The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 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 which require 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 use valid inferences from the text. During whole-group instruction, 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 1, Week 3, Lesson 5, during Guided Practice, students recount key details to support the main idea and answer the following questions about “Winning the Right to Vote,” Extended Read 2: “How and why were the groups discussed in these sections prevented from voting? How did each of these groups win the right to vote?”
• In Unit 5, Week 2, Lesson 1, students turn and talk with a partner to share knowledge and use the text to answer the following questions based on Advancements in Technology: “What did your readings about Alexander Graham Bell teach you about the process of innovation? What did your readings teach you about the value of innovation?”
• In Unit 6, Week 3, Lesson 8, students close read “The Wolf and the Fox” rereading to explain how the characters' actions contribute to events by using a Character Action Chart and these directions, “Close Reading Prompt: Reread paragraphs 1-11. “What do Wolf and Fox do in the story? How do their actions help you better understand the story? Annotate! Underline words and phrases that give you information about what Fox and Wolf do that affects the events in the story.”
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Lesson 5, students read Benjamin Franklin’s proverbs from “Making Choices.” During Guided Practice, students respond to the following text-dependent questions: “Which of Franklin’s statements uses repetition? One way to make something more memorable is to include a rhyme. Which of Franklin’s statements does this?” During Apply Understanding, students respond to the following prompt: “How and why do writers of proverbs use nonliteral language, repetition, and rhyme?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 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 of the unit. Tasks are supported with coherent sequences of text-dependent questions related to the Unit Big Idea which prepares students for success with 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, the Big Idea and Essential Question are introduced with a video and discussion. Students read and compare stories, poems, and myths in preparation for the culminating task of fable writing in Week 3. Students may read their fables aloud, display them in the classroom or share them digitally. The culminating task integrates standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language. In Week 1, Lesson 4 and Week 2, Lesson 11 students explain how characters’ actions contribute to events. Students compare and contrast fables in all three weeks and this skill builds from beginning to end. In Week 1, Lesson 14, students are asked to compare and contrast from plots of two Aesop fables. In Week 2, Lesson 14, students are asked to compare and contrast the plots of stories with similar characters. In Week 3, Lesson 14, students are asked to compare and contrast characters.
• In Unit 3, Weeks 1, 2, and 3, students use a mentor text, “Animal Disguises,” which supports the culminating task of informational report writing using information from multiple sources including a digital source. In Week 1, teachers model how to gather and use information from multiple sources to write an informative report. In Week 2, students apply informative writing knowledge to plan and write informative reports based on the text “Fur, Skin, Scales, or Feathers” and a digital source. In Week 3, students write an opening paragraph for an informative report.
• In Unit 6, Weeks 1, 2, and 3, student tasks include text character role play and a journal entry as if they were that character. In Week 1, the teacher models writing from a character point-of-view from the text “The Fox and the Geese”. The teacher models how to use text evidence to understand the fox’s character traits. Students practice with Sample Character Traits and Evidence Charts. In Week 2, students write three entries based on text events from Crabb’s point-of-view from the text, “Doctor Knowall.” In Week 3, students practice adding descriptive details to improve their narrative journal entries.
• In Unit 10, Weeks 1, 2, and 3, students develop and create their own procedural multimedia presentations on a topic of their own choosing. The culminating task is a multimedia presentation which has been scaffolded with teacher modeling, guided practice and applied understanding with light, moderate, or substantial support. The culminating task integrates standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 meet the criteria for materials providing frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based 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 supported across the year. Materials provide multiple opportunities, support of protocols, 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 several 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 their findings to the whole group. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Day 1, students participate in Collaborative Conversations: Peer Groups. Students are placed in peer groups to generate questions about the Essential Question. The teacher models sentence frames to support participation from all students: “I believe that…. What are your thoughts….? Further in the lesson, students learn how to agree or disagree with statements made by peers. The teacher models and share the following sentence speaking frames: “I agree with...because…., I would like to add…., I disagree with….because…., My reason for thinking this is….”
• In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 10, partners use the text “The Village Blacksmith” to discuss how the illustrations set the mood and reinforce what the text information about the characters. Partners reflect using the following questions; “How do the colors and style of this illustration affect the mood of the poem?”, “What is the blacksmith doing in this illustration? How does this illustration support what you know about him from the text? How does it add new information?” and “What are the children doing in this illustration? How does this illustration support what you know about them from the text? How does it add new information?” Selected students share what was discussed in the partner discussions.
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 1, students work in collaborative groups (Collaborative Conversation: Peer Group) to generate questions that will guide their study of animal adaptations. The teacher reminds students to think about their own knowledge of animals as they construct broad, open-ended questions rather than questions with single-word answers. Students can use sentence frames if that will help student participation: “I wonder [what, how, why].... I wonder how...affects….” In Week 3, Lesson 11, students recount text evidence with a group and share their ideas through collaborative conversation and in writing.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 5, students reread “Alexander Graham Bell: It Talks!” Students work with a partner to reread the text, use context clues and/or text evidence to determine the meaning of unknown words. A lesson objective is that students will be able to share word knowledge during collaborative conversations. The teacher is to monitor student discussions to determine if students need more help.
• In Unit 6, Week 2, Lesson 2, students participate in Turn and Talk to Reflect on Strategies. Students work with a partner to review the texts and their annotations to answer questions about recounting story events and determining theme that they practiced in Week 1 using questions such as; “How do you decide what to include when recounting a story?” and “What story details help you determine the central message of a story?” Partners build on each other’s ideas and strengthen understanding of how strategies can help as they read other selections. Some students will be called to summarize their ideas. Students are reminded that they should speak in complete sentences.
• In Unit 7, Week 2, Lesson 1, the teacher asks students to briefly discuss the following two questions with a partner during Turn and Talk to Share Knowledge: “What new content knowledge and insights did you learn from last week’s readings?” How does this new knowledge affect your thinking about the Essential Question?” Students are encouraged to refer to their Build, Reflect, Write notes for support. Students listen carefully to their partners and jot down notes and ask their partner questions so they are able to summarize their partner’s new knowledge and ideas in order to paraphrase, or summarize, what their partner learned.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 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 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, completing 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, in Lessons 3, 6, 9, and 12, students read and analyze the mentor text, “Working Together,” which scaffolds student learning as they begin to write a personal letter throughout all four lessons. In Lesson 9, students plan the heading and greeting, organize events in the order they happened, and plan the closing using the Personal Letter Anchor Chart. In Lesson 12, students draft their own, personal letters based on events of the mentor text, “Working Together.”
• In Unit 2 the culminating task is to write a fable. In Week 1, Lesson 3, students are introduced to a Quick Write. Students independently answer the question; “What are the features of a fable?” Students begin forming their own fables in Week 1, Lesson 6 and are supported by teacher modeling and the Fable Writing Checklist. In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 9, students choose their fable setting and characters as well as complete a planning guide outlining the elements of a fable. In Week 3, students focus on revise, edit and publish by using vocabulary to add vivid details in Week 4, revising to use temporal words to signal event order in Lesson 7, editing for correct form and use of regular past tense verbs in Lesson 10, editing for correct form and use of adjectives and adverbs and creating a title along with using technology to publish.
• In Units 2, 5 and 9, a text to media integrated lesson is included. In each of these units, students are directed to publish and present their writing. For example in Unit 5, Week 2, Lesson 6, students complete a process writing task to incorporate research in their opinion using the Model Opinion Essay Planning Guide. Using research, students support their opinion and work to develop the body paragraphs of the essay.
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 9, a Quick Write example is students independently write to answer the following question: “How is the process of taking notes from a digital source such as a video different from the process of taking notes from a print source?” Student responses to this Quick Write are used to assess their understanding of gathering information from a digital source.
• In Unit 8, Week 1, Lesson 6, students evaluate online sources for credibility when working to write an informative report. This lesson incorporates digital resources to help students practice utilizing and evaluating online sources. In Week 1, Lesson 9, students expand upon using online digital resources to learn how to gather information and take notes from online sources. Additional graphic organizers include a Note-Taking Chart and an Informative Report Anchor Chart to guide student learning.
• In Unit 9, Weeks 1, 2, and 3, students write and create a Multimedia Presentation. The process provides teacher modeling of a mentor presentation, discussions of features in procedural multimedia presentations, and support using an anchor chart to help students organize ideas and research. Discipline-specific tasks are incorporated throughout each of these three weeks to support the writing of this Multimedia Presentation. For example, in Week 1, Lesson 13, procedural steps are described in an informational text using sequential words and phrases.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 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 they 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,, students write a personal letter using facts and details from a print source. Students are encouraged to use the Personal Mentor Letter as a model while writing their own narrative.
• In Units 1, 2, and 6, narrative writing is incorporated. In Unit 1, students write a personal letter, in Unit 2, students write a fable and 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 character’s voice, use dialogue and description to develop events.
• In Units 4 and 5, opinion writing is incorporated. In Unit 4, students write an Opinion Essay using a topic opinion and mentor and anchor text evidence to support the opinion. In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 3, teachers are given support to model how students brainstorm opinion writing topics and monitor students progress. In Unit 5, students write an Opinion Essay using print sources emphasizing formal voice. Modeling is provided to support editing and improve paragraphing. Students use an opinion writing checklist to write evidence-based opinions after reading “Alexander Graham Bell: It Talks!”. In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 3, introduces students to an Opinion Essay Writing Checklist. Writing exemplars for each writing type are given under the drop down menu “Writing Exemplars”.
• In Units 3, 7, 8, and 9, informative writing is incorporated. In Unit 3, students write an informative report from a print and video source. In Unit 7, students analyze how writers incorporate facts, details, and direct quotes from a source and organize a report, revising to maintain a formal voice and sentence fluency. In Unit 8, students evaluate online sources, take notes from online sources, use linking words and phrases to connect ideas and include domain-specific vocabulary in the informative report. In Unit 9, students prepare a multimedia presentation which includes researching and preparing an explanatory text including many facets of multimedia.
• On demand prompts and quick writes include opportunities for students to address different types of writing. For example, In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 12 students write a fable using a planning guide to organize the fable. In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 4 students are to write an opinion essay analyzing an author’s reason. In Unit 7, Week 3, Lesson 4 students are independently draft their news report. In Unit 10, Week 2, students are to draft a Haiku.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Lessons 3, 6, 9 and 12, students write an informative report. Students analyze how writers incorporate facts and details, use direct quotes, and analyze an author’s organization. Students use their observations to guide their work when writing an informative report.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 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 2, students read a paragraph with a partner to identify and recount other key details and to explain how these details support the main idea. As students read and discuss the text with a partner, the teacher monitors discussions to assess students’ ability to recount and explain key details using text-dependent questions to provide corrective and/or directive feedback as needed. For example; “Who worked together to prepare for the flood?,” “What did they do to prepare for the flood?” and “Why did they work together?”
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 14, students compare and contrast two texts, “Animal Disguises” and “Animals’ Tools for Survival.” Students will use Compare/Contrast Chart while close reading these two texts. Students use the information on the chart to write a short response explaining how two texts are similar and different.
• In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 9, students support an opinion with evidence from the texts, “Cinderella’s Very Bad Day” and “Cinderella, Too Much for Words”. Students collect and organize evidence in an Opinion Essay Anchor Chart to organize and prioritize evidence that will support careful analysis and well-defended claims.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Lesson 6, students analyze how writers incorporate facts and details into an informative report. Students are provided with a model on how to gather information from “Exploring My Community”. Students utilize the Analyze Facts and Details Chart as well as the Informative Report Anchor Chart to support careful analysis and the gathering of information.
• In Unit 8, Week 1, Lesson 13, students describe the cause and effect relationship between a series of scientific ideas. Students will read closely “Earth’s Weather and Climate” while utilizing the Cause/Effect Chart. Students write a short paragraph in which they identify at least two cause and effect relationships between ideas presented in text that helped them understand concepts of weather and climate.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 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 3 program has multiple opportunities for whole class instruction aligned to the Grade 3 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 writing projects students work on. 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.3.1a:
  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 15, Writing Mini-Lessons and Independent Writing and Conferring, students are reminded that nouns are words that describe people, places and things, like a book or an idea.
  • In Unit 6, Week 3, Lesson 13, Writing to Sources, in the Word Study and Vocabulary lessons, students learn irregular plural forms. A text is displayed and the teacher reads aloud, thinking aloud as they read and edit irregular verbs and nouns. Students work in partners to access dictionaries to review each other’s drafts to check their use and spelling of irregular nouns and verbs.
• L.3.1c:
  • In Unit 9, Week 1, Lesson 7, Short Read 1 Mini-Lesson, students learn about abstract nouns. Working in partners, students reread the proverbs in Ben Franklin’s Two Cents and identify whether the nouns used in each are concrete or abstract.
• L.3.1d:
  • In Unit 2, Week 2, Lesson 15, Process Writing, students learn how to form regular verbs in the past. The teacher employees a think-aloud and demonstrates how to add -ed to verbs.
  • In Unit 7, Week 3, Lesson 10, Writing to Sources, students review what has been learned about verbs and apply this knowledge as they edit their informative report drafts. An Irregular Verb chart is displayed and partners refer to it as they review each other’s drafts to identify and correct any irregular verb errors.
• L.3.1e:
  • In Unit 1, Week 2, Lesson 15, Performance Task, students learn about verb tenses. The lesson includes a four-column chart to explain how each verb is conjugated.
  • In Unit 2, Week 2, Lesson 15, students are told that fables, like most narrative stories, are most often told in the past tense. Therefore, it is important for students to make sure that they know how to form and use the past tense of verbs when writing their own fable. The class reviews the rules for forming the past tense verbs and use past tense verbs in their writing.
• L.3.1f:
  • In Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 15, students practice subject/verb agreement with singular and plural subjects. For example - “The girl jumps.” “The girls jump.”
  • In Unit 3, Week 2, Lesson 15, a Pronoun Chart is displayed. Students are reminded that a pronouns are used to identify who is performing an action, receiving an action and to show ownership. Students then receive the Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Modeling Text. Working with partners, students fill in the blank in each sentence with the appropriate pronoun or pronouns.
• L.3.1g:
  • In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 15, Writing to Sources, a Comparative and Superlative Practice text is displayed as the teacher reads the first four sentences aloud and uses a think aloud to model how to form comparative and superlative adjectives. Students then work independently to complete the remaining six sentences.
  • In Unit 6, Week 2, Lesson 15, the teacher models forming and using comparative and superlative adverbs. Students then work with a partner to complete sentences by filling in the correct comparative or superlative form of each adverb.
• L.3.1h:
  • In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 15, Process Writing, students learn how to use coordinating conjunctions to make complex sentences.
  • In Unit 8, Week 2, Lesson 10, Process Writing, the teacher reads the Linking Words and Phrases Text to the students and thinks aloud to model how to strengthen the connections between ideas within an informative report by including linking words and phrases. Students then work with a partner to improve the flow of their rough drafts by incorporating linking words and phrases.
• L.3.1i:
  • In Unit 5, Week 3, Lesson 13, Process Writing, students apply what they have learned about combining sentences to help them edit and improve their opinion essay drafts. The teacher models how to use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions to improve two sentences. Partners then review each other’s writing to use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions, including their comma placement.
• L.3.2a:
  • In Unit 2, Week 3, Lesson 15, Process Writing, students create a title while publishing their fable. The teacher displays a text and models creating an effective title. The teacher models using the rules for capitalization in titles. Students work with a partner to brainstorm titles for their fables. During independent writing students finalize their titles using what was just taught.
• L.3.2b:
  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 9, Writing to Sources, when writing a personal letter as part of the Personal Letter Anchor Chart for the lesson students need to include, “a heading that includes the writer’s address and a date.” The objectives for this lesson also include, “Use commas properly in a personal letter.” The teacher also models correct comma usage in a letter.
  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 12, Writing to Sources, students write a draft of their personal letter. The teacher models how to draft a letter using the Personal Letter Anchor Chart, which includes “A heading that includes the writer’s address and a date.” As students write independently, the teacher reminds them to follow the rules for using commas in addresses.
• L.3.2c:
  • In Unit 2, Week 2, Lesson 10, Process Writing, using a modeling text, the teacher reviews the specific rules of quotation marks and comma usage as they relate to dialogue.
  • In Unit 6, Week 3, Lesson 10, Writing to Sources, students revise and improve their dialogue and check to make sure that they have inserted it into their journal entries correctly. The teacher models how to evaluate writing in order to improve it.
• L.3.2d:
  • In Unit 3, Week 3, Lesson 13, Writing to Sources, the teacher displays and reads aloud the Possessives Practice and thinks aloud how coverings and them are plural, so the word animals should be plural and written animals’. Partners read the remaining text to identify the mistakes and underline the corrections. As students review their each other’s writing, they look for proper use of possessives.
• L.3.2e:
  • In Unit 4, Week 3, Lesson 10, Writing to Sources, students use comparative and superlative adjectives by adding suffixes to the base word. Students read the text and revise the adjectives by adding suffixes to improve the writing. (nice- nicer and mean - meanest).
• L.3.2f :
  • In Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 12, Word Study & Vocabulary, students learn about spelling patterns for long o (VCe, oa, ow, o) and long u (VCe, ue, ew, u) and locate them in the text to add to their graphic organizer. “ The word close ends with an o-consonant-e combination. When I see this combination, I know that the e is silent and that the o should be pronounced with its long sound.”
• L.3.2g:
  • In Unit 4, Week 2, Lesson 15, Writing to Sources, students learn how to use a dictionary to look up unknown words.
• L.3.3a:
  • In Unit 8, Week 3, Lesson 7, Process Writing, students learn to revise their informative writing for domain-specific vocabulary for effect and to demonstrate knowledge about a topic.
• L.3.3b:
  • In Unit 5, Week 3, Lesson 7, Process Writing, the teacher introduces using formal voice in writing and compares this type of writing to everyday speech. The teacher explains informal language and reviews rules for formal writing. Students have the opportunity to edit their own essays to ensure they used formal language.

The materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 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, and reading fluency in a research-based and transparent progression.

Over the course of the year, lessons include the introduction of new foundational skills through 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.

Instruction, spelling lists, and vocabulary tasks/word work includes common prefixes and derivational suffixes, multisyllable words, and grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 11, the teacher displays and reads aloud paragraph 1 of “Robert’s Rules of Order” as students follow along. The word together is highlighted and the teacher thinks aloud to model how to identify and read aloud short vowels. Together is broken into syllables and the teacher notices that the second syllable has the vowel e in the middle, and ends with the consonant pair th. Based on this the vowel e needs to be pronounced with its short sound. Students read paragraphs 2-4 of “Robert’s Rules of Order” aloud with a partner highlighting the short vowel sounds in each of the words. Students use their knowledge of short vowels to help them pronounce and understand each word. The class comes together and shares the words underlined and their understanding of the word. This is repeated in lessons:
  • Repeated Unit 1, Week 2, Lesson 12, decoding syllables with long vowel a sound.
  • Repeated Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 12, decoding syllables with long vowel o sound.
  • Repeated Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 11, decoding syllables with long vowel e sound.
  • Repeated Unit 2, Week 2, Lesson 12, decoding syllables with long vowel i sound.
  • Repeated Unit 2, Week 3, Lesson 12, syllables in compound words.
  • Repeated Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 11, decoding syllables with r controlled vowels.
• In Unit 5, Week 2, Lesson 12, Word Study & Vocabulary, students learn how to apply their new knowledge of vowel-r syllable pattern to context in the reading of “George Eastern and the Kodak Camera.” “Have students turn to ‘George Eastman and the Kodak Camera.’ Ask students to read the text. Then have them reread the text with a partner, looking for examples of multisyllable words and underlining those that contain an r-controlled vowel. Ask partners to divide the words into syllables and circle the syllable that has the r-controlled vowel. Students will encounter the following words in the text: cameras (paragraph 1), photographers (paragraph 2); simpler, performed, experiments, mother’s (paragraph 3); smaller, portable, general, over, first (paragraph 4); popular, workers, factories, fathers (paragraph 5).”
• In Unit 8, Week 3, Lesson 12, the teacher reviews the diphthongs oy, oi, ow and ou with students. “In the words ' out' and ' shower,' the diphthongs ' ou' and ' ow' both make the /oi/ sound. Similarly, in the words ' destroy' and ' soil,' the diphthongs ' oy' and ' oi' both make the /ou/ sound.” Students encounter some of these words with multiple syllables in the text “Predicting Hurricanes,” including joined, destroy, destroyed, and avoid.

All tasks and questions are sequenced to application of grade-level work (e.g., application of prefixes at the end of the unit/year; decoding multi-syllable words). For example:

• In Unit 5, Week 3, Lesson 12, Word Study & Vocabulary, students apply previous knowledge of inflectional endings to text. Students locate words with inflectional endings in the text, “From Snapshots to Selfies” and record them in a chart. “Have students read the remaining paragraphs in “From Snapshots to Selfies.” As they read, ask them to find words with inflectional endings -ed and -ing in the text. Ask them to: Identify the base word. Discuss how the spelling of the base word changed with the addition of the inflectional ending. Discuss the meaning of the base word and the change in meaning when the inflectional ending was added.”
• In Unit 6, Week 1, Lesson 11, Word Study & Vocabulary, students apply previous knowledge of irregularly spelled plural nouns to text. Students read “The Incredible Goose” and circle irregular plural nouns. “Ask students to read ‘The Incredible Goose.’ As they read, ask them to circle all irregular plural nouns they see. Students should use their knowledge of how regular plurals are formed to help them identify irregular plurals. Have them jot in the margin the singular form of each circled plural. Point out that in this text, students will find some plurals that are irregular because they are spelled exactly like the singular form.” Students’ spelling lists also focus on noun suffixes for that week. In Unit 8, Week 3, Lesson 9, the teacher introduces the diphthongs ou, ow, oy and oi to students. Some of the words students read with diphthongs are multisyllabic such as, disappoint, flower, oyster, loyal, and thousand.
• In Unit 9, Week 2, Lesson 9, when students study the prefixes dis- and un-. “Prefixes are word parts attached to the beginning of words. Attaching a prefix creates a new word with a new meaning. The prefix dis- means “not, or opposite of.” When we attach the prefix dis- to a word, we get a word with the opposite meaning. The word disliked means “not liked.” Students also complete a word sort with dis- and un- words. Words with these prefixes also appeared in students weekly spelling words: disappeared, unblemished, disbelief, unrivaled, displeasure, unsalted, disassembled, and unhappy.
• In Unit 9, Week 3, Lesson 9, students learn about the prefixes re- and pre-, “The prefix pre- means “before,” and the prefix re- means “again.” If I add the prefix pre- to the word packaged, it means that something is packaged before it is sold. The word stocking in this paragraph means putting things on the shelves. If I add the prefix re- to the word stocking, it means that things are being put on the shelves again.” These prefixes also appear in students’ spelling words for the week: prearrange, prepackaged, restock, prekindergarten, reconsider, rethink, preorder, and recycled.

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 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 comprehend the text. 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 apply word analysis skills to grade level text and support meaning of text. Lessons also include 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 4, Week 1, Lesson 8, the class reads the first three lines on page 8 of “Cinderella, Too Much for Words.” Students circle the word befallen in their text. The teacher models how to identify words with open syllable patterns. Students read ladies, music, lazy, human, silent, begin. Student break each word into individual syllables using their knowledge of open syllables.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Lesson 8, the teacher models how adding the suffixes -or and -er change the meaning of a word, “The suffix -er is added to base word The suffix means “one who does something.” The word worker means “someone who works.” Now look at the word visitor. The suffix -or also means “one who does something.” The word visitor means “someone who visits.” Students then work with a partner to practice identifying the base word, suffix and meaning of a series of words such as farmer director and counselor.
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Lesson 11, Word Study & Vocabulary, students review their previous learning of suffixes -able, -ful, and -less and apply their learning to context to determine the meaning of new words in the text, “The Milkmaid.” Students first participate in a teacher model, then work with a partner to complete a graphic organizer. “In the second paragraph, I read that the milkmaid dreams of helping the baker make wonderful cakes. I know that a wonder is something that is really great, and that the suffix -ful means “full of.” So, when I combine the word and suffix to create the new word, wonderful, I can conclude that the new word is an adjective that means ‘full of really great stuff.’”

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

• In Unit 6, Week 1, Lesson 5, Short Read 1 Mini-Lesson, students annotate a short read for unfamiliar words, work in a peer group to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, and complete a word meaning chart. “Ask students to skim and scan “The Fox and the Geese” to circle any unfamiliar words. Make a class list of these words and read them aloud. Peer Group-Based on the words students circle, identify focus words for this mini-lesson. For example, you might choose cackled, piteously, vigorous, and anticipation. Display and/or distribute a word meaning Chart with the focus words listed. Have students reread “The Fox and the Geese” and identify all the words listed. Provide students with copies of print dictionaries or access to online dictionaries to use in finding the meaning of each word. Have students write a sentence for each word to demonstrate their understanding of its meaning. Circulate among groups and help students determine how to find a word with an inflected ending,such as cackled or piteously. Make sure they know they will have to look up cackle and piteous and extrapolate the meaning of the inflected form.”
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Lesson 4, Short Read 1 Mini-Lesson, students reread and annotate a short read and use context clues to help determine the meaning of new words. Students work with partners to complete a graphic organizer that includes the word, context clues, and a definition. “Reread and Annotate-Ask students to skim the selection and circle the words annual and proverbs on page 4, and moral on page 5. Ask them to underline any context clues or information that might help them define these words. Have them write their definitions in the margins of the text. Partner-Display and/or distribute the Word Meaning Chart. Have partners share their annotations and definitions to complete the chart. Allow partners access to print and/or online dictionaries to help them confirm their definitions. As students engage in the task, observe and monitor their work to determine whether they need additional support to use the strategy.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Benchmark Grade 3 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:

• Materials provide multi-level Reader’s Theater scripts for small group instruction that allow students to practice fluency and comprehension skills. “Multi-leveled Reader’s Theater scripts build fluency and comprehension. The five-day lesson plans provided in the Reader's Theater Teacher's Handbook support students in building fluency, developing oral expression, and increasing vocabulary.”
  • In Unit 4, Week 3, the Reader’s Theater Script is Hansel and Gretel: The True Story. The fluency objectives listed include: “Students will: Build fluency through echo-reading, choral-reading, and repeated reading. Read with dramatic expression.”
  • In Unit 9, 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 104–115.” Directions include suggestions for Modeling, preparing, and feedback for performances. For example, the Handbook teacher notes state, “Model Fluency: Read with Phrasing—High-Frequency Word Phrases:
    • Explain that fluent readers make their reading sound like talking. One way they do this is by grouping words into phrases. Direct students’ attention to page 4. Ask them to identify words they recognize. Demonstrate how to use context to con rm or self- correct word recognition and understanding.
      • Next, read aloud the section, grouping the high-frequency words into phrases.
      • Say: Turn and talk to a partner. Did my reading sound like talking? How did this help you understand what Vicki is saying?
  • Reader’s Theater materials provide independent reading time of the script for students to practice silent reading fluency. “Have students reread the script as a small group, with a partner, or independently by following along with the interactive e-book.”

Materials support reading or 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 1, Book 2, Lesson 2, Reader’s Theater, students first listen to a teacher model reading fluency with dramatic expression and then practice reading the script with dramatic expression. Students then reread the script and apply what they have learned to a section of the script. “Practice Fluency: Read with Dramatic Expression Characterization/Feelings. Have students choral read the same section, paying attention to the punctuation and using it to help them read with fluent expression. Provide general corrective feedback and/or validate students' efforts.”
• In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 7, Short Read 2 Mini-Lesson, students practice skimming and partner read the poems “Two Famous Poems” during whole group instruction.
• In Unit 4, Week 3, Lesson 6, Extended Read 2 Mini-Lesson, when practicing reading a play titled “The True Jack,” the teacher models reading with and without expression. For a second reading, the teacher reads with expression. Students are placed in pairs and assigned portions of the play to practice reading with expression.
• In Unit 6, Week 2, Lesson 3, students practice building fluency. The Teacher Edition states, “ Explain that fluent reading requires readers to read with characterization and feeling. Follow the fluency routine to model this skill and provide guided practice. Use paragraphs 3-6 of ‘Doctor Knowall.’ During independent time, have students partner-read this paragraph for additional practice. “ The fluency routine is Read with Expression–Characterization/Feelings. The routine includes:
  • Model: Explain that fluent reading requires readers to show a character’s personality and feelings. Ask students to listen and follow along as you read a short excerpt in two different ways. First read aloud the text using a flat, emotionless tone. Next read aloud the same text, this time altering your voice to reflect the character’s feelings. Say: Turn and talk to a partner. How did your understanding of the character(s) change during my second reading? Based on your monitoring of partners’ conversations, you may wish to read the section again with appropriate expression.
  • Practice: Have students choral-read the same section, paying attention to the character’s feelings and using their understanding to read with appropriate expression. 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 8, Week 1, Lesson 2, Short Read 1 Mini-Lesson, the teacher reads aloud the poem “Fairweather Clouds,” to students for the first reading and tells students to, “pay particular attention to words and phrases that appeal to the five senses.” For the second reading, the teacher is instructed to, “ask students to reread the poem independently or with a partner and to underline words and phrases that helped them visualize the natural setting described in the poem.” A challenge activity that would provide additional fluency practice is also provided.
• 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 3. 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). For example:

• In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 2, 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 paragraph 2 of “Animal Disguises.” During independent time, have students partner-read this paragraph 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 wow 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 7, Week 2, Lesson 12, Word Study & Vocabulary, the teacher models using context clues to determine the meaning of homophones in a text, “I see the word past, spelled p-a-s-t. I know that there is another word that sounds the same: passed, spelled p-a-s-s-e-d. If I were to hear this sentence read aloud, I could use the context clue “old” and the fact that the word is being used as a noun to understand that the correct form here is p-a-s-t.” Students read “The Levi Coffin House” and use context clues to interpret homophones.
• In Unit 10, Week 1, Lesson 10, when reading the text “What Makes Things Move” the teacher discusses how to use context clues to determine the meanings of scientific terms, “This paragraph tells me that a force is what causes movement or “any change in the position of an object.” This context clue is somewhat clear, but I’m not positive I understand. Let’s imagine that the text didn’t define these terms. To get a better idea of what force means, I can consult a dictionary.”