The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria of Indicator 1c.

The majority of core/anchor texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade. Most of the texts have an appropriate Lexile level, though almost all of the texts are considered qualitatively low. Many reader and task measures are moderate or challenging, though many In the ELA Lesson Plans are considered accessible since the teacher either models or co-creates the written response with the students. The Bookworms K–1 Teacher Manual, Shared Reading Lesson Plans, and ELA Lesson Plans outline the rationale for the educational purpose and placement of the texts included in the program. Although the Shared Reading and ELA Lesson Plans include Lexile levels and genres for each text, materials do not provide qualitative or reader and task complexity information.

Texts have a variety of complexity levels for the grade according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to their associated student task. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 10, students read Henry and Mudge: The First Book by Cynthia Rylant, which has an overall complexity level of complex. The Lexile is 460L, which is appropriate, but is considered qualitatively low. The reader and task level is complex because students explain whether they think Norman and Bubbles are friends in Arhtur’s Back to School Day based on what they learned about friendship in this book. 

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 45, students read Practice Makes Perfect for Rotten Ralph by David A. Adler, which is considered complex. The Lexile is 580L, which is appropriate, but the qualitative features are low. The reader and task is considered moderate as the student retells what has happened in the story in a written response. 

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 11, students read and listen to Judy Moody Saves the World! by Megan McDonald, which is considered very complex. The quantitative level is 570L, which falls within the Grades 2–3 Lexile Stretch Band and the qualitative measure is moderate. The reader and task is considered challenging since students respond to the prompt, “Do you think it’s right that one person can change the world? Why or why not? Provide a clear opinion, and then give reasons.”

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 10, students read Magic Tree House: Day of the Dragon King, which is considered to be moderately complex; however, the quantitative level is below expectations at 360L and the qualitative features are considered low. The reader and task is moderate as students write a retelling of the story. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 34, students listen to Where in the Wild: Camouflaged Creatures Concealed... and Revealed by David M. Schwartz, which has an overall complexity level of moderate. The Lexile is 620L which is below the Grades 2–3 Lexile Stretch Band for a read aloud; however, the qualitative features are considered moderate. The reader and task is considered accessible because students create a Venn diagram with the labels of predator, prey, or both using animals not in the text. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 12, students listen to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, which is considered moderately complex. The Lexile is a 730AD but the qualitative features are considered low. The reader and task is considered accessible since students write a wacky weather report either independently, in pairs, or in small groups. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 50, students listen to Poppy by Avi, which is considered moderately complex. The Lexile is a 670L, which is considered below level for a read aloud. The qualitative features are considered moderate, though the reader and task is considered accessible since the teacher models or co-writes an invitation from Poppy to come to Bannock Hill for a celebration. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 7, students listen to Cinderella by Marcia Brown, which is considered moderately complex. The quantitative level is 840L, which is appropriate for a read aloud and the qualitative features measure low. The reader and task also measure low because the teacher models or co-creates a written response with the students. 

Anchor/Core texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by an accurate text complexity analysis and a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level.

• The provided text complexity documentation is limited to Lexile levels. Materials do not provide qualitative or associated task complexity information. The accuracy of the provided quantitative measures was verified using MetaMetrics on The Lexile Framework for Reading site.

• The Bookworms 2–5 Teacher Manual includes a Choosing and Using Books section. Within this section of the manual, the Building A Culturally Responsive Text Collection and a Culturally-Sustaining Curriculum portion gives an overview of the changes the publisher made with regard to the texts included in the program: “We adopted a style guide in the curriculum to capitalize both Black  and White to represent the importance of racial identity and avoid the implication that white was the standard and Black an outlier. We adopted the  term multilingual to replace English language learner to celebrate home language as an asset.” Then, the manual explains grade-specific text selection changes or replacements. Rationales for text selection include choosing texts that fit the grade level themes, are engaging to students, and help build a more culturally responsive text collection. 

• The Module Overview page for the Shared Reading and ELA Lesson Plans explains how the selected unit texts work together. For example, in the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, the Module Overview page contains the following information: “In Unit 1: New Beginnings, students will read about the different ways people might react to something new. These two texts work together to introduce fiction text structure and demonstrate the idea that the same theme can be expressed across multiple texts.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria of Indicator 1d.

In both Shared Reading and ELA, the texts do not increase in complexity over the course of the year. While the quantitative measure in Shared Reading increases from 450L–630L in Module 1 to 360L–840L in Module 4, the qualitative measure remains low. In addition, the associated task measure does not build in complexity to support literacy skills. In ELA, more than half of the interactive read-aloud texts are below the recommended Lexile Stretch Band for read-aloud texts and most texts are considered qualitatively low. There is no significant increase in overall text complexity across the school year and the end-of-reading task in all four modules have similar challenge levels, since the teacher either models the written responses or co-constructs the written response with the students. 

The complexity of some anchor texts students read and listen to provides an opportunity for students’ literacy skills to increase across the year, encompassing an entire year’s worth of growth. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, the quantitative complexity measure ranges from 450L–630L. The qualitative complexity rating for all texts is low and the associated task complexity measure ranges from accessible to challenging. The overall complexity of texts ranges from moderate to highly complex. For example, students read and listen to Henry and Mudge: The First Book by Cynthia Rylant, which has a Lexile of 460L, an appropriate Lexile level for a Grade 2 text; however, the qualitative complexity measure is rated as low. The associated task complexity is challenging, as students take what they learned about Henry and Mudge’s friendship to argue in writing whether they think Normal and Bubbles are friends from the text Arthur’s Back to School Day by Lillian Hoban. 

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, the quantitative complexity measure ranges from 560L–960L and the qualitative complexity rating for all texts is low except for one text, which is rated moderate. The associated task complexity rating for all texts is also moderate. The overall text complexity ranges from complex to highly complex. For example, students read Practice Makes Perfect for Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos, which has a Lexile of 580L, an appropriate Lexile level for a Grade 2 text. The qualitative complexity is low. The associated task complexity is considered moderate, as students write a retelling of what happened in the story.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, the quantitative complexity measure ranges from 500L–620L, which is a lower range than that of Module 2. The qualitative complexity rating for all texts is low, except for one text which is rated moderate. The associated task complexity measure ranges from moderate to challenging and the overall text complexity ranges from complex to very complex. For example, students read The Boxcar Children: Mystery of the Mummy’s Curse by Gertrude Chandler Warner, which has a Lexile of 590 and is  considered qualitatively low. The associate task complexity is considered moderate, as students write a different ending to the book. 

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, the quantitative complexity measure ranges from 360L–840L and the qualitative complexity measure for all texts is considered low. The associated task complexity measure ranges from moderate to challenging and the overall text complexity ranges from moderate to highly complex. For example, students read Time Warp Trio: It’s All Greek to Me by Jon Scieszka, which has a Lexile of 600L and is considered to have a low qualitative complexity; however, the associated task complexity is challenging, as students write a compare and contrast piece about ancient and modern Olympics.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, the quantitative complexity measure ranges from NC610–840L and the qualitative complexity measure for all texts is either considered low or moderate. The associated task complexity for all texts is rated accessible, as the teacher either models writing the written responses or co-constructs the written responses with students. The overall text complexity rating for all texts ranges from accessible to moderate. For example, students listen to Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry, which has a Lexile of 660 and falls below the Lexile Stretch Band for a read aloud text in Grade 2. The qualitative complexity is also considered low. The associated task complexity is accessible, as students respond to the following Respond Together prompt: “Let’s write about what we think it looked like when the students danced around the tarantella.” 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, the quantitative complexity measure ranges from 480L–AD70. The qualitative complexity of the texts are either low or moderate and the associated task complexity for all texts is accessible, as the teacher either models writing the response or co-constructs it with students. The overall text complexity ranges from moderate to complex, with most being moderate. For example, students listen to Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, which has a Lexile level of 680L and falls below the Lexile Stretch Band for a Grade 2 read aloud. The qualitative complexity measure is low and the associated task complexity is accessible, as the teacher models or co-constructs a letter to a young character in the book and suggests something they could do to make the world more beautiful. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3, the quantitative complexity measure ranges from AD590–970L. The qualitative complexity measure of all texts is either low or moderate and the associated task complexity measure ranges from accessible to moderate. The overall text complexity ranges from accessible to complex, with most being moderate. For example, students listen to Poppy by Avi, which has a Lexile of 670L and falls below the Lexile Stretch Band for a Grade 2 read aloud. The qualitative complexity is moderate and the associated task measure is considered accessible, as either the teacher or the teacher and students design an invitation from Poppy to come to Bannock Hill for a celebration. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 4, the quantitative complexity measure ranges from AD520–AD1070 and the qualitative complexity measure for all texts is either low or moderate. The associated task complexity measure for all texts is accessible. The overall text complexity ranges from accessible to complex, with most being moderate. For example, students listen to How a Plant Grows by Bobbie Kalman, which has a Lexile of 590L and falls below the Lexile Stretch Band for a read aloud text in Grade 2. The qualitative complexity is also considered low. The associated task complexity is considered moderate, as either the teacher or the teacher and students draw a diagram showing the roots of the plant, the step, and the leaves. They also write about the diagram.

As texts become more complex, some scaffolds and/or materials are provided in the Teacher Edition (i.e., spending more time on texts, more questions, repeated readings).  Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The amount of time spent on most texts in Shared Reading is five days; however, this amount increases for some texts later in the year.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, the Response Together prompt can either be modeled by the teacher, co-constructed with students, or completed by students independently. Although the Bookworms 2–5 Teacher Manual states that teachers can use the “extensive modeling language we have provided in writing instruction as a model for modeling,” materials do not provide modeled language for teachers to use. 

• The Bookworms 2–5 Teacher Manual states that each day’s text segment in the ELA Lesson Plans has scaffolding, which includes before-reading vocabulary instruction, repeated readings with teacher support fading to peer support, a comprehensive oral review of the gist during the discussion, and an ongoing summary in the form of a text-structure anchor chart. This scaffold does not change throughout the year.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria of Indicator 1e.

Students engage in a range and volume of texts in the Shared Reading and ELA blocks through teacher read aloud or choral reading. Students read roughly 60 texts in all and there is a range of text types amd genres, though the texts themselves are mostly trade books. Students have the opportunity to read and collaborate on both literary and informational texts. Students spend 45 minutes in each block interacting with either a shared text or a read aloud text, plus 15 minutes of reading an independent reading book. During Shared Reading, students engage in Dialogic Reading, which includes choral reading or partner reading. During ELA, students engage in an interactive read aloud. For independent reading, the program provides a curated list of suggested titles for the 15 minutes of free reading during Differentiated Instruction Block; however, materials do not include guidance for implementing independent reading in the classroom or a structure for accountability beyond a Read and Rate chart for students to complete after they have finished reading a book.

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in reading a variety of texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Across the 11 Shared Reading units, students listen to and read 24 full-length texts from a variety of text types and genres. Texts are first read aloud by the teacher, then chorally read by the class, and finally reread for a purpose with a partner. Students engage in Shared Reading daily. For example: 

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, students read and listen to Tale of a Tadpole by Karen Wallace, which is an informational text.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, students listen to the informational text The Mohawk People by Ryan Nagelhout.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, students listen to and read the biography Jackie Robinson by Sally M. Walker.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, students listen to and read the fantasy text Magic Tree House: Day of the Dragon King. 

• Across the 13 ELA units, students listen to 33 full-length texts. Students engage in the interactive read aloud daily.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 21, students listen to the informational text Magnets Push, Magnets Pull by Mark Weakland. 

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 10, students listen to the picture book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. 

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 19, students listen to the historical fiction text Dad, Jackie, and Me by Myron Uhlherg.

  • In the ELA Lessons Plans, Module 4, students listen to Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil DeGrasse Tyson, which is a biography.

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in a volume of reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, contains three units and a total of 45 lessons. Students read a total of 8 texts and spend five days on each text, with the exception of Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows, which students read in Lessons 16-25. In Unit 1, students listen to Arthur’s Back to School Day by Lillian Hoban and Henry and Mudge: The First Book by Cynthia Rylant. Each day students chorally read and stop and sinus the text and then reread with a partner by alternating pages or rereading chorally. In Unit 2, student listen to Pinky and Rex by James Howe and Ivy & Bean by Annie Barrows.. Students chorally read, partner read, and reread the text both with partners and chorally. In Unit 3, students listen to four nonfiction texts including Tale of a Tadpole by Karen Wallace, From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer, Caterpillar to Butterfly by Laura Marsh, and The Journey of a Butterfly by Laura Marsh. For all four texts, students chorally read, discuss the text, partner read by alternating pages or chorally rereading, and rereading the text with a partner and chorally. 

• The Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, contains two units with a total of 40 lessons. Students spend 10 lessons reading Magic Tree House: Day of the Dragon King by Mary Pope Osbourne and chorally read and reread the text with a partner. Students read China: Land of the Emperor’s Great Wall by Mary Pope and Natalie Pope Boyce in Lessons 11-20. Each day students chorally read a section and then reread the section with a partner. In Unit 2, students chorally read and reread with a partner Time Warp Trip: It’s all Greek to Me by Jon Sciezka in Lessons 21-30. At the end of the module, students chorally and reread Ancient Greece and the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce with a partner in Lessons 31-40.   

• The ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, contains four units and a total of 45 lessons. Students listen to a total of 10 texts throughout the module. In Unit 1, students listen to Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration by Marianne Berkes for two days, Tornado by Betsy Byars in Lessons 3-9, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett for three days. In Unit 2, students listen to The Girl who Loved Wild Horses by Paul Goebl, The Legend of the Bluebonnet: An Old Tale of Texas by Tomie dePaola, and Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott for two days each. In Unit 3, students spend two days listening to Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst, Who’s Buying? Who’s Selling?: Understanding Consumers and Procedures by Jennifer S. Larson, and My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa M. Mollel. In Unit 4, students listen to Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney in Lessons 43 and 44.

• In ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3  contains four units and a total of 50 lessons. Students only listen to texts in Units 1, 3, and 4 and listen to a total of seven texts. In Unit 1, students listen to three biographies including Helen Keller: Break Down the Walls! by Margaret Fetty for three days, Amelia and Eleanor go for a Ride by Pam Munoz Ryan for two days, and Mudball by Matt Tavares for two days. In Unit 3, students listen to Dad, Jackie and Me by Myron Uhlberg in Lessons 19 and 20, The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles in Lessons 21 and 22, and My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers: Growing Up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  by Christine King Farris in Lessons 23- 25. In Unit 4, students listen to Poppy by Avi in Lessons 31-50. 

There is insufficient teacher guidance to foster independence for all readers.(e.g., independent reading procedures, proposed schedule, tracking system for independent reading). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The program materials include an extensive curated list of recommended titles for classroom libraries. The purpose of this list is for students to free read during a 15 minute rotation during the Differentiated Instruction Block. The amount of time does not increase over the course of the year as students build reading stamina. 

• There are no protocols or explicit instructions for how to implement independent reading, including procedures and tracking. The materials include a Book Recommendation form that is an optional way to share whether or not students think others should read the book. The sentence stem for completing the form is the same K–2. Students also have the option of completing a Read and Rate chart after they finish a book, though the materials indicate that this is “for teachers who want to meet with students to set independent reading goals,” so all students may not have the opportunity to benefit from this accountability structure.

• Students do not have an opportunity to independently read any book during the English Language Arts block or the Shared Reading Block.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria of Indicator 1g.

Although students have opportunities for text-based discussions every day during the Shared Reading Lesson Plans and during the Interactive Read-Alouds in the ELA Lesson Plans, materials include limited speaking and listening protocols. While materials list Shared Reading as having predictable routines and provide students with questions to discuss the text, speaking and listening protocols are not present. In ELA, students have many opportunities for turn and talks; however, materials do not provide a protocol for this type of discussion. Teacher support is minimal but includes “Teaching Tips” boxes in the lesson plans, which offer suggestions for including all students or creating visuals to aid discussion. Additionally, the Teacher Manual provides guidance around “Building and Using Norms for Participation in Discussion; however, instructional lessons and student speaking and listening opportunities do not reference the accountable talk measures outlined in the document.

Materials provide limited protocols to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Bookworms 2-5 Teacher Manual includes a section called “Building and Using Norms for Participation in Discussion” that is based on the norms for Accountable Talk. This section provides teachers with prompts and sentence stems to use in various group discussion structures, but these guidelines are not referenced within the instructional lessons to support students’ speaking and listening skill development.

• The Bookworms 2–5 Teacher Manual states that the Pair-Share Response in Shared Reading means that students quickly share their writing (usually about the text) from the previous day with a partner at the start of every lesson.

• The Bookworms 2–5 Teacher Manual states that the Discussion in Shared Reading  includes a series of inferential questions that students answer in the whole group or with a partner, but no protocol is provided. 

• Text-based discussion occurs daily in Shared Reading, but there are no protocols associated with the discussion. Rather, the discussion utilizes a list of questions. 

• While students listen to a text during the Interactive Read Aloud in ELA, the teacher stops periodically to ask a text-based question that students either answer in the whole group or with a partner, but the discussion opportunity does not utilize a specific speaking and listening protocol. Similarly, at the end of each lesson, students respond to a question that can be answered individually or with a partner. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 17, after listening to Starry Messenger by Peter Sis, students respond to the following question with their partner: “What do you think the drawings mean?” and are told to talk to their partner. 

Speaking and listening instruction includes minimal facilitation, monitoring, and instructional support for teachers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Bookworms 2–5 Teacher Manual shares that students should be assessed in Speaking and Listening monthly using a rubric; however, materials do not provide a rubric for Grade 2. 

• The Bookworms 2–5 Teacher Manual provides minimal support and states that the discussion questions in Shared Reading build in complexity. Additional guidance notes that students may respond orally to the whole group or with a partner. The teacher determines the manner in which students respond to the discussion questions. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 2, after listening to A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert, students collaboratively summarize the steps Anna and her mom take to make the coach, but materials do not provide support on how to accomplish this task.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 19, materials include a Teaching Tip to facilitate speaking and listening, ater students listen to Dad, Jackie, and Me by Myron Uhlberg. Materials note that the discussion may be difficult for students and state that teachers should be ready to support students as needed. Materials do not provide guidance on how that support looks. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria of Indicator 1h.

Materials include opportunities for students to listen to and speak about what they are reading, listening to, and occasionally researching, though the opportunities are not varied and not all standards are covered. Most speaking and listening opportunities are turn and talk with a partner or the teacher asking a question after reading with students answering orally, though no specifics are provided on how students should respond. Materials do not include different conversational strategies, nor are students explicitly taught speaking and listening skills. 

Students have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate what they are reading through varied speaking and listening opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Although materials provide opportunities for students to engage in discussions, materials do not provide students with opportunities to follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Each day in the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, students share their writing from the previous day with a partner. Some of these writing prompts are text-dependent. 

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 25, during the writing of their Native Americans Research Report, students work with a partner to edit and revise using a checklist to guide conversation.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 48, students work in pairs to reread Chapter 8. The teacher says, “As you reread with your partner today, look for more clubes about Lori, perhaps clues you might have missed the first time we read.”  

• Materials do not include opportunities for students to create audio recordings of stories or poems; however, materials do provide students with opportunities to add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found in the Shared Reading Lesson Plans

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 34, after reading Camouflage: Changing to Hide by Bobbibe Kalman, students invent their own animal. After writing about the animal they invented, students draw a picture of the animal using camouflage. 

Speaking and listening work requires students to utilize, apply, and incorporate evidence from texts and/or sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Materials rarely provide opportunities for students to build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found in the Shared Reading Lesson Plans

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 27, students partner with a peer or small group and read each other’s opinion writing. Students give specific feedback on the strength of the reasons that support the opinions. Directions for the task encourage students to not just agree with another, but rather to focus on the validity of the rationale. 

• Materials provide minimal opportunities for students to ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found in the Shared Reading Lesson Plans 

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 20, students complete a museum walk of each other’s personal narratives. Students may ask writers questions to help them clarify if needed. 

• Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 21, while choral reading Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows, students discuss the details of Ivy’s room. The teacher asks, “What was Bean surprised by in Ivy’s room?” 

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 20, after listening to Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil DeGrasse Typson by Kathleen Krul and Paul Brewer, students talk with a partner to discuss how the descriptive language in the text helps them create a movie in their mind of what the Big Bang must have been like. 

• Materials provide minimal opportunities for students to ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 16, students complete a research  report on the life cycles of frogs. During this time, students work with partners to share their writing, give and receive feedback, and evaluate and revise their writing; however, explicit instruction is not provided on the speaking and listening aspect of this task. 

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 24, during the Pair-Share-Response, students share questions about the text Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 35, students share their writing with a first grader. Students allow time for the first grader to ask follow up questions or comments. 

• Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found in the Shared Reading Lesson Plans

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 14, after listening to Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry, students summarize the story. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for 1l.

Materials include explicit instruction of many grammar and language conventions standards, and students have opportunities for authentic application of these standards. Throughout the materials, instruction in grammar and conventions of language along with opportunities for application, which are integrated into writing activities. Shared Reading plans also provide an opportunity for instruction and application; however, not all standards are addressed in the instructional materials. Materials do not include explicit instruction in capitalization of holidays, product names, or geographic names. Some grammar skills such as commas in dates, irregular plurals, and verb tenses are referenced or embedded in the lesson instead of being taught explicitly.

Materials include explicit instruction of most grammar and conventions standards for the grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Use collective nouns (e.g., group).

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 12, the teacher shares the sentence “They took the yarn to the weaver.” The teacher tells students that yarn is a noun. The teacher tells students that weaver is also a noun, but this time it is a person. The teacher tells students that these kinds of nouns refer to a whole group of people.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 29, Sentence Composing, the teacher displays the sentence, “They bought plans because my mother likes to grow plants.” The teacher instructs the students to replace the word mother with another noun, and then he/she specifies that students should replace mother with a noun that represents a group of people. The teacher is instructed to prompt the students with collective nouns, such as team, group, family, friends, and cousins.

• Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish).

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 17, the teacher presents the sentence, “She looked around, and almost all of the children nodded.” The teacher shares that children is the plural form of child, but it does not end in -s or -es, as most plurals do. It is irregular.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 31, the teacher explains that students will read and spell irregular plural nouns. The teacher asks the students to listen to the nouns person and child and think about how to make the nouns plural. The teacher leads the students in reading the nouns man/men, woman/women, foot/feet, wife/wives, life/lives, and mouse/mice.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 33, the teacher explains that students will spell irregular plural nouns. The teacher instructs students to find and spell the word mice. Students continue finding and spelling the remaining words from the word sort.

• Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 30, the teacher presents the sentence, “Napoleon wanted to play the keyboard himself.” The teacher discusses that Napoleon is the subject of the sentence and himself is a pronoun that replaces Napoleon. The teacher tells students that when pronouns are used, you have to match the nouns they represent.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 9, the teacher tells students that they are going to write a story about Tornado and the rooster. Students are told to use the pronouns I, my, and myself.

• Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told).

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 16, the teacher shares the sentence, “She looked around, and almost all of the children nodded.” The teacher tells students that nodded is a verb that ends in -ed, meaning that it is a past tense verb. The teacher tells students that most verbs show the past with -ed, though there are some past tense verbs that are irregular. Run is used as an example of an irregular past tense verb.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 4, the teacher shares the sentence “We sat for a moment, silent.” The teacher discusses the past tense of the word sit.

• Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 14, the teacher shares the sentence “She clung on, afraid of falling under the drumming hooves.” The teacher tells students that drumming could be a verb, but it is used as an adjective in this sentence.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 2, the teacher shares the sentence “Hoping to help Helen, the Kellers visited many doctors.” The teacher asks students if they can add an adjective to describe the girl or an adverb to tell how she waited.

• Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2 , Lesson 38, the teacher instructs students in how to combine sentences. The teacher gives the students the sentences, “He studied pipe organs. He studied the guitar. He studied the violin. He studied vibrating plates.” The teacher states, “These are good sentences. Each one has a subject and a predicate. The subjects are all the same and the predicates are nearly the same. When we are repeating phrases in multiple sentences, sometimes it makes sense to combine them into one longer sentence. The first thing to do is find the repeated phrases and cross them out. “ The teacher guides the students in how to combine the sentences.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 6, the teacher presents three sentences: “Andy’s hands were cold. Andy’s hands trembled. Andy’s hands gripped the bat firmly.” The teacher prompts discussion on how to combine the sentences using words like, but, and although.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 7, the teacher models combining the two sentences “Yes, I want to go to the ball” and “Must I go in these rags?”

• Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 28, the teacher shares the sentence “I got more gum.” The teacher talks about adding detail to the sentence and asks about the kind of gum. The teacher tells students if they wanted to tell the brand, the brand name should be capitalized, like the names of people.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 24, the teacher discusses capitalizing holidays.

• Use commas in greetings and closings of letters.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 12, the teacher models writing a thank-you note. In the note, the teacher models using a comma in the greeting and closing. While the use of commas in the greeting and closing is included in the model, the teacher does not provide instruction on commas.

• Use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives.

  • In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 33, the teacher shares the sentence, “A tree frog’s tongue is sticky.” The teacher tells the student that when they see the apostrophe-s, they know that the author is telling the reader about something that belongs to or is part of the frog.

• Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words (e.g., cage → badge; boy → boil).

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 1, the teacher introduces the word study lesson, which focuses on CVC and VCe words.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 26, the teacher states, “This week we will work on reading and spelling short a and long a sounds. The /a/ sound is spelled with an a. The /ay/ sound is spelled aCe or a-y.” Students listen to each word and think about which pattern they hear. The Teaching Tip instructs teachers to repeat this procedure presenting words in a mixed-up order. It further states that teachers should use an every-pupil response technique to have the class identify each word’s placement. Then they should show the word and sort it under the correct column.

• Consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

  • No evidence found.

• Compare formal and informal uses of English.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 2, the teacher assigns a written response task to students. Students are directed to respond to the question, “What did you do to prepare for the new school year?”

Materials include authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate application of skills in context, including applying grammar and convention skills to writing.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 30, the teacher introduces a culminating task. Students are asked to write a personal narrative sharing their growth as a reader and writer throughout second grade.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 22, the teacher asks students to “imagine they are talking to a first grader. What are some of our favorite things about magnets that we would like to tell the child? Here is a sentence starter. We can use it more than once. We learned that magnets ______.”

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 26, the teacher asks students to respond to the following prompt: Today we will describe how animals and humans use sound in similar ways. The manual tells teachers that they may choose to complete this work in whole group or through co-writing between the teacher and the class.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 20, the teacher tells students they will be using content from their shared reading to write about either the Hopi, Cherokee, or Mohawk people. Students are also given the option of conducting research on Native Americans local to their region. The teacher shares an informative writing checklist.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria of Indicator 1m.

Lesson plans provide vocabulary exposure and development across the year. The program includes specific protocols for teaching vocabulary. Teachers have guidance on how to perform daily vocabulary routines. In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, students learn and review words before and after reading. The lesson design is structured to introduce vocabulary words before or after the ELA Interactive Read Aloud sessions, depending on the genre. Materials give attention to the selection of Tier 2 words to accompany narrative stories In the ELA Lesson Plans and of Tier 3 words as part of informational texts In the ELA Lesson Plans. Although materials include instances of vocabulary words repeating across multiple texts, the majority of vocabulary instruction occurs either before or after students read the text and the words are not revisited afterwards. 

Materials provide teacher guidance outlining a cohesive year-long vocabulary development component. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Bookworms 2-5 Teacher Manual includes a general description of the vocabulary plan for the program. The manual explains that “the vocabulary knowledge built In the ELA Lesson Plans spills into Shared Reading to increase comprehension” and “The informational texts In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans and ELA build vocabulary that spills over into science and social studies instruction.” 

• The Bookworms 2-5 Teacher Manual states that during ELA interactive read alouds, the teacher should stop periodically to explain vocabulary; however, this guidance is not explicitly stated in the ELA Lesson Plans. 

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, as part of the Text Engagement routine, the teacher introduces one or two new vocabulary words that students will encounter in the reading for that day. The teacher says the word and students repeat it. Then the teacher defines the word and uses it in context. Then students work with a partner to use the word in context. Guidance suggests displaying the words for the week. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, vocabulary instruction for informational texts often occurs using a visual support, such as labeled diagrams and instruction always occurs before the reading begins. The program aims to use an illustration from the book or one that can be simply drawn to discuss the vocabulary word. The vocabulary words are content-area words that help students understand the text, though materials do not explicitly state what the focus words are or what their importance is to the text. For example, in Module 2, Lesson 1, the teacher explains that students are going to read a book called Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration by Jennifer DiRubbio and then explains that “migrate means to travel when the season changes.”

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, vocabulary instruction for narrative texts occurs after reading. The teacher introduces two vocabulary words per text. Students repeat the word and the teacher uses the word in a simple sentence and explains how the word was used in the text. Then students use a sentence frame to use the word in a new context. For example, in Module 3, Lesson 6, students listen to Mudball by Matt Tavares and after reading, students learn the word sneer. The teacher provides the word in the context of the story, before giving students an opportunity to use the word in a next context. Students use the following sentence frame to form their own sentences using the word: “If someone sneers at me, I feel _____. If you think about sneering, you can _____ instead.”

Vocabulary is repeated in contexts (before texts, in texts) and at times, across multiple texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, the teacher introduces one or two vocabulary words before reading, but materials do not provide opportunities for students to revisit at the end of the read-aloud session or cycle. For example, in Module 1, Lesson 26, the teacher introduces the word amphibian prior to the reading of Tale of a Tadpole by Karen Wallace. The teacher explains the word and how it will be used in the text. The word is not addressed again after the text. 

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 12, students learn the word irritate. The teacher gives a definition of the word and then uses the word in context. Then students tell their partner something that might irritate them. Students revisit the word in Lesson 16.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 41, the teacher follows the vocabulary protocol to introduce the word migrate. Then In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 1, students revisit the word migrate prior to hearing the text Going Home: The Mystery of Animal Migration by Marianne Berkes.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 14, after reading Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry, students learn the word admiration. Students revisit this word in the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 42.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 33, the teacher introduces the word camouflage before students listen to the text Where in the Wild by David M. Schwartz. Then in Lesson 35, the teacher reviews the concept of camouflage before reading aloud Camouflage Changing to Hide by Bobbie Blamn. 

Attention is paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and to high value academic words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• According to the Bookworms 2-5 Teacher Manual, the publisher started with a list of topics commonly taught in science and social studies across the nation in order to determine which words to be taught.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, lessons for narrative texts include instruction in Tier 2 words that appear in the texts. The teacher introduces two words each day and students review all four vocabulary words on the fifth day of the lesson cycle. The Teacher Manual explains that the two vocabulary words are words that are likely to come up in another text and will be part of students’ vocabularies. 

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, lessons for informational texts include instruction in Tier 3 words. According to the publisher, the program utilizes this lesson structure because “students need to have specific content-area terms introduced before they listen or as they encourage them to enhance understanding.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for 1n.i.

Materials include systematic and explicit instruction of most grade-level phonics standards. Some skills are referenced, but are not taught explicitly and systematically. There is a lack of evidence that students receive explicit instruction in decoding regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels and in decoding words with common prefixes and suffixes.

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

• Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words:

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 2, the teacher tells students they will read and spell words with long and short vowel sounds. The teacher reviews the vowels and tells students that vowels can have different sounds and that long vowels say their name. The teacher tells students if the pattern is CVC, the vowel is short, and if the pattern is VCe, the pattern is long. The teacher shares words with students, and the students determine if the vowel is long or short and which pattern it fits.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 17, the teacher shares words with short and long i. Students read and write words as dictated by the teacher.

  • In the Shared Reading Lessons Plans, Module 2, Lesson 13, the teacher states, “This week we will work on reading and spelling words with short o and long o sounds. Today we will spell each word. I will say a word and you will find it. Then I will say go and you will say, spell, say the word. The first word is prom. Find it and point. Ready… Go! PROM. P-R-O-M. PROM.” The teacher repeats with the remaining words from the word sort.

• Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams:

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 3, students practice the spelling-sound correspondences for -iCe, -y, and -igh.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 21, the teacher tells students to complete a writing sort for their word study words. Words addressed as part of the word study include the spelling patterns -uCe, -ue, and -ui.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 9, students practice the spelling-sound correspondences for -iCe, -igh, and -ire.

• Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels:

  • No evidence was found.

• Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes:

  • No evidence was found.

• Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences:

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 30, students complete a written response. The teacher asks students to practice for their word study test. Students write sentences for the word competition that summarizes the section. Word study words include -aCe and -ay words.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 26, the teacher practices the common spelling-sound correspondence for words with the same sounds and different patterns as in -uCe, -ue, and -ew.

Lessons provide teachers with systematic and repeated instruction for students to hear, say, encode, and read each newly taught grade-level phonics pattern. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 1, the lesson provides teachers with systematic and repeated instructions for students to hear, say, encolde, and read newly taught patterns. The teacher states, “This week we will work on reading and spelling words with short vowel and long vowel sounds. The vowels are A, E, I, O, U. You may want to write this on the board. Remember, vowels can represent different sounds. A vowel sound is long when the vowel says its name. If the pattern is CVC, the vowel sound is short. If the pattern is VC-e, the vowel sound is long. Listen to each word and think about which pattern you hear.” The teacher does not show the card to students. The teacher says, “The first word is can. What word? Can you hear a vowel say its name in can? Say it slowly.” The teacher shows the word and says, “Since we do not hear a vowel say its name, this word must have a short vowel sound. I will put this word in the short vowel column.” The teacher begins a column for CVC words, then continues making columns of words with different vowel sounds.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 23, the teacher tells students they will work on reading and spelling words with long and short u. The teacher says a word, and students find the word, say the word, spell the word, and repeat it. The first word is huge. This process repeats with the remaining words from the word sort.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for 1n.iii.

Materials include opportunities for students to practice and apply some grade-level phonics skills. The students have many opportunities to practice reading and writing text, reviewing prior years’ material, and spelling single-syllable words. However, opportunities to read and write multisyllabic words are optional and not explicitly taught. Students may have opportunities to apply grade-level phonics if the teacher uses activities from How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3; however, it is not guaranteed that all students will receive this instruction. Materials delineate a scope and sequence with a cohesive sequence of phonics instruction and practice. The materials cite research studies to support the sequence.

Lessons provide students with opportunities to decode some (phonemes, onset and rime, and/or syllables) phonetically spelled words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 209, the fluency and comprehension lessons with multisyllabic decoding lesson structure include introducing multisyllabic words, choral response, first reading, second reading, and inferential discussion.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 221, the manual includes an 18-week lesson plan for decoding multisyllabic words. Students read words using the following patterns:

    • Week 1: compound words

    • Weeks 2-6: Prefixes and Suffixes

    • Week 7: Closed syllables

    • Week 8: Open and closed syllables

    • Week 9: Closed, open, and vowel-consonant-e syllables

    • Week 10: r-controlled syllables

    • Week 11: Vowel Teams

    • Week 12: Consonant -le syllables

    • Week 13: -ed and -ing

    • Week 14: Changing y to i or no change

    • Week 15: Combinations of Syllable Types

    • Week 16: Accent and schwa sound

    • Week 17: Accent in two- and three-syllable words

    • Week 18: Accent in two- and three-syllable words

• Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.

  • In _How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, _page 221, the manual includes an 18-week lesson plan for decoding multisyllabic words. Weeks 2-6 focus on prefixes and suffixes. Students read words using the following patterns:

    • Week 2: un-, re-, -ful, -ly

    • Week 3: over-, is-, -ed, -ness

    • Week 4: pre-, dis-, -able, -er, -ar, -or, -ed

    • Week 5: fore-, trans-, -ing, -en, -ed

    • Week 6: under-, after-, -some, -ment, pre-, -ful, re-, -ness

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 22, the teacher introduces the word unexpected and explains that meaning by telling the students un- means not. The teacher uses the prefix in a word in sample sentences such as, “It is unexpected to have snow in June in most places in the United States.” The teacher goes on to state, “It would be unexpected to have a dog walk into our classroom. Unexpected means surprising.” The teacher asks students to discuss when something unexpected happened to them.

  • In Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 27, the teacher explains what happens to the word_ usual_ when the prefix -_un _is added to the word. The teacher explains further by saying, “Unusual is an adjective that means not normal. It is unusual to have twenty days of rain in a row. _Unusual _means not normal.”

• Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 26, the students learn long vowel patterns aCe and ay. The students listen to the words and think about the patterns they hear. The students continue with the following words:_ /ay/ words: shape, paste, strange, clay, play, may, gray. There are optional challenge words: replay, payment, graceful, shaping. _The students sort each word and notice the patterns for the words.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 40, students read and spell short e and long e sounds with different spellings. The students categorize words by the vowel sound. The /e/ sound is spelled with an e or e-a, and the /ee/ sound is spelled_ e-e_ or e-a.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 6, students work on reading and spelling words by their vowel sound such as /i/ word: bring and the /ī/ words: price, bite, fright, light, might, night, mild, wild, child.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 41, students learn a different pattern for er, a sound that they have learned previously using other patterns. The teacher says the word, and the students identify the vowel sound. The teacher says it slowly, shows the word and sorts it in a chart. The following word list is provided: /ĕ/ word_: deaf; /air/ word: bear; /er/ words: perch, clerk, earth; /ee/ words: streak, cheek, creek. _The teacher explains the word patterns and tells them they will read and spell these types of words. The optional challenge words are: _rehearse, converse, repeat, person. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read complete words by saying the entire word as a unit using newly taught phonics skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 12, the teacher introduces the decoding topic and shares /a/, /ay/, and /ar/ words. Students read the words and determine which heading or pattern best fits. When finished, the class chorally reads the words in each column together.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 6, the students chorally read the word list they have sorted with I-consonant, consonant patterns, and iCe pattern. The word list consists of the following words: /i/ word: bring; /igh/ words: price, bite, fright, light, might, night, mild, wild, child. The optional challenge words are polite, smile, delight, lighten, childish.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 1, students read the sorted word list with the /o/ and /oy/ patterns: /ŏ/ words: frost, crop; /oy/ words: coil, moist, choice, boy, coy, joy. The optional challenge words are: annoy, destroy, avoid, appoint.

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 209, the structure of the lessons for fluency and for comprehension with decoding multisyllabic words includes the following sections: multisyllabic introduction, choral response, first reading, second reading, and inferential discussion.

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to decode words in a sentence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 1, students practice reading with a choral read. This practice continues with different texts throughout the year.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 3, students write sentences and use two of the word study words from the lesson in their sentences.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 32, the teacher provides students with the following sentence starter: Jackie Robinson experienced many things in his life. Students pretend they are newspaper reporters and summarize Jackie Robinson’s life. The teacher encourages students to use words from the word list if possible.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 2, students read aloud a sentence or more and underline each part as it is underlined. Students read two sentences and explain their meaning.

Lessons provide students with limited opportunities to build/manipulate/spell and encode words using common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 1, students practice spelling words with short and long vowel sounds.

• In Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 13, the students pair up and share sentences. The teacher reviews the focus for the lesson on reading and spelling short a and long a words with the /ar/ sound. The teacher says a word, and students find it. When the teacher says, “Go,” students say, spell, and say the word.

• In Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 15, the teacher calls out 15 word study words. Students write the words.

• No evidence was found for manipulating word parts or letters.

Materials contain methods to promote students’ practice of previously taught grade-level phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 43, the text states, “Word study in grade two relies on a simple, consistent instructional routine: sorting words by sound and then pattern.” The text outlines the five-day sequence of lessons for a specific set of words. The sequence of lessons includes teacher-directed instruction, independent student practice, and a spelling test. On the first two days, students sort words by sound and make a phonemic judgment. The teacher first pronounces the word without showing the word. The students isolate the target sound in their heads. The students tell the teacher where to place the physical word (word sort), and the teacher physically displays the word in the correct category.

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, Appendix E, page 162, contains the scope and sequence of the word study lessons that shows lessons in Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 1 to Module 2, Lesson 30, reviewing long and short vowels. It also contains the scope and sequence of the word study lessons that show lessons in Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 31 to Module 3, lesson 11, reviewing r-controlled vowels.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 26, students read words with long and short u, /u/, and /ue/. The students listen for the sounds and sort. They read the word sort and resort. Students write two sentences and use two words from the word study.

Materials delineate a scope and sequence with a cohesive, intentional sequence of phonics instruction and practice to build toward the application of skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 43, the manual states, “The overall goal of the work is that students internalize that sound and spelling are related, and that the English system uses more than one pattern to represent the same sound. In second grade, nearly all of the work is about vowel sounds and spellings. The work begins with a review comparing short and long vowel sounds in the simplest long-vowel pattern: the vowel-consonant (VC-e). However, we ask second grade students to begin by generalizing all short vowels and VC-e patterns.”

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, Appendix E, the text includes the following scope and sequence for word study in second grade:

  • Module 1, Unit 1

    • Lessons 1-5: CVC, VCe,

    • Lessons 6-10: CVC, VCe

  • Module 1, Unit 2

    • Lessons 11-15: a, aCe, ar

    • Lessons 16-20: i, iCe, ir

    • Lessons 21-25: or, ar, ir, er, ur

  • Module 1, Unit 3

    • Lessons 26-30: a, aCe, ay

    • Lessons 31-35: a, aCe, ai, ay

    • Lessons 36-40: e, ea, ee

    • Lessons 41-45: e, short ea, ee, ea

  • Module 2, Unit 1

    • Lessons 1-5: i, iCe, y, igh

    • Lessons 6-10: i, iCe, igh, iCC

    • Lessons 11-15: o, oCe, oa

    • Lessons 16-20: oCe, oa, ow

  • Module 2, Unit 2:

    • Lessons 21-25: uCe, ue, ui

    • Lessons 26-30: u, uCe, ue, ew

    • Lessons 31-35: ar, aCe, ai, are

    • Lessons 36-40: ar, are, air

    • Lessons 41-45: er, ear, ea, ee

  • Module 3, Unit 1

    • Lessons 1-5: er, ee, ear

    • Lessons 6-10: ir, iCe, igh, ire

    • Lessons 11-11: or, ore, oCe, oa

  • Module 3, Unit 2

    • Lessons 12-15: or, ore, oCe, oa

    • Lessons 16-20: qu, squ, th, the

    • Lessons 21-25: st, str, sp, spl

    • Lessons 26-30: sc, scr, sh, shr

    • Lessons 31-35: tch, Cch, VVch, Cch

  • Module 3, Unit 3:

    • Lessons 36-40: dge, Vge, V+nge

    • Lessons 41-45: hard c, soft c, s

    • Lessons 46-50: hard g, soft g, j

  • Module 4, Unit 1

    • Lessons 1-5: o, oi, oy

    • Lessons 6-10: ew, oo

    • Lessons 11-15: oo, ou, ow

    • Lessons 16-20: oo, ou, ow

  • Module 4, Unit 2

    • Lessons 21-25: a, au, aw, al

    • Lessons 26-30: add s to make plural, ch, sh, s, x

    • Lessons 31-35: base, plural

    • Lessons 36-49: base, plural

Materials have a clear research-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 42, the manual states, “Word study is our formal, grade-level work with words in isolation. In second grade, it is pattern-based spelling instruction, with spelling lists designed to help students internalize the relationships between sound and pattern (Bear, Invernizzi, Templeton, Johnson, 2015). These students are learning to spell words they can already read and use orally.”

• The 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 46, states that the teacher language for routines is provided in full and drawn from research (Beck, McKeown, and Kucan, 2013).

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, each module has a module overview and a unit overview to explain the unit.

Materials provide some opportunities for students to develop orthographic and phonological processing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 3, the teacher states a word with a short vowel or a long vowel. The students find the word. The students say the word, spell the word, and say the word. The first word is box.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 3, Spelling, the teacher states a word with short i or long i. The students find the word. The students say the word, spell the word, and say the word. The first word is slice.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 37, the teacher explains when to use /j/ with g-e or d-g-e. The teacher states fudge. The teacher asks students, “What word? What vowel sound do you hear in fudge?” The teacher says the word slowly and shows the word. The teacher sorts the word into the column short vowel /j/ words column. The teacher continues this modeling process with cage, verge, and hinge. There are more words for examples. Students read the words in the columns.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for 1.n.iv.

Materials provide instruction in decoding common and additional vowel teams; however, there is limited instruction in encoding vowel teams. There is limited modeling for listening to vowel sounds and identifying sound-symbol relationships. Also, there are limited teacher think-alouds and modeling to support explicit instruction. There are many lessons where the students recognize and sort common and new long spelling patterns. The same strategy for presentation is used repeatedly through many lessons. There are additional plans for decoding common and additional vowel teams in How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3; however, it is not guaranteed that all students will receive this instruction. Further, activities do not specify that students will write the words in these activities.

Materials include opportunities over the course of the year for students to decode common vowel teams; however, encoding practice is limited. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.

  • In the Shared Reading Lessons, Unit 1, Lesson 1, students read words with short and long vowel sounds. The lesson focuses on the vowel patterns CVC and VC-e. The teacher presents words with short and long vowel sounds, and students sort them into either CVC or VC-e columns. Students sort the short vowel words his, box, glad, pick, get, bus, and snack, and the long vowel words mine, close, came, drive, here, safe, and rule. Optional challenge words are replace, refuse, polite, and comment.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 7, the teacher starts the sort activity and directs the students to continue to sort words based on short or long vowel patterns. Under the VC-e row, some of the words are home, huge, bite, and ice.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 6, the teacher models reading words with long and short o sounds and discusses whether the vowel sound is long or short. Students read given words and determine whether the o sound is long or short.

  • In the Shared Reading Lessons, Unit 2, Lesson 5, the teacher calls out 11 words from the week’s list that use the i, iCe, y, and igh patterns for the Word Study Assessment. Some of the words include the following: blink, crisp, slice, pride, glide, cry, fly, try, cry, fly, try, high, height, fight. The challenge words include the following: rely, flight, plight, delight, widen.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, parts of the lessons allow students to find vowel sounds visually, and use known words to allow students to read new words. The lessons consist of instruction in letter patterns for all short vowels and all VC-e patterns. Lessons do not include eCe because this vowel team rarely exists in one-syllable words. Also included in the lessons are high-frequency words and whisper reading with decodable texts that feature VCe words and short-vowel words.

Materials include opportunities over the course of the year for students to decode additional vowel teams; however, encoding practice is limited. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 12, the teacher models reading words with o, oCe, and oa spelling patterns. Students read and sort words according to the vowel sound.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 22, the teacher models the sort activity based on various long-vowel patterns. The categories are uce, ue, and ui. The students sort words such as huge, cue, and fruit.

  • In Shared Reading Lesson Plans Module 2, Lesson 26, the teacher instructs students in reading and spelling words with /u/ spelled with u and /ue/ spelled uCe, ue, and ew. The students repeat the word, listen for the vowel sound, spell the word, and sort the word in the /u/ or /ue/ column.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 41, students read and spell words with the sounds /e/, /er/, /ee/ and /air/. Instructions for the lessons state, “The /e/ sound can be spelled e-a. The /ee/ sound can be spelled e-e and e-a. The /er/ sound can be spelled e-r and e-a-r. The /air/ sound can be spelled e-a-r. Students listen for the vowel sound, spell the word, and sort it.”

  • In Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 6, the teacher instructs students in reading and spelling words with long /oo/ and short /oo/. The materials provide teacher guidance that the long /oo/ sound can be spelled with ew or oo. The short /oo/ sound is spelled oo. The students repeat the word, listen for the vowel sound, spell the word, and sort. Some of the words used are strewn, pew, brew, chew, brood, choosy, droop, brook, shook, stood, chewiness, crooked, and gloomiest.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 12, the teacher models reading words with oo, ou, and ow spelling patterns. The teacher and students read and sort words according to the vowel sound.

Materials include opportunities for students to review previously learned common and additional vowel teams. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, a generic script for teaching and reviewing long vowel teams is included. Materials also discuss decoding by analogy. Students read words using whisper reading, partner reading, and choral reading.

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, the rationale for instructional items and lesson parts states, “Application of decoding and word recognition in even simplified text shows children that it is a facilitator of real reading; reading practice builds word recognition automaticity, using decodable texts that feature VCe words and short-vowel words.”

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, Week 13 focuses on adding -ed and -ing where the base word ends in long e and has long vowels. Some of the words are used, hoping, waved, writing, moaned, boasted, smiling, and riding. Each of the five days of lessons focuses on a different rule for adding -ed and/or -ing to the long vowel words.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for 1o.

Materials include some opportunities for students to learn about text structures and text features. Instruction related to text features and structures is limited to the teacher briefly telling students about the text features. Students do not identify text features or structures on their own. While text structures and features are discussed in relation to some of the selections, limited text features are taught. Additionally, the text features are taught in isolation, so the student does not get an overview of the supports that are available to the reader.

Students have some opportunities to identify text structures (e.g., main idea and details, sequence of events, problem and solution, compare and contrast, cause and effect). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 30, students use the cycle organizer to write a paragraph about the life cycle of a frog. The teacher reminds students to include the facts and key details that the author included.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 32, the teacher tells students that their book is in time order and that, “it is a sequence of events, so we have to remember things in order. Let’s start a timeline to help us remember.” The class records the first three events on a graphic organizer.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 40, the students use the butterfly cycle map to write a paragraph about the development of a butterfly. The teacher directs students to use the words first, next, then, and last because “it is a sequence of events that repeats.”

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 32, the teacher makes an anchor chart and states, “Remember that a biography is generally structured as a sequence of events. Create an ongoing timeline of the most salient events in Robinson’s life - this biography is not very detailed, but it gives a sense that biographies go in order.”

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 44, the teacher tells students they will see the word resolution and that there is usually a resolution to a problem. The students discuss what they think the resolution to Ralph’s problem will be.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 40, the teacher tells students they have read about two life cycles and will now compare and contrast them. The teacher says, “Compare means to say how they are alike. Contrast means to say how they are different. How is the life cycle of a butterfly similar to the life cycle of a frog? How is it different?”

Materials include some lessons and activities about text features (e.g., title, byline, headings, table of contents, glossary, pictures, illustrations). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 41, the teacher introduces a new text to students. The teacher tells students that the novel is divided into chapters and “usually chapters don’t have titles, but this book is different.” The teacher directs students to look at the table of contents and see what the titles of the chapters are called. The teacher introduces the first chapter and asks students to look at the title and make a prediction about the chapter.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 36, the teacher models looking back through the headings and subheadings of the table of contents. The teacher tells students, “I see that the table of contents gives us a preview of what we’ll be reading about. For example, one heading says, ‘Four Stages.’ Then, under that I see four subheadings. I know they are subheadings because they are indented a bit.” The teacher reviews the subheadings.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 13, the teacher talks about a word in bold print that can be found in the glossary. The teacher models looking up the word assimilate in the glossary.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 11, students reread the textbox on page 8 and the caption on page 9. The teacher asks, “Why did the author use these text features to give us this information instead of just including the information as part of the text on page 8?”

• In ELA Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 21, the teacher uses a diagram to demonstrate the text feature of the focus text that includes physical sciences and charts. The author writes the book in two parts because of the explanation needed to understand. The first part tells how magnets work. The second part tells how we use magnets. It also guides the understanding of the text.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for 1p.

The Grade 2 materials include opportunities for students to read texts with purpose and understanding. Texts are often read chorally by the class, followed by partner reading. Students are not provided opportunities to read texts independently as part of the materials. The students have opportunities to hear fluent reading modeled for them. Reading with expression is addressed and practiced by students; however, there is no evidence for instruction in reading accuracy or appropriate rate in the core reading materials. Instruction and exposure to irregularly spelled words is not included in the materials. There are limited opportunities to work on high-frequency words that have irregular patterns during word study. Additionally, while all students read grade-level texts during the year in shared reading lessons, not all students read decodable, successive texts during differentiated instruction. That opportunity exists only for selected students.

Multiple opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to purposefully read on-level text. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 13, the class reads the anchor text. The teacher prepares students for what they will be reading. The class chorally reads the text and stops at page 27 to monitor understanding. The class returns to their first focus for the reading and discusses. The teacher provides a partner focus for re-reading: “As you reread with your partner, today, think about how Amanda’s father distracts her when she is being selfish.”

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 36, the teacher sets the purpose by stating, “As we read today, think about how a butterfly life cycle is similar to a frog life cycle.”

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 38, students chorally read Stage 3: Chrysalis to page 21. Then they engage in a discussion on the first focus, which is to pay attention to what happens in the final two stages of the butterfly life cycle.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 2, Lesson 16, the teacher tells students, “As we read today, think about how the Mohawk lived before European explorers came to North America.” The class chorally reads a portion of the text. After finishing the first reading, the class returns to the first focus and discusses what they are thinking.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 4, Lesson 33, the teacher sets the purpose by stating, “Today we will read more about ancient Greek religion, and about daily life in ancient Greece. As we read today, pay attention to the connections between myths about the gods and things that happened in nature.”

  • In the ELA lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 2, students chorally read excerpts from various narrative texts such as Magnificent Monday and identify the traits that make the text narrative.

Some opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to demonstrate sufficient expression in oral reading with on-level text and grade-level decodable words; however, there is no evidence for instruction in reading accuracy or appropriate rate in the core reading materials. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 15, students reread a text with a partner. The teacher tells students to focus attention on expression, paying attention to quotation marks.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 199, the text includes words correct per minute expectations for grades 1-3.

Materials provide opportunities for students to hear fluent reading of grade-level text by a model reader. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 60, the manual describes how to create “purposeful student pairs” to meet the demands of the oral reading protocols of the program. Peer-Assisted learning Strategies (PALS) pairs include the teacher ranking students by oral reading fluency, dividing the class in half, and assigning students to partners. This provides “pairings all have a relatively more fluent student paired with a relatively less fluent student, but the fluency difference is controlled so the most fluent student is not paired with the least fluent students.”

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 4, students chorally read as the teacher guides and thinks aloud of why the characters can not wait for recess and are disappointed. The teacher also monitors comprehension and decides if the teacher needs to read on.

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 3, Lesson 42, students chorally read, and the teacher acts as a guide in comprehension of The Mummy’s Curse. They discuss the character making an inference and move forward to partner reading.

• In the ELA Lesson Plans, a daily interactive read aloud is included. The 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 79, describes the procedure of instruction, stating, “After some introductory work on the first day, the teacher reads aloud at a normal adult pace, with many stops. Stops include those from the lesson plans and others that the teacher adds to model, explain vocabulary, and ask questions.”

Materials do not include systematic and explicit instruction of irregularly spelled words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• No evidence was found.

Students do not have opportunities to practice and read irregularly spelled words in isolation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

  • No evidence was found.

Materials do not include a sufficient quantity of new grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words for students to make reading progress. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, all students receive explicit instruction on words through word study instruction. The lessons do not specify “irregularly spelled words”. The Word Study Scope and Sequence for Grades 2-5 is provided in detail in Bookworms 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 161.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for 1q.

The Grade 2 Bookworms materials include some systematic and explicit instruction in word recognition and analysis in connected texts and tasks. Students have opportunities to decode while using some explicitly taught word recognition and analysis strategies. Decoding opportunities are often in isolation rather than connected text. Prefixes and suffixes are taught several times throughout the year during Shared Reading Vocabulary when specific words are introduced, and meaning is explained; however, word analysis instruction is not present in Shared Reading. Additionally, some instruction is during the Differentiated Instruction, and there is no guarantee that all students will receive this instruction. While connected texts are in the Shared Reading and ELA Lesson Plans, the texts do not directly relate to the word recognition and analysis skills being taught and do not contain words related to that focus. While students write regularly during whole-group lessons, there is no evidence of them being instructed or required to use word recognition or analysis skills during this practice. Additionally, there is no evidence of a research-based progression in connected text and tasks.

Materials provide some support to students’ development to learn grade-level word recognition and analysis skills (e.g., apply spelling-sound relationship on common words, decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels, decode words with common prefixes and suffixes) in connected text and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 13, focuses on reading and spelling short a and long a sounds and the /ar/ sound. The teacher says a word as the students find it. The teacher states, “Go” and the students say, spell, and repeat the word. Some of the words are trash, stand, stamp, face, place, and trace.

• Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.

  • No evidence was found.

• Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.

  • In the Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 5, challenge words are two-syllables with long vowels. Words include: propose, remake, and promote. Students listen and determine the sounds they hear and sort the words by their long vowel pattern. They sort for CVC and VCe patterns.

Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.

• No evidence was found.

Materials provide minimal opportunities to read irregularly spelled words in connected text and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

  • No evidence was found for all students for explicit instruction of irregularly spelled words. Some irregularly spelled words are taught through weekly vocabulary instruction and the introduction of challenge words in word study in Shared Reading Lessons. Instruction is not explicit and systematic for directly teaching irregularly spelled words or providing explicit opportunities for students to read such words in connected text or tasks.

Lessons and activities provide students opportunities to learn grade-level word recognition and analysis skills while encoding (writing) in context and decoding words (reading) in connected text and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Shared Reading Lesson Plans, Module 1, Lesson 29, students write two sentences using words from their word study lesson.

• In the 2-5 Grade Teacher Manual, Basic Alphabet Knowledge (BAK) and Using Letter Sounds (LS) shows a two- and three-minute structure for high-frequency words. BAK gives three minutes for students who know fewer than 20 letter sounds. LS gives two minutes for students who know all or almost all their letter sounds. The teacher stretches the sounds first, prints the word, and shows how the sounds match the letters from left to right. The teacher gives the students words on a list, calls out the words, and has the students touch them.

• No evidence was found for explicit instruction or student practice of word recognition and analysis skills (syllabication or prefixes/suffixes) when encoding.

Materials do not include decodable texts that contain grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Evidence of decodable text containing grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s Word Study Scope and Sequence was found in Differentiated Instruction, but no evidence was found for whole-class instruction.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, materials include decodable texts for the following: Blends and Digraphs: 29 passages R Controlled Vowels: 29 passages Vowel Consonant e: 14 passages Long Vowel Teams: 29 passages

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, on page 102, it states, “We do not match our decodable text to our decodable instruction with much precision.”

Materials include do not decodable texts that contain grade-level high-frequency/irregularly spelled words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence.

• Evidence of decodable text was found in Differentiated Instruction, but no evidence was found for whole-class instruction. Further, there is no certainty that these texts align to high-frequency/irregularly spelled words or a scope and sequence.

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, on page 102, it states, “We do not match our decodable text to our decodable instruction with much precision.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for 1r.

The Grade 2 materials provide opportunities to assess students on some foundational skills. Multiple assessments are provided over the course of the year in the core materials to address phonics and word recognition, mainly in the Differentiated Reading Instruction materials. There is no certainty that assessments located in the Differentiated Reading Instruction materials will be administered to all students. While rubrics are included for fluency, the materials do not tell the teacher when to use these assessments. There are Instructional support and lessons in the Differentiated Reading Instruction materials. While the materials provide an Assessment Plan for each grade level, teacher guidance for assessment protocols are not clear or specific.

Assessment opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence of foundational skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Materials include assessment opportunities that measure student progress of phonics and decoding.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 22, the different assessments in the materials are addressed. In K-3, the assessments include the Informal Decoding Inventory: Short Vowels through Vowel Teams and the Informal Decoding Inventory: Multisyllabic Words.

    • On page 38, the text includes an Informal Decoding Inventory that “includes six subtests that progress in difficulty. The first five address single-syllable decoding; the last addresses multisyllabic decoding.” Subtests include short vowels, consonant blends and digraphs, r-controlled vowel patterns, vowel-consonant-e, vowel teams, and multisyllabic words.* In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, informal decoding inventories occur in Module 1, Lessons 6-14. They are individually administered to determine differentiated instruction placement if warranted.

  • In the Shared Reading Lessons, Module 3, Lesson 45, the teacher gives students a word study assessment of 12 words. The patterns feature hard c words canter, cable, comb, and cuddle. The patterns feature the following soft c words city, cycle, cent, and ceiling. The s words featured in this unit are saddle, suffer, same, and spring. Challenge words are cement, sacrifice, and carnivore. The following tips for students who score higher or lower are provided: For students in need of more challenge, consider including one or more Optional Challenge Words as part of their 12 words. For any student who scores nine correct or fewer on the assessment, consider using the rubric provided below to analyze the student’s spelling performance and determine skill progression over time.

• Materials include assessment opportunities that measure student progress of word recognition and analysis.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, the Informal Decoding Inventory measures short vowels through vowel teams to determine the highest decoding skill set the student has attained in pronouncing one-syllable words of progressively more difficult patterns.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, the Informal Decoding Inventory measures students’ knowledge of multisyllabic words to determine proficiency in pronouncing two-syllable words of progressively more difficult patterns.

  • In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, word study assessments occur every five days.

  • In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, students’ word study progress is assessed once per month using a qualitative rubric to track progress.

• Materials include some assessment opportunities that measure student progress of fluency.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 22, the different assessments included in the materials are addressed. The Test of Oral Reading Fluency is administered to determine the speed and accuracy of reading aloud grade-level text.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3 in the Word Recognition and Fluency section, some assessments assess students’ abilities to decode a set of words using specific phonics skills. An example is on page 147. The teacher assesses students on how to read words with blends and digraphs.

  • In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 201, figure 6.4 states, “The teacher has a plan for progress monitoring using established fluency assessment methods.” Specific methods and materials are not described.

  • In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 168, materials state, “We expect the Shared Reading segment of Bookworms to build oral reading fluency. Oral reading fluency is relatively easy to measure and it is reliably related to comprehension. Beginning in January of grade 1, it requires that students read aloud, and that their accuracy and rate are compared to well established benchmarks and norms. Choosing an external measure of oral reading fluency, three times per year, is one of the initial tasks we assigned to the leadership team. Knowing whether students are automatic when they read is essential information to understanding them as readers. To answer that question, schools must choose and use correctly a valid and reliable measure of oral reading fluency.”

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information of students’ current skills/level of understanding. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 21 includes the assessment cycle for small group instruction. Screening assessments are completed for initial group placement. Diagnostic assessments for specific planning are completed as well as unit assessments to gauge learning and reevaluate group placement.

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 199 includes fluency benchmarks across grade levels.

  • Informal Decoding Inventory: Multisyllabic Words - to determine proficiency in pronouncing two-syllable words of progressively more difficult patterns.

  • Test of Oral Reading Fluency - to determine speed and accuracy of reading aloud grade-level text.

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 200 includes the NAEP fluency rubric.

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, Content Knowledge, Literacy Knowledge, and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas assessments happen once per module using the culminating task rubrics.

Materials support teachers with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in foundational skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 2, the teacher groups students based on assessments. Students have 15 minutes of small group instruction each day to work on needed skills.

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 24, the materials illustrate strategies for forming groups in the second half of Grade 1 and beyond. If the student is at a benchmark in fluency, place the student in a vocabulary and comprehension group. If the student is not at benchmark in fluency and passed the multisyllabic subtest of the IDI, the student should be placed in a fluency and comprehension group without multisyllabic decoding.

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 28, the materials state that, after forming groups based on assessment data, the teacher should begin a three- to six-week instructional plan. Informal assessments are completed during the last 15 minutes of the instruction. The last day of the cycle is for formal assessment in the areas being supported. If the student passes the assessment, the teacher advances the student to the next skill. If the student does not pass the assessment, the cycle repeats. If the student fails a second time, it is suggested that the cycle is repeated again with a different teacher. If the student continues to struggle, it may be an appropriate time for an intervention.

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, word study assessments are administered every five days using a percent-correct strategy.

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, students’ word study progress is assessed once per month using a qualitative rubric to track progress.

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, External Oral Reading Fluency Screenings occur in Module 1, Lessons 6-14. This screening is a one-minute word count screening and assesses students’ risk status.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for 1s. 

Materials provide some suggestions for how to differentiate instructional materials, questions, and tasks when teaching foundational skills. In the Grades 2-5 Teacher Manual, there are several broad suggestions of how to scaffold the materials to meet the students who struggle, high-achieving students who are high-achievers, and English learners. While the Grades 2-5 Teacher Manual provides overall suggestions, teacher instructions are not specific or explicit in providing differentiated supports. The materials, questions, and tasks in the ELA or Shared Reading Lesson Plans do not support differentiation during core instruction or provide specific supports for students who read, write or speak a language other than English or otherwise struggle. The Differentiated Instruction Block provides targeted instruction for small groups, including students who struggle. The suggestions for students who are high-achievers center around making written exercises more challenging. 

Materials provide some strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to meet or exceed grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 77, the text addresses students who may struggle because they are adding English to their knowledge of a home language. The text states, “Multilingual learners will have foundational skills met during the Differentiation Block. Shared reading is a time of day with intense language exposure and opportunity. Multilingual learners may be able to track and read silently while the teacher reads chorally, and they will benefit from being partnered with a peer who will do the reading for them (while they track again) until they can begin to read chorally. Since Bookworms is not designed with a standards-mastery timeline, these students will be fully included in Shared Reading and increase their participation in practicing all standards as their language skills increase.”

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 93, the text suggests support for students who are adding English to their home language. Suggestions include a preview/review of the text, drawing on the anchor chart, and illustrations to make key vocabulary concrete. 

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 94, the text states, “If you are serving a large number of newcomer multilingual learners, some may require a basic oral language intervention, one that cannot be provided by the classroom teacher. It may be wiser to schedule that intervention during ELA time rather than during Shared Reading. Shared Reading texts are slightly less complex and read more than one. Substituting a portion of grade -level instruction with intervention will always have implications, though. This substitution can only be possible if there are additional teachers to provide the oral language intervention.”

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 270, the text states, “For students whose achievement is years below grade-level expectations, that 15 minutes of differentiated instruction will surely not be enough to allow them to build the skills required to take best advantage of the Tier 1 environment. That segment of time has to be extended and intensive interventions provided by support personnel: reading specialists, special educators, and teachers of English as a second language. There is simply no time for classroom teachers to be the providers of intensive intervention. They have too much else to do.”

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, Chapter 4: Targeting Phonological Awareness and Word Recognition, pages 45-48, the text describes methods for grouping children and strategies for teaching phonics, decoding, and spelling skills in small, targeted groups. There are lesson plans and assessments. This instruction exists for all struggling students, but it is not specific to students learning English.

Materials provide some strategies and supports for students in special populations to work with grade-level foundational skills and to meet or exceed grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual,, pages 75-77, the text lists multiple reasons students may struggle. The section describes helping students build their stamina by creating small, attainable goals with regular celebrations for students, gradually releasing responsibility to students and identifying specific needs of students to be addressed during word study and the DI Block. This section directs teachers to monitor students with Individualized Education Plans and to support them based on their goals and their needs.

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 93, the text discusses how to support students who struggle. Suggestions include tailoring participation in a read aloud and sentence composition to a specific student; taking breaks during the read-aloud and work with students during those breaks; review the anchor chart, etc. 

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 132, the text lists the following as reasons why students may struggle during the shared reading block:

  • All students will struggle if they don’t feel respected and supported by their teacher.

  • Some students will struggle because they lack reading stamina.

  • Some students will struggle because they enter the grade level with foundational deficits.

  • Some students will struggle because they have disabilities related to language and literacy.

  • Some students will struggle because they are adding English to their knowledge of a home language. 

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, page 270, the text states, “For students whose achievement is years below grade-level expectations, that 15 minutes of differentiated instruction will surely not be enough to allow them to build the skills required to take best advantage of the Tier 1 environment. That segment of time has to be extended and intensive interventions provided by support personnel: reading specialists, special educators, and teachers of English as a second language. There is simply no time for classroom teachers to be the providers of intensive intervention. They have too much else to do.”

• In How to Plan Differentiated Reading Instruction: Resources for Grades K-3, Chapter 4: Targeting Phonological Awareness and Word Recognition, pages 45-48, the text describes methods for grouping children and strategies for teaching phonics, decoding, and spelling skills in small, targeted groups. There are lesson plans and assessments. This instruction exists for all struggling students, but it is not specific to students learning English.

Materials provide some extensions and/or advanced opportunities to engage with foundational skills at greater depth for students who read, write, speak, and/or listen above grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the 2-5 Teacher Manual, page 77, the text addresses how to support students with high achievement. Suggestions include making written assignments more challenging by removing the sentence frames and providing blank paper. The teacher can raise expectations for writing quantity - including turning sentence responses into paragraphs and paragraphs into one-page-length responses. “Accelerating the acquisition of composition and handwriting fluencies for high achieving readers will differentiate shared reading expectations in ways that will enhance literacy development.”

• No other evidence was found.