2nd Grade - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations of Indicator 2c.

Some designated questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas across a text(s). By the end of the year, integrating knowledge and ideas is embedded in students’ work (via tasks and/or culminating tasks).

Sets of questions and tasks that provide opportunities to analyze within single texts include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 3, students determine the central message of the Short Read, “The Foolish Milkmaid.” Students answer the following questions: “In paragraph 2, what key details support the idea that Molly is thinking too far ahead? How would you summarize what the author wants the reader to learn from the story? Think about the essential question: ‘What can we learn when we face problems?’ What could Molly learn by facing her problems?”
• In Unit 5, the Introduction page lists the unit topic as “famous and lesser-known inventors and their important inventions.” In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 3, the text used is “A Woman with Vision.” Questions that provide opportunities for students to analyze the text are: “What does the author want to describe in paragraph 1? What important points does the author make in paragraph 2? What reasons does the author give to support those points in paragraph 2? How do the images support the points? What is the author’s main purpose for writing this text?”
• In Unit 6, Week 3, students engage in an extended reading of the text Why the Sky Is Far Away by Eileen Robinson and write a summary that they can use to synthesize information from the text to find a new understanding of what they think is happening. Questions to support this task include: “Why did the sky become angry? How did the people change?”
• In Unit 7, Week 3, Day 4, students practice describing a connection between a series of events using the Extended Read text, “A Dinosaur Named SUE.” The students work together in groups to reread the text and discuss a Close Reading prompt that the Teacher Edition classifies as a Level 3 Depth of Knowledge task. The Close Reading prompt says, “Review the journal entries for August 11th and 12th. Describe the series of events that lead to the discovery of the bones.” During independent time, students answer another text-based question, “Review the journal entries for August 14th–September 1st. What events had to happen for SUE to make it to the museum?”
• In Unit 9, Week 3, students read and analyze “Cherokee Art Fair” for five lessons spanning four days. On Day 1, students read and annotate the text. They discuss key details, key plot events, and conflict of the text. On Day 2, students discuss how illustrations and words contribute to an understanding of the story. They also compare formal and informal language. On Day 3, students determine the meaning of words and phrases in the text. On Day 4, students describe how characters respond to events and challenges in small groups.

Examples of sets of questions and tasks provide opportunities to analyze across multiple texts, include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 5, Week 3, Day 4, students compare and contrast key points in two texts on the same topic. The texts used are “Two Famous Inventors” by Margaret McNamara and “Robots Go to School” by Kathy Kafer. Students work in small groups to answer the question, “How are Thomas Edison’s inventions of the phonograph and the first movie camera similar to the school robot?”
• In Unit 6, Week 1, students engage in a short reading of Village of the Moon Rain by Grace Lin and reference a previously read text to address the learning target of summarizing and synthesizing. Directions are as follows: “When you read ‘Can You Sew a Flag, Betsy Ross?’ you practiced summarizing and synthesizing the text. Today, you will be summarizing and synthesizing story events in ‘Village of the Moon Rain’ as you read.”
• In Unit 9, Week 2, Day 5, a learning target for the lesson is “demonstrate understanding by comparing and contrasting steps in procedures in two texts.” Questions include: “Reread paragraphs 2–4 in ‘From Tree to Baseball Bat’ and paragraphs 3–6 in ‘From Pine Tree to Pizza Box.’ How are the steps in making a pizza box similar to the steps in making a baseball bat?” During the independent time, students find connections between a series of steps or events in an informational text.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations of Indicator 2d.

Each culminating task or extended writing project incorporates texts from throughout the unit while allowing students to use outside sources as appropriate. Most culminating tasks provide students the opportunity to demonstrate comprehension and knowledge of a topic or topics. Every unit has an Inquiry and Research project and a Unit Reflection with Constructive Conversation that are centered around the Essential Question and unit topic. Students use texts and knowledge gained from the unit in all tasks including writing tasks. Each week contains texts, writing tasks, and discussions leading to the culminating tasks for the unit. Additionally, a pacing chart for the project assigns student goals with teacher support (along with project rubrics) to assess students’ work on the project.

Culminating tasks are provided and they are multifaceted, requiring students to demonstrate mastery of several different standards (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) at the appropriate grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 4, the Essential Question is “How can a story change depending on who tells it?” and the unit topic is “Many Characters, Many Points of View.” One culminating writing task for the unit is a diary entry from the point of view of a villager from the story “Stone Soup.” Students write a narrative over Weeks 2 and 3. In Week 1, students read “Stone Soup” and learn about first person point of view. In Week 2, students review the story and then plan and draft their diary entries. In Week 3, students describe feelings in writing and revise and share their diary entries.
• In Unit 5, students complete one three-week opinion writing task. The teacher provides students with prompts to generate discussion as students come up with their ideas for their opinion text related to the unit topic: “Think of an invention that has affected your life or a scientific discovery that you think is important. Draw from your own experience to form an opinion.” Students share with partners and with the class. The culminating activity is to publish their text using a computer to type it, considering margins, font, readability, and images.
• In Unit 7, Week 3, Day 5, students practice listening and speaking in another culminating task. In this task, students participate in Constructive Conversations about the accomplishments of people in the past and how their accomplishments affect people today. The teacher reviews expectations for Constructive Conversations and, with two students, models stating an idea, clarifying it, and supporting and building it up. The teacher also reminds students to use facts, key details, and examples from their close-reading texts, their independent reading, and their own life when participating in Constructive Conversations.
• In Unit 8, the Inquiry and Research project is about forces of nature. Students pick a force of nature from one of the unit texts then find other sources about the force of nature. Students research the force of nature and how it affects the natural world. The project is three weeks long. After researching, students plan a written and/or digital presentation and present to the class.
• In Unit 9, students participate in a Constructive Conversation on the topic “how people make, trade, and buy and sell things in the past and today,” in reference to the text Buyers and Sellers. This conversation introduces an additional element than what was used in Unit 5. In addition to the previous steps of the Constructive Conversation, now students evaluate and compare different ideas that have been presented or generated in the discussion. During the conversation, students “support their ideas with details from the anchor texts, their own reading, or personal experiences.” At the end, a few students share how they used the Constructive Conversation strategies in their conversations. The teacher encourages students to use these strategies in other important conversations.
• In Unit 10, Week 3, Day 5, students practice listening and speaking in another culminating task. In this task, students participate in Constructive Conversations about how matter can change. Specifically, students focus their conversations on responding to the question, ”Why is it important to study the different states of matter?” The teacher reviews expectations for Constructive Conversations and reminds students to support opinions with text evidence. The students conduct their Constructive Conversations in pairs. The teacher selects students to share the highlights of their conversation with the whole class.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations of Indicator 2f.

Materials include a year’s worth of writing instruction aligned to the standards for the grade level that provide both depth and breadth of writing instruction and practice. The materials include well-designed lesson plans covering a variety of genres, both process and on-demand writing, and teacher and student protocols. Students receive explicit instruction that guides them through the writing process in Writing Workshops lessons. Lessons also include mentor texts, shared readings, poetry, and short reads that provide students with opportunities to examine the text features of a specific genre and the styles and techniques of authors. The materials include a writing development guide for the grade level as well as writing rubrics. The materials also include a multitude of graphic organizers—Venn diagram, T-Chart, compare/contrast—and rubrics that address content, presentation, and effort and collaboration during Inquiry and Research Projects.

Students engage in writing each day throughout all units. Students are provided with models to support them throughout the unit as their writing grows in sophistication across the year.

Beginning of the year examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Day 2, during the Guided Practice section, the teacher and class co-create a Note-Taking Chart referring to Paragraph 3 of the text, “Habitats Around the World.” During the Independent Writing section, students refer to the text and collect facts and details from the text to use in their writing, using a Note-Taking Chart. Students look at specific paragraphs and captions as well as domain-specific words that they will use in their essays.
• In Unit 1, students respond to this writing prompt during the unit assessment: ”Where would you be likely to find a chirping frog? Tell what that place is like. Tell why the chirping frog lives there. Use details from ‘Traveling Frogs of Texas’ to support your answer.”
• In Unit 2, students write an opinion essay in response to a text-based prompt. Initially, instruction includes teacher modeling with anchor charts and the students discuss their prompts and ideas with peers. By the end of Week 3, students draft their introductions and body paragraphs with teacher guidance during the independent writing portion of Writer's Workshop.
• In Unit 3, students complete one writing task as part of their Unit 3 assessment. Students read the passages, “Will There Be War?” and “A Worker for the People,” and answer questions. The writing task at the end of the assessment states: “You have read two passages about Congress. Write a report about serving in the U.S. Congress. Explain what a person in Congress does. Use details from both passages in your answer.” The writing task also provides additional reminders and directions about planning the report and writing the response in the form of a multi-paragraph essay.

Middle of the year examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 3, students write a fictional diary entry as if they were one of the characters in the book, “How the Beetle Got Its Gorgeous Coat.” During the Model portion of the lesson, the teacher uses a Diary Entry Planning Guide that was previously used, and students help to add more information to the chart from the text. During Independent Time, students continue to read the text and fill out the Diary Entry Planning Guide.
• In Unit 5, students learn about opinion writing and spend three weeks utilizing a Mentor Text, brainstorming their topic and opinion, developing their reasons, and planning and organizing their essays. The teacher guides the students along in the process with anchor charts, modeling, and guided practice which allows the students to collaborate with peers and help with revising their work. Teacher instruction is 50% and student independence is 50%.
• In Unit 6, students complete a short writing task and an extended writing task as part of the assessment. The students read the passages, “Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky” and “Over There and Home Again,” and answer questions. The short writing task states: “You have read two passages, ‘Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky’ and ‘Over There and Home Again.’ Think about Sun and Lizard. How are their ideas and views different? Write two or three sentences. Use details from both passages to support your answer.” The writing task at the end of the assessment states: “Think of a time when you visited a different place or met someone different from you. Write a personal narrative telling what happened, where you were, and who was with you. Tell about the events in time order. Follow the conventions of standard written English.” The writing task also provides additional reminders and directions about planning the report and writing the response in the form of a multi-paragraph narrative.
• In Unit 7, students write narrative nonfiction letters over the course of three weeks to create one finished piece. Students must include a greeting and closing statement. The narrative portion must be a true detailed account of an event or events written in first-person. Details should describe actions, thoughts, and feelings.

End of the year examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 8, Week 1, Day 2, students take notes as they prepare to write their research report about how “wind and water change Earth.” The teacher models how to use a five-row Research Report-Taking Chart to gather information to use in the report. During the Guided and Independent Practice time, students gather ideas and sources for their writing, but they are not specifically told to use the modeled Research Report-Taking Chart.
• In Unit 9, students create a multimedia presentation on a topic of their choice. The teacher provides a rubric, an anchor chart, and various opportunities for students to watch and engage in the presentation to identify key features of their topic, such as a map, illustration, and photos.
• In Unit 10, students complete a short writing task and an extended writing task as part of the assessment. Students read the passages, “Making Snow Globes at Home” and “Making Crystals,” and answer questions. The short writing task states: “Think about the two passages you have read, ‘Making Snow Globes at Home’ and ‘Making Crystals.’ How are the projects in these two passages alike? Write two or three sentences to explain. Use details from both passages to support your answer.” The writing task at the end of the assessment states: “Think about the two passages you have read, ‘Making Snow Globes at Home’ and ‘Making Crystals.’ Think of a time when you or someone you know turned something old into something new. Write a poem telling what happened, where it happened, and who was there. You may use rhyming in your poem if you wish.” The writing task also provides additional reminders and directions about planning the report and writing the response in the form of a multi-stanza poem.

Instructional materials include well-designed lesson plans, models, and protocols for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development. Some examples include:

• The Independent and Small Group Writing and conferring block contain specific guidance for teachers to help students: “Directive feedback, Self-Monitoring and Reflection, and Validating and Confirming.”
• Writing lessons always have five components: Engage thinking, Model, Prepare for Independent Writing, and Share and Reflect.
• Grade 2 writing exemplars for the three types of writing—opinion, narrative, informative/explanatory—are available in the Benchmark Online Platform.
• Each lesson has an accompanying Anchor chart and/or Sample Shared writing and lists the text or Mentor Writing to which the writing lesson refers.
• In Unit 1, Week 2, Day 2, the Writing lesson is structured as follows: Engage Thinking - one minute; Model - five minutes; Guided Practice - five minutes; Prepare for Independent Writing - two minutes; Share and Reflect - two minutes. The lesson contains clear teacher directions for things to model, questions to ask, and a protocol for taking notes in preparation for student writing.
• In Unit 2, students complete a Culminating Research and Project Inquiry project during which they spend three weeks deepening their understanding of the unit topic, The Importance of Government. Instructional materials include rubrics for both the teacher and student, and a lesson plan outlining the introduction, exploration, presentation, and three-week pacing chart of the project.
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 1, students learn about the process of writing an informative/explanatory essay. The teacher introduces this type of writing by displaying and distributing an Informative/Explanatory Essay Writing Checklist. This checklist details eight characteristics of a strong informative/explanatory essay. Students refer to this checklist at each step of the writing process in order to evaluate their writing. In this lesson, the students and teacher also read and analyze a Mentor Informative/Explanatory Essay. First, the teacher models how to find evidence of two key features. Next, students work with partners to find more examples of features of an informative/explanatory essay. Then, during independent time, students continue the analysis. Students also write in response to the question, “What are the features of an informative/explanatory essay?”
• In Unit 4, Week 1, Day 3, the Writing Lesson is structured as follows: Engage Thinking - one minute; Model - five minutes; Guided Practice - five minutes; Prepare for Independent Writing - two minutes; Share and Reflect - two minutes. The lesson contains clear directions for the teacher for things to model, questions to ask, and a protocol for taking notes in preparation for student writing.
• In Unit 5, the materials include Comprehension Quick Check assessments based on the reading skills taught in the unit. The quick checks consist of informational and literary passages and students submit written answers, short and extended responses. Instructional materials include teacher assessment books and passages to make copies for each student, in addition to answer keys and scoring guides.
• In Unit 6, Week 1, Day 1, students learn about the process of writing narrative fiction. The teacher introduces this type of writing by displaying and distributing a Narrative Writing Checklist. This checklist details the characteristics of strong narrative fiction. Students refer to this checklist at each step or the writing process in order to evaluate their writing. In this lesson, students also learn about the elements of strong narrative fiction by reading and analyzing the text, “Stone Soup,” which students read in Unit 4. First, the teacher models how to find evidence of key literary elements, including characters, setting, problem, and theme, at the beginning, middle, and end of the text. The teacher uses a three-column chart to list some characteristics and examples from the text. Next, students work with partners to create their own beginning, middle, and end chart. Partners reread “Stone Soup” and identify the events that happen in the middle. Students annotate the text and discuss what they learn about the characters and how the characters start to solve the problem. Then, the teacher brings the class back together to have partners share the events they recorded and discuss how the middle of a story is important. Later, during independent time, students continue the analysis by completing their charts and identifying the solution to the story’s problem and the overall theme.
• In Unit 8, Week 1, Day 2, the Writing lesson is structured as follows: Engage Thinking - one minute; Model - five minutes; Guided Practice - five minutes; Prepare for Independent Writing - two minutes; Share and Reflect - two minutes. The lesson contains clear directions for the teacher for things to model, questions to ask, and a protocol for taking notes in preparation for student writing.
• In Unit 9, the materials include Comprehension Quick Check assessments based on the reading skills taught in the unit. The quick checks consist of informational and literary passages and students submit written answers, short and extended responses. Instructional materials include teacher assessment books and passages to make copies for each student, in addition to answer keys and scoring guides.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations of Indicator 2g.

Research projects are sequenced across a school year to include a progression of research skills. Inquiry and research project tasks are similar throughout the year, but the texts used for research increase in complexity. Materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge on a topic via provided resources. The Teacher Edition contains a resource that outlines the information for the Research and Inquiry Projects. It describes the project’s parameters, guiding questions, student expectations, recommendations for modeling research skills, as well as a detailed pacing guide. The materials also contain separate student and teacher rubrics to guide the projects. Teachers guide students through various writing tasks and culminating tasks that are heavily based on unit materials, with opportunities for students to bring in outside sources and experiences as appropriate. Students complete Inquiry and Research projects for every unit. Students use graphic organizers and find key details from unit texts. Materials provide many opportunities for students to apply Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language skills to synthesize and analyze per their grade-level readings. All Inquiry and Research projects and writing research tasks contain reading or listening to a text, discussing texts, a writing component, and speaking through discussions and presentations. It should be noted that while there are various graphic organizers used from project to project, there is not a clear progression of increased expectations of research skills throughout the year.

Examples of student opportunities to engage in short (1–2 days) projects across grades and grade bands include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Day 2, students read “Emperor Penguin Habitat” and annotate the key details in their Texts for Close Reading workbooks.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 4, using the text, “The Daydreaming Sprinter,” students create a chart that demonstrates connections to self, other text, or world. Students discuss their chart with partners.
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Days 4–5, students read the unit text, Can You Sew a Flag, Betsy Ross? Over the course of two days, students use text-based questions to explore the characters in the story and how each point of view, or what a character thinks, is different from the other. Working in pairs, students find answers to the questions and detail their responses in their own words, researching supporting evidence annotated from the text.
• In Unit 6, Week 3, Day 5, students read the poem, Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face by Jack Prelutsky, and discuss how he uses alliteration and humor in this poem. Students read stanzas four and five on pages 28–29, annotate for alliteration and humor, and incorporate sentence frames when rereading with a partner. Students reference the Features of Poetry anchor chart during this work.
• In Unit 8, Week 1, Day 3, students learn how to take notes from an illustration or photograph. The teacher uses the Research Report Note-Taking Chart and the illustrated map from the Research Report Mentor text to model taking notes. Then students work with partners to write one detail they learned from the graphics in a different chosen source.
• In Unit 9, Week 3, Day 3, using the text, “Cherokee Art Fair,” students respond to the following questions: “What does the phrase ‘crack of dawn’ mean in paragraph 13 on page 24? What words in the paragraph help you determine the meaning of ‘crack of dawn?’" Students annotate the text and work with a partner as needed.

Examples of student opportunities to engage in long (3 + days) projects across grades and grade bands include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, the Inquiry and Research project is about animal habitats. Students pick either wolverine, Komodo dragon, or ground squirrel from one of the unit texts, then find other sources about the animal. Students read to research the habitat of the animal and how the habitat aids survival. Students also discuss why the animal could not live in other habitats discussed in the unit. The project is three weeks long. Students research the animals, plan a written and/or digital presentation, and present to the class.
• In Unit 2, the three-week Culminating Research and Inquiry Project is related to the unit theme, Explore Variant Tales. Materials include a sample pacing guide for the teacher to guide students in the completion of different tasks each week in preparation for the presentation. Before students complete research using outside sources, teacher guidance states: “[M]odel how to reread and extract information from a Unit text. Then model choosing and evaluating another information source that will help you answer the guiding questions.” Materials do not suggest graphic organizers or tools for student use as they were in previous grades. Students may use “a variety of digital tools” in the presentation of their project. The teacher encourages students to use presentation options, like audio recordings and visual displays, that they may not have considered.
• In Unit 3, students complete a Culminating Research and Inquiry project to deepen their understanding of the unit topic, The Importance of Government. Students use one or more of the unit texts to read about and research what makes our government important to the people who live in this country. Using guiding questions which address the Essential Question, Cross-Text Analysis, and Enduring Understanding, students then conduct research to gather information from additional sources in order to create and deliver a presentation that demonstrates their knowledge of the unit.
• In Unit 4, the Inquiry and Research project is about countries and cultures. Students pick either India, Brazil, or France from one of the unit texts then find other sources about the country. Students read to conduct research on the culture of the country and the points of view of the people of the country based on their experiences unique to their country. The project is three weeks long. Students research the country, plan a written and/or digital presentation, and present to the class.
• In Unit 6, students complete a Culminating Research and Inquiry project in which they read texts by two famous authors, Grace Lin and Jack Prelutsky. Students research these authors and also choose an additional author of interest to them to research. Students combine information from the unit texts with information from additional sources to create and deliver a presentation that demonstrates their knowledge of each author and his or her work.
• In Unit 7, students engage in a three-week Research and Inquiry Project to deepen their understanding of the unit topic, Investigating the Past. As individuals or small groups, students research one of the topics featured in the unit texts. Students draw on information from the unit texts as well as information from one or more primary sources to create and deliver a presentation that demonstrates their knowledge about the topic. The teacher provides three detailed guiding questions to help students focus their research. The teacher models how to reread and extract information from a unit text. The teacher also models choosing and evaluating other sources and information that help to answer the guiding questions.
• In Unit 9, the three-week writing task includes a Multimedia Presentation. Each day of the three-week period, students learn about a different component required to complete the multimedia presentation, including steps such as brainstorming the topic, making a storyboard, recounting a sequence of events, adding drawings and visual elements, rehearsing the presentation, and presenting. Each day, students have the opportunity to refer to the mentor presentation and outside sources to build their understanding of the process as well as the content of their presentation. For example, on Week 2, Day 3, students reference the conclusion of the mentor presentation before preparing their own conclusion. Students work on their conclusion using presentation software or chart paper. Finally, students discuss each step of the process daily with a partner for feedback and reflection.
• In Unit 10, students engage in a three-week Research and Inquiry Project to deepen their understanding of the unit topic, States of Matter. As individuals or in small groups, students research how matter changes from one state, or form, to another. The teacher instructs students to choose one example from the unit texts and one from their research. Students combine information from the unit texts with information from additional sources to create and deliver a presentation that demonstrates their knowledge about changes in matter. The teacher provides three detailed guiding questions to help students focus their research. The teacher models how to reread and extract information from a unit text. The teacher also models choosing and evaluating other sources and information that help to answer the guiding questions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations of Indicator 2h.

Most texts are organized with built-in supports and scaffolds to foster independence. A lot of time is spent on phonics with students reading the same text multiple times. Materials provide support for struggling readers through E-books and partner grouping. Materials often repeat skills practice during independent reading time after the skills have been modeled by the teacher. There is sufficient teacher guidance to foster independence for all readers.

The Foundations and Routines book gives guidance for independent reading during Reading Workshop. The Managing Your Independent Reading Program document contains substantial support for teachers to set up and run an effective independent reading program. There is a proposed schedule for independent reading. The Comprehensive Literacy Planner document gives 30–60 minutes per day for “Small Group, Independent Reading, and Conferring.” There is a tracking system to track independent reading. Student reading logs can be found in the Managing your Independent Reading Program document, along with Leveled Reading Response forms for students to use after independent reading. Student reading materials span a wide volume of texts at grade levels. The read alouds, shared reading, small group reading, and reader’s theater texts provide a great volume of reading to students around various topics and themes, both literary and informational. There is an appropriate balance of reading in and outside of class. Guidance within the Managing Your Independent Reading Program document requires students to read at home for 20 minutes daily. This is in addition to the wide variety of texts that students read throughout the day and week in class.

Examples of materials that provide a design and accountability, for how students will regularly engage in independent reading include, but are not limited to:

• The Managing Your Independent Reading Program document indicate that students have time for independent reading during their Language Arts block at school and at home. The materials state that, at school, “Students may participate in daily independent reading during the Independent and Collaborative Activity block, while the teacher meets with small groups of students to conduct differentiated small-group instruction, model fluency, skills through reader’s theater, or reteach skills and strategies.” The document also contains the following information:
• Additional Resources states: “Within Benchmark Advance, students may participate in daily independent reading during the Independent and Collaborative Activity block, while the teacher meets with small groups…In addition, a list of recommended, award-winning trade books is provided for every unit in Benchmark Advance (at the end of this section), with titles that expand on the unit concepts and essential questions.” However, these books are not part of the core curriculum purchase.
• Program Support states, “Students should also be encouraged to develop a routine of reading daily at home for a minimum of 20 minutes, either independently or with a parent. During independent reading, students keep reading logs and reading response journals. The teacher is required to review these logs and journals and to conference regularly with individual students to monitor their progress.” The document also states “the teacher should conduct reading conference with each student as often as possible.”
• Resources contain the following documents to support Independent Reading: Conference Form, Reading Log, Reading Response forms (three different level responses), and Individual Reading Program Checklist.
• Accountability measures include student reading logs, reading responses, and teacher-student conferences. The Resources tab of the support materials contains reproducible scaffolded reading response forms, lists of prompts for reading responses, and reading logs. Students use the reading log to record the title of their book, author, genre, and date completed or date abandoned.
• Benchmark Advance offers a list of 23 ideas for mini-lessons topics for the teacher to use in order to establish independent reading routines. Examples include, “Selecting Books and Enjoying Independent Reading,” “Seeking Help During Independent Reading Time,” “Making Good Book Choices,” and “Abandoning Books.”
• The independent reading support materials offer guidance on how teachers can help students choose books on their independent reading levels. For example, one suggestion is a scaffolded protocol, the Three-Finger Method for emergent and early readers and the Five-Finger Method for fluent readers. The protocols direct students to count the number of words they either can’t pronounce or don’t understand. The protocol indicates that books are too difficult for early and emergent readers when they make three mistakes on a given page and are too difficult for fluent readers when they make five mistakes on a given page.
• Each unit includes a Components at a Glance—Small Group Reading Instruction/Independent Reading and Conferring document. This document states, “[E]nsure that all students have the opportunity to read self- and teacher-selected titles daily. Students should read for about 30 minutes. At this time of the year, many students may need to build volume and stamina. In this unit, encourage these students to read for at least 15–20 minutes at a time.”
• The materials recommend specific topics for anchor charts for the teacher to create with the students. These anchor charts outline procedures and strategies for students to use during independent reading. Examples of recommended anchor charts include “How to Check Out and Return a Book,” “Where Good Readers Read,” “How to Find an E-Book,” and “Ways to Choose Books.”
• The Grade 2 Foundations and Routines book includes many lessons to teach students the Reading Workshop routines for independent reading. If students are not in a small group with the teacher during Reading Workshop time, they are either writing or doing independent reading.
• In Unit 2, Week 3, Day 1, Independent Reading time is spent fully engaged with a small group book, applying the learning target, and showing evidence of comprehension with sticky notes in the text. Students reference the anchor chart that was created during the modeling portion of the mini-lesson. Teacher guidance is as follows:
• “Guided Practice: Annotate, Pair, and Share: Have partners read the rest of the ‘Great Girls’ Contest’ and make connections to Willow’s attempts to solve her problems. Ask them to underline text they make connections to and write a short paragraph to explain these connections.”
• “Review Fix-Up Strategies: Read Out Loud to Support Comprehension: Remind students that readers constantly monitor their own comprehension. When they come to a part they don’t understand, they can read the text out loud to clarify something they found confusing. Reread paragraph 2 aloud to model how you do this.”
• “Apply Understanding: Tell students that during independent time, you would like them to make personal connections to a leveled text they have previously read. Have them mark with a sticky note the part of the story they made a personal connection to. Students should be prepared to share their findings during a conference or at the small-group reading table.”
• In Unit 5, Week 3, Day 1, Independent Reading time is spent fully engaged with a small group book, applying the learning target, and showing evidence of comprehension with sticky notes in the text. Teacher guidance includes:
• “Guided Practice: Annotate, Pair, and Share: Display the text and guide students through previewing the text and graphic features, such as the headings, photos, captions, and text boxes. Have students read paragraphs 1–2 in small peer groups and underline details that tell about the main topic. Have students put a star next to details that are important to understanding the topic. Encourage students to monitor their comprehension and ask questions as they read to guide their understanding of the text.”
• “Review Fix-Up Strategies: Read Out Loud to Support Comprehension: Remind students that readers constantly monitor their own comprehension. When they come to a part they don’t understand, they can read the text out loud to clarify something they found confusing. Reread paragraph 2 aloud to model how you do this.”
• “Apply Understanding: Tell students that during independent time, you would like them to finish reading ‘Robots Go to School.’ Have students find two important details and one interest, but unimportant detail. Instruct students to underline the details and put a star next to the important details.”