The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria 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).

Teacher materials provide support for planning and implementation of text-dependent/specific questions, tasks and assignments for all learners through modeling, guided practice and applying understanding with scaffolding for light, moderate, or substantial support throughout the year. The Read Aloud Handbook, Build Reflect Write Handbook, and the E-book provide text-dependent questions, writing prompts, and speaking opportunities requiring students to engage in the text and make real world connections. Text-dependent/specific reading mini-lessons are included each day requiring all students to cite text evidence to support their answers explicitly or using valid inferences from the text. During whole-group, students are asked to answer a variety of literal, inferential, and evaluative questions by re-reading for evidence and/or annotating key details.

• In Unit 2, Week 2, Lesson 3, students find key events in the text and summarize using their annotations of key events. Teacher modeling of annotating p. 12 of “Come Away, Come Away!” is provided followed by partner guided practice of p. 13 using the same text. The teacher uses text-dependent questions to provide corrective/directive feedback. For example; “Read paragraph 2. Does this paragraph offer any important events? Tell me what you found in paragraph 3.” Applied understanding of the annotation and summarizing is done with p. 14 of the same text.
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 4, students reread “A Bird's Free Lunch” noting examples of the compare/contrast structure and circling any signal words. Example of text-dependent questions to provide directive/corrective feedback; “What words do you see that signal a comparison or contrast?” and “Does the author tell how two things are alike?” “Does he tell how two things are different?”
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 2, students read the text “The Hopeville Ledger: Town Tackles Energy Debate”, underlining key details and starring the main idea in each paragraph. If students are struggling, there are supports for teachers to scaffold students to understanding of the key details and main idea. Students use text annotations to write a short summary of the text using main idea and key details.
• In Unit 9, Week 2, Lesson 8, students use close reading to describe the overall structure of events in text (cause and effect). Students reread paragraph 6 of “Natural Resources and Workers.” Example of a text-dependent question, “What were three effects of the depression in California in the 1870s?” While reading, students annotate the effects with stars and number them in the margins. Students have a collaborative conversation with a partner and complete a cause and effect chart. Teacher provides modeling and/or engages students in self-reflection to build metacognitive awareness.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria for having sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent/specific questions and tasks build to a culminating task that integrates skills (may be writing, speaking, or a combination).

Culminating tasks of quality are evident across a year’s worth of material. Teachers and students are provided with a unit Big Idea and a unit Essential Question. The Essential Question is restated at the beginning of each week in the unit. Tasks are supported with coherent sequences of text-dependent questions related to the unit big idea which prepares students for success on the culminating tasks. Culminating tasks are varied throughout the year and provide opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know and are able to do in speaking and writing and integrates standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.

• In Unit 2, Weeks 1, 2, and 3, students read several fantasies and fairy tales to plan, draft, and revise their own fairy tale. Students draw upon what they learned about the elements of fairy tales as they write and focus on developing one or more characters in their narratives. The sequences of text-dependent questions and tasks prepare students for the culminating task of writing their own fairy tale. There is light, moderate, and substantial support materials and suggestions available for teachers to use with struggling students.
• In Unit 5, the Essential Question is introduced: “How do we make decisions about developing new technology? In Week 1, Lesson 14, students learn to integrate information from two texts (“Sunshine is Free: Go Solar!” and “Natural Gas: The Natural Choice for Hopeville”) in order to speak knowledgeably about a topic. Students use the texts to list pros and cons of solar energy. In Week 2, Lesson 14, students do a close reading to integrate information from two texts in order to speak knowledgeably on a topic. Students close read the text, so they can answer: “How do economic factors affect people’s use of green solutions?” Students are placed in peer groups to converse. In Week 3, Lesson 14, students closely read texts to decide if textual evidence supports hybrid cars. While in Collaborative Conversation: Peer Group, students discuss their annotations. During independent time, students write a paragraph answering the close reading prompt.
• In Unit 6, the Big Idea is introduced with a video, discussion, and an Essential Question. Journal entries are the culminating task. In Weeks 1 through 3, tasks build to the culminating task of writing journal entries. In Week 1, students read a mentor narrative journal entry, analyze characters and events, read to find character traits, and develop the character’s voice. In Week 2, students read and analyze a prompt, reread to find character information, read to find story events, and plan journal entries. In Week 3, students use dialogue and description, revise to include more detail, correct adjective order in sentences,and then evaluate and reflect on their writing.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria for materials providing frequent opportunities and protocols for discussions (small groups, peer-to-peer, whole class) that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

Teacher materials provide support and direction needed for teachers to implement grade level standards in speaking and listening and help scaffold instruction for students who need extra support. Multiple modeling opportunities are well supported across the year. Materials provide multiple opportunities and support of protocols and implementation focused on using academic vocabulary and syntax for evidence-based discussions as well as teacher guidance across the year’s curricular materials to support students’ increasing skills. These materials are found in the Review and Routines section titled “Build Respectful Conversation Habits” and “Turn and Talk”.

During each unit, students have collaborative evidence-based discussions with a partner multiple times a day. Weekly lessons offer multiple collaborative opportunities daily, with modeling and explicit directions provided to facilitate evidence-based discussions with a focus on academic vocabulary and syntax. Students utilize graphic organizers that require students to cite their evidence in whole group, small groups, and peer work to use academic vocabulary and syntax. Each week, students apply the understanding of their evidence-based conversations and share out their findings to the whole group. Examples include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Lesson 2, students respond to specific questions in partner conversations regarding graphic features and drawing inference from story details during Turn and Talk to Reflect on Strategies. Partners discuss and answer each of the following questions; “Why is this skill important?,” “How did you use this skill?,” and “Why would a reader want to use this skill?” The teacher provides modeling such as: “You said that drawing inferences helps us understand a text. Could you tell me more about why you think so?” The teacher calls on a member of each pair to present and reminds students to speak in complete sentences using formal English. In Week 3, Lesson 8, students reread a piece of the text, “Stanley’s Release” and underline unfamiliar words and underline context clues that help determine its meaning. Student pairs respond to prompts and share answers to the questions. The teacher is provided with light, moderate or substantial supports for students who require extra help.
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 1, students work in Collaborative Conversation: Peer Group to generate questions that will guide their inquiry about observing nature. Students follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles. To provide support and direction for teachers, the materials give sentence frames to support participation of all students. For example; “I wonder [what, how, why] ________.” and “I wonder how _______ affects _______.”. Each group’s Summarizer is asked to share guiding questions and ideas the group generated while other groups add to their ideas. Teachers are directed to listen for opportunities to explain that speakers should use a clear, audible voice in any group discussion so that everyone can be aware of their ideas. Students should also speak in complete sentences as they express ideas in formal class discussions.
• In Unit 9, Week 2, Lesson 11, students discuss close reading prompts, annotate instructions, compare annotations and resolve any discrepancies by using text evidence that best support the author’s point. Teacher will call on students to share answers and encourage other students to express their ideas by linking their comments to responses of other students. If necessary, sentence frames can be used to support students. For example; “I agree with [Name] that ____.”, “When I read that same sentence, it made me think of ____.” and “I disagree that ____, because ____.”.
• In Unit 10, Week 1, Lesson 1,during Collaborative Conversations Peer Group, students work in peer groups to generate questions to guide their inquiry about the unit topic throughout the unit. The teacher monitors and reminds students to construct strong, open-ended questions rather than narrow questions that have one answer. Students write their questions and initial ideas. Each group has a designated discussion Director, Note Taker, and Summarizer. Students follow the agreed-upon rules for discussion, such as listening respectfully and taking turns. Sentence frames support the participation of all students. For example; “I wonder [what, how, why] _____.” and “I wonder how ___ affected _____.”. In Week 3, Lesson 6, students utilize the text “The Power of Electricity” in order to determine the meaning of domain specific words. Students work in peer groups to complete Word Meaning charts. Groups share out how they determined what to write in each category on their Word Meaning Chart. Students pose questions for speakers to respond to, and students are encouraged to make comments that build on others’ remarks.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

Materials include multiple varied opportunities for both on-demand and process writing tasks that span the year’s worth of instruction. Writing projects, tasks, and presentations are connected to texts of various genres, topics, and themes. Each unit includes daily on-demand writing and the Performance Tasks have process writing over a three week span. Writing tasks are aligned to grade level standards, embedded into student work, provide occasions for short and extended writing and allow students to learn, practice, develop and apply writing skills throughout the year. Lessons culminate by having students respond to prompts in their Build, Reflect, Write manuals which lay the foundation for advanced writing tasks that students will engage in throughout the unit. Students are provided the opportunities to work through various writing process stages throughout the year by writing to sources, answering text-dependent questions, taking notes (annotating), completing graphic organizers, research projects and presentations. Students write and revise informative, opinion, and narrative pieces focusing on topics such as ideas, voice, word choice, organization, and sentence fluency. Examples of the mix of on-demand and process writing include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lessons 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15, students complete an in-process writing task of a personal letter. This task provides multiple opportunities to plan, revise and edit work. In Week 3, Lesson 13, students use a rubric to evaluate a draft and think about how to revise it requiring students to read and evaluate a mentor response to a narrative prompt, make improvements, and use a rubric to guide edits.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, after reading “The Gnat and the Lion” and “The Gnat and the Bull,” students use their Build, Reflect and Write manuals to analyze the effects of Gnat’s actions in each fable. Students respond to the unit Essential Question which will used as support in completing the following writing task; How do you think the Gnat in “The Gnat and the Lion” would describe himself? Students write a fictional account of a conversation between themselves and the Gnat in which he tells them about himself. Students include dialogue in their account and make sure to use details and text evidence from the fable.
• In Unit 2, Week 2, Lesson 14, students are asked to describe characters using details from stories. Students have a close reading prompt modeled where they underline and annotate a text, a close reading prompt where it is guided and they annotate text, and then they apply their understanding and write one or two paragraphs where they compare and contrast characters reactions in different stories. In Unit 2, Weeks 1, 2, and 3, students are asked to write a Fairy Tale with modeling, guided practice, brainstorming, rough draft, revising/editing, and final draft.
• In Unit 3, Week 2, students write an informative report. In Lesson 10, students are provided with the opportunity to take notes from a video source.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Lesson 13, students are asked to explain how a writer uses historical photographs to support a point in a text. Modeling and guided practice with a graphic organizer helps the students organize their thoughts and be able to explain how photographs support a point in a text. Students are then asked to write a paragraph that analyzes how the text is supported with historical photographs and direct quotations. In Unit 7, Weeks 1, 2, and 3, students are asked to write a News Report with modeling, guided practice, brainstorming, rough draft, revising/editing, and final draft.
• In Unit 9, Week 1, 2, and 3, students write and present a multimedia presentation. Week 3, Lesson 4 includes the opportunity for students to include multimedia elements (digital resources) to support and enhance their work.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria for materials providing opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

Materials provide a progression of multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply narrative, opinion, and informative writing. The materials provide tasks for students to use different genres/modes of writing, which are both connected to texts and stand-alone writing projects. The instructional guide provides supports for teachers to assist students as students progress in writing skills such as: graphic organizers, checklists, and rubrics. Each unit has mentor and anchor texts to support student writing which is embedded daily.

Each week focuses on a different writing genre, appropriately aligned to the text. Mini-lessons are scaffolded throughout the week in order to support student outcomes. Exemplar writing samples and other instruction support accompany each unit. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lessons 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15, students complete an in-process writing task of a personal letter. In Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 13, students use a rubric to evaluate and revise their drafts. This performance task requires students to read and evaluate a mentor response to a narrative prompt, make improvements, and use a rubric to guide edits.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 14, students write a brief paragraph comparing the themes of “The Gnat and the Lion” and “Snow White Meets the Huntsman”. Students include text evidence to support their ideas.
• In Units 1, 2, and 6, narrative writing is featured. In Unit 1, students write a personal letter using the mentor text, “Solving Problems” and the Personal Letter Planning Chart graphic organizer. In Unit 2, students write a fairy tale. Week 2, incorporates dialogue, characters, and events using signal words and concrete/sensory details. A checklist and rubric are provided. In Unit 6, students write narrative journal entries using events and details from a source text and develop a character using anchor charts, prompts, and a checklist. Students also develop the character’s voice, use dialogue, and add description to develop events.
• In Unit 5, the focus is on writing an opinion essay using an opinion writing checklist to write evidence-based opinions. To support students and teachers to monitor progress in writing skills, In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 3 an Opinion Essay Writing Checklist is provided for support as well as writing exemplars for each writing type under the drop down menu “Writing Exemplars”.
• In Units 4 and 5, opinion writing is featured. In Unit 4, students write an Opinion Essay with a topic opinion and mentor and anchor text evidence to support the opinion. In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 3, teachers model to support students when brainstorming topics for their opinion piece. In Unit 5, students write an Opinion Essay using credible print sources and plan and organize the essay using domain-specific vocabulary.
• In Unit 6, Week 3, Lesson 4, students write a journal entry and use dialogue.
• In Units 3, 7, 8, and 9, informative writing is featured. In Unit 3, students write an informative report from a print and video source. In Unit 7, students write a news report with information from multiple sources and the 5 W’s (Who, What, When, Why, and Where) to organize. In Unit 8, students evaluate online sources and take notes from credible online sources. In Unit 9, students prepare a multimedia presentation which includes researching and preparing an explanatory text that includes many facets of multimedia.
• In Unit 10, Week 2, Lesson 13, students work on writing poems using a checklist to make final revisions and edits.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information appropriate for the grade level.

Materials provide frequent opportunities that are varied and build writing skills over the course of the school year. Materials provide opportunities 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 texts and sources to provide supporting evidence. In each unit, the majority of writing opportunities are focused on students’ analyses and claims developed from reading closely and working with texts and sources to provide supporting evidence. Students are required to respond to evidence-based writing prompts in the Build, Reflect, Write notebook. Prior to responding to the text, students are provided pre-work that adequately supports their responses. Students frequently generate ideas by closely reading text. Instructional support for teachers is provided throughout the units to guide students’ understanding of developing ideas and components of structured writing. Examples of opportunities include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 4, students analyze a text to explain how an author uses reasons and evidence. After rereading parts of “Solving Problems” and compiling evidence into an Author’s Evidence Chart, students write a paragraph supporting the claim that the government can influence how people live.
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 13 students practice analyzing figurative language in “The Shimerdas.” Partners work to complete the chart for the grasshopper’s example. Teachers observe students as they work and use observations to determine the level of support the students need.
• In Unit 5, Week 2, Lesson 5, students write an opinion essay stating their opinion. Students begin the opinion essay with a strong introduction that clearly states the opinion. Partners use their notes and organization charts to discuss their opinions and what hook they might use in their introductions.
• Unit 6, Week 2, Lesson 4, during independent time, students answer the following question: “What are the features of a correctly written narrative journal entry?” Teachers use students’ writing to evaluate their understanding of the assignment.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Lesson 3, students read “The Open Road” and respond to the following prompt: “Write a short news report describing the history of Route 66, and how dust bowl refugees used it to move west. Make sure to include facts, details, and quotations from “The Open Road” and “Dust Bowl Refugees” in your news report.”
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Lesson 9, students write a news report and incorporate information from multiple sources. Students are provided with a Text Sources Chart and a model to use information from the source texts in the news report. Mentor text excerpts and source text excerpts allow for students to engage in evidence-based writing with clear information provided through both direct reference and paraphrasing.
• In Unit 8, Week 3, Lesson 3, students read paragraphs 1-3 while numbering key events. Teachers will observe students’ annotations assessing their ability to identify important versus unimportant information. Students work with a partner to compare the key events they identified. Students write a summary of this section of the text.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria for materials including explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context.

The Grade 4 program has multiple opportunities for whole class instruction aligned to the Grade 4 language standards. All grammar and conventions standards are taught over the course of the school year through reading, language, vocabulary, and writing mini-lessons. These lessons provide opportunities for teacher modeling and guided student practice. Grammar lessons are also applied to independent student writing projects. After the specific language standard has been taught, students apply the skill to their own writing. Students receive direct instruction using the mentor text and dictionaries, and students have access to class charts.

Materials include instruction of all grammar and conventions standards for the grade level. Examples of each language standard include:

• L.4.1a:
  • In Unit 7, Week 2, Lesson 15, Conventions of Writing: Relative Pronouns, the teacher explains what a relative pronoun is to student and students write two sentences about westward expansion, using relative pronouns.
  • In Unit 7, Week 3, Lesson 13, Writing to Sources, three sentences are displayed which have a line to write a missing word. The teacher reads the first sentence while thinking aloud and shares that a relative clause that refers to the subject of the sentence, a person. Partners complete the second and third sentences explaining their reasoning. During independent writing, students continue to draft their news reports paying attention to their use of relative pronouns.
• L.4.1b:
  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 15, Writing to Sources, students are taught that present progressive tense describes a continuing action in the present. Partners identify and explain the use of the present progressive tense in three sentences.
• L.4.1c:
  • In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 15, Writing to Sources, students learn about using modal auxiliaries to express necessity.
• L.4.1d:
  • In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 15, Writing to Sources, the teacher explains the correct way to arrange adjectives within a sentence, During independent writing time students are instructed to write at least two sentences in which they use a series of adjectives in the correct order.
• L.4.1e:
  • In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 15, Processing Writing,the teacher models a think aloud identifying prepositional phrases. Students work with partners to annotate the remaining sentences by underlining the prepositional phrases and circling the word(s) that they are modifying. During independent time, students write three original sentences about green energy. Students identify the noun in each and add a prepositional phrase to describe the noun.
• L.4.1f:
  • In Unit 3, Week 2, Lesson 15, Writing to Sources, the teacher explains that when authors write informative reports, they use complete sentences and avoid writing in fragments. The class reads three sentences and identifies why a sentence is a complete sentence and what the possible fragments could be. During independent writing, students write three complete sentences. Students underline the subjects and verbs to make sure there aren’t any sentence fragments.
• L.4.1g:
  • In Unit 4, Week 2, Lesson 15, Writing to Sources, the teacher reviews homophones such as see/sea and whole/hole with students. The teacher has students practice identifying homophones in a series of sentences. During independent writing time, students are instructed the following, “Using at least four of the commonly confused words studied here, write a short paragraph stating your opinion about owning a pet.”
• L.4.2a:
  • In Unit 1, Week 2, Lesson 15, Conventions of Writing: Correct Capitalization, the teacher models correct capitalization using a modeling text and by sharing a list of capitalization rules with students. Students write a journal entry with at least five sentences where they correctly use capitalization.
• L.4.2b:
  • In the Writing and Language Handbook, there is a Language Mini-Lesson about commas and quotation marks. Students view direct speech examples. Students practice looking for quotes in a resource and then write the quotation or excerpt in two different ways.
• L.4.2c:
  • In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 15, Conventions of Writing: Correct Comma Usage, the teacher explains how a comma can be used to form a compound sentence when used before coordinating conjunctions such as and, but, so and yet. During independent writing time students are instructed to write about the comma rules they learned about in the lesson.
• L.4.2d:
  • In Unit 4, Week 2, Lesson 12, Word Study & Vocabulary, students work on spelling grade appropriate words with vowel-consonant-e syllable patterns in context.
  • In Unit 8, Week 3, Lesson 12, Word Study & Vocabulary, students review the variant vowels al, au and aw. The teacher reads Escape of Pompeii and draws attention to the word pause. Students read the rest of Escape for Pompeii and circle words that have the variant vowels al, au, or aw.
• L.4.3a:
  • In Unit 3, Week 3, Lesson 10, Writing to Sources, students revise their informative papers adding concrete details to make their papers stronger.
• L.4.3b:
  • In Unit 9, Week 3, Lesson 7, Process Writing, the teacher thinks aloud how to write headers for the multimedia presentation such as adding an exclamation point to help emphasize the final point and to add playfulness to the header. During independent time, students write headings that are precise and prepare the audience for the main idea and key details, using punctuation.
• L.4.3c:
  • In Unit 3, Week 2, Lesson 15, Writing to Sources, the teacher demonstrates the use of informal as opposed to formal language in writing and how dialogue can be written informally.
  • In Unit 7, Week 3, Lesson 7, Writing to Sources, the teacher displays and reads the Informal Voice text explaining that, in the paragraph, the writer uses words and phrases that sound like casual spoken language. The Formal Voice Text is displayed and read. The teacher explains that in this paragraph the writer does not use slang, contractions, or exclamation points. Partners review their news report drafts, looking for instances of informal language. They discuss how they might revise it to be formal.

The materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria for materials, questions, and tasks addressing grade-level CCSS for foundational skills to build comprehension by providing instruction in phonics, word recognition, morphology, and reading fluency in a research-based and transparent progression.

Over the course of the year, lessons include the introduction of new foundational skill(s), teacher modeling, guided practice, partner work, graphic organizers/charts, and application to short read texts. Teacher instruction and student practice provide many opportunities over the course of the school year for students to work with prefixes, suffixes, irregularly spelled words and multisyllabic words. Each week the teacher models how to decode a syllable using different vowel sounds, compound words or syllable rules. When teaching prefixes and suffixes, students identify how the prefix or suffix changes the meaning of the base word. Lessons are primarily taught during the Word Study and Vocabulary portion of the core reading materials. The Word Study and Vocabulary lessons provide students an opportunity to learn word analysis that is then applied in and out of context. The lessons frequently include how the word is understood through word analysis and proper pronunciation. The skill of decoding and understanding the meaning of words is introduced early in the week and applied later in the week during word study and vocabulary lessons. Foundational skill lessons build in complexity over the course of the year and there is a clear progression for students to work towards grade-level comprehension.

Materials (questions & tasks) support students’ use of combined knowledge of all letter sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology, according to grade level. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 11, Word Study & Vocabulary, students apply long i (VCe, igh, y, ie, i) and short i in context through teacher modeling and guided practice of the reading “Melamut the Crocodile” and record their findings of short and long i vowel sounds in a graphic organizer. “Ask partners to read “Melamut the Crocodile.” As they read, ask them to underline words with long i sound once and the short i sound twice. “Tell them to use what they know about letter patterns to help them decode words and build meaning, using context clues to help them when necessary. Students can record their findings on a Word Sort Chart. Provide additional modeling as needed. 'I am not familiar with the word in paragraph 3. As I try to pronounce it, I recognize the ie spelling pattern in the last syllable. I know this spelling pattern makes the long i sound, so now I know how to pronounce the word. I recognize the word terrified, which I know means “very afraid.” And if I wasn’t sure of the meaning, the word tremble earlier in the paragraph would be a clue, because being very afraid can cause someone to tremble. Now I know that Melamut is very afraid of the dentist, which is an important detail in the story.'”
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Lesson 8, Word Study & Vocabulary, students are introduced to noun suffixes -dom, -ity, -tion, -ment, -ness and complete a word sort chart. “The suffix -dom is a noun suffix, a word part added to the end of a root, or base, word. The new word formed by adding -dom is always a noun. This suffix means “the state, or condition, of being.” So, freedom means “the state, or condition, of being free.” Display the words attention, enjoyment, and powerlessness, and circle the suffixes -tion, -ment, and -ness. Explain that these noun suffixes also mean “the state, or condition, of being,” and identify for students the root words (attend, enjoy, and powerless) and how the suffixes turn them into nouns. Display a Word Sort Chart and a list of words to sort (freedom, equality, creation, employment,sadness). Ask students to identify the column in which each word belongs. Discuss the meaning of the word in each column as it relates to the suffix.”

Questions and tasks cohesively build to the application of skills to read accurately unfamiliar, multisyllabic words in-context and out-of-context for Grade 4. For example:

• In Unit 9, Week 1, Lesson 11, Word Study & Vocabulary, students apply previous knowledge of noun suffixes -dom, -ity, -tion, -ment, -ness to context. Students locate noun suffixes in the text, “Dolores Huerta” and the content of the text that helped them comprehend the text.
• In Unit 10, Week 3, Lesson 12, the teacher reviews the word roots ven, migr, graph, mit and aud. The teacher then models how to decode the word emigrated in the text, “A Night in Tesla’s Lab.” “I don’t recognize this word, but using my knowledge of the word root migr, I can infer that the word has to do with moving. Context clues help me to confirm this inference: the phrase “from Europe to America” indicates that the word emigrated means “moved from one place to another.” My ability to understand this word using word roots and context clues helps me understand the paragraph.” Students go on to find other words in the text that contain the roots reviewed by the teacher, some of these words include - inventor, emigrated, audience, venue, audibly and shadowgraphs. Along with discussing the text, the class also discusses the following question, “How did your understanding of word roots help you comprehend the selection? Give an example.”

Materials (questions & tasks) support students’ use of combined knowledge of all letter sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology, according to grade level. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 8, Word Study & Vocabulary, students are introduced to short vowels a, e, ea i, o, u and complete a word sort chart. “Display the words establish, document, and running. Break each word into syllables, then help students identify the closed syllables and the short vowel sounds: e stab lish (short e, a, i); doc u ment (short o); run ning (short u, i). Point out that in multisyllabic words the unstressed syllable often has the schwa sound, not a short vowel sound. This is the case with document. Create and display a Word Sort chart and a list of words to sort (national, delegate, historical, popular,ugly). Read aloud the five headings, then read each word aloud and model thinking to identify the column in which it belongs. Discuss the meaning of the word in each column. I hear the /a/ sound in national. Listen: /na/tion/al/. I know the /a/ sound is the short a sound, so I will write the word national in the short a column.”
• In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 11, students are reminded that the letter r changes the sound of the vowels that comes before it can help them read and pronounce certain words. Students follow along as the teacher reads paragraph 6 of “City Kid, Country Kid.” Students are drawn to the word participate. The teacher explains that when a reader comes to a multisyllabic word such as participate, you can use your knowledge of r-controlled vowel sounds to help them read the word. Breaking the word into chunks may help you recognize word parts so they can read it. Participate can be broken into four chunks. Students then read “City Kid, Country Kid” on page 10 and underline words with the r-controlled vowel sounds of -ar,-or, and air. Students then write the words in a chart and write a possible definition for each word in the notation column.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 8, Word Study & Vocabulary, students are introduced to noun suffixes (-ology, -ant, -er, -or, -ery) and complete a five column word sort chart to develop meaning for the suffix in each word. “Display a five-column Word Sort chart and a list of words to sort (ecology, participant starter, inspector,bravery). Read each word aloud, and ask students to identify the column in which it belongs. Use sample sentences to model the meaning of the suffix in each word: Ecology is the study of Earth’s ecosystems. A participant is a person who participates in an activity. A starter is a person who tells runners when it’s time to start the race. An inspector is a person who inspects items in a factory to make sure they are made correctly. Bravery is a quality shown by people who face dangerous situations bravely.”
• In Unit 8, Week 3, Lesson 9, the teacher models how adding -ful or -y to the end of a noun can turn the word into an adjective using the text “Questions and Answers About the Oceans.” “I see the root words sun and color in paragraph 7. I know something that can be described as colorful is full of colors. And a place that is sunny should get plenty of sun. I notice that sunny has a double n because some nouns require doubling the ending consonant before adding -y.” The teachers also explains the suffixes -ent, -ic and -ive to students and points out the word “acidic,” in the previously read text. Words with these suffixes also appear on students’ weekly spelling list - sandy, impressive, optimistic, dependent, cumulative, confident and historic.

Materials cohesively build to application of skills to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out-of-context. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 11, Word Study & Vocabulary, students apply previously learned knowledge of short vowels to context. Students read, “Susan B. Anthony” with a partner and circle multisyllabic short vowel words in the text. “Have students read the rest of “Susan B. Anthony” with a partner. Ask them to circle the multisyllabic words that have short vowel sounds and highlight the letter or letters in each word that stand for the short vowel sound, then use their understanding of multi-syllabication to help them comprehend the text. Since there are many short-vowel words in the passage, you may ask students to find at least five examples of each vowel sound.”
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 12, Word Study & Vocabulary, students apply previously learned knowledge of noun suffixes to context. Students read “Lucy Larcom’s New England Girlhood” and underline words that have the suffix -ology, -ant, -er, -or, or -ery. Students complete a chart with suffixes and definitions.”
• In Unit 9, Week 3, Lesson 9, using the text “Old Cities Revitalize,” the teacher models how knowing the meaning of different prefixes can help students understand the story, “These prefixes tell “where.” The prefix per- means “through.” For example, a performance is an act that takes place from beginning “through” to the end that is, throughout on a stage. The prefix en- means “in.” You might enlist a friend to be part of a performance to be “in” the performance.” The teacher also reviews the meanings of the prefixes pro-, em- and im-. Words with these prefixes also appear on students’ weekly spelling list - produced, program, embarked, energy, percent, permitted, permanently and imminent.
• In Unit 10, Week 3, Lesson 12, the teacher reviews the previously taught prefixes re-, bio-, im-, ex- and micro- with students. “Now let’s try biography. A graph is a diagram or chart of something and the prefix means “life.” What does biography mean? Yes, it is a chart or list of events in someone’s life.” Students then circle and write definitions for words with re-, bio-, im-, ex- and micro- in the text, “Marie M. Daly: Biochemistry Pioneer.” Afterwards the teacher is instructed to “Bring students together. Invite individuals or partners to share words they circled in the text and to provide a definition based on their word analysis. Use this opportunity to clarify the meaning of words students circled but were unable to define.” Words with some of these prefixes are also a part of students; weekly spelling list: biologist, biochemistry, reaction, postdoctoral, immigrant and microbiologist.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria for materials, questions, and tasks guiding students to read with purpose and understanding and to make frequent connections between acquisition of foundation skills and making meaning from reading.

Over the course of the year, materials provide students with multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery of word analysis skills and apply word knowledge to grade level texts. Opportunities occur in core materials during Word Study and Vocabulary lessons through teacher modeling. Within the Word Study and Vocabulary Lessons, Process Writing and Writing to Sources Lessons, students have opportunities to identify word parts that allow them to decode the word properly and understand the word through word analysis which then allows them to understand the text better. The lessons provide opportunities for students to practice the word analysis with grade level text and encode through spelling. Students apply new skills to text through the use of partner work, independent work, and graphic organizers. Lessons increase in complexity to allow students access to applying word analysis skills to grade level text and support meaning of text. Lessons also included opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding of a text through the use of an Apply Understanding portion at the end of reading lessons.

Multiple and varied opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to demonstrate mastery of the application of word analysis skills to grade level text. For example:

• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 11, students apply their knowledge of open syllable patterns to the text, “The Birdseed Thief.” The teacher models how knowing open syllable patterns can help students decode words in the text, “ I see the word local and identify that the first syllable is an open syllable ending in the letter o. Since I know that open syllables usually contain long vowels, I try pronouncing the word with a long e sound in the first syllable. When I pronounce the word this way, I recognize it as a word that I know: local, which means “nearby.” Thus, being able to recognize the open syllable pattern helps me read and understand the word and the sentence.”
• In Unit 6, Week 1, Lesson 11, Word Study & Vocabulary, students apply their knowledge of suffixes -ly, -ily, -ways, -wise (meaning: in what manner) in context. Students underline words that end with the suffixes -ly, -ily, -ways, and -wise in the text, “Chi Li and the Serpent” and complete a graphic organizer to jot their definitions of the words in the text. “Sample think-aloud: In the last sentence of this paragraph, the word barely describes the adjective enough, so I know that barely is an adverb. I’ll use my knowledge of the suffix -ly to determine the adverb meaning. In an adverb, this suffix means “in what manner.” Barely, then, means “in a bare manner.” Bare can mean “having nothing extra.” Now I understand that the people have just enough to eat, but nothing extra. Guided Practice-Have students read “Chi Li and the Serpent.” As they read, ask them to underline words that end with the suffixes -ly, -ily, -ways, and -wise. Students should use their knowledge of these suffixes as well as the context of the selection to help them understand the meaning of each word. Students should jot their definitions in the notation column of the page.”
• In Unit 9, Week 2, Lesson 12, Word Study & Vocabulary, students apply knowledge of Latin Roots mis (“send”), agri (“field”), duc/duct (“lead”), man (“hand”) in context through the reading of “John Henry.” Students first participate in a teacher model of how to use Latin Roots to create meaning of words in the text. They then participate in Guided Practice with a partner to fill out a graphic organizer. “Review the meanings of the Latin roots mis, agri, duc/duct, and man. Read aloud the first paragraph of “John Henry,” and stop to model how you can use your knowledge of Latin roots to better understand the meaning of words. Think about the word missile. What does the word mean? By understanding that mis can mean “send,” I can better understand that a missile is an object that is sent from one place to another, the way hammers are hurled by John Henry. Have student read the passage with a partner. Ask them to circle words that use the Latin root mis, agri, duc/duct, or man.”

Materials include supports for students to demonstrate they have made meaning of the grade-level text. For example:

• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 5, Short Read 1 Mini-Lesson, students locate and explain the meaning of idioms in the short reading text, “A Bird’s Free Lunch” and work with a partner to complete an Idiom Chart. “Sentence 2 of this paragraph says that the author sat and watched the birds “eat their free lunch.” I realize that the birds are eating food, but the term free lunch is interesting to me. Birds don’t really eat meals the way people do. They don’t literally eat lunch. And birds would never have to pay for their food. They look for food or hunt for it. The author doesn’t mean for us to read these words literally. Free lunch is an idiom the author uses as part of his writing style. He means to say that, since the birds don’t have to work to get this food, it’s like getting a free lunch. I can add this to my idiom chart. Ask partners to read paragraph three, circling any idioms they find. Have them add the idioms and their meanings to their Idiom Charts. Remind students that idioms include words or phrases that are not meant to be read literally. Provide directive and/or corrective feedback as needed to help students.”
• In Unit 10, Week 1, Lesson 12, students apply their knowledge of words endings with spelling changes to the text “Blackout, 1965.” The teacher models this with the word “charging.” “Think about the word. If I don’t recognize this word, I can use my knowledge of spelling changes to figure it out. I know that -ing is a suffix, so I will remove it. If I do so, I am left with the word which I don’t recognize. However, I know that sometimes the -ing suffix causes a root word to drop a silent e. If I add a silent e to form the word which I do know. I’ve figured out that is a form of the word. In this way, understanding spelling changes can sometimes help me decode words to figure out their meanings.” As students read the rest of the story they are instructed to, “circle words that drop a silent e, change y to i, or add a consonant in order to take an ending.” After discussing the text, the teacher also asks, “How did your knowledge of spelling change patterns help you understand this selection? Give an example.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 4 meet the criteria for instructional opportunities being frequently built into the materials for students to practice and achieve reading fluency in oral and silent reading, that is, to read on-level prose and poetry with accuracy, rate appropriate to the text, and expression.

Fluency practice is included once a week in the whole group mini-lessons. Students have opportunities to build fluency of the grade-level text. These lessons are provided consistently each unit during Week 1, Lesson 2 and Week 2, Lesson 3. Routines are included for teachers to reference during the lesson. Fluency extends to small group Reader’s Theater during Week 3 of each Unit.

Over the course of the school year, students practice fluency through the use of Small Group Reader’s Theater scripts. When students perform Reader’s Theater, they practice reading fluently with expression, accuracy, and rate. Fluency lessons are explicitly modeled during Reader’s Theater. Reader’s Theater is during the 15-20 minute block of Small-Group Independent Reading Conferring. Some Reading-Mini Lessons include fluency lessons and students are learning how to read with accuracy.

Opportunities are provided over the course of the year in the small group Reader’s Theater materials for students to demonstrate sufficient accuracy and fluency in oral and silent reading. For example:

• During the rereading portion of Reader’s Theater texts, teachers are provided with options for students to practice reading fluency through echo reading, partner reading, and chorally reading aloud to practice rate, pitch accuracy, and/or expression skills taught during the teacher model.
• In small group instruction text, Haiku, students practice reading poetry with attention to pauses. “Read and Respond to Haiku Poems-Give the “Autumn Haiku” on page 6 an expression reading. Make sure you read it as a fluent phrase.”
• In Unit 2, Week 3, Reader’s Theater, Robin Hood Shoots for the Queen: A Legend from England. Fluency objectives for the script include, “Students will: Build fluency through echo-reading, choral-reading, and repeated reading. Read with appropriate pauses. Read question marks.”
• In Unit 9, Week 3, Reader’s Theater, Pet Care Kids. One of the literacy objectives for this script is, “Students will develop fluency and expression.” The teacher is also instructed, “During the first rehearsal, offer suggestions for expression and voice.”
• In Unit 10, Week 3, teachers choose from options in the differentiated instruction planner during small-group reading and independent reading time. An option during this time includes Reader’s Theater. Teacher guidance includes, “Group students heterogeneously for multi-leveled reader’s theater experiences that build fluency and comprehension. Use the 5-day lesson plans provided, pages 116–127.” Directions include suggestions for Modeling, preparing, and feedback for performances. For example, the Handbook teacher notes state, “Model Fluency: Read with Expression—Characterization/Feelings:
  • Explain that fluent readers look for clues about what characters are like and how characters feel so they can read with expression. Ask students to follow along as you read a short excerpt.
  • Read aloud page 4 up to “But it’s so hot outside.” Demonstrate how to use context to correct word recognition and understanding. Change your tone to convey how each character feels about the blackout.
  • Say: Turn and talk to a partner. How did reading with expression help you understand how Sarah and Grandpa feel?

Materials support reading of prose and poetry with attention to rate, accuracy, and expression, as well as direction for students to apply reading skills when productive struggle is necessary. For example:

• • In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 2, students practice building fluency. The Teacher Edition states, “Explain that fluent reading requires readers to read at an appropriate pace. Follow the fluency routine to model this skill and provide guided practice. Use paragraph 3 of “The Gnat and the Lion.” During independent time, have students partner-read this paragraph for additional practice.” The fluency routine is Reading Rate: Speed/Pacing- Fast. The routine includes:
    • Model: Explain that fluent reading will sometimes read aloud at a fast pace. Help students recognize situations in which they might read quickly. Ask students to listen and follow along as you read a short excerpt in two different ways. First, read aloud the text slowly. Next read aloud the same text, this time at a faster pace. Say: Turn and talk to a partner. How was the second reading more realistic? Based on your monitoring of partners’ conversations, you may wish to read the section again at an appropriate pace.
    • Practice: Have students choral-read the same section, making sure to read at a faster pace to sound like normal conversation. Provide general corrective feedback and/or validate students’ efforts.
    • Independent Time: Have students reread the text as a small group, with a partner, or independently by following along with the interactive e-book. Prompt them to monitor their comprehension.

• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 10, Short Read 2 Mini-Lesson, students practice fluent reading of the text, “The Shimerdas.” Before demonstrating fluent reading the teacher reviews the terms accuracy, rate and expression as they relate to fluency. After reading aloud the first paragraph, the teacher says, “I use text cues to find the right expression to use as I read aloud. Here, for example, I see there is a comma in the second line. That usually means the reader should pause briefly. Let’s read the sentence together again.” The teacher then has students practice echo reading portions of the text.

• In Unit 3, Week 3, Lesson 6, Extended Read 2 Mini-Lesson, students practice fluency reading of the text, “In Summer.” The teacher reviews the elements of fluency chart with students before beginning (accuracy, rate, expression) and then models reading aloud the first couple of lines of the poem. Students then practice echo reading portions of the poem.
• In the Informal Assessments K-6, Section 3, a rubric for assessing students’ phrasing/fluency, intonation, pace, and accuracy.
• In the Intervention materials, there are Fluency Quick Checks with a Reader’s Theater Assessment Rubric and fluency quick checks for Grade 4. Also in the Intervention materials, there is Intervention Fluency with passages at different levels.

Materials support students’ fluency development of reading skills (e.g., self-correction of word recognition and/or for understanding, focus on rereading) over the course of the year (to get to the end of the grade-level band). The main strategy emphasized is the use of context clues. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 10, Short Read 2 Mini-Lesson, students practice using context clues to find the meaning of unknown words in the text, “The First Town Meeting.” “Explain that today students will use context clues to figure out unfamiliar words and phrases. Remind students that context clues include definitions, restatements, and examples.” The teacher models using context clues and then the class creates a chart with the following headers - Word/Phrase, Context Clues, Our Definition, Revised Definition Using References. The class fills in the chart together, using words from the text.
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 10, Short Read 2 Mini-Lesson, students are reminded that “The Shimerdas” is a fictional account about the character Jim Burden. The teacher then reviews the fluency chart explaining to students what it means to read with accuracy. The teacher models reading fluently and thinking aloud how she uses text cues. It is modeled how the reader confirms or self-corrects understanding of words they are unsure about by using context to help with unfamiliar words. Students then read paragraph 7 with a partner, confirming, or self correcting as needed using context clues.

In Unit 3, Week 2, Lesson 3, students practice building fluency. The Teacher Edition states, “ Explain that fluent reading requires readers to self-correct word recognition and understanding. Follow the fluency routine to model this skill and provide guided practice. Use stanza 1 of “Waiting.” During independent time, have students partner-read this stanza for additional practice.“ The fluency routine is Confirm or Correct Word Recognition and Understanding. The routine includes:

• Model: Explain that fluent readers monitor their reading to make sure they read words correctly, using what they know about word families and word parts, and making sure that the words they read make sense in context.Read aloud a section of text stopping at a word and modeling how you use your word knowledge to read it correctly. Model how you think about the meaning of the word in context to confirm that you read it correctly. Say: Turn and talk to a partner. What did you notice me doing to self-correct my word recognition? Based on your monitoring of partners’ conversations, you may wish to model with another word in the text.
• Practice: Have students choral-read the same section, paying attention to the punctuation and using it to help them read with appropriate phrasing. Provide general corrective feedback and/or validate students’ efforts.
• Independent Time: Have students reread the text as a small group, with a partner, or independently by following along with the interactive e-book. Prompt them to monitor their comprehension and reread, pay attention to word parts, and use context to confirm their word recognition and understanding.
• In Unit 6, Week 3, Lesson 6, Extended Read 2 Mini-Lesson, students practice using context clues to find the meaning of unknown words in the text, “Hercules’ Quest.” “Ask students to skim and scan “Hercules’ Quest” for the words Hercules, Titans, and Olympus. Ask them to underline context clues that help them understand these words.”
• In Unit 4, Week 3, Lesson 6, Extended Read 2 Mini-Lesson, students use context clues to determine word meaning. “Distribute a Context Clues Chart. Ask students to circle harness in paragraph 4. Have partners take turns telling each other what they think this word means, using clues in the sentence. Remind them to consult a reference source if they cannot find a context clue. Provide directive or corrective feedback as needed.”