2nd Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of careful reading. The texts address a range of interests, and the reading selections would be interesting and engaging for Grade 2 students. Many of the central texts are written by celebrated and/or award-winning authors. Central texts include a variety of genres and consider a range of students’ interests including poetry, heroism, cultural diversity, insects and animals. Academic, rich vocabulary can also be found within selected texts.

The following are texts that represent how these materials meet the expectations for this indicator:

• The Bug in Teacher’s Coffee and Other School Poems, by Kalli Dakos and illustrated by Mike Reed contains funny poems about school life. Some poems include rhyming, and some poems are silly. Students will be able to relate to the poems.

• The Stories Julian Tells, by Ann Cameron is engaging, positive text that contains humorous characters such as Julian. This character is mischievous, which makes him an interesting character to follow.

• Aunt Flossie’s Hats (and Crab Cakes Later), by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard is a text with rich illustrations about visiting an aunt who takes pride in her hats. Students learn about how hats can contain a story about the past.

• Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse is a text about hoping for rain in a drought. The text contains interesting, engaging vocabulary such as endless, rumble, and sizzle.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for materials reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. Each unit in Grade 1 provides students the opportunity to engage in above-level, complex read alouds as well as leveled readers, independent reading, and supplemental texts. The materials contain eight baskets of leveled readers and four baskets of read-aloud immersion texts that are intended to engage all types of readers. Materials also provide thematic text sets centered around science and social studies themes as well as literary text sets aligned to material topics. These text sets, organized as baskets, are designed to accompany units in the form of research labs.

Anchor texts and supplemental texts include a mix of informational and literary texts reflecting the distribution of text types required by the standards (50% informational and 50% fiction). Texts include diverse topics and genres such as realistic fiction, science and social studies informational text, traditional tales, personal narratives, classics, and a poetry anthology.

The following are examples of informational texts found within the instructional materials:

Unit 1

• Teammates, by Peter Golenbock
• Lizards, Frogs and Polliwogs, by Douglas Florian

Unit 2

• Bug Out! The World’s Creepiest, Crawliest Critters, by Ginjer L. Clarke
• Spiders, by Gail Gibbon

Unit 3

• Let’s Classify Animals! By Kelli Hicks

Unit 4

• What is a Government? By Baron Bedsky
• How to Draw a Map, by Julia J. Quinla

The following are examples of literary texts found within the instructional materials:

Unit 1

• My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother, by Patricia Polacco
• Splish Splash, by Joan Bransfield Graham

Unit 2

• James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
• Hey There, Stink Bug, by Leslie Bulion

Unit 3

• After Happily Ever After, by Tony Bradman
• Berlioz The Bear, by Jan Brett

Unit 4

• Frankly, Frannie, by AJ Stern

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and relationship to their associated student task.

The materials are designed with flexibility so that consumers can choose and interchange multiple text sets based on the topics and levels desired. Some accompanying task and resource materials are not text-specific so that they apply across multiple text sets and grade bands. The instructional year begins with a literacy lab that is intended to capture readers' attention with engaging text, though some of these texts fall qualitatively at the grade band as measured by Lexile, the materials include text complexity analyses and IRLA levels for these texts that show that in a more holistic assessment of qualitative and reader/task features, the texts meet the demand of the standards for text complexity. Students have access to numerous texts at multiple reading levels that are read in small and whole group settings as well as independently. The philosophy of the publishers is self-directed learning and reading through literacy and research labs.

Quantitative and qualitative information for anchor texts is provided in the Teacher’s Edition or online in SchoolPace, and the numerous text sets that accompany each unit are leveled according to the publishers framework--IRLA. The publishers state: “The Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) is a unified standards-based framework for student assessment, text leveling, and curriculum and instruction. The IRLA includes every Common Core Standard for Reading, both in literature and informational text, as well as those Language standards key to reading success for students in grades PreK through 12.”

Some examples of text complexity measures indicated by the materials include the following:

• The Bug in Teacher’s Coffee and Other School Poems, by Kalli Dakos is quantitatively non-prose. It is moderately complex in structure with supporting illustrations and also moderately complex in language demands due to the amount of figurative language students are exposed to. Knowledge demands are slightly complex as there are multiple themes, but most are familiar to readers.

• The Stories Julian Tells, by Ann Cameron has a 520 Lexile and qualitatively is slightly to moderately complex in knowledge demands with subject-specific terms and slightly complex structure with supportive illustrations and graphics. Some academic and figurative language use results in a moderately complex score.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectation for supporting students' ability to access texts with increasing text complexity across the year. The supplemental text baskets are leveled according to the publisher’s system called the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA). There are core texts and complex read alouds for teachers to select from in each unit.

Text options are at differing levels of material. The materials provide text sets (baskets) that are leveled and expose students to a myriad of levels and complexity. Students are provided access to the texts that are both of interest and are at the appropriately challenging level, according to the IRLA.

Materials provide students with access to leveled texts which address a range of science, social studies, history, and literary topics across all grade bands. Scaffolding of the texts to ensure that students are supported to access and comprehend grade-level texts from the beginning to the end of the year require careful monitoring using the IRLA and suggested instruction based upon the IRLA results. The rigor of text is appropriate in aggregate over the course of the school year. Students will engage with texts at varying levels unit to unit, according to their skill levels.

Students have access to multiple texts that measure below, at, or above grade level. The teacher companion to the research lab contains general instruction outlines, speaking and listening strategies, and general comprehension questions. Scaffolding is not text-specific, but focuses on the skills needed to access texts in that genre (informational text, fantasy novels, argument essays, etc.).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectation that anchor (core) texts and series of connected texts are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. The American Reading Company (ARC) utilizes their own IRLA (Independent Reading Level Assessment) Framework, drawing on the three measures of text complexity, to level texts. “To determine reading level, every book is double-blind and hand-leveled using the three legs of text complexity and located on our developmental taxonomy of reading acquisition.” Any book found in the text boxes or thematic text sets has an identifying sticker on the cover to provide its IRLA placement.

Title: The Bug in Teacher’s Coffee and other School Poems, by Kalli Dakos

Text Complexity Level: 1R (Early 2nd Grade)

Quantitative: NP (Non-Prose)

Qualitative: Lexile does not currently assign a measure to books that “comprise more than 50% non-standard or non-conforming prose.”

Purpose/Structure: Moderately Complex. The text is organized around things you would see in a school, yet the connection between one poem and the next is not necessarily predictable. Illustrations do aid in interpreting the text.

Language: Moderately Complex. Registers largely contemporary but does employ a considerable amount of figurative language, especially personification, in each poem in the text.

Knowledge Demands: Slightly Complex. The text explores multiple themes yet does so with experiences that are common to most readers.

Reader and Task: This collection of poems includes only words at an early 2nd grade decodability, yet challenges readers as they explore poetry as both a genre and a text structure. Using humor and figurative language, the text is highly engaging for 2nd graders and complex enough to provide different, interesting perspectives on those shared school experiences.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for supporting materials providing opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading. The instructional materials include opportunities for students to read daily across a volume of texts during various instructional segments including: Read/Write/Discuss Complex Text, Reader’s Workshop, and Read Aloud.

Reader’s workshop includes a Read/Write/Discuss Complex Text segment. Students reread and discuss core text and respond to questions such as:

• Basic Comprehension: What is happening so far in this story?
• Inference: Why? What makes you think that?
• Reader Response: What is surprising, funny, confusing, etc.? Why? Do you like this story yet? Why or why not? Set the standard that students will use examples or details from the text to support all assertions.

Reader’s Workshop includes a daily independent reading time for self-selected texts. In addition to Literacy Labs and Research Labs for core content, materials provide thematic text sets that can be chosen across content areas and grade levels. Text sets cover literary and informational topics in science, social studies, and culture. These text sets are organized by color-coded buckets and the IRLA levels indicated by the publishers. Students also have access to independent reading box sets in the 100 Book Challenge. The publisher describes the challenge as: “Students read 30 minutes in school and 30 minutes at home. Quantity practice targets are set, monitored, and rewarded, ensuring every student adopts the independent reading routines of academically successful students.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text). Materials for the literacy and research labs provide graphic organizers and instructional support tasks for students to engage with text as well as collect textual evidence that builds toward a research topic or literary theme. The general format reading questions (Research Questions), graphic organizers and instructional tasks are designed to be used across multiple thematic units and across grade levels.

The evidence from Units 1-4 listed below demonstrates tasks and questions that require direct engagement with texts but do not call out or connect to specific texts. Most questions, tasks, and assignments are text-dependent and require students to engage with the text directly and draw on textual evidence to support what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text.

For example:

Unit 1:

• “What lesson/message/moral do you think the author wants us to learn? What in the text makes you think that?"

Unit 2:

• While reading Nature’s Patchwork Quilt, by Mary Miché, students are asked, “According to the text, how is a habitat like a quilt?” and “Does this author think bugs are essential to the survival of life on Earth? How do you know?”

Unit 3:

• “How might this character’s background create a problem for him/her? What is the most important thing about this character? What is the first event in this story? What is the most important event from the beginning, middle, and end of the story? Why do you think that?" and “Why do you think these stories belong together?”

Unit 4:

• Students participate in Accountable Talk with a partner when they answer the prompt, “The WOW! Fact I learned today was ___ I know this because in the text it said/in the picture it showed ___."

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations that materials contain sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent questions and activities that build to a culminating task that integrates skills to demonstrate understanding. Questions and tasks are organized for students to gather details or practice skills needed for the culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding. Across Units 2-4, the culminating tasks require students to gather details or information using research questions and graphic organizers to write a story or report instead of utilizing specific texts.

• Unit 1, Week 3, Day 1: “Students, today we begin our study of poetry. We will read and write all different kinds of poetry. At the end of next week, we will publish our own anthologies of poems we’ve written.”

• Unit 2, Week 3, Day 5: Each student will revise, edit, illustrate, and publish his/her informational piece. “Today, you will revise, edit, illustrate, and publish your section for RQ #2. You will revise to make sure you introduce a main idea that is developed and worth writing about.”

• Unit 3: Students examine realistic fiction, fantasy, and traditional tales as they respond to and write about text-dependent questions. Culminating this unit, students will publish and present their short story animal collections.

• Unit 4: Students complete text-dependent research questions using graphic organizers that prompt them to describe and analyze the most important facts of the their research topic in order to successfully produce the culminating task of publishing and presenting their information.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for evidence-based discussions that encourage the modeling of academic vocabulary and syntax.

There are many opportunities and protocols throughout modules and within lessons that support academic vocabulary and syntax. Units include practices that encourage the building and application of academic vocabulary and syntax including accountable talk routines and think pair share. Teacher materials support implementation of these standards to grow students’ skills.

Examples include:

• In Unit 1, Literacy Lab, the teacher is directed to encourage thoughtful conversation about the text as appropriate, and listens in as students share responses to determine the next move. There are no steps explaining how to encourage conversation, what to listen for, or options for next moves.

• In Unit 2, Accountable Talk Partner Share, each partner takes one minute to share. "Pick one of the books you read today. Identify and describe the main character’s background, using details from the text and the pictures."

• In Unit 4, students work in pairs to practice forming and supporting opinions. The teacher models four complex protocols, and then students begin work without the provision of supports or explicit guidance.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and evidence.

Speaking and listening tasks require students to gather evidence from texts and sources. Opportunities to ask and answer questions of peers and teachers about research, strategies, and ideas are present throughout the year. The curriculum includes protocols and graphic organizers to promote and scaffold academic discussions.

The following are examples of materials supporting students’ listening and speaking about what is read:

• In Unit 1, the teacher reads from the core novel to the whole group, asking, “What is this story about? How do you know? What happens in the beginning, and why is that important to the sequence of events?" and "Which stories that read so far have a problem?”

• In Unit 2, students are asked to hold discussions with the whole group or with a partner as part of the peer review in the writing workshop (block). Small groups during reader’s workshops allow for students to peer talk and again during writing time.

• In Unit 3, students are asked to publish and present about story elements.

• In Unit 4, following research reading, students tell a partner two things: a “WOW!” fact and one question they still have without the use of materials other than discussion.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations that materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing and short, focused tasks. Students write both on demand and over extended periods throughout every unit. The focus, the research, and literacy labs are to collect textual evidence or information to compose an essay or extended composition piece.

Examples of on-demand writing are as follows:

• In Unit 1, Literacy Lab, students complete a Constructed Response: “Write in response to one of the books you read today: I read the book by ____. One question I have is ____. I wonder this because in the text/pictures…“

• In Unit 2, students write the 3-point response that was "shared with your partner.”

• In Unit 3, students work individually (or in pairs) to fill out the “Response” and “Solution/Lesson” columns of the “Problem/Solution” graphic organizer for the major problem and at least one other problem in the Central Text.

• In Unit 4, students write down a fact s/he learned today and give evidence from one of the Research Library books to support that learning.

Examples of extended writing:

• In Unit 1, students review and select a previously published poem and rewrite it, replacing overused words for more interesting/precise verbs, adverbs, or adjectives.

• In Unit 2, students re-read the informational piece they wrote on the prior day, evaluate it using the W.2 Rubric, and revise it to make sure it earns at least the first point with a great hook.

• In Unit 3, students will practice turning their interesting and important comparisons into convincing opinions. By the end of the day, all students will have written a 5-point opinion piece in response to the question: What is the most interesting/important comparison in these two stories?

• In Unit 4, students reread the opinion piece they wrote previously, evaluate it using the W.1 Rubric, and revise it to make sure it earns at least the first two points.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for materials providing opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Materials provide frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence.

The following are examples of the different text types of writing across the units:

• In Unit 1, students write poetry and personal narratives. A rubric on page 270 is used to guide narrative writing. On Week 3, day 3, students have the option to write a poem that mimics the style/structure of a poem as a class or use Jack Prelutsky’s Read a Poem, Write a Poem as a support structure. On Week 6, days 1-2, students pairs pick an important relationship and an event that is/was important to both to write about.

• In Unit 2, students use a rubric in the Introduction on page 28 to guide their informational text writing. On Week 7, day 5, students focus on using technical and academic language to make their piece interesting (which is the seventh item on the rubric).

• In Unit 3, students use a rubric in the Introduction on page 23 as in uUit 1 to guide their narrative writing. On Week 2, day 4, students use a setting organizer to design a setting and write a story that takes place in that setting.

• In Unit 4, students use a rubric in the Introduction on page 29 to guide their opinion/argument writing. Week 5, day 3 research question #4 is the focus. Students generate opinions based on evidence from their research and use transition words to connect opinions to the evidence.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations that the materials include frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information. Materials provide frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence. Writing opportunities are focused around students’ analyses and claims developed from reading closely and working with sources. Materials provide opportunities that build students' writing skills over the course of the school year.

Students are required to write daily for 15 to 20 minutes using suggested writing prompts. Most writing prompts relate to text, but some do not require evidence-based writing.

• In Unit 1, Week 6, Days 3-4, students recall a life event and write a story.

• In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 5, students review their reading and write their own notes related to Research Question #6: Identify and describe threats to the bug’s survival. Theorize about what might happen to the bug’s ecosystem were it to become extinct.

• In Unit 3, Week 4, Day 1, students draw and write in response to the questions: What did you learn about ____ from this text? How does what you learned relate to ____ (Central Text/Core Novel)?

• In Unit 4, Week 5, Day 3, students generate an opinion worth writing about based on their research. For example, Research Question #4: "How has this job changed over time?”

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectations materials, questions, and tasks directly teach foundational skills to build reading acquisition by providing systematic and explicit instruction in the alphabetic principle, letter-sound relationships, phonemic awareness, and phonological awareness (K-1), and phonics (K-2) that demonstrate a transparent and research-based progression.

The materials contain instructions for systematic phonics instruction and opportunities for students to read and encode grade level phonics skills. Students have opportunities to hear and say words with newly taught spelling patterns. Students have opportunities to practice decoding in context. The 1R and 2R Foundational Skills Toolkits include a scope and sequence for the phonics skills taught. The materials contain a research-based explanation for the analytic approach of phonics instruction but do not indicate an explanation for the order of the phonics sequence.

Examples of materials that include explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of most grade-level phonics standards include, but are not limited to the following:

• Students have opportunities to distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words. For example:
• 2R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 47, the teacher introduces the vowel splits strategy. The teacher presents examples of words where you may have to try splitting the vowels and students practice.  

• Students have opportunities to know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams. For example:
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 111, the teacher reviews examples of  -oo- and -ei words, where the reader may have to try different sounds for the vowel teams in each word until the right one is found. The teacher shares examples and students practice.

• Students have opportunities to decode regularly spelled two syllable words with long vowels.
• 1R Foundational Skills Tookit, page 71, the teacher reviews tricky words and asks students what letters make the /a/ sound in neighbor. Students are asked to read each word from the tricky word lists to their partner and write a silly sentence using all the words (neighbor, idea, Zeke).  

• Students have opportunities to decode words with common prefixes and suffixes. For example:
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 37, students identify words with the suffix -ful. The teacher asks what the words mean.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 41, the teacher tells students many 3-syllable words are made from words you know (root words) plus a suffix and suffixes can be used to help you read and spell longer words. Students are asked how many words they can make using the roots and suffixes in the given chart. The teacher presents the suffix -ful and ask students what they think it means. The teacher shares examples of words with the -ful suffix and discusses the meaning. Students brainstorm other words with the -ful suffix.  
• 2R Foundational Skills Tookit, page 57, the teacher tells students they will be able to read any word with the suffix -tion. Students work with the teacher to add -tion to make new words. Students read and re-read the words to develop automaticity. Students practice reading -tion words with partners and give each other clues to play Jeopardy with -tion word lists.  Students play Spelling Champs with the list of -tion words. The teacher provides -tion words to students and they spell the words.  
• 2R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 61, the teacher tells students they will be able to read any word with the suffix -sion. Students work with the teacher to add -sion to the base words to make new words. Students read and reread the words, developing automaticity with the suffix. Students give each other clues to play Jeopardy with the -sion word list. Students play Spelling Champs with the list of -sion words. The teacher reads -sion words and students spell the words.  
• Students have opportunities to identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences. For example: 
• 2R Foundational Skills Toolkit,page 37, the teacher introduces the tricky “c” sound. The teacher shares examples of words where different sounds for c’s may need to be used. Students read the words with the teacher.  
• 2R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 69, the teacher shares  -ier and -iest words and asks students to think of words other words that end the same way. Students list the words on the board and identify and spell the missing words:  base, -ier, and -iest. Students discuss the meaning of -ier and -iest and how they change the base word. Students read the words to develop automaticity and play Jeopardy or give partners clues to determine the word. Students play Spelling Champs and the teacher dictates the words to students to spell.  

Lessons provide teachers with systematic and repeated instruction for students to hear, say, encode, and read each newly taught grade level phonics pattern. For example:

• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 41, the teacher presents words with suffixes. Students share words they can make using the roots and suffixes in the given chart. Students make as many 3-syllable words as possible. The teacher presents the suffix -ful and discusses the meaning. Students brainstorm other words with the suffix -ful.  Students play Spelling Champs using the words with roots and suffixes.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 41, students play Spelling Champs. One student is the “speller” who turns his back to the words. Students take turns giving the speller words from the list to spell. 
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 57, the teacher discusses how -ly changes the meaning of a root word. Students fill in the blanks of a chart with -ly words. The teacher uses each word in a sentence. Students play “Adverb Mother May I.” Students play Spelling Champ using words with suffixes.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 61, students read words with suffixes found in Chapter 1 of “Mr. Putter and Tabby.” Students underline the suffix in each word and read each word to their partner.
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 71, the teacher presents words with suffixes and students underline the suffix and read the word to a partner.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 71, students play Spelling Champs with the list of other -ier and –iest words students think of. The teacher says a word and students write the given word. 
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 71, students read Chapter 4 of “Mr. Putty and Tabby” and find words with suffixes. Students underline the suffix in each word.   
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 95, the teacher tells students that sometimes consonants don’t make any sound. The teacher presents a list of words with silent consonants for students to read.  The teacher asks which letter is silent in each of the words? The teacher gives students words to spell.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 95, the teacher says a word that is spelled with a silent letter. Students write the given words.
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 108, students read tricky words from the chart (giant/floor). Students write a silly sentence using each word.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 109, the teacher provides examples of words where the -ou- sound may be different. Students read the words with the teacher.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit,  page 109, the teacher tells students that sometimes the same vowel team can make more than one sound. The teacher provides examples of -ou words.  Students read example words.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 110, the teacher tells students that the same vowel team can make more than sound. The teacher provides examples of words where the reader may need to try different sounds for the -ou sound. Students practice reading words from the chart.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 111, the teacher provides examples of words with  -oo- and -ei. Students read words. 
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 115, the teacher gives students a list of words with suffixes. Students put a box around the suffix in each word. Students read the list of words to a partner.  
• 1R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 121, students skim “Big Cats” and record each word with the -ou in its appropriate column.  Students color the columns to create a graph.
• 2R Foundational Skills Toolkit,  page 51, students read “Cesar Chavez” with words where you need to split the vowels to read them correctly. Students look through the text and identify these words. (Cesario, cruel, California, fiesta, etc.)
• 2R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 59, students play Spelling Champs with the list of other -tion words students think of. The teacher says a word and students write the given word.  
• 2R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 63, the teacher dictates words with the -sion ending to students to spell.  
• 2R Foundational Skills, page 97, students play Spelling Champs with words with the re- prefix. The teacher dictates words and students write. 
• 2R Foundational Skills Toolkit, page 103, students read mis- words with a variety suffixes learned previously. Students give each other clues or play Jeopardy with the words. Students play Spelling Champ and then the teacher dictates words for students to spell.  

• Grade 2 Scope & Sequence-
• 1R: Decode most regular 3-syllable words 
• Read 1R Tricky Words (Word Recognition)
• Three-Syllable Words 
• Common Suffixes 
• Beginning three-letter blends 
• Ending three-letter blends/trigraphs 
• Silent Consonants 
• Additional Vowel Teams
• 2R: Decode almost any word familiar from everyday speech (Phonics) 
• Multisyllabic and Irregularly Spelled Words 
• Flexible Decoding 
• Phrasing Practice 
• Affixes 

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectations that materials, questions, and tasks provide explicit instruction for and regular practice to address the acquisition of print concepts, including alphabetic knowledge, directionality, and function (K-1), and structures and features of text (1-2).

Students have frequent and adequate opportunities to identify text structures:

• In Unit 1, Week 3, students analyze the structure of a poem. During Morning Meeting, the teacher sets the focus as: “Today, as we read and write poems, we will examine how poets use ____ (an element of structure/style).

• In Unit 1, Weeks 5 and 6, students analyze sequence of events and story structure. In Week 6, students use the writing of personal narratives to recount events. In the Week 5, Day 1 CCSS mini-lesson R.3), the teacher states: “For the next two weeks, we will read and write narratives. Most of these will be personal narratives, people writing about their own lives. Today, we will begin to talk about the ingredients of narratives.” During Read/Discuss Complex Text, students read the Core Novel and discuss story elements. Students respond to the following questions:
  
  • Identify and describe the characters in this story. Did they encounter a challenge? How did they respond?
  • Retell the major events. What is a problem in this story? What evidence supports your opinion?
  • Identify the setting of the story, using the text and pictures as evidence. What is the most important thing about the setting? Why? Identify three ways the setting shapes the story (reasons the story could only take place in this setting).
• In Unit 2, Weeks 2-4, students learn about main topic, main idea, and key details:
  
  • In Week 2, Day 3, students are informed they will be able to identify main topic, main idea, and key details in an informational text. The teacher models through think aloud how to determine the topic, locate details, and determine main idea from the details. During Guided Practice, students work in pairs to find main topic, main idea, and key details.
• In Unit 3, Weeks 1-4, students describe story elements:
  • In Week 1, students learn to describe characters.
  • In Week 2, students learn to describe setting.
  • In Week 3, students learn to describe plot.
  • In Week 4, students learn to describe central message/lesson.

Students have frequent and adequate lessons and activities about text features (e.g., title, byline, headings, table of contents, glossary, pictures, illustrations):

• In Unit 2, Week 1, students learn about text features:
  • In Week 1, Day 4, students are shown different text features such as a print feature, an organizational/graphic aid, or a visual. The teacher models how to use text features to evaluate if the text will be a good source.
• In Unit 2, Week 5, students learn about illustrations:
  • Students learn how authors use illustrations to teach about their main ideas and key details. The teacher introduces the different types of illustrations: drawn pictures, photographs, timelines, maps, graphs, charts, and diagrams.
  • On Day 3, students close read a text and analyze the illustrations.
  • During Formative Assessment, One-on-One Conferences, the teacher is to ensure students are able to identify different types of illustrations and explain what illustrations communicate.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectations that instructional opportunities are frequently built into the materials for students to practice and gain decoding automaticity, sight-based recognition of high frequency words, and reading fluency in oral reading once phonics instruction begins.

Students have opportunities to read grade-level text. For students in 1R and 2R, they read 2R Guided Reading Texts, Series/Author Study (6 Fox titles, 6 James Marshall), and additional chapter books (2 series, 6 books each).

The materials contain information for teachers about how to help students with fluency. The information is a section called Fluency: The Bridge from Decoding to Reading Comprehension. Choral reading, echo reading, “buddy” or “paired" reading are defined so a teacher can use those strategies to help students read with accuracy, rate, and expression. In the Foundational Skills Toolkit, fluency practice is always after comprehension activities. For example in 2R, Lesson 14, students can practice automaticity through Word Work. Then students can practice prosody through phrasing. For homework, students can read Top 10 Most Disgusting Facts About the Human Body with their Home Coaches or a reading buddy.

In 1R and 2R, students learn word attack skills to figuring out tricky words. Strategies include:

• Stop if something doesn’t look right, sound right, or make sense.
• Look at the picture.
• Say the first letter sound.
• Reread: Go back and try again.
• Blend: Say the first two letters.
• Cover part of the word.
• Chunk: Look for parts you know.
• Think of a word that looks the same and rhymes.
• Say “blank,” read on, and come back.
• Try a different sound for the vowel.

In 1R, students learn word strategies to read three-syllable words. In 2R, students learn how to decode multisyllabic and irregularly spelled words. For example in Lesson 13, students learn to read words with re-. During guided practice, students work with the teacher to:

• Generate a list of words they know that begin with the prefix re-.
• Add the prefix re- to base words to create new words.
• Add a suffix to those words to create additional new words.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectations that the materials, questions, and tasks provide systematic and explicit instruction in and practice of word recognition and analysis skills in a research-based progression in connected text and tasks.

In Foundational Skills 1R, students have opportunities to practice word recognition and analysis skills during the Guided Reading. In Lesson 2, students read George and Martha. This is an opportunity for students to practice using Word Attack Strategies. First, students read Story Number One: Split Pea Soup on their own using a whisper voice. The teacher listens to students read. “If a student hits a decoding challenge, s/he should stop and move chunk by chunk to repair/solve the challenge. If a student is UNABLE to figure out the word independently, give her specific steps that may help (e.g., Cover up the first half of the word. Do you see anything you know?).” Students also have opportunities to create words using roots and suffixes. In Lesson 2, students participate in How Many Words Can You Make? which is a task for students to create words using a list of roots and a list of suffixes.

In Foundational Skills 2R, students have opportunities to practice word recognition and analysis skills during Guided Reading. In Lesson 10, students read a book which contains suffixes. First, students independently read Top 10 Most Disgusting Facts About the Human Body. The teacher visits each student to listen to the student read. “Expect students to try to solve any hard words themselves, only helping when they are really stuck.” Students then practice reading difficult words from the text during Word Work. Students also practice reading words that end with -able. Students develop automaticity of -able by working with a partner to:

• Read and reread -able words, developing automaticity with the suffix.
• Give each other clues and play Jeopardy with the word lists.

Students can also play Spelling Champs with the list of -able words and/or students can select a word from the -able list and write why that word describes them.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectations that materials support ongoing and frequent assessment to determine student mastery and inform meaningful differentiation of foundational skills, including a clear and specific protocol as to how students performing below standard on these assessments will be supported.

Through the Independent Reading Level Assessment Framework (IRLA), a teacher can assess students’ learning of foundational skills. These are the following steps to using IRLA:

• Identify IRLA Reading Level.
• Use the IRLA to diagnose specific instructional needs.
• Use corresponding Foundational Skills Toolkit Lessons to teach and model specific skills.
• Provide guided and independent practice differentiated to support students who learn at different paces.

IRLA helps provide the teacher with baseline data about each Grade 2 student’s reading proficiency. This gives teachers information about which foundational skills each student needs to learn, and the teacher can use the data to sort students into similar groupings. A teacher will assess a Grade 2 student for different stages of acquisition. In Grade 2, a teacher can assess students for different levels of foundational skills. According to IRLA, Grade 2 students are in 1R and 2R, which include the following stages of acquisition: syllabication and chapter books. For 1R entry, a student can decode most 3-syllable words that follow a regular vowel pattern, can recognize and read 1R irregularly spelled words, can use a combination of decoding skills, sight words, and context clues to read 1R text with 98-100% accuracy, and can determine what a 1R text says explicitly. The teacher also documents a student’s reading during a running record. IRLA contains many assessment opportunities for the teacher to assess each student.

With IRLA, a teacher can assess students’ progress toward learning grade level standards. In IRLA, there are Coaching Records for teachers to document students’ learning. For example, for Coaching Record 1R, for a student in 1R, the teacher documents a student’s ability to read 3-letter blends, to read suffixes, to read tricky words, to use reading strategies, and to demonstrate reading comprehension.

Coaching Tips and Warning Signs are included in the Foundational Skills Toolkit lessons. For example in 1R, a teacher can assess students’ ability to read 3-syllable words. “Students just learning to decode 3-syllable words will not yet be fluent readers of 1R text. Make sure they get coaching and practice with 1R phonics so that decoding becomes automatic before worrying about their fluency.”

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectations that materials, questions, and tasks provide high-quality lessons and activities that allow for differentiation of foundational skills. Lessons include modeling, guided practice, games, and hands-on activities.

Instructional materials provide high-quality lessons for foundational skills for every student to reach mastery through the Foundational Skill Toolkit lessons and within the four Units (Literacy Lab, Bugs in their Ecosystems, Animal Stories and Animals, and Jobs in my Community). After placing students into skill-based groupings based on assessment results from IRLA (Independent Reading Level Assessment), students are provided learning opportunities at their individual levels. Students placed in the 1R are ready to decode regular 3-syllable words, common suffixes, three-letter blends, and tricky letter sounds. Students have access to 1R Guided Reading Books. If a student is not ready for 1R small group, the IRLA materials help place students in a small group teaching prerequisite skills for 2R. For students who place higher in foundational skills, they can start in 2R small group. These students learn how to decode multisyllabic words.

During Literacy Lab Grade 2 lessons, the materials contain an ARC Literacy Lab Routine Teacher Checklist. During Morning Message, the teacher and students compose a Morning Message together, which is an opportunity to practice and reinforce Foundational Skills. In Day 1 Lesson Focus, Readers are Thinkers, the Morning Message is for students to use their reading and writing: “On-level beginning of the year 2nd grade readers use words and patterns they know to read and write (2- to 3- syllable words).” Students take turns with the marker and pointing out things such as: “Who can find a word that begins with the sound spr-?”

Opportunities for differentiated learning within a skill group are provided. In 2R, there are multiple ways for a student to practice learning to read 3-syllable words. Students can use Multiple Modality Encoding (Kinesthetic, Auditory/Visual/Tactile) and association (Sound Sort and Crazy, Crafty, Connections). For Crazy, Crafty, Connections students can create picture cards of blends they know with a picture that they associate with the sound.

In the Independent Reading Level Assessment, there are Action Plans for a teacher to provide additional practice. For example, for students in 1R, the Action Plan contains: “At least one other 1R reader (could be a small group) who will read through the same basket of books in the same two days. Have them compare notes, decide which are the best books in the basket and why, and report to the class on their progress and evaluations.”

Foundational Skill Toolkit lessons provide guidance to teachers for scaffolding and adapting lessons. Within the lessons, there are recommendations to the coaches (teachers). In 2R, Lesson 1, the Coaching Tip is: “Phonics in Context: If students hit a word that they have trouble decoding, challenge them to be independent problem solvers with questions like: 'What other word do you know that could help you with this?'” Another example of how the materials provide guidance to teachers is in the front matter of 2R. Coaches ask students: "Does that sound almost like a word you’ve heard before? What else might you try?”