uses a T-chart to explain author and illustrator roles.
• In Unit 3, Module A, Lesson 12, the Close Read section gives directives and suggestions on students citing evidence. The Close Read section states, “Engage the class in a discussion about the two texts. Remind children to focus on the adventures and experiences of the characters in the two stories. Use these questions to guide and continue the discussion, and ask students to support their answers with evidence.” The teacher is provided guided questions to lead a class discussion that requires evidence.
• In Unit 3, Module A, Lesson 8, the Writing Workshop section of the lesson provides teachers with plans to model the creation of storyboards with story events and details.
• On pages 64-71 of the Implementation Guide, a scope and sequence chart includes all Common Core Standards and the Unit and Module where each is addressed.
• On pages 72-81 of the Implementation Guide, Standards Maps are provided for each Module. These maps include a description of the Performance Based Assessment, essential questions that are linked with standards, essential questions, a list of anchor and support texts, a list of all standards covered, Module goals linked to standards, and enduring understandings that are linked to standards.
• On pages 82-101 of the Implementation Guide, a Common Core Correlations Chart is included that lists all Grade 1 Common Core Standards and then gives the Unit and page number where the standard is addressed.

Materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

• In Unit 2, Module A, the Performance Based Assessment offers a digital option, “You may incorporate technology into the Performance-Based Assessment. Use presentation software to create children’s personal narratives. Have children type their sentences or dictate them to you to type. After children draw their pictures, scan or photograph the pictures and upload them.”
• In Unit 4, Module B, Lesson 10, the teacher’s guide lists the digital publishing studio TikaTok as a resource for students to write and illustrate their own books.
• In all Units and Modules Digital Centerpieces center options include the Reading Center, Writing Center, Word Work Center, and Research Center. Each of these centers includes an online technology piece.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations of materials containing a Teacher's Guide that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literary concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject as necessary. The materials also include an Implementation Guide to provide specific explanations, rational, and examples of key concepts that are needed to improve knowledge of the subject. Common Core Correlations, located in the Implementation Guide, list all of Kindergarten ELA standards by strand, then the page numbers in each unit’s Teacher’s Guide where these standards are addressed.

The Teacher's Guides include:

• Instructional Routines, along with their rationales, are located in the Teacher Resource Section in the back of each of the Teacher’s Guides.
• Generative Vocabulary Instruction is explained in the Implementation Guide as “helping students learn about words.” A white paper on generative vocabulary instruction is available online at pearsonrealize.com. It’s further described in each unit of the Teacher’s Guide at the beginning of each module. Teachers learn about benchmark vocabulary (words that are important for understanding concepts within a text) and by-the-way words (sophisticated or unusual Tier II and Tier III words).
• Text Complexity Rubrics are available for each Anchor and Supporting Text. Rubrics explain quantitative, qualitative, and reader and task considerations, and provide the teacher with information on potential challenges students may have in accessing the text. These rubrics are located in the Teacher’s Resource Section in the back of each unit’s Teacher’s Guide.
• Tips and Tools sidebars throughout the Teacher’s Guides, Scaffolded Strategies Handbook, and Teacher Resource sections provide quick definitions of literary and language terms being taught in each lesson. For example, “Tips and Tools” of the “Routines” portion of the Teacher Resources offers definitions for affix, inflectional ending, and root words for the teacher.
• Independent Reading Continuum, located in Teacher’s Resource Section of each unit’s Teacher’s Guide, “shows a progression of the essential elements of independent reading in the elementary grades, describing strategies and processes that students practice when engaged in purposeful, self selected reading.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for materials containing a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum.

• On pages 64-71 of the Implementation Guide, a scope and sequence chart includes all Common Core Standards and the Unit and Module they are addressed.
• On pages 72-81 of the Implementation Guide, Standards maps are provided for each Module. These maps include a description of the performance based assessment, essential questions that are linked with standards, a list of anchor and support texts, a list of all standards covered, Module goals that are linked to standards, and enduring understandings that are linked to standards.
• On pages 82-101 of the Implementation Guide, a Common Core Correlations Chart is included that lists all Grade K Common Core Standards and then gives the Unit and page number where the standard is addressed.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for materials containing explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identifying research-based strategies.

Materials include an Implementation Guide that provides walkthrough of the curriculum, citing and explaining the rationale and research-based strategies including but not limited to the principles of backwards design and the design principle of backward mapping.

• On page 22 of the Implementation Guide, it states, “ReadyGEN uses the principles of backward design to help teachers deliver instruction based on learning goals.” This is connected to the quote on the bottom of page 23 from the research of Fisher and Frey: “Reading widely is a habit that students must develop, but they also need instruction in reading increasingly complex texts so their reading diet is more balanced. We suggest that more difficult texts with scaffolded instruction should become part of the classroom equation.”
• On page 24 of the Implementation Guide, it states, “ReadyGEN offers a robust range of assessments.” This is connected to the quote on the same page from the research of Peter Afflerbach about formative and summative assessments.
• On page 45 of the Implementation Guide, it states, “Quick Checks provide formative assessment opportunities to monitor students’ fluency progress.”
• On page 50 of the Implementation Guide, it states, “Performance-Based Assessments emphasize integration of reading, writing, and speaking and listening as students draw from the texts sets to demonstrate their knowledge of core understandings.” Which is connected to the quote on page 51 from the research of Linda Darling-Hammond and Frank Adamson.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for regularly and systematically offering assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress. Materials include a baseline assessment, multiple formative assessments, performance-based assessments, and end-of-unit assessments. Each of these assessments are included in the Assessment Book along with an overview, directions, passages, running records, student tests, test administration information, answer keys, and rubrics.

• Opportunities are provided during daily lessons for monitoring student progress in reading and writing, as well as opportunities to assess oral reading fluency.

• Reading Keystones are formative assessments in every lesson to assess children’s understanding of key language, structures, and ideas. These keystones help the teacher check children’s progress toward the Performance-Based Assessment. The reading keystones include Benchmark Vocabulary Practice, Text Analysis practice/application, and Write in Response to Reading. For example, in Unit 2, Module A, Lesson 6, children use p. 73 in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal to show contextual understanding of the Benchmark Vocabulary to monitor children’s vocabulary development.

• Writing Keystone Checklists are placed throughout the unit to assess children’s opinion, narrative, or informative writing. These checklists help the teacher determine how children are progressing toward the task in the Performance Based Assessment. For Example, in Unit 5 Module A Lesson 7 p. 80, the Writing Keystone Checklist provides places to mark a Topic, Opinion, and a Reason. This checklist is used to assess children’s opinion writing. If children need additional support with one or more of these elements of opinion writing, teachers use Unlock Opinion Writing beginning on p. 236 of the Scaffolded Strategies Handbook.
• Oral Reading Fluency Quick Checks are included in the Small Group Options for daily lessons. Oral Reading Fluency can be assessed using text and guidelines provided for Running Records in the Assessment Book Teacher’s Guide. For example, in Unit 6, Module A, Lesson 12, the Guide states, “ Distribute I Can Read Reader 33 on pp. 411-412 in the Reader’s and Writer’s Journal to children. Ask them to point to the title of the story, “Ben Begs.” Review the irregularly spelled words is, look, what, does, and he. Let’s read the story together. Follow along as I read. Then ask children to read the story again with you. Ask the following questions and have children complete the following activities. What is the dog’s name? (Ben) What does Ben want? (He wants a bone) Circle the things that Ben does not want. Underline the question in the story.”
• Performance-Based Assessments are included with each Module where students complete a task that requires analysis and demonstrating knowledge in writing. For example in Unit 2, Module A, on p.142 the Performance-Based Assessment requires that children create a simple personal narrative about something they did when they were younger that they do different now.

• End-of-Unit Assessments are provided to help the teacher further measure their students’ mastery of reading and language arts standards. Included in the Assessment Book Teacher’s Manual is teacher information, answer keys, and class record charts. Student tests can be found in the Assessment Student Book and online. For example, each End of Unit Assessment includes one passage of complex text. Students listen to the teacher read aloud the passage before each section of the text and then answer questions about it. Each passage is either literary or informational, and the texts become increasingly complex of the course of the school year. After the teacher reads aloud, students answer a series of selected-response questions that contain grade-appropriate Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary. The writing portion of each End-of-Unit Assessment contains a narrative, informative/explanatory, or opinion prompt that is based on the passage. This task requires students to draw pictures and either complete sentence frames or write sentences in response to the prompt.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for assessments clearly denoting which standards are being emphasized. Standards are clearly labeled in the daily lessons and are found on the performance based assessments for each unit, standards are noted on the End-of-Unit Assessments and on the Baseline Assessment (Assessment Book Teacher’s Guide).

Daily lessons that include formative assessments clearly denote standards being taught, along with opportunities for students to practice. For example, in Unit 2, Module A, Lesson 7 on p. 76 of the Teacher’s Edition students are tested by the teacher to check for their Fluency with Oral Reading. It is clearly marked that what is being tested is CCSS RF.K.4 - Fluency: Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding (the name of the standard is printed but the language used is “build fluency through oral reading).

Performance Based Assessments denote standards being assessed in the objectives box in the Teacher’s Edition. For example in the Unit 6, Module A p. 142, Performance-Based Assessment students will state and support an opinion about which selection they like better, On the Town: A Community Adventure or Places in My Neighborhood. Standards W.K.1 and W.K.6 are are provided in the Teacher’s Guide. W.K.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book. W.K.6 With Guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

On pages 66-71 of the Implementation Guide, a standards map is provided that lists all standards in a module along with the Performance-Based Assessment Task.

End-of-Unit Assessments do not provide standards being emphasized in student facing material or the Assessment Teacher’s Guide.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for assessments providing sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up. Materials provide teachers with guidance for administering assessments and interpreting results through rubrics and scoring guidance documents. Guidance includes but is not limited to:

• Performance Based Assessments provide teachers with notes and guidance regarding administration of assessments. Information is provided which guides teachers how to allow students to complete the assessment over multiple lessons, to review the Essential Questions, and revisit the texts. Also provided are scaffolded supports for students as they are completing the assessments and follow-up support for students scoring a 0, 1, or 2 on the assessment wit Reflect and Respond “if…then…” statements. Teachers are also provided a Writing Rubric with each assessment that directly connects to the type of writing being tested whether it be a narrative, informational/explanatory, or opinion writing or project.
• Guidance is provided for teachers in administering and scoring assessments, along with interpreting student assessment scores on End-of-Unit Assessments. For example, in the Assessment Book Teacher’s Guide on page T49-T50 guidance is given for scoring of selected response questions along with the writing prompt. A rubric is also provided to guide teachers in scoring the End-of-Unit writing.
• The Assessment Book Teacher’s Guide provides guidance on what to do with assessment results. Teachers are directed to examine results and then use the results to inform instruction. On page T51-T52 of the Assessment Book Teacher’s Guide it provides this guidance.
• Instruction and guidance are provided for administering Running Records with the fluency passages used for the assessments. Information is also provided for teachers in interpreting student scores and specific miscues in the Assessment Book Teacher’s Guide.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for including routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress. Ongoing progress monitoring formative assessments are integrated within every module. Progress monitoring opportunities include but are not limited to:

• Reading and Writing Keystones that assess students’ reading and writing and their understanding of key language, structure, and ideas. For example, in Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 9, on p. 94 Practice it states, “Have children use p. 21 in the Reader’s and Writer’s Journal to show contextual understanding of the Benchmark Vocabulary. Monitor children’s vocabulary development.”
• Fluency Quick Checks that offer If. . . Then... suggestions to monitor students’ fluency progress and provide an assessment tool for teachers to quickly assess students in a small group of 2-3 students at a time. For example, in Unit 4, Module A, Lesson 6, the teacher models fluent reading aloud from an appropriately leveled reader. Children then chorally read the same page with you and at an appropriate rate several times. Suggestions are given for if the child is reading too slowly or too quickly.
• Check Progress assessments in each unit that assess students’ phonics, word analysis, and high frequency word skills. These are located at the end of every Foundational Skills section. For Example, in Unit 4 p. FS27-FS29 Unit 4 Check Progress.
• Student work in the Reader’s and Writer’s Journal, including Write in Response to Reading prompts that require students to cite text evidence as they write about what they’ve read. For example, in Unit 4, Module A, Lesson 7, on p. 76, states, “Use Write in Response to Reading on p. 189 of the Reader’s and Writer’s Journal to check children’s understanding of key details in I love Saturdays y domingos.”
• If. . . Then... suggestions for monitoring progress also appear in the Scaffolded Strategies Handbook.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for providing teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so that they demonstrate independent ability with grade-level standards and opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies. There are clear supports for students who struggle as well as those who work above grade level. Grouping strategies included are inclusive of multiple opportunities.

Materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards. Examples include:

• The Scaffolded Strategies Handbook addresses English Language Learners, students with disabilities, struggling readers, and accelerated learners. This handbook provides models of scaffolded instruction, useful strategies, and practical routines to employ during reading. The lessons provided are intended to be used during small-group time with students the teacher determines to need additional scaffolded instruction. The Scaffolding Strategies Handbook is organized into four parts.
• Part 1 is titled Unlock the Text. Every anchor and supporting text is supported with scaffolds and strategies. The lessons are divided into Prepare to Read, Interact with Text, and Express and Extend.
• Part 2 is titled Unlock the Writing. These lessons work to scaffold the module-level Performance Based Assessments and it also provides additional lessons to teach the writing types required by the standards.
• Part 3 of the Scaffolded Strategies Handbook provides routines, graphic organizers, and activities to support students.
• Part 4 is titled Unlock Language Learning. It focuses on supporting English Language Learners to construct meaning and explore vocabulary of a text. This section provides support to build background, talk about sentences, speak and write about the text, expand understanding of vocabulary, and write about the anchor and supporting text.

Small group instruction is provided based on student need with options such as:

• Unlock the Text which supports students in accessing ideas, key language, and key structures.
• Word Analysis which supports students with their foundational skills.
• Conferencing which helps students to grow their independent reading accountability as they discuss their self-selected texts with the teacher.
• Support Instruction which targets students who need additional scaffolding for the instructional focus of each lesson.
• Extensions which are intended for students who understand the lesson focus and would benefit from opportunities to extend the lesson and enhance learning.
• Sleuth which is used three to four times each unit for small group lessons to reteach, practice, and refine close-reading skills and strategies.
• The Teacher’s Guide includes Scaffolded Instruction notes throughout all lessons. For example, in Unit 2, Module B, Lesson 3, the Guide states, “Make sure student understand the layout of the spread, which repeats throughout the book. Explain that the illustrator uses the two pocket watches to tell readers whether they are reading about the pat or today and the writer uses the phrase One hundred years ago to begin all pages about the past and the word Today to begin all pages about the present. Point out the art and text. Also, in Unit 5, Module A, Lesson 12: Remind students the most nouns add -s or -es to show more than one. Have students search both texts for nouns with -s or -es. Write the words in two list. Ask students which plural nouns appear in both texts. Have volunteers circle those words (seeds, roots, plants, birds).”

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for providing all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level or in a language other than English, extensive opportunities to work with grade level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.The Teacher’s Guide provides daily scaffolding for immediate feedback during lessons, and the Scaffolded Strategies Handbook provides more extensive follow up to support these students.

The Teacher’s Guide provides on-the-spot scaffolds in each lesson. These address common stumbling blocks encountered by English Language Learners and struggling readers and writers. They are highlighted in blue at the bottom of each lesson. For example, in Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 8, on p. 83 the Scaffolded Instruction notes are for English Language Learners and for Strategic Support.

• English Language Learners: “Point out to students that the word dear appears on p. 30 and 31. In both cases it has the same meaning-”much loved, precious”- but on p. 30, it is part of the phrase my dear, which means “My much loved or precious one.” Mama is talking to PIp, but instead of saying Pip’s name, Mama says my dear. Offer other terms of endearment in English, such as love, darling, sweetheart, sweetie, baby, sugar, and honey. Encourage students to offer words and phrases that are used in similar ways in their native languages.”
• Strategic Support: “Use the dialogue on p. 30 to point out the punctuation marks that are used to set off what characters say to one another in a story. Have students look at the first sentence on p. 30. Point to and name the quotation marks. Explain that one set of quotation marks is place at the beginning of the character’s words and another set is placed at the end of the character’s words. That way readers know exactly what words Mama say: Oh, Little Pip!”

The Scaffolded Strategies Handbook has a number of resources for teachers to assist English Language Learners, struggling readers and writers as well as students with disabilities. These are intended to be used during small group time. The handbook has four sections of resources.

• Unlock the Text: This section includes text complexity rubrics that offer insight into the quantitative, qualitative and reader and task measures of text. The qualitative measures provide strategies for levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands. Cognate charts are provided for each anchor text and supporting text in this section of the handbook as well.
• Unlock Writing: This section provides scaffolded lessons for the Performance-Based Assessments and grade level support and guidelines for teaching the standards based writing types.
• Routines and Activities: This section includes routines, reproducible graphic organizers, and activities that can be used to support teaching the standards.
• Unlock Language Learning: This section provides specific resources for English Language Learners to construct meaning in the selections as well as explore vocabulary of texts. The strategies and activities are designed to develop mastery of reading, writing and speaking around the areas of Building Background, talking about Sentences, Speaking and Writing about the Texts, and Expanding Understanding of Vocabulary.

If/then sections are provided in the Scaffolded Strategies Handbook to support students. For example, in the Scaffolded Strategies Handbook on page 211 students Unlock the Task: Write About My Favorite Book. Students break apart the task, answer questions about the task, and then restate the task. If/then statements are provided to monitor and support struggling writers. For example, “If … students have difficulty forming an opinion about which book they preferred, then … use a Venn diagram to help students compare the books. Point out differences in the books and ask questions: Which book taught you a new fact? Which book was fun to read? Which book uses rhyme? Which book had pictures you liked? Guide students to form an opinion based on their answers.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for including extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

Each lesson offers support for accelerated learners in Small Group Options. The small group options provided in the Teacher’s Guide offer teachers opportunities to direct their instruction to the needs of their students. Teachers are encouraged to gather formative assessment information from whole group instruction to help determine student needs during small groups. Opportunities within small groups that include:

• Independent Reading Conferences: Opportunities for students to discuss self-selected texts can be found in the Teacher Resource Book. Independent reading rubrics are also provided for students to self-assess reading preferences and behaviors.
• Close Reading Extension or Language Analysis Extension are provided for students who are adept or excel at the skill or lesson. For example, in Unit 3, Module A, Lesson 3, the Close Reading Extension on page 37 asks students to answer questions about “Bear and Fox” by looking for clues (gathering evidence), making their case, asking questions, and proving their thinking.

• Mini-lessons can also be found in the Sleuth materials that offer extensions for students who excel at close reading or language analysis.

The Scaffolded Strategies Handbook included opportunities outside of the teacher guide for extensions for students who are above grade level. These sections are titled Extend, Accelerated, and Going Deeper. There are four parts in the Scaffolded Strategies Handbook. Including Unlock the Text, Unlock the Writing, Routines and Activities, and Unlock Language Learning. Within each part, there are extensions activities and strategies. For example, in Unit 3, Module B on page 74 of the Scaffolded Strategies Handbook students:

• In Part 1, Unlock the Text to Express and Extend after reading What Will the Weather Be? The Extend section states, “Have students choose a weather instrument from the text and draw a picture explaining how the instrument helps predict weather.” The subsequent Extend section states, “Have students create a weather journal in which they can record their own weather observations throughout the unit. Have students compare their observations with information learned in the text. Work with them to determine cause-and-effect relationships within their observations.”

• In Part 2, Unlock the Writing on page 262 students are provided with a practice and a deeper practice when working with opinion pieces. Students work together to better understand the connection between topics, opinions, and reasons. The Teacher Guide Edition states, “Consider distributing copies of an opinion piece that you have read in class, and have students identify the topic, the opinion, and at least one supporting reason by underlining each in different colored markers. Ask students to list the linking words they find. Then instruct them to tell which reason and opinion each linking word connects. Students work with a partner to brainstorm another reason for an opinion about the topic of holidays or about another topic of interest. You might have students practice ‘writing in the air’ by first using a formal tone to tell a partner the topic, opinion, and reasons. Ask them to tell their opinion and at least one reason to the class, and have the class identify the opinion and the supporting reasons. “

Opportunities for enrichment occur during whole class instruction. For example, on page TR9 in the Unit 1 Whole Class Discussion Routine, teachers are provided with a Going Deeper activity once students are familiar with the routine. The directions state, “Ask children to restate what the previous participant said before adding their own thoughts to the discussion.” It also states, “Encourages are provided with a Going Deeper activity to help students explore Text Clubs more deeply. The directions state, “Once students are comfortable with the Routine, choose from the following activities to help them explore Text Clubs more deeply.” It also states, “Ask students to reread the same text with the same Text Club members but take on different roles in the group. Doing so will allow children to experience the text from different perspectives.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for providing opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies. Students participate in partner and small group Think-Pair-Share, Whole Class Discussion, Small Group Discussion, Read Alouds, Shared Reading, Independent Reading, Text Clubs, and Benchmark Vocabulary Discussions for both Informational and Literary texts.

The Teacher Edition provides small group options for teachers to meet the needs of their students. Teachers are encouraged to use information gained from whole group instruction to help determine where students need additional supports or extensions during small groups. Examples include:

• In Unit 3, Module B, Lesson 1, the Teacher Edition has students Turn and Talk, “After reading, have students turn to a partner and discuss this question using pictures and words from the text: Why is predicting the weather important? Use the Think-Pair-Share Routine on pp. TR6-TR7. (Children should explain that if people know what kind of weather to expect, they can prepare for that weather and any problems it might cause.)”
• In Unit 5, Module A, Lesson 4, the Teacher Edition has the teacher review the words covers, lies, and still on p. 15 with children. Together decide on the meaning used in the story and then think of another meaning for each word. Record the information on the chart. Use the Small Group Discussion Routine on pp. TR10-TR11 to have children discuss how they figured out the meaning. Remind them to ask and answer questions to clarify anything they do not understand and to confirm their understanding of information presented orally or visually.