Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills
2023

Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills

Publisher
Heggerty
Subject
ELA
Grades
K-2
Report Release
06/07/2024
Review Tool Version
v2.0
Format
Supplemental: Foundational Skills Only

EdReports reviews of foundational skills supplements determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to research-based practices and college and career ready standards. This rating encompasses all grades covered in the program.

Alignment (Gateway 1)
Partially Meets Expectations

Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating encompasses all grades covered in the program.

Usability (Gateway 2)
NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
Not Eligible
Key areas of interest

This score is the sum of all points available for all foundational skills components across all grades covered in the program.

The maximum available points depends on the review tool used and the number of grades covered.

Foundational Skills
139/198

This score represents an average across grade levels reviewed for: integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, and promotion of mastery of grade-level standards by the end of the year.

Building Knowledge
NC = Not Claimed. The publisher does not claim that this component is addressed in the materials.
NC
Our Review Process

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Additional Publication Details

Title ISBN
International Standard Book Number
Edition Publisher Year
ABC Letter Cards 978-1-947260-27-6
Consonant Blends & Digraphs Cards 978-1-947260-29-0
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade K, Series 1 - Book 1 978-1-960968-00-5
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade K, Series 1 - Book 2 978-1-960968-01-2
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade K, Series 1 - Book 3 978-1-960968-02-9
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade K, Series 1 - Book 4 978-1-960968-03-6
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade K, Series 1 - Book 5 978-1-960968-04-3
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade K, Series 1 - Book 6 978-1-960968-05-0
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade K, Series 1 - Book 7 978-1-960968-06-7
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade K, Series 1 - Book 8 978-1-960968-07-4
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 1 978-1-960968-08-1
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 2 978-1-960968-09-8
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 3 978-1-960968-10-4
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 4 978-1-960968-11-1
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 5 978-1-960968-12-8
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 6 978-1-960968-13-5
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 7 978-1-960968-14-2
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 8 978-1-960968-15-9
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 9 978-1-960968-16-6
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 10 978-1-960968-17-3
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 11 978-1-960968-18-0
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Book 12 978-1-960968-19-7
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 1 978-1-960968-20-3
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 2 978-1-960968-21-0
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 3 978-1-960968-22-7
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 4 978-1-960968-23-4
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 5 978-1-960968-24-1
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 6 978-1-960968-25-8
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 7 978-1-960968-26-5
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 8 978-1-960968-27-2
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 9 978-1-960968-28-9
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 10 978-1-960968-29-6
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 11 978-1-960968-30-2
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Book 12 978-1-960968-31-9
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Classroom Kit 978-1-960968-32-6
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Classroom Kit 978-1-960968-33-3
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Classroom Kit 978-1-960968-34-0
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Student Materials 5-Pack 978-1-960968-35-7
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Student Materials 5-Pack 978-1-960968-36-4
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Student Materials 5-Pack 978-1-960968-37-1
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Classroom Refill 978-1-960968-38-8
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Classroom Refill 978-1-960968-39-5
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Classroom Refill 978-1-960968-40-1
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade K, Series 1 - Classroom Set 978-1-960968-41-8
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 1, Series 1 - Classroom Set 978-1-960968-42-5
Heggerty Decodable Readers, Grade 2, Series 1 - Classroom Set 978-1-960968-43-2
Alphabet Bridge - Teacher 978-1-960968-44-9
Sound Posters, Grade K 978-1-960968-45-6
Sound Posters, Grade 1 978-1-960968-46-3
Sound Posters, Grade 2 978-1-960968-47-0
Teacher Sound Wall Cards 978-1-960968-48-7
Teacher Word Construction Cards K & 1 978-1-960968-49-4
Teacher Red Word Cards 978-1-960968-50-0
Student Red Word Cards (1) 978-1-960968-51-7
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Teacher's Guide (Set) 978-1-960968-52-4
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Teacher's Guide (Volume 1) 978-1-960968-53-1
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Teacher's Guide (Volume 2) 978-1-960968-54-8
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Teacher's Guide (Volume 3) 978-1-960968-55-5
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Teacher's Guide (Set) 978-1-960968-56-2
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Teacher's Guide (Volume 1) 978-1-960968-57-9
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Teacher's Guide (Volume 2) 978-1-960968-58-6
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Teacher's Guide (Volume 3) 978-1-960968-59-3
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Teacher's Guide (Set) 978-1-960968-60-9
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Teacher's Guide (Volume 1) 978-1-960968-61-6
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Teacher's Guide (Volume 2) 978-1-960968-62-3
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Teacher's Guide (Volume 3) 978-1-960968-63-0
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - myHeggerty Digital Teacher Access, 1-year 978-1-960968-64-7
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - myHeggerty Digital Teacher Access, 1-year 978-1-960968-65-4
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - myHeggerty Digital Teacher Access, 1-year 978-1-960968-66-1
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Student READ Book (Set) 978-1-960968-67-8
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Student READ Book (Volume 1) 978-1-960968-68-5
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Student READ Book (Volume 2) 978-1-960968-69-2
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Kindergarten - Student READ Book (Volume 3) 978-1-960968-70-8
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Student READ Book (Set) 978-1-960968-71-5
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Student READ Book (Volume 1) 978-1-960968-72-2
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Student READ Book (Volume 2) 978-1-960968-73-9
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for First Grade - Student READ Book (Volume 3) 978-1-960968-74-6
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Student READ Book (Set) 978-1-960968-75-3
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Student READ Book (Volume 1) 978-1-960968-76-0
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Student READ Book (Volume 2) 978-1-960968-77-7
Bridge to Reading: Foundational Skills for Second Grade - Student READ Book (Volume 2) 978-1-960968-78-4
Vowel Valley Poster 978-1-960968-79-1
Alphabet Chart Poster 978-1-960968-80-7
Spell Tabs Classroom Set (Set of 26 folders & Post-Its) 978-1-960968-81-4
Spell Tabs 5-Pack Add On (Set of 5 folders & Post-Its) 978-1-960968-82-1
Teacher Red Word Cards - Grade 2 978-1-960968-83-8
Student Red Word Cards - Grade 2 (1) 978-1-960968-84-5
Teacher Word Construction Cards Grade 2 978-1-960968-88-3
Student Spell Tab Folder (1 - Individual) will only track in sets
CLOSE

Report for 1st Grade

Alignment Summary

The materials for Grade 1 partially meet the expectations for alignment to research-based practices and standards for foundational skills instruction.

The materials include a clear, evidence-based hierarchy for phonemic awareness instruction and practice. Materials include phonemic awareness activities such as isolating, blending, and segmenting words as part of a warm-up for 8-12 minutes. Daily phonemic awareness lessons end after Week 24; Weeks 23–30 include optional phonemic awareness intervention lessons. The scope and sequence includes phonemic awareness skills aligned to phonics instruction progression and include opportunities for students to practice connecting sounds to letters. Materials include limited explicit instruction for the teacher to model different types of phonemic awareness activities. Instead, the teacher is guided to begin student practice without modeling first. The materials include access to summative and formative phonemic awareness; however, these are optional.

The materials do not contain elements of instruction that are based on the three-cueing system for teaching decoding. The materials include a clearly delineated scope and sequence with a cohesive, intentional sequence of phonics instruction that builds from simpler to more complex skills while also building towards the application of skills. However, the materials have a limited evidence-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence. The materials include reasonable pacing of newly taught phonics skills. The Instructional Time Guide includes information for the pacing of daily lessons. The Bridge to Reading foundational skills lessons include 20-30 minutes of phonics instruction. The timing of the phonemic awareness and phonics components is indicated in the header of the lesson plans.

The materials contain explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of phonics skills. The materials include a structured, consistent blending routine with teacher modeling, specifically the Finger-Blending Strategy. The materials include instructions for the dictation of words and sentences. The materials provide limited guidance on corrective feedback. The materials provide students with frequent opportunities to decode and encode words with taught phonics patterns through guided practice in the We Do portion of the lesson. The materials introduce spelling rules and generalizations in regular instructional routines in a sequence aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. The materials include decodable texts aligned to the phonics scope and sequence, including passages in the READ books and a Decodables library; however, the texts in the Decodables Library are briefly mentioned in the lesson plans, and there are no lesson plans for these texts. The materials indicate that these texts are intended to support small group or independent reading practice without clear guidance for use and implementation. The materials include weekly formative assessments in the form of Weekly Checks. These checks include encoding words in isolation and in the context of a sentence. The Weekly Checks do not include decoding tasks.

The materials include consistent instructional routines to introduce high-frequency words, beginning in Week 1, with five weeks of dedicated review at the end of the year. Materials include teacher modeling of the spelling and reading of high-frequency words that includes connecting the phonemes to the graphemes. The materials provide consistent opportunities for students to engage in practice reading high-frequency words in isolation and in the context of sentences and decodable passages. Although there are opportunities for students to write words in sentences, word banks are included for student use to choose from when writing the high-frequency word. Lessons include explicit instruction in syllable patterns and affixes, and students have frequent opportunities to apply word analysis skills to decode unfamiliar words. The materials include a Weekly Check during which students write the week’s Red Words in the context of a sentence. The materials do not include assessments of word recognition or word analysis. 

The materials include limited opportunities for explicit, systematic instruction in oral reading fluency. Teachers use weekly stories from sound posters to provide students with general information about the habits of fluent readers and to model fluent reading. Students practice fluent reading independently using word lists, sentences, and decodable text passages. Materials include limited assessment opportunities over the course of the year for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence of oral reading fluency. The materials include a Fluency Checklist for the teacher to use to assess fluency weekly using the Day 4 decodable reader.

1st Grade
Alignment (Gateway 1)
Partially Meets Expectations
Usability (Gateway 2)
Not Rated
Overview of Gateway 1

Alignment to Research-Based Practices and Standards for Foundation Skills Instruction

Criterion 1.1: Phonemic Awareness

08/16

Materials emphasize explicit, systematic instruction of research-based and/or evidence-based phonemic awareness.

The materials include a clear, evidence-based hierarchy for phonemic awareness instruction and practice. The materials explain the progression of skills from larger units of language to the phoneme level and include a scope and sequence aligned to this hierarchy. The scope and sequence includes phonemic awareness skills aligned to phonics instruction progression. Materials include phonemic awareness activities such as isolating, blending, and segmenting words as part of a warm-up for 8-12 minutes. Daily phonemic awareness lessons end after Week 24; Weeks 23–30 include optional phonemic awareness intervention lessons. The scope and sequence includes phonemic awareness skills aligned to phonics instruction progression and include opportunities for students to practice connecting sounds to letters. Materials include limited explicit instruction for the teacher to model different types of phonemic awareness activities. Instead, the teacher is guided to begin student practice without modeling first. The materials include access to summative and formative phonemic awareness assessments; however, the materials indicate that these assessments are optional.

Indicator 1C
04/04

Scope and sequence clearly delineate the sequence in which phonemic awareness skills are to be taught, with a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy of phonemic awareness competence.

The materials include a clear, evidence-based hierarchy for phonemic awareness instruction and practice. The materials explain the progression of skills from larger units of language to the phoneme level and include a scope and sequence aligned to this hierarchy. Materials include phonemic awareness activities such as isolating, blending, and segmenting words as part of a warm-up for 8-12 minutes. The scope and sequence includes phonemic awareness skills aligned to phonics instruction progression. Daily phonemic awareness lessons end after Week 24; Weeks 23–30 include optional phonemic awareness intervention lessons.

Materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected sequence for teaching phonemic awareness skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Introduction, Overview, the materials state that instruction begins with phonological awareness skills, focusing on students’ ability to discern larger units of language before moving into the smallest unit of language, the phoneme, in Unit 3. The materials clearly explain that phonics and phonemic awareness have a reciprocal relationship, with phonemic awareness instruction happening as a warm-up to reduce the cognitive load for students during phonics instruction. 

  • In the Introduction, Overview, the materials include instruction and practice with phonological awareness at the syllable level to support reading and spelling of multisyllabic words. The majority of instruction in this area focuses on phonemic awareness as an oral and auditory warm-up for phonics instruction. The materials indicate that this structure helps build proficiency in isolating, blending, segmenting, and manipulating.  

  • In the Introduction, Overview, the materials indicate that teachers can provide support in the form of hand motions, Elkonin boxes, Unifix cubes, or felt. As students gain proficiency in phonemic awareness skills, the materials state that teachers should remove hand motions and visual supports to help students transfer skills to reading and writing. 

Materials have a cohesive sequence of phonemic awareness instruction based on the expected hierarchy to build toward students’ immediate application of the skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Introduction, Getting Started, the materials indicate that lessons begin with phonemic awareness instruction as a warm-up to phonics instruction. Instruction includes the following skills: rhyme, phoneme isolation, blending, segmenting, manipulation, alphabet knowledge, language awareness, and phoneme-grapheme connections. 

  • In the Introduction, Scope and Sequence, the materials include a scope and sequence that outlines the following progression in phonemic awareness instruction: 

    • isolating initial sounds (Units 1–2) 

    • isolating ending sounds (Units 1–2) 

    • blending syllables (Unit 1) 

    • segmenting words into syllables (Unit 1) 

    • adding, deleting, and substituting syllables (Unit 1) 

    • blending phonemes (Units 1–5) 

    • segmenting words into phonemes (Units 1–5) 

    • adding, deleting, and substituting initial phonemes (Units 1–3) 

    • isolating medial phonemes (Units 2–3) 

    • adding, deleting, and substituting final phonemes (Units 3–5) 

    • adding, deleting, and substituting within words (Units 4–5) 

Materials attend to developing phonemic awareness skills and avoid spending excess time on phonological sensitivity tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • Phonemic Awareness lessons begin in Week 1, Day 1, and continue daily through the end of Week 24. Weeks 24-34 include intervention instruction. This includes daily alphabet review where students see a letter and say the letter name and sound during Weeks 1-4. Phoneme-Grapheme Connections begin in Week 5 and continue through Week 24 for all students.  

Materials contain a phonemic awareness sequence of instruction and practice aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 12, Day 1, phonemic awareness lessons focus on long vowel words with final e, including the following long o words and word parts: cone, pole, robe, note, stove, joke, code, nose, hope, -ole, -oze, -ope, -obe, -oke, -one. The phonics lessons’ target skills focus on long o words spelled with a final e

  • In Week 17, Day 1, the phonemic awareness lesson focuses on r-controlled vowels: ur, or, ar, ir, ar, or. The phonics lesson focuses on the concept of r-controlled sounds, with a particular focus on the /ar/ sound.

Indicator 1D
02/04

Materials include systematic and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness with repeated teacher modeling.

The materials provide daily instruction in phonemic awareness skills with limited systematic, explicit teacher modeling. Materials include limited explicit instruction for the teacher to model different types of phonemic awareness activities. Instead, the teacher is guided to begin student practice without modeling first. Videos for each lesson provide a model of how to guide students through phonemic awareness exercises. Materials include a Corrective Feedback Guide for Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Lessons that includes information for the teacher on how to provide corrective feedback.

Materials provide the teacher with limited systematic, explicit modeling for instruction in sounds (phonemes). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.

    • In Week 10, Day 1, the teacher explains the routine for isolating medial vowel sounds and identifying whether the medial vowel is short or long. Then, the teacher works with students on isolating and identifying medial vowel sounds using the words wait, hitch, hot, cute, and weed

    • No additional evidence found. 

  • Orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.

    • In Week 13, Day 3, the teacher says, “When we read words, we say the sounds and blend them together. We will hear words with consonant blends (l blends and s blends). I will say four sounds, and you will blend the sounds into a word.” The materials include a phoneme-by-phoneme script to have students blend the words fetch, leash, mouth, rush, math, and patch. The teacher does not model first.

    • In Week 16, Day 3, the teacher tells students they will blend sounds together to read words. The teacher tells students they will hear words with initial and final consonant blends, and the teacher will say four sounds. Then, students blend them to say the word. The materials provide a phoneme-by-phoneme script to have students blend the words floss, drop, spike, jump, lend, and past. The teacher does not model first.

  • Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.

    • In Week 2, Day 1, the teacher tells students they will repeat a word spoken aloud, then isolate the last sound they hear. Then, the teacher works with students on isolating and pronouncing the final sound using the words hide, stove, week, base, and slip

    • In Week 1, Day 1, the teacher says, “We will listen for the first sound we hear in words. The first sound comes at the beginning of the word. I will say a word. Say the word back the word back to me and tell me the first sound you hear. The teacher does not model first.

  • Segment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes).

    • In Week 18, Day 3, the teacher tells the students, “When we write and spell words, we listen for each sound and match the sounds to letters. We will segment or separate words into the sounds we hear. I will say a word. You will repeat the word, then segment the word into sounds.” This activity is repeated six times; however, the teacher does not model first.

    • In Week 22, Day 1, the teacher tells students, “When we write and spell words, we listen for each sound and match the sounds to letters.” The materials provide a script for guiding students to segment the word fruit into phonemes, and then the teacher says the following words for students to segment: goose, count, screen, foot, stood for students to segment; however, the teacher does not model first.

Materials provide the teacher with examples for instruction in sounds (phonemes). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Week 1, Day 1, the teacher explains the routine for blending syllables to say words. The materials provide a Skill Focus box that states, “When we blend, we put syllables together to make one big word. A syllable is a part of a word with a vowel sound.” The materials provide an example script for blending the syllables in the word napkin, as well as a list of the following words broken into syllables for the teacher to use: sandwich, plastic, contest, picnic, velvet

  • In Week 24, Day 1, the materials provide an example script to model blending phonemes to say the word shade. The materials provide phoneme-by-phoneme examples for instruction for the words shade, chime, such, thud, reach, and dish.

Materials include teacher guidance for corrective feedback when needed for students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the Introduction, Overview, the materials state if students need more concrete visuals during phonological and phonemic awareness lessons, the teacher can choose to replace hand motions with Elkonin boxes, Unifix cubes, or felt to represent the sounds or word parts. 

  • Materials include a Corrective Feedback Guide for Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Lessons that provides information to the teacher on how to provide corrective feedback. For example:

    • Error: The student does not blend the words, syllables, onset-rime or phonemes into the correct word.

    • Response: Let’s try that again. Teacher repeats the parts of the word and models how to blend the parts into a whole word. Example: The 3 syllables, /hon-est-y/, can be blended together to make the word ‘honesty’. Can you repeat the syllables and the whole word? /hon-est-y/, honesty? Visual support with the hand motion, Elkonin boxes, tiles, or felt squares can be used to anchor the sounds to a visual for the learner. As the lessons transition to blending at the phoneme level, some students struggle to respond with the correct word when there are more than 2 or 3 phonemes in a word. Teacher modeling is one way to provide the support and feedback.

Indicator 1E
02/04

Materials include daily, brief lessons in phonemic awareness.

The materials include lessons in phonemic awareness throughout Weeks 1–24. These lessons include eight daily skills with ample opportunities for student practice. The materials include phonemic awareness lessons during Weeks 25–30; however, the materials label these lessons as optional intervention lessons. The materials do not include phonemic awareness lessons during Weeks 31-34. While some of the phonics portions of the lessons include opportunities for the practice of phonemic awareness skills, this practice does not occur daily.

Daily phonemic awareness instruction correlates to the phonics portion of the lesson (phoneme-grapheme correspondence). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 5, Day 2, the phonics portion of the lesson focuses on the consonant digraph /sh/. During the phonemic awareness portion of the lesson, the teacher reads the sound story from the Consonant Digraphs Sound Poster, which contains 24 /sh/ words, and asks students to listen for words with the /sh/ sound. Students identify items from the poster that begin and end with the /sh/ sound. Students generate items that they would sell in a silly shop that begin or end with /sh/. Students share their items and identity where in the word the /sh/ sound occurs. 

  • In Week 13, Day 1, the phonics portion of the lesson focuses on consonant blends. The phonemic awareness portion of the lesson includes blending, segmenting, and adding and deleting initial phonemes in words beginning with consonant blends.

  • In Week 21, Day 4, the phonics portion of the lesson focuses on long i spelling patterns, including -igh. The phonemic awareness portion of the lesson includes practice with the words flight, right, and fright

Materials include opportunities for students to practice connecting sounds to letters. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Week 2, Day 1, the teacher displays a card for each letter in random order and instructs students to say the “Letter is ____. Sound is ____.”  

  • In Week 6, Day 1, students match phonemes to graphemes that match the sounds. Students isolate the first sound heard in words and match the sound to the letter in print. Words include chain (ch), picture (p), able (a), thunder (th), otter (o).

  • In Week 12, Day 1, students match letters to the sounds heard in the words they blend. The teacher says a sound and shows/writes the letter(s) that stand for the sound. Students say each sound and blend sounds to decode the word. Words include cone, pole, note, robe. 

Materials include directions to the teacher for demonstrating how to pronounce each phoneme (articulation/mouth formation). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 6, Day 1, the teacher displays the Letter Card for the /th/ sound, which includes a picture of mouth articulation. The materials include teacher instructions for explaining the difference between the voiced and unvoiced /th/

  • In Week 12, Day 1, the teacher displays the Sound Wall Card for the long o sound, which includes a picture of mouth articulation. The teacher instructs students step-by-step through placement, manner, and voice for the sound. 

Indicator 1F
00/04

Materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress of phonemic awareness (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).

The materials include access to summative and formative phonemic awareness assessments; however, the materials indicate that these assessments are optional. While the optional assessments offer data on students’ current skills, no support exists for adjustment of instructional strategies to promote student progress. 

Materials do not regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonemic awareness. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the materials include the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Assessment, Form A, B, and C. The materials indicate that these assessments “are not required to teach the curriculum” but can be used to monitor student progress and plan for instruction. 

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

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Assessment, Form A, includes scoring criteria to identify students as Beginning, Developing, or Proficient in the following skills: onset fluency, initial phoneme isolation, blending phonemes into words, isolating final sounds in words, segmenting words into phonemes, isolating medial sound in words, adding initial phonemes, deleting initial phonemes, substituting initial phonemes. The materials indicate that these assessments “are not required to teach the curriculum” but can be used to monitor student progress and plan for instruction. 

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, Grade 1 Beginning of the Year Phonics Assessment, the materials indicate that progress monitoring assessments for individual phonemic awareness skills are available to print from the Heggerty website. The materials do not give teachers additional guidance on when to administer these assessments within the scope and sequence or daily lessons.

Materials do not support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in phonemic awareness. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Assessment materials provide spaces for teachers to record both the students’ “Areas of Strength” and “Areas of Need and Plan for Intervention,” but do not provide instructional suggestions.

Criterion 1.2: Phonics (Decoding and Encoding)

24/32

Materials emphasize explicit, systematic instruction of research-based and/or evidence-based phonics.

Materials do not contain elements of instruction that are based on the three-cueing system for teaching decoding. The materials include a clearly delineated scope and sequence with a cohesive, intentional sequence of phonics instruction that builds from simpler to more complex skills while also building towards the application of skills. However, the materials have a limited evidence-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence. The materials include reasonable pacing of newly taught phonics skills. The Instructional Time Guide includes information for the pacing of daily lessons. The Bridge to Reading foundational skills lessons include 20-30 minutes of phonics instruction. The timing of the phonemic awareness and phonics components is indicated in the header of the lesson plans.

The materials contain explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of phonics skills. The materials include a structured, consistent blending routine with teacher modeling, specifically the Finger-Blending Strategy. The materials include instructions for the dictation of words and sentences. The materials provide limited guidance on corrective feedback. The materials provide students with frequent opportunities to decode and encode words with taught phonics patterns through guided practice in the We Do portion of the lesson. The materials introduce spelling rules and generalizations in regular instructional routines in a sequence aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. The materials include decodable texts aligned to the phonics scope and sequence, including passages in the READ books and a Decodables library; however, the texts in the Decodables Library are briefly mentioned in the lesson plans, there are no lesson plans for these texts; the materials indicate that these texts are intended to support small group or independent reading practice without clear guidance for use and implementation. The materials include weekly formative assessments in the form of Weekly Checks. These checks include encoding words in isolation and in the context of a sentence. The Weekly Checks do not include decoding tasks.

Indicator 1G
02/04

Scope and sequence clearly delineate an intentional sequence in which phonics skills are to be taught, with a clear evidence-based explanation for the order of the sequence.

The materials include a clearly delineated scope and sequence with a cohesive, intentional sequence of phonics instruction that builds from simpler to more complex skills while also building towards the application of skills. However, the materials have a limited evidence-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence. The materials are based on high-utility phonics patterns and generalizations.

Materials contain a limited evidence-based explanation for the expected sequence for teaching phonics skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Overview, the materials introduce Scarborough’s Reading Rope and The Simple View of Reading. The Chapter 1 video includes a visual depiction of the Reading Rope. The materials do not include a graphic for the Simple View of Reading. The materials do not cite or discuss any other research, including research for phonics generalizations.

  • In the Chapter 3 Overview, the video reviews the skills covered in Unit 2, Weeks 5–10 by explaining that students are “introduced to many new skills such as consonant digraphs, suffixes, double consonants, and glued sounds.” The video does not make a connection between the skills taught and the research. 

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

  • The Scope and Sequence outlines the progression of phonics concepts across the school year, starting with a review of consonants, vowels, and VC and CVC words, progressing through consonant digraphs, blends, work families with ending blends, on to CVCe words. The sequence of phonics instruction continues to progress in difficulty with r-controlled vowels, vowel teams, silent letters, and syllable division. For example, in weeks 13-15, two-letter consonant blends instruction leads into week 16 three-letter cluster blends. 

    • Unit 1: Review consonants and vowels; short vowels: VC and CVC words; closed syllables; endings -ing, s with no spelling changes.

    • Unit 2: Consonant digraphs: sh, ch, th; voiced and unvoiced wh; ch, ck; Trigraph tch, plural endings -es; inflectional ending -ed with no spelling changes; -ll, -ss, -ff, -zz; qu; -nk, -ink, -ank, -unk, -onk, -ng, -ing, -ong, -ung, -ang.

    • Unit 3: CVCe long a, long i; CVCe long o, long u, long e, inflectional ending -ed with spelling changes; Consonant blends: l, s, r blends; Hard and Soft c/g; Final consonant blends: -nt, -nd, -mp; Consonant clusters: spl-, spr-, scr-.

    • Unit 4: R-Controlled Vowels; ar, er, or, ir, ur; Vowel Teams: ai, ay, oa, oe, ee, ea, ey, ie, -igh; y as a vowel, ue, ui

    • Unit 5: Complex Vowels: ew, oo, ou; Contractions n’t, ‘s, ‘m, ‘ll; Complex Vowels: au, aw, all, alk; Suffixes -less, -ful; Diphthongs: oi, oy, ou, ow; Silent letters: gn, wr, kn, mb; Prefixes un-, re-

    • Unit 6: -ge, dge; Compound Words; Syllable Division: Closed Syllables, Consonant +le, Closed & Open Syllables, Review: Short and long vowels, consonant digraphs; vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, complex vowels, diphthongs.

Phonics instruction is based on high utility patterns and/or common phonics generalizations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Weeks 1–17, the focus is on reviewing prior phonics concepts and then introducing high-utility phonics generalizations, including closed syllables, inflectional endings, blends, digraphs, hard/soft C and G. Weeks 18–34 focus on vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, and complex vowels. Weeks 30–32 focus on syllabication, including syllable division rules, consonant +le, and closed/open syllables.

  • In Week 14, Day 4, the teacher explains that when c is followed by e or  i, it usually has the soft c sound, /s/.

  • In Week 28, Day 1, the teacher explains that some consonant combinations are two letters with one silent consonant, usually found at the beginning of the word. One consonant letter stays silent, and the other stands for the sound of the word.

Indicator 1H
04/04

Materials are absent of the three-cueing system.

Materials do not contain elements of instruction that are based on the three-cueing system.

  • Materials do not contain lessons or resources that include the three-cueing system. 

Indicator 1I
04/04

Materials, questions, and tasks provide reasonable pacing where phonics (decoding and encoding) skills are taught one at a time and allot time where phonics skills are practiced to automaticity, with cumulative review.

The materials include reasonable pacing of newly taught phonics skills. The Scope and Sequence allow students to learn new skills gradually throughout the school year while filtering in time for students to practice previously learned skills. During the lessons, the materials engage students in decoding and encoding practice while working towards mastery of the new and previously learned skills. Cumulative review of previously taught lessons takes place in the Jump In section of the lesson plan and is often referenced in other areas in the lesson. The materials have newly added an Instructional Time Guide that includes information on “Supporting instructional blocks and defining essential content” with specific timing for each component. 

Materials include reasonable pacing of newly taught phonics skills. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

  • According to the Scope and Sequence for Weeks 5-7, students learn about consonant digraphs. During each of the weeks, new consonant digraphs are introduced. For example, in Week 5, sh and ch are introduced. In Week 6, th, voiced and unvoiced, and wh are introduced. In Week 7, ch, ck, trigraph tch, plural ending -es, and inflectional ending -ed with no spelling changes are introduced.

  • According to the Scope and Sequence for Week 9, Days 1-5 introduce -nk welded sounds, and Week 10, Days 1-5 introduce -ng welded sounds. In Week 9, Day 1, students learn the -ink welded sound. In Week 9, Day 2, students learn the -ank welded sound. In Week 9, Day 3, students learn -unk welded sounds. In Week 9, Day 4, students learn the -onk welded sounds. Week 9, Day 5 is a review of all -nk welded sounds. This pattern is repeated with -ng welded sounds during Week 10.

  • According to the Scope and Sequence for Weeks 17–22, students learn about r-Controlled Vowels and Vowel Teams. During each of these weeks, new vowel patterns are introduced. For example, in Week 17, ar and er are introduced. In Week 18, or, ir and ur are introduced. The Scope and Sequence does not indicate reviews of prior phonics concepts during Weeks 17-22.

  • The Instructional Time Guide includes information for the pacing of daily lessons. This includes: The Bridge to Reading foundational skills lessons include 8-12 minutes of phonemic awareness instruction and 20-30 minutes of phonics instruction. Timing for the Phonemic Awareness and Phonics components is indicated in the header of the lesson plans.

The lesson plan design allots time to include sufficient student practice to work towards automaticity. Students have sufficient opportunities across the year to practice new phonics skills to automaticity. For example:

  • In Week 11, Day 1, the Phonics Target skill is for students to build, decode, and spell words with the CVCe pattern and long a.  During the We Do portion of the lesson, students read words using the Construct and Read Words Strategy. Students blend the sounds /k/, /a/, /p/, using the Finger Blending Strategy. Students repeat blending the word cape. Students repeat the process with the words mat and mate. Students use their Spell Tabs Folder to repeat the procedure again with the words mad/made, pan/pane

  • In Week 11, Day 2, the Phonics Target skill is for students to build, decode, and spell words with the CVCe pattern and long a.  During the We Do portion of the lesson, students build and read words using the Construct and Read Words Strategy. Students sound out words and add consonants to the beginning of words to create new words. Students use the Spell Tabs folder to construct and read the words take, make, name, came. The teacher dictates the words while students use the Finger Spelling Strategy to write take, make, name, came. 

  • In Week 11, Day 3, the Phonics Target skill is for students to build, decode, and spell words with the CVCe pattern and long i. During the We Do portion of the lesson, students read words using the Construct and Read Words Strategy. Students blend the sounds /r/, /i/, /d/, /e/, using the Finger Blending Strategy. Students repeat blending the word ride. Students repeat the process with the words kit and kite. Students use their Spell Tabs Folder to repeat the procedure again with the words hid/hide, shin/shine.

  • In Week 11, Day 4, the Phonics Target skill is for students to build, decode, and spell words with the CVCe pattern and long i. During the We Do portion of the lesson, students read words using the Construct and Read Words Strategy. Students sound out words and add consonants to the beginning of words to create new words. Students use the Spell Tabs folder to construct and read the words ride, five, dime, life, bike. The teacher dictates the words while students use the Finger Spelling Strategy to write five, dime, life, bike. 

  • In Week 11, Day 5, the Phonics Target skill is for students to build, decode, and spell words with the CVCe pattern and long a and long i. During the We Do portion of the lesson, students identify words from the stories that have long a or long i sounds. Students divide a paper into two columns and write the words under the headings Long a and Long i. After students sort all the words, they chorally read the words in each column. 

Materials contain distributed, cumulative, and interleaved opportunities for students to practice and review all previously learned grade-level phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

  • In Week 8, Day 1, students use the Word Construction Cards for the letters a, e, i, o, u, b, d, g, t, m, p, s. Students take turns choosing three cards to construct a CVC word. One student reads the word aloud and chooses another student to use the word in a sentence. This is a review as CVC words are discussed in Weeks 3 and 4.

  • In Week 13, Day 3, students learn and apply consonant l blends and s blends. Students use their Spell Tab folders to build and read words that contain not only the newly learned consonant blends patterns but also the previously learned CVCe long i pattern by spelling the following words: spud, smile, swipe, and swell.

  • In Week 29, Day 5, students practice the previously taught phonics skills of soft g sound and compound words by identifying words from sentences: sage, rangers, huge, vegetable, bridge, village, edge, large, package, downtown, bookstore, goldfish, fishbowl, backpack, afterschool. The teacher draws a table on the board and labels two columns, “Soft g Words” and “Compound Words.” Students call out which column words go in: huge, village, afterschool, bookstore, stage, package, goldfish, backpack, everyone, large, weekday, beanbag. Students choral read the words.

Indicator 1J
02/04

Materials include systematic and explicit phonics instruction with repeated teacher modeling.

The materials contain explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of phonics skills. The materials include a structured, consistent blending routine with teacher modeling, specifically the Finger-Blending Strategy. The materials include instruction for dictation of words and sentences. The materials include limited guidance on providing corrective feedback. 

Materials contain explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of newly-taught phonics patterns. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.

    • In Week 5, Day 1, the teacher explains that a consonant digraph is two consonants that make one sound and that the consonant digraph they will learn is sh. The teacher displays the Letter Card sh and explains that the letters s and h together represent one sound /sh/. The teacher displays the Sound Wall Card /sh/, taps the letters, says the names of the letters, and gives the sound for the digraph. The teacher uses the Word Construction Cards sh, o, p  and models blending /sh/, /ŏ/, /p/, using the Finger-Blending Strategy before reading the word.

    • In Week 6, Day 1, the teacher explains, “We have been learning about consonant digraphs. Remember, consonant digraphs are two consonants that stand for one sound. The consonant digraph we are learning today is th.” The teacher shows the Sound Card th. Then, students practice articulating the voiced and unvoiced /th/ sounds as in them and thumb while the teacher reinforces the correct articulation and sound. Students then listen to a story from the Sound Poster with /th/ sound.

  • Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.

    • In Week 3, Day 2, the teacher displays Word Construction Cards for jet and models decoding the word. The teacher models saying each sound and blending the word /j/, /e/, /t/, jet. The teacher guides students using the Finger-Blending Strategy, repeating the sounds in jet two times. The teacher directs students to read the word jet in a sentence: I will fly on the jet.

    • In Week 18, Day 3, the teacher displays the Sound Wall Card /er/. The teacher points to and names the letters i and r and asks students to repeat the letters that make the /er/ sound. The teacher models decoding the words birds and first, and a student circles the ir in each word. The teacher repeats the process with the ur spelling, and the words turns and blur

  • Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.

    • In Week 11, Day 4, the teacher displays the Sound Wall Card long i, taps the card, and says i. The teacher writes i_e on the board and explains that this shows the CVCe pattern for words with long i. The teacher uses the Word Construction Cards b and t by adding b to the beginning and t between the i and e to form b, i, t, e. The teacher reminds the students the silent final e gives the vowels that come before it a long sound. The teacher models sounding out the word bite by putting a hand over the e and asking the students what the word is.

    • In Week 12, Day 1, the teacher models identifying words from the Long Vowels Sound Poster and Sound Story that have the long o sound. The teacher says, “The words hose, roses, rope, stone, and bone all have the long o sound with the CVCe word pattern. The sound /o/ is the same as the name of the vowel, o. The teacher displays the Sound Wall Card /o/, taps the letter, and says the letter name. The teacher uses Word Construction Cards and the Finger-Blending Strategy to guide students to read hope, robe, tote, mope.

    • In Week 20, Day 1, the teacher models identifying words that contain the long e sound and vowel teams ee and ea. The teacher explains, “The words eats, treat, peach, please, sneaky, weak, and neat all have the long vowel sound /ē/ with the vowel team ea. This vowel team can come at the beginning, middle, or end of a word.” The teacher displays the Word Construction ea card, taps the letters, and says the letter names: e, a. The teacher says, “The letters in this vowel team are ea, and the first vowel is the leader: e.”

  • Use knowledge that every syllable must have a vowel sound to determine the number of syllables in a printed word.

    • In Week 3, Day 3, the teacher says, “We will learn about word parts called syllables and the patterns that syllables have. Some words have more than one syllable. Even in a longer word, every syllable needs a vowel.” The teacher models building words with one syllable and reminds students that every syllable has a vowel. The teacher writes the words in, on, it, as, at, reads the words aloud, and points out and names the vowels in each word. 

    • In Week 28, Day 3, the teacher reminds students they have learned that a “syllable is a part of a word. Every syllable must have a vowel.” The teacher says 3, 4, or 5 syllables, and the students blend them into one word. The teacher gives the syllables, and students blend the syllables to form words, including magical, pillowcase, supermarket

  • Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables.

    • In Week 28, Day 3, the teacher models identifying words with prefixes re- and un- using the Silent Letter Sound Poster. Students identify that the words untangles, unwrap, unzip, and unties all have the prefix un- at the beginning of the word. The teacher explains that “the prefix un- means ‘not’ or ‘the opposite of.The teacher writes the word zip on the board and reads it to the students. The teacher displays the Word Construction Card un-, taps the sound, and says the letter names for that given prefix. The teacher adds the prefix un- to the beginning of the word zip and then reads the word with the students. This process is repeated with the word untangle

    • In Week 31, Day 1, the teacher writes the word apple on the board and points out ple, explaining that it is a c+le pattern. The teacher explains that in words with c+le, the word is always divided before the consonant. The teacher draws a slash between the two ps on the board ap/ple. The teacher writes the word nibble on the board, pointing out the c+le, and draws a slash between the double consonants in nib/ble. The teacher explains the first syllable is a closed syllable and the second syllable is a c+le syllable.

  • Read words with inflectional endings.

    • In Week 7, Day 4, the teacher models reading words with the inflectional ending -ed. The teacher writes the word stack on the board, then adds -ed to the end and reads the word aloud. The teacher and students discuss the meaning of the word and how adding -ed to the end of the word tells about something that has already happened. The teacher repeats the procedure with the words pick and kick. The teacher and students use the Finger-Blending Strategy to read and write words kicked, locked, packed, pecked, back, necked, rocked, locked.

    • In Week 12, Day 4, the teacher writes the word hope on the board and tells students that when we add -ed to the end of a verb that ends in a silent e, we drop the e before adding the -ed. The teacher models making and reading the word hoped. Then the teacher tells students the -ed ending has three sounds:/t/ as in taped, /id/as in waited, and /d/ as in tuned

Lessons include blending and segmenting practice using structured, consistent blending routines with teacher modeling. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Introduction, Instructional Strategies, the materials explain the instructional routine for the Finger Blending Strategy. This strategy is used daily in conjunction with Word Construction Cards in the We Do portion of each lesson. The teacher builds and displays a word with the phonics pattern. Students say each sound while holding up one finger for each of the sounds. Then, students close their fist when they say the word aloud.

  • In Week 1, Day 1, the teacher uses the Word Construction Cards h, a, m and the Finger-Blending Strategy to blend sounds by saying /h/, /a/, /m/ to form the word ham.

  • In Week 16, Day 2, the teacher models the Finger-Blending Strategy and Spell Tab spelling for the words sprung and spruce

  • In Week 27, Day 3, the teacher displays the Word Construction Card ow. The teacher writes and reads aloud the words how and now, and a student circles the letters that make the /ow/ sound at the end of each word. Students identify which letters stand for the /ow/ sound in how and now

Lessons include dictation of words and sentences using the newly taught phonics pattern(s). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Week 4, Day 4, students write the words cub, vet, box, and yes as the teacher dictates each word sound by sound. The teacher dictates a sentence for students to write: The vet gets a box.

  • In Week 9, Day 2, students write the words bank, sank, and yank as the teacher dictates each word sound by sound. The teacher dictates a sentence for the students to write: Mom said she is at the bank

  • In Week 28, Day 5, students write the words thumb and wrench as the teacher dictates each word sound by sound. The teacher dictates the following sentence for students to write: I know how to wrap gifts. 

Materials include limited teacher guidance for corrective feedback when needed for students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Week 5, Day 4, students use the Finger-Spelling Strategy to write the words chip, much, chat, and such. The teacher circulates to ensure that children are correctly spelling the words. The lesson indicates that the teacher should “provide corrective feedback as needed.” 

  • In Week 9, Day 3, the materials include teacher guidance for providing corrective feedback to students having difficulty constructing and reading words with -unk in the Differentiated Instruction section. The teacher instructs students to trace each letter of the word with their finger as they say the sounds chorally and to slide their finger under the whole word as they read it.

Indicator 1K
04/04

Materials include frequent practice opportunities for students to decode and encode words that consist of common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns.

The materials provide students with frequent opportunities to decode phonetically spelled words through guided practice in the We Do portion of the lesson. Independent practice is provided during the You Do part of the lesson. Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to encode phonetically spelled words through activities found in the student READ workbook. Lessons include student guided practice and independent practice of blending words using the sound-spelling pattern(s) in an instructional sequence through the use of Word Construction Cards and the Finger Blending Strategy. Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in decoding practice focused on accuracy and automaticity.

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

  • In Week 13, Day 3, students look at pictures, read the words skate, smell, snake, slide, swim, then draw a line from each word to the picture that matches each word.

  • In Week 19, Day 1, students read a pair of words for each picture, then write the word that goes with each picture. Pictures and words include chain, tray, train, braid, rain, hay.

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to encode phonetically spelled words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 15, Day 4, students use the Finger-Spelling Strategy to write words. The teacher dictates the sentence, I went to find a cat, then students write the sentence.

  • In Week 28, Day 2, the students spell on paper: knot, comb, gnat, wrap. Students use the Finger-Spelling Strategy as they spell words. The teacher dictates the sentence, The comb got the knot out, then students write the sentence.

  • In Week 34, Day 2, students look at each picture and write the word that goes with each picture. The pictures are fruit, tree, tie, seal, blue, beak, pie, three.

Lessons include student-guided practice and independent practice of blending sounds using the sound-spelling pattern(s) in an instructional sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 15, Day 3, the teacher guides students to blend the sounds /j//u//m//p/ using the Finger Blending Strategy, then slide their fingers under the word to read jump. The teacher repeats the process with the words bump, ramp, dump. Students use their Spell Tabs Folders to repeat the procedure with words clump, stamp, damp.

  • In Week 25, Day 3, the teacher guides students to blend each sound, /s/ /ô/, using the Finger-Blending Strategy. Then, students slide their fingers, blend the sounds, and read the word: saw. This procedure is repeated with the word cause. Students use their Spell Tabs and repeat the procedure with the words jaw, lawn, fault, and pause.

Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in word-level decoding practice focused on accuracy and automaticity. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 9, Day 2, students use spell tabs to build and read the word thank. The teacher tells students to change specific letters to build and read the following new words: bank, sank, yank.

  • In Week 12, Day 3, students use spell tabs to build and read the word cube. The teacher tells students to change specific letters to build and read the following new words: cute, tune, tube, June, mule, flute

  • In Week 18, Day 2, students use spell tabs to build and read the word torn. The teacher tells students to change specific letters to build and read the following new words: worn, horn, born, bore, tore, more

Indicator 1L
04/04

Spelling rules and generalizations are taught one at a time at a reasonable pace. Spelling words and generalizations are practiced to automaticity.

The materials include instruction in spelling rules and generalizations. Teachers introduce spelling rules and generalizations in regular instructional routines in a sequence aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. Beginning in Week 5, the materials include regular use of Word Construction Cards for modeling and Spell Tabs for recurring student practice applying spelling rules and generalizations.

Spelling rules and generalizations are aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • In Week 3, Day 4, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on short vowels. The We Do activity focuses on using word construction cards to spell words with short /a/ and short /i/, including did, kid, dad, and cap. After this practice, students write the words kit, led, on, and jet as the teacher says each word, sound by sound.

  • In Week 9, Day 3, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on -nk, -ink, -ank, -unk, and -onk words. The We Do activity focuses on -unk words, as students use Spell Tabs to practice spelling the words dunk, sunk, junk, and chunk

  • In Week 17, Day 1, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on r-controlled vowels: ar, er. The We Do activity focuses on using word construction cards to spell the word farm (/f/, /ar/, /m/). Students use their Spell Tabs folder to practice the words dark, art, and yard

Materials include explanations for spelling of specific words or spelling rules. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Week 14, Day 4, the teacher uses Word Construction Cards to build the word face, then tells students the word has a silent final e, which gives the vowel that comes before it a long sound. The teacher reminds students that when e follows c, the c usually makes a soft /s/ sound. The teacher guides students to spell the words race, cent, and city. The teacher then builds the word icy and tells students that when y follows c, the c usually makes a soft /s/ sound. The teacher guides students to spell the words rice and spicy

  • In Week 18, Day 1, the teacher reinforces spelling patterns for /ar/ and /er/ before introducing a new r-controlled vowel (/or/). The teacher tells students, “Bossy r controls the vowels a and e when they come before r. Invite children to name the r-controlled vowel sounds they learned. (/ar/ spelled -ar; /er/ spelled -er).” 

  • In Week 29, Day 2, the teacher reminds students they learned about the soft sound of /g/. The students use Spell Tabs to spell words with the soft /g/ sound, such as cage, page, sage, stage, edge, ledge, hodge, and dodge. 

Students have sufficient opportunities to practice spelling rules and generalizations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the Overview, Scope and Sequence, students spend one week on each of the following spelling patterns: CVC (Weeks 3-4),  CVCe with Long a and i (Week 11), Long o, u, e (Week 12), Inflectional Endings (Week 12), CVCC Consonant Blends (Weeks 13 - 15), Consonant Clusters spl-, spr-, scr- (Week 16), r-Controlled ar, er (Week 17), r-Controlled or, ir, ur (week 18), Vowel Teams (Weeks 19-22), Complex Vowels; ew, oo, oo, ou, au, aw, all, alk (Week 23-25), Diphthongs oi, oy, ou, ow (Weeks 26-27). In addition, various opportunities to review spelling patterns taught are included in Weeks 31-34.

  • In Week 26, Day 1, students use Spell Tabs to practice spelling the words boil, foil, coin, and spoil after reviewing the /oy/ sound spelled oi.

Indicator 1M
02/04

Materials include decodable texts with phonics aligned to the program’s scope and sequence and opportunities for students to use decodables for multiple readings.

The materials include decodable texts aligned to the phonics Scope and Sequence. Decodable passages are included in the READ book for each week. The lesson plans include opportunities for two reads of each passage, but lesson plans to support repeated reading lack detail beyond brief teacher reminders of the week’s phonics focus and Red Words. The program also includes a Decodables Library. While these texts are briefly mentioned in the lesson plans, there are no lesson plans for these texts; the materials indicate that these texts are intended to support small group or independent reading practice without clear guidance for use and implementation. 

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

  • In Week 5, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on consonant digraphs: sh, ch. The week’s READ book includes the decodable text Chet and Roz, which includes the following CCVC/CVCC words using ch and sh: Chet, fish, wish.

  • In Week 28, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on the silent letters gn, wr, kn, and mb, and the prefixes un- and re-. The week’s READ book includes the decodable text Wren and Crow, which includes the following words: Wren, wrote, climb, limb, unlike, know, write, knew, comb, wrong, reuse, unfold, knot.  

Materials do not include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address acquisition of phonics skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 9, Day 5, students reread the story Too Much Junk. The materials lack lesson plans to support the second read. 

  • In Week 17, Days 4 and 5, students read and reread the decodable text Barb’s Farm. The teacher reminds students on both days, “Use what you have learned about r-controlled vowels spelled -ar and -er and pay attention to your intonation.”

Reading practice occurs in decodable texts (i.e., an absence of predictable texts) until students can accurately decode single-syllable words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the Introduction, Getting Started, it states, “On Day 5 in the last week of each unit, the Decodable Books that reinforce the sound-spelling relationships and Red Words learned throughout the unit are listed. Teachers can use these Decodable Books during or after the unit of instruction is taught for small group instruction or independent practice.”  

  • In Week 20, Days 4 and 5, students read the decodable text, A Very Nice Day. The text includes decodable words and previously taught Red Words without picture cues or predictable text. 

  • In Week 23, Days 4 and 5, students read the decodable text, New Boots. The phonics focus of the week is on vowel teams: ew, oo. The decodable text includes the following words that connect to the phonics focus: new, boot, too, grew, smoothed, broom. This text includes the following Red Words: new, soon, because.

Indicator 1N
02/04

Materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress of phonics in- and out-of-context (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).

The materials include weekly formative assessments in the form of Weekly Checks. These checks include encoding words in isolation and in the context of a sentence. The Weekly Checks do not include decoding tasks. The Weekly Checks include a document titled, Guidelines for Interpretation of Assessment Data, that provides general guidance for whole group and small group reteaching based on assessment data. Materials also include a document titled, Weekly Check Scoring Guidelines, which provides information that provides instructional next steps based on assessment data. The materials also include a beginning, middle, and end-of-the-year phonics assessment, which assesses students’ encoding skills. This assessment lacks information about students’ current levels but does provide teachers with instructional next steps based on assessment data. The materials also include a beginning, middle, and end-of-the-year phonics assessment, which assesses students’ encoding skills. This assessment lacks information about students’ current levels but does provide teachers with instructional next steps based on assessment data. 

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonics; however, materials do not include assessing decoding tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the materials include a Grade 1 Beginning of the Year and Middle of the Year Phonics Assessments. Teachers can give this assessment to students as a whole group or in small groups. The Middle of the Year Phonics Assessment asks students to spell eight words with short, long, and r-controlled vowel sounds. After the assessment is administered, each student’s spelling can be scored using the Student Scoring guide, with observations noted. The End of the Year Assessment is currently missing from the materials. 

  • The the Introduction, Assessment, Weekly Check, the materials provide the teacher with an overview of the weekly word check used to assess students’ progress in phonics. Teachers use the weekly assessments to monitor a student’s ability to apply phonemic awareness and phonics knowledge to spell words using the sound-spelling relationships and Red words from the weekly lesson. 

  • In Week 28, Day 5, the focus of the weekly lesson is on the following spelling patterns: silent words with gn, wr, kn, and prefixes un- and re-. During the Weekly Word Check, students listen and spell the following words in isolation: thumb and wrench. Students write both Red words and words using the spelling pattern in the context of a sentence: I know how to wrap gifts and Please rewrite the words.

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

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the materials include an optional Weekly Word Check Recording Sheet. This sheet includes columns for each student with the headings Target Skill Application, Red Words Application, Sentence Conventions (when applicable), and Next Steps for Instruction. The materials do not provide guidance for the use of this form aside from general directions to use the form to gather data and track student progress, then use the data they have gathered to inform small-group instruction or reteaching. 

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the materials provide teachers with a Weekly Word Check Recording Sheet. This document tells teachers it is an optional recording sheet to track assessment data and student progress with taught skills and Red words. These materials do not provide teachers with a way to determine their students’ progress relative to either a criterion cut score or normative benchmark for target skills. 

Materials partially support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the Grade 1 Beginning of the Year Phonics Assessment includes instructional support and next steps for teachers to use if they make any of the following observations of students’ encoding: difficulty writing initial or final sounds in VC and CVC words, writing initial and final sounds correctly with missing or incorrect vowels, writing complete words correctly. Supports include kinesthetic elements, manipulatives, modeling strategies, specific strategies to encourage student sound awareness, and the use of differentiation supports within the lesson plans. 

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the Grade 1 Middle of the Year Phonics Assessment includes instructional support and next steps for teachers to use if they make any of the following observations of students’ encoding: difficulty writing words with 3 or 4 sounds, writing initial and final sounds correctly with missing or incorrect vowels, writing complete words correctly. Supports include kinesthetic elements, manipulatives, modeling strategies, specific strategies to encourage student sound awareness, and the use of differentiation supports within the lesson plans. 

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the materials provide teachers with a Weekly Word Check Recording Sheet. This document tells teachers it is an optional recording sheet to track assessment data and student progress with taught skills and Red words. This document tells teachers to use the data gathered to inform small group instruction or reteaching.

  • In the Weekly Checks, materials include a downloadable pdf titled, Weekly Check Scoring Guidelines, which provides information about instructional next steps with specific information for reteaching in small groups. 

  • In the Weekly Checks, materials include a downloadable pdf titled, Guidelines for Interpretation of Assessment Data. This document provides general guidance for whole-group and small-group reteaching based on assessment data.

Criterion 1.3: Word Recognition and Word Analysis

09/12

Materials and instruction support students in learning and practicing regularly and irregularly spelled high-frequency words.

The materials include consistent instructional routines to introduce high-frequency words, beginning in Week 1, with five weeks of dedicated review at the end of the year. Materials include teacher modeling of the spelling and reading of high-frequency words that includes connecting the phonemes to the graphemes. The materials provide consistent opportunities for students to engage in practice reading high-frequency words in isolation and in the context of sentences and decodable passages. Although there are opportunities for students to write words in sentences, word banks are included for student use to choose from when writing the high-frequency word. Lessons include explicit instruction in syllable patterns and affixes, and students have frequent opportunities to apply word analysis skills to decode unfamiliar words. The materials include a Weekly Check during which students write the week’s Red Words in the context of a sentence. The materials do not include assessments of word recognition or word analysis.

Indicator 1O
02/02

Materials include explicit instruction in identifying the regularly spelled part and the temporarily irregularly spelled part of words. High-frequency word instruction includes spiraling review.

The materials include consistent instructional routines to introduce high-frequency words, beginning in Week 1, with five weeks of dedicated review at the end of the year. The materials emphasize phoneme-grapheme correspondence, with scripts for teacher modeling. 

Materials include systematic and explicit instruction of high-frequency words with an explicit and consistent instructional routine. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 5, Day 2, the teacher displays the Red Word Card he. The teacher tells students that the word has two sounds and models tapping the letter and saying each sound, then reading the word. Students identify the number of sounds in the word, repeat the procedure, saying the sound as the teacher taps each letter, and then read the word. The teacher models matching the letters to the sounds in he, saying each sound and naming its corresponding letter. Students name and spell the word. The teacher defines the word and reads the sentence, “He is first in line,” from the back of the Red Word Card. The Red Word he is a review from Week 18 of the Kindergarten materials. 

  • In Week 13, Day 2, the teacher displays the Red Word Cards: always. The teacher tells students the word has five sounds and models tapping each letter/sound pattern, saying the accurate sound they make, and saying the whole word. Students identify the number sounds in the word and then repeat the procedure. The teacher explicitly models matching the letter/sound pattern to the sound they make and spelling the word, focusing on explicitly naming any irregular patterns: “The letter a stands for the first sound /ŏ/. The letter l stands for the second sound /l/. The letter w stands for the third sound: /w/. The long vowel sound /ā/ is the fourth sound, and it’s spelled with the letters a and y. We will be learning about vowel teams in future lessons. The letter s stands for the /z/ sound at the end of the word always.”

  • In Week 20, Day 2, the teacher displays the Red Word Card very. The teacher tells students that the word has three sounds and models tapping the letter and saying each sound, then reading the word. Students identify the number of sounds in the word, repeat the procedure, saying the sound as the teacher taps each letter, and then read the whole word. The teacher models matching the letters to the sounds in very, explaining that the “/ār/ sound is spelled with the letters er” and that thethird sound is /ē/ and is spelled with the letter y.” The teacher explains that “when y is at the end of a multisyllabic word, it usually has the long e sound, /ē/, as in happy and silly.” The procedure is repeated with the students saying the sounds and reading the word. 

Materials include teacher modeling of the spelling and reading of high-frequency words that includes connecting the phonemes to the graphemes. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 6, Day 2, the teacher displays the Red Word Card why. The teacher tells the students that the word has two sounds and models tapping the letter and saying each sound. The teacher models matching the letters to the sounds in the word, saying each sound, and naming its corresponding letter(s). The teacher explains that wh stands for the /w/ sound and that y sometimes stands for the long i sound. 

  • In Week 14, Day 2, the teacher displays the Red Word Card good. The teacher tells students that the word has three sounds and models tapping the letter and saying each sound, then reading the word. Students repeat the procedure. The teacher models matching the letters to the sounds in good, saying each sound and naming its corresponding letter(s). The teacher identifies the complex vowel oo in good

  • In Week 20, Day 2, the teacher displays the Red Word Card done. The teacher tells the students that the word has three sounds and models tapping their finger under each letter/sound pattern in the word. Students repeat this procedure. The teacher models matching the letter patterns to the sounds in done: “The first sound in the word done is /d/ and is spelled with the letter d. The second sound is the sound /ŭ/ and is spelled with the letter o. The third sound is the sound /n/, and is spelled with the letter n. Just like in the words come and done, the e is silent, but it does not give a long sound to the vowel that comes before it. We have to stop and think about the sounds the letters stand for in this word.”

Materials include a sufficient quantity of high-frequency words for students to make reading progress. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the Introduction, Scope and Sequence, the materials include 98 high-frequency words for first grade. High-frequency word instruction takes place in Weeks 1-28. The materials designate Weeks 29-34 as review weeks. Of the words taught, 33 were previously taught in Kindergarten.

Indicator 1P
01/02

Instructional opportunities are frequently built into the materials for students to practice and gain decoding automaticity of high-frequency words.

The materials provide consistent opportunities for students to engage in practice reading high-frequency words in isolation and in the context of sentences and decodable passages. Although there are opportunities for students to write words in sentences, word banks are included for student use to choose from when writing the high-frequency word. 

Students practice identifying and reading regularly and irregularly spelled parts of high-frequency words in isolation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 7, Day 1, students practice with the Red Words where and there in their READ books. The materials indicate that students should tap and read each word. 

  • In Week 15, Day 3, students use the Red Word cards want, from, pretty, and good to play concentration in partners. Students take turns flipping over two cards, reading the words, and saying whether the words are a match. 

  • In Week 24, Day 4, students play a game that includes practicing reading, identifying the sounds, spelling, and using the Red Words old, cold, were four, pull, full, put in sentences. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read high-frequency words in context. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 6, Day 5, students read sentences and a decodable text, “Why Run?” in their READ books. The sentences and decodable passage contain the week’s Red Words they and why

  • In Week 18, Day 4, students practice with the Red Words: very, every, please, three in their READ books. Students read the words in isolation and then in the decodable passage “A Very Nice Day.”

  • In Week 27, Day 1, students practice with the Red Words don’t, little, laugh, and again in their READ books. Students read and write each word in isolation, then read each word in a sentence. 

Lessons partially provide students with limited opportunities to write high-frequency words in tasks, such as sentences, in order to promote automaticity of high-frequency words. Opportunities include the use of word banks.  Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 3, Day 4, students write a Red Word to complete six sentences in the READ books. Students choose the correct Red Word from a word bank containing the words are, we, me, be, like, and look. Since a word bank is included, students are not writing words to promote automaticity. 

  • In Week 15, Day 1, students write a Red Word to complete three sentences in their READ books. Students choose the correct Red Word from a word bank containing the words good, from, and want. Since a word bank is included, students are not writing words to promote automaticity. 

  • In Week 21, Day 2, students write a Red Word to complete sentences in their READ books. Red Words include full, put, pull.

Indicator 1Q
04/04

Materials include explicit instruction in syllabication and morpheme analysis and provide students with practice opportunities to apply learning.

The materials include instruction and student practice in the area of syllabication and morpheme analysis. Lessons include explicit instruction in syllable patterns and affixes, and students have frequent opportunities to apply word analysis skills to decode unfamiliar words. 

Materials contain explicit instruction of syllable types and syllable division that promote decoding and encoding of words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 11, Day 1, the teacher tells students that many words with the short a sound follow the CVC, or consonant vowel consonant, pattern. The teacher uses Word Construction Cards to build the word cap and identifies the consonants and vowels. The teacher tells students that some words with a long vowel sound follow the CVCe pattern, in which the final e makes the previous vowel say its name. The teacher builds the word cape and models blending the sounds to read the word.  

  • In Week 30, Day 1, the teacher explains that some syllables are open and some are closed, and reviews what makes a syllable closed in the word napkin. The teacher writes the word napkin on the board and explains that there are some steps to divide words into their syllables. “First, we find the vowels. Second, we find any consonants between the vowels. Third, we look at the pattern of vowels and consonants. This word has the syllable pattern of vowel-consonant-consonant-vowel, or VCCV. In a word with the VCCV pattern, we have a special rule for dividing the word. We divide the word between the two consonants. Dividing the word into its syllables can help us read it. Our fourth step is figuring out whether the syllables are open or closed. Is nap an open or closed syllable? (closed) What about kin? (closed) What vowel sound does a closed syllable have? (short) We know that each of these syllables is closed and therefore has a short vowel sound. Now we can blend the sounds in the word to read the word.

  • In Week 31, Day 4, the teacher guides students to analyze the following word from the Multisyllabic Words Sound Poster and the Sound Story: waffle. The teacher explains that the first syllable is closed (waf), and the second syllable is /f/ /u/ /l/. The teacher guides students to practice the syllable division strategy with C + le syllables using Word Construction Cards and Spell tabs. 

Materials contain explicit instruction in morpheme analysis to decode unfamiliar words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 3, Day 3, the teacher writes the words in and dog on the board. Students name the vowel in each word, and the teacher labels each letter as a consonant or vowel. Students identify the syllable pattern and read each word. 

  • In Week 25, Day 4, the teacher writes the suffix -less on a sticky note and tells students that this suffix can be added to the end of a word to change its meaning. The teacher reviews the meaning of the suffix and uses the Finger-Spelling Strategy to spell it. The teacher writes the words help, sleep, hope, end, and tooth on the board. Students take turns adding the -less card to the end of each word, and the teacher leads students to chorally read the new word. 

  • In Week 7, Day 2, the teacher writes the word bench on the board and tells the children that this word names one thing. By adding -es to the end of the word, it makes the word meanmore than one bench.” The teacher then explains that “we add -es to the end of naming words, or nouns, that end in ch and sh to form the plural, which means more than one. The ending -es can also be added to the end of action words, or verbs, such as hatches.” The teacher then writes the word hatch on the board and tells children that this word tells what is happening to the chicks in the eggs. Then the teacher adds -ed to make hatched: “The ending -ed is added to action words, or verbs, to tell about something that has already happened: The chicks hatched. The spectators watched the match.”

  • In Week 28, Day 3, the teacher tells students that the words untangles, unwrap, unzip, and unties all have the prefix un-. The teacher tells students that the prefix un- means “not” or “the opposite of.” The teacher writes the word zip on the board and reads it with students. The teacher displays the Word Construction Card un and taps and names the letters. The teacher tells students that the prefix un- is made with the letters un and models adding un- to zip. The teacher reads and discusses the meaning of the word unzip with students. 

Multiple and varied opportunities are provided over the course of the year for students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis strategies. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 5, Day 4, the teacher asks the children to identify some of the words from the stories that begin or end with the /sh/or /ch/ sound. The teacher writes the words that the children name on the board. The children take out a piece of paper and write ch and sh at the top of the paper creating two columns, writing words from the board that begin or end with the /sh/ sound in the appropriate column. After the children sort all the words, the teacher and children choral read the words in each column.

  • In Week 12, Day 2, the teacher builds the word joke using Word Construction Cards. The teacher reminds students about the role of the final e in the word, and then students use the Finger-Blending Strategy to read the word. The teacher and students repeat with the words nose and tote, and then students use Spell Tabs to build and read the words note and hope

  • In Week 28, Day 3, students name words beginning with the prefixes un- and re- from the lesson’s Sound Story. The teacher records the words, and then students chorally read and explain the meaning of each word.

Indicator 1R
02/04

Materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress of word recognition and analysis (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).

The materials include a Weekly Check during which students write the week’s Red Words in the context of a sentence. The materials do not include assessments of word recognition or word analysis. A downloadable pdf titled Weekly Check Scoring Guidelines has been added to the materials, providing some information about instructional next steps for Red Words. In the Weekly Checks, materials also newly added include a downloadable pdf titled, Guidelines for Interpretation of Assessment Data. This document provides general guidance for whole-group and small-group reteaching based on assessment data; however, the focus is primarily on phonics instruction and not Red Words or Word Analysis. 

Materials provide a limited variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of word recognition and analysis. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Materials, the materials include a First Grade Red Words List. This list includes all of the year’s Red Words and includes a space to record “___/98.” The materials do not include instructions on using this document as an assessment. 

  • In the Introduction, Assessment - Weekly Check, the materials explain that on day 5 of instruction each week, students participate in a Weekly Check. The materials explain the check is designed to be a quick and simple way to assess children’s progress, using the encoding and decoding relationship to focus on student’s spelling as the major device for assessment. These assessments use the Red Words taught throughout the week. The downloadable Weekly Word Check Recording Sheet and the Daily Lesson do not provide the teacher with guidance about how to interpret students’ scores on the Weekly Assessment, nor does either provide guidance on interpreting student progress.

  • In Week 6, Day 5, Weekly Check, students write the following sentences: “Why do they chat so much?and “They like to shop,” using this week’s Red Words they and why.

  • In Week 15, Day 5, Weekly Check, students write the sentence, “I want to send the best gift,” using the week’s Red Word want

Assessment materials do not provide the teacher and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of word recognition and word analysis. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the Introduction, Downloadable Resources, the materials include an optional Weekly Word Check Recording Sheet. This sheet includes columns for each student with the headings Target Skill Application, Red Words Application, Sentence Conventions (when applicable), and Next Steps for Instruction. The materials do not provide guidance for the use of this form aside from general directions to use the form to gather data and track student progress, then use the data they have gathered to inform small-group instruction or reteaching.

Materials support the teacher with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in word recognition and word analysis. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the Weekly Checks, materials include a downloadable pdf titled, Weekly Check Scoring Guidelines, which provides information about instructional next steps with specific information for reteaching in small groups. 

  • In the Weekly Checks, materials include a downloadable pdf titled, Guidelines for Interpretation of Assessment Data. This document provides general guidance for whole-group and small-group reteaching based on assessment data; however the focus is primarily on phonics instruction and not Red Words or Word Analysis.

Criterion 1.4: Fluency

06/12

Materials provide systematic and explicit instruction and practice in fluency by mid-to-late 1st and 2nd grade. Materials for 2nd grade fluency practice should vary (decodables and grade-level texts).

The materials include limited opportunities for explicit, systematic instruction in oral reading fluency. Teachers use weekly stories from sound posters to provide students with general information about the habits of fluent readers and to model fluent reading. Students practice fluent reading independently using word lists, sentences, and decodable text passages. Materials include limited assessment opportunities over the course of the year for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence of oral reading fluency. The materials include a Fluency Checklist for the teacher to use to assess fluency weekly using the Day 4 decodable reader.

Indicator 1S
02/04

Instructional opportunities are built into the materials for systematic, evidence-based, explicit instruction in oral reading fluency.

The materials include limited opportunities for explicit, systematic instruction in oral reading fluency. Teachers use weekly stories from sound posters to provide students with general information about the habits of fluent readers and to model fluent reading. 

Materials include limited opportunities for explicit, systematic instruction in rate, accuracy, and prosody using grade-level connected text (e.g. decodable texts, poetry, readers’ theater, paired reading). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 8, Day 1, the teacher reads a story from the Double Consonants Sound Poster. The teacher tells students, “Good readers read in a voice that is not too loud or not too soft. Sometimes we read certain words louder than others. Pay careful attention to my volume and stress as I read.”

  • In Week 15, Day 1, the teacher reads a story from the Final Consonant Blends Sound Poster. The teacher tells students, “Good readers read at a rate that is not too fast and not too slow. As I read the story pay careful attention to my reading rate. . .”

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 Week 1, Day 3, the teacher reads a story from the Consonant Digraph Sound Poster. Before reading, the teacher asks the students, “How should my rate, or speed, sound as I read? (It should sound like you are talking to friends.)”

  • In Week 17, Day 3, the teacher reads a story from the r-controlled Vowels Sounds Poster. Before reading, the teacher tells students to listen to how their voice rises and falls as they read. 

  • In Week 20, Day 3, the teacher reads a story from the Vowel Teams Poster. Before reading, the materials tell the teacher to say, “Also, listen to how fast or slow I read. Our reading rate should not be too fast or too slow.”

Materials include a limited variety of resources for explicit instruction in oral reading fluency. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 26, Day 2, the teacher reads a second read of a story from the Diphthongs Sound Poster. The teacher tells students to listen to how they pause at commas or other punctuation and how they group words into phrases. 

  • In Week 28, Day 1, the teacher reads the story about a girl named Wren from the Silent Letters Sound Poster. The materials tell the teacher to say, “Remember, good readers pay attention to the volume of their voice as they read and stress some words more than others.”

Indicator 1T
02/04

Varied and frequent opportunities are built into the materials for students to engage in supported practice to gain automaticity and prosody beginning in mid-Grade 1 and through Grade 2 (once accuracy is secure).

The materials provide limited opportunities for students to engage in supported practice to gain automaticity and prosody. Students practice fluent reading independently using word lists, sentences, and decodable text passages. Teachers provide general reminders about fluent reading strategies before students read the passage. While the materials include some guidance and corrective feedback related to accuracy, there is no guidance for teachers to support prosody and rate. 

Varied, frequent opportunities are somewhat provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to gain automaticity and prosody. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 21, Day 4, students read the story A Sky Full of Kits. The teacher tells students to use what they have learned about long i vowel teams as they read the story. The teacher reminds students to pay attention to their accuracy.

  • In Week 23, Day 4, students read the story New Boots in their READ books. The teacher tells students to pay attention to how their voice rises and falls as they read. 

  • In Week 31, Day 4, students read the story Uncle Ted’s Visit. The teacher tells students to use what they have learned about syllabication and the C+le pattern. The teacher reminds students to read each word carefully and reread anything they do not understand. 

Materials provide practice opportunities for oral reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., repeated readings, dyad or partner reading, continuous reading). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 6, Day 4, students practice word reading fluency in their READ books with the following words: why, whiz, when, thin, path, then, both, this, whip, with, thud, they. Students then read three connected sentences. 

  • In Week 17, Day 4, students practice word reading fluency in their READ books with the following words: fire, under, tiger, car, spark, her, start, ruler, arm, fern, done, pretty, jar, ever, number. Students then read three connected sentences and the short story Barb’s Farm. 

  • In Week 25, Day 4, students practice word reading fluency in their READ books with the following words: thaw, work, useful, haul, stalk, talk, endless, down, claw, spotless, helpful, salt, walk, yawn. Students then read three connected sentences and the short story Our Walks Together.

Materials include limited guidance and corrective feedback suggestions to the teacher for supporting students’ gains in oral reading fluency. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Week 28, Day 4, the materials provide guidance for teachers for students having trouble reading the week’s decodable passage. The materials instruct teachers to use one of the following three strategies: assign partners for passage reading; shorten the passage and model strategies for decoding words with silent letters, then have students read three sentences at a time; preview the passage to review Red Words and previously-taught sound-spellings. 

  • In Week 29, Day 4, the materials provide guidance for teachers to support students having trouble reading the week’s decodable passage. The materials instruct teachers to use one of the following three strategies: Assign partners and encourage children to read the passage together, shorten the passage and model the strategies for reading compound words, then have students read three sentences at a time, preview the passage to review Red Words and previously-taught sound-spellings.

Indicator 1U
02/04

Materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress in oral reading fluency (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).

Materials include limited assessment opportunities over the course of the year for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence of oral reading fluency. The materials include a Fluency Checklist for the teacher to use to assess fluency weekly using the Day 4 decodable reader. This same checklist is provided each week over the course of the year and states the teacher should pull two students daily to record observations and WCPM using the Fluency Checklist using the Day 4 decodable reader. Assessment materials provide the teacher and students with limited information about students’ current skills/level of understanding of fluency. Materials do not support the teacher with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in oral reading fluency.

Multiple assessment opportunities are not provided regularly and systematically over the course of the year in core materials for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence of oral reading fluency. 

  • The materials include a weekly Fluency checklist for the Day 4 decodable reader. This is the only fluency assessment found in the materials.

Assessment materials do not provide the teacher and students with information about students’ current skills/level of understanding of oral reading fluency. 

  • In the Introduction, Fluency, materials include a downloadable PDF that includes a Fluency Checklist. The checklist includes areas for the teacher to check including accuracy, phrasing, volume and stress, intonation, and rate. It also includes oral reading fluency norms. This same checklist is provided throughout the materials. The materials state, Choose two to three children each day to assess their reading behaviors. Use the Day 4 decodable passage to record observations and WCPM using the Fluency Checklist.

Materials do not support the teacher with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in oral reading fluency.

  • No evidence found.

Criterion 2.1: Guidance for Implementation

NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE

Materials are accompanied by information that provides the teacher with guidance for implementation of daily lessons and information to enhance teacher knowledge of foundational skills.

Indicator 2A
00/04

Materials provide teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials to support students' literacy development.

Indicator 2B
00/04

Materials contain full, adult-level explanations and examples of the foundational skills concepts included in the program so teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

Indicator 2C
00/04

Foundational skills lessons are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. Content can reasonably be completed within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.

Indicator 2D
00/02

Materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessments and assessment materials clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.

Indicator 2E
Read

Materials contain strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the foundational skills program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

Criterion 2.2: Student Supports

NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE

The program includes materials designed for each child’s regular and active participation in grade-level/grade-band/series content.

Indicator 2F
00/04

Materials provide strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to meet or exceed grade-level standards to regularly participate in learning English language arts and literacy.

Indicator 2G
00/04

Materials provide strategies and supports for students in special populations to work with grade-level content and to meet or exceed grade-level standards that will support their regular and active participation in learning English language arts and literacy.

Indicator 2H
Read

Materials provide a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics.

Indicator 2I
Read

Materials provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning.

Criterion 2.3: Intentional Design

NE = Not Eligible. Product did not meet the threshold for review.
NE

The program includes a visual design that is engaging and references or integrates digital technology, when applicable, with guidance for teachers.

Indicator 2J
Read

Materials integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic software in ways that engage students in the grade-level/series standards, when applicable.

Indicator 2K
Read

The visual design (whether in print or digital) is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.

Indicator 2L
Read

Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable.