Kindergarten - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics Common Core Edition do not meet expectations that supporting work enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade. Supporting standards are taught in isolation, and examples of missed connections between supporting and major standards include:

• In Unit 1, Matching and Sorting, there are missed natural opportunities to connect supporting standard K.MD.3 to major work K.CC.C (comparing numbers). In Textbook A, pages 15-18 and 21, students sort pictures into two categories. The opportunity to compare the groups after they are sorted is missed. For example, on page 18 students sort objects into boxes based on color. No follow- up questions comparing the number of objects are provided. The directions state, “Tell the students to sort the toys on the cards according to color. Repeat this activity, but allow students to decide the criteria for sorting the toys. Accept any reasonable method of sorting. Ask them to describe their method.”
• In Lesson 5.4, students identify rectangular prisms in different orientations. This lesson aligns to supporting standard K.G.4 (Analyze and compare two- and three-dimensional shapes, in different sizes and orientations, using informal language to describe their similarities, differences, parts (e.g., number of sides and vertices/"corners") and other attributes (e.g., having sides of equal length). In Textbook A, page 118 (Teacher’s Guide page 109), students identify the rectangular prism from different 3-D shapes. The teacher is directed to ask the following questions: “Are the objects you named earlier on this page?” “What shape do they all have?” A natural connection to the major work of counting and cardinality is missed, as the students do not count the number of sides or corners of the shapes.
• In Lesson 5.13, page 34, students identify triangles and use triangles to compose squares. The lesson supports the K.G supporting standard for analyzing, comparing, creating and composing shapes. The lesson does not make a connection to the major work of counting and cardinality.
• In Lesson 5.14, connections are missed as students work with shapes, supporting standards K.G.2 and K.G.4. For example, on Teacher’s Guide page 125, the teacher is directed to, “Pick out a yellow piece. Say, ‘This is a hexagon.’ Have students repeat after you. Have students trace the outline of the hexagon with their index finger. Have students work in pairs to create a hexagon using other-shaped pieces.” Students do not count the number of sides and corners, a missed connection to counting. A natural connection to compare numbers is also missed due to lack of counting. Activity Book A has one activity on pages 42-43 where students count the objects and write the number. This connects supporting standard K.G.2 to major work K.CC.3, however this is not present in the rest of Unit 5.

The instructional materials for Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics Common Core Edition do not meet expectations for the materials being consistent with the progressions in the standards. Content from prior or future grades is not clearly identified in the materials and does not support the progressions of the grade-level standards.

Examples of prior or future work that is not identified:

• Unit 2, Lesson 6 is aligned to 1.MD.4. Students organize and interpret data with three or more categories.
• Unit 8, Lesson 6 goes beyond K.MD.2 (directly compare two objects). Students compare three objects. (1.MD.1)
• Unit 15 is aligned to 1.NBT. Students extend the counting sequence in Lessons 2 and 4 as they write numerals beyond 20.
• Teacher’s Guide, Lesson 15.3, page 138 states, "Before playing the game, have students look on textbook page 107 and ask them if they notice any pattern(s) formed by the numbers. Point out to them that the numbers in the same column have the same value for the ones place, while the numbers in the same row have the same tens place, except the last number, which has the next higher tens place." In Kindergarten, students work with numbers 11-19 to gain foundations for place value. (K.NBT) In Grade 1, students understand place value (1.NBT.B). Standard K.CC.1, Count to 100 by ones and tens, is identified for this lesson.

Additionally, Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics Common Core Edition materials do not provide all students extensive work with grade-level problems. For example:

• Textbook A, page 21, (K.MD.3), Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count. Students are given pictures of animals and vehicles and directed to, "Sort these things by putting them in the correct box." However, the full depth of the standard is not met. Students are not given the opportunity to "count the number of objects in each category and sort the categories by count."
• K.CC.7 Compare two numbers between 1 and 10 presented as written numerals. Students are not given enough opportunities to compare numerals. In the textbook and activity book, pictures of objects are shown to accompany the numerals.
• K.OA.2 Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem. A Put Together/Take Apart Both Addends Missing situation is not practiced (CCSSM, Table 1, Common Addition and Subtraction Situations, page 88.). Students have opportunities to decompose numbers in different ways; however, it is not in the context of word problems. For example, in Activity Book B, page 58, students are shown different pictures of 10 birds sitting on a brick wall. For each picture, their task is to identify the number of birds on the wall and the number of birds that are flying. Students see different combinations, but the answers are in the picture.