1st Grade - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for texts of publishable quality and texts worthy of careful reading. Each lesson has a new read aloud, which is considered the anchor text.

In Domains 1 and 3, the texts are well-known children’s stories. In Domain 1, there are Aesop’s Fables including “The Maid and her Milk Pail” and “The Dog in the Manger.” In Domain 3, the texts are fairy tales from around the world including “The Girl with the Red Slippers” from Egypt and “Tom Thumb” from England. Similarly, in Domain 9, there are many famous children’s stories including “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Frog Prince,” “Hansel and Gretel,” and “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

Other domains have texts that are not published but have publishable qualities. Many of the texts are informational texts, and they have strong images, diagrams, and Tier II vocabulary words. Some examples of these texts include “The Maya: King Pakal’s Tomb” (Domain 5, lesson 3), “Minerals” (Domain 7, Lesson 5), and “Building a Nation with Words and Ideas” (Domain 10, Lesson 10). These texts as well as the majority of informational texts have rich language. The illustrations are artistically and visually appealing, while the technical drawings are realistic and accurate. Some of the informational text-dominant domains have one or two published texts, but the rest are not published despite having publishable qualities. For example, in Domain 11, the text, “The Louisiana Purchase,” is published, but the rest are not.

It is important to note, that despite the quality of the texts, students do not see the actual language of the text. The language is in the Teacher Guide only. The Teacher Guide lists contributors and writers but does not acknowledge which texts, passages or stories were written or developed by which contributor. According to the Program Guide, “CKLA provides high-quality texts that are written to fully engage students. The texts were written by children's authors specifically for the program and are original, authentic, and engaging fiction and nonfiction texts" (p. 164).

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for texts that reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. There are a variety of text types and genres in the curriculum for Grade 1 including fables, fairytales, informational texts, poems, and rhymes, but the distribution between literature and informational texts is weighted more toward informational texts. These texts focus on either a science topic or a social studies topic; however, in many cases a fictional character is used to present the information, or a literary nonfiction story is used to present the content. Each domain is organized around a topic, and there is an equal mix of science and historical texts.

The read-aloud texts within the domains are an equal mix of literature and informational. Out of the 11 domains, three domains have literary texts, while the remaining domains have informational texts. Domain 1 focuses on fables and stories, Domain 3 focuses on folktales and fairytales, and Domain 9 also focuses on fairy tales. The other 9 Domains are dominated by science and social studies content. It should be noted that the balance of text types occurs in the early domains, so if a teacher cannot finish the entire curriculum within the year, students will still be exposed to a distribution of literature and informational texts. Looking at the alignment of domains to Common Core State Standards can help one identify if the domains are literature, informational, or both. Domains 2, 7, 8 and 11 are all informational. Domains 4, 5, 6, and 10 are a mix of literature and informational, although there are more informational texts within each domain. It should be noted that according to the K-2 Program Guide, “The amount of nonfiction gradually increases, reaching the 50-50 balance of fiction and nonfiction by third grade.” The Program Guide also states that the balance is achieved throughout the day, not just in the language arts block and teachers should have students read literature and informational in all subjects.

Below is each domain with the text types within the domains:

• Domain 1: Fables and Stories
  • This domain contains ten literary stories. Six stories are well-known fables, and four are classic folktales such as “The Little Half-Chick (Medio Pollito).”
• Domain 2: The Human Body
  • This domain has ten informational texts; however, a pediatrician character reinforces the basic ideas that the students will learn about the human body.
• Domain 3: Different Lands, Similar Stories
  • This domain has nine literary stories which will be “fairy tales and folktales that have been told to children for generations, using variations from different lands or countries” (page 2).
• Domain 4: Early World Civilizations
  • This domain contains primarily informational texts but several realistic stories as well to convey information.
• Domain 5: Early American Civilizations
  • This domain has one literary story about how a Mayan family lived and nine nonfiction texts including a letter from Hernán Cortés to the king of Spain.
• Domain 6: Astronomy
  • This domain has nine informational texts including “Stars” and “Exploration of the Moon.”
• Domain 7: The History of the Earth
  • This domain has eight informational texts; a paleontologist helps students navigate the content.
• Domain 8: Animals and Habitats
  • This domain has eight informational texts such as “Animals of the Arctic Habitat” and “Animals of the Saltwater Habitat.”
• Domain 9: Fairy Tales
  • This domain contains nine literary texts including “Sleeping Beauty” and “Rapunzel.”
• Domain 10: A New Nation: American Independence
  • This domain has one literary text and eleven informational texts such as “The New World” and “A Young Nation is Born.”
• Domain 11: Frontier Explorers
  • This domain has eleven nonfiction texts such as “Crossing the Appalachian Mountains” and “Red Cedars and Grizzly Bears.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations that texts (including read-aloud texts and some shared reading texts used to build knowledge and vocabulary) and have the appropriate level of complexity according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and a relationship to their associated student tasks.

In Domain 1, Lesson 2, the text, “The Maid and the Milk Pail,” has a Lexile of 790 with qualitative features that are slightly to moderately complex. Students are provided supports throughout the text and following the text to complete the task of summarizing the events of this fable.

Another example is in Domain 2, Lesson 7: “Dr. Welbody’s Heroes” has a Lexile of 900. The text is complex in language, but not as complex in purpose, structure, or knowledge demands. Some of the vocabulary words in this text include vaccinations, pasteurization, immunities, germs, diseases, and vaccines. The knowledge demands should be familiar to most students since the text is about getting sick and getting vaccinations. The task, retelling the story, is done whole group, which makes the task less complex.

In Domain 3, Lesson 3, “Billy Beg” has a Lexile of 770, making it appropriate for Grade 1 students to hear. The qualitative features are moderately complex to very complex, specifically with the language features being very complex. There are many academic vocabulary words such as champion, billowing, maidens, and fierce, as well as historical contexts such as herdsman, master, markets, and groves. After reading this story, students compare and contrast three fairy tales, using a graphic organizer.

In Domain 4, Lesson 9, the text, “The Sphinx,” is also considered appropriately complex for students in Grade 1, with a Lexile of 900. The qualitative features are mostly moderately complex with some complex sentences and academic vocabulary, although the vocabulary is defined by the teacher. The text structure is very complex, because it contains two stories. One story is in present time, and one story is about the past and the pyramids. In addition, the knowledge demands are also very complex as students need to have an understanding of Ancient Egypt and burials for kings.

Domain 5, Lesson 8, has an anchor text, “The Aztec: Cortes’ Letter,” which is appropriately complex due to the Lexile being 960, and the qualitative features range from moderately complex to very complex. Supports are embedded throughout the text to make it more accessible, including creating an Idea Web for the city of Tenochtitlan and students raising their hand when they want to add something. Using this web, students can complete the task of writing about the Aztecs in small groups.

In Domain 10, Lesson 8, the text is “A Young Nation is Born,” which is appropriately complex for a Grade 1 student at a Lexile of 840. The text structure is slightly complex since the organization is chronological, and the language features are moderately complex since the sentences are not all simple or compound such as in this example: “Well, these men were meeting to come up with that plan, which they called the Constitution.” Students answer comprehension questions following this text such as, “What things made Mount Vernon special to George Washington?”

In Domain 5, Lesson 2, the text is “The Maya: Journey to Baakal,” which has a Lexile of 1260, more than two to three grade levels above Grade 1. The qualitative measures range from moderately complex to very complex. The reader and task measure is also complex due to students being expected to write a phrase or sentence about what they learned about the Maya and religion, as well as small groups working to create a paragraph about the Maya.

In Domain 6, Lesson 7, the text, “Exploration of the Moon,” has a Lexile of 1010, which puts it in the Grade 4 to 5 Lexile band. While this text is quantitatively high for Grade 1 students, the qualitative features are less complex, making it closer to being an appropriate text for Grade 1 students.

In Domain 8, Lesson 5, the text, “Animals of the Temperate Deciduous Forest Habitat,” has a Lexile of 1200, which puts it in the Grade 9 to 10 Lexile band. The knowledge demands provide rich vocabulary exposure. For example, one section says, “Like the saguaro cactus in the desert and the acacia tree in the savanna, oak trees provide shelter and food for many animals.”

In Domain 8, Lesson 9, the text, “Habitat Destruction and Endangered Species,” also has a Lexile of 1200. The language features are very complex with complex sentences and academic vocabulary. Students are expected to record information in a graphic organizer after they listen to the text about endangered species.

In Domain 10, Lesson 4, the text, “Declaring Independence,” has a Lexile of 1060. In addition, the knowledge demands are very complex due to the direct language from the Declaration of Independence. The text structure and language features are also very complex to moderately complex.

Another exceedingly complex text is in Domain 11, Lesson 4, “The Louisiana Purchase.” This text has a Lexile of 1240, which is in the Lexile band for high school grades. The text contains many complex, challenging vocabulary words such as James Monroe, Napoleon Bonaparte, Paris, France, Washington D.C., New Orleans, Thomas Jefferson, Mississippi River, Rocky Mountains, and Louisiana Territory. The task requires students to color and cut a picture of the Louisiana Territory and then write one to three sentences about why the Louisiana Purchase was important to the United States.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations that the materials support students’ literacy skills over the course of the school year through increasingly complex text to develop independence of grade level skills. Some of the domains and units support each other such as the Skills Strand, Unit 7, which incorporates history and geography topics from the Knowledge Strand. The domains and units are meant to build upon each other with increasing demands for knowledge and application of skills as the students progress through the lessons, units, and year. The complexity of the texts and the rigor increases. The length and the structure of the texts increase as well across the school year.

The anchor texts, which are in the Knowledge Strand, are all read alouds meant to build students’ background knowledge. These texts focus on knowledge about science, social studies, literature, and the arts. Comprehension questions follow each read aloud to help the students become more proficient readers.

The Readers in the Skills Strand increase in complexity in each unit. In the beginning unit, the readers are presented to the class as demonstration stories, and students engage in this before starting partner reading. There is one unit that consists of decodable versions of famous fables and one informational reader that includes new text features. Unit 4 is the first unit without a Big Book, but the teacher can project the story if necessary. These stories are also accompanied by a set of oral discussion questions. Beginning in Unit 5, the texts are longer than than the previous stories. Similarly in Unit 6, the texts are longer.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text-based. The majority of the questions are text-based. There are several places in each lesson that require students to answer using evidence from the text.

Examples in the materials that meet the indicator are the Check for Understanding questions which occur during the daily text and are also used to review the text the following day. These are typically recall responses or thumbs up/thumbs down answers to make sure students are understanding the story on a literal basis. For example, in Domain 2, Lesson 10, students answer “What are the five body systems Dr. Welbody has taught you about?”

In addition, each read aloud has an interactive component. In the read alouds, there are suggested stopping places for each image projected with questions either about the image or about the text the students heard. At the end of each read aloud, there are five to six comprehension questions that include a mix of literal and inferential questions as well as some evaluative questions. Some comprehension questions are also written as a Think-Pair-Share. It is suggested to teachers that if students have difficulty responding to questions, the teacher should reread pertinent lines of the read aloud and/or refer to specific images.

Literal examples of text-based questions include:

• “What does the milkmaid think about on her way to the market?” (Domain 1, Lesson 2)
• “What must Rhodopis do while the others attend the pharaoh’s banquet?” (Domain 3, Lesson 2)
• “What do we call a large object in space that revolves around a star?” (Domain 6, Lesson 2)
• “Describe a freshwater habitat. Make sure you cite specifics from the read aloud to support your answer.” (Domain 8, Lesson 11)

Inferential examples of text-based questions include:

• “How does the pharaoh realize Rhodopis is the owner of the red slipper?” (Domain 3, Lesson 2)
• “Explain why farming was important to the Aztec. How do you know this is based on the read aloud?” (Domain 5, Lesson 6)
• “What is special about Polaris, the North Star? (Domain 6, Lesson 6)
• “Why are water lilies so important in freshwater habitats? Make sure you cite specifics from the read aloud to support your answer.” (Domain 8, Lesson 7).

Some lessons have Exit Passes that contain text-based prompts. Some examples of this include “Students will write a summary statement about the Maya and religion” (Domain 5, Lesson 1) or “Have students write a phrase or sentence about what they learned about the Maya and religion.” (Domain 5, Lesson 2). Also, there are assessments interspersed in the materials that require the students to draw upon the texts that they have heard to answer questions.

There are also some text-to-world and text-to-self questions included in the lessons that would not require students to revisit the text and that students with background knowledge of the topics would have more access to answering the questions. The following are examples of questions that do not require students to refer back to the read aloud or supporting text:

• In Domain 6, Lesson 2, students are asked, “Describe what we see at sunrise each day.”
• In Domain 6, Lesson 6, students are asked to use text evidence to answer the question, “Would you have wanted to be one of the first astronauts to go up in space?”

Sometimes, students do not have access to the visual text and are expected to reply by memory. In addition, prior to each read aloud, there is background information for teachers to share with students. This background knowledge helps to prepare the students and set a purpose for listening. While students with no knowledge on a topic will need to utilize the text, others who have some background understanding will not.

The materials for Grade 1 partially meet expectations that materials contain sets of high-quality sequences of text-based questions with activities that build to a culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding. There are culminating assessments and optional culminating tasks that serve as remediation or enrichment for the students. The purpose of the tasks, according to the materials, is to enliven their experiences with domain concepts.

At the end of each domain, there is an assessment that measures students on their vocabulary acquisition and their knowledge acquisition after the read alouds. In Domain 4, for vocabulary acquisition, students are asked 15 questions such as “Can heavy rains cause flooding of the river?” In Domain 4, for knowledge acquisition, students are asked 27 questions such as, “Which civilization had written laws known as the Code of Hammurabi?”

There are also Mid-Domain assessments. For example, in Domain 6, one Mid-Domain assessment has students: “Identify the four phases of the moon by circling the correct phase image on Activity Page PP.2 as I say it. 1. Full moon 2. New moon 3. Crescent moon 4. Half moon.”

After the end of the domain assessment, there are also culminating activities that serve the purpose of remediation or enrichment. The activities are not mandatory and/or designed as a specific culminating task to assess and apply knowledge learned. Some examples of remediation activities include revisiting lesson applications and rereading and discussing select read alouds. Some specific domain-specific enrichment activities include:

• In Domain 2, students can make a well-balanced meal drawing. In the lessons of Domain 2, students answer the following text-based questions which connect to the culminating task: “If you eat a bowl of sweet cereal for breakfast, a milk shake for lunch, and French fries with ketchup for dinner, are you eating nutritious meals? Why not?” and “What is the skinniest stripe of the food pyramid? Why is it so skinny?”
• In Domain 4, students create a class book or make a religions chart. In the lessons of Domain 4, students answer some of the following text-based questions which connect to the culminating task: “What are the three world religions named in today’s read aloud?” and “What was the name of the Jewish prophet or teacher who helped free the Jewish people?”
• In Domain 6, students make a trade book or a mnemonic for planets. In the lessons of Domain 6, students answer some of the following text-based questions which connect to the culminating task: “What do we call the scientific study of stars and outer space?” and “This is the first planet in the solar system, known for being the smallest and the closest to the sun. What is the name of this planet?”
• In Domain 10, one example of an enrichment activity is students choose people introduced in the domain whom they wish they knew more about. They brainstorm a list of questions they would ask that person and write a letter with those questions as starting points. Students are asked text-based questions about Betsy Ross and George Washington in the lessons of Domain 10.

There are some culminating tasks that can be completed without using the instructionally taught skills or having comprehended the read alouds. For example in Domain 5, one culminating activity asks students to use the Internet to search for pictures and descriptions of Mayan archaeological sites.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for providing frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions (small group, peer-to-peer, whole class) that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax. There are opportunities for students to turn and talk or answer questions orally in a whole group setting, and there are protocols for evidence-based discussions. In addition, there is modeling of speaking with correct syntax and academic vocabulary, including when answering comprehension questions.

In most lessons there is a turn and talk question or a Think-Pair-Share provided. One example of this is in Domain 2, Lesson 2, where students are instructed to turn and talk and discuss whether they would describe the human body as a network of systems or a system of networks. Another example is in Domain 4, Lesson 10, where students Think-Pair-Share to discuss why being pharaoh was so important that the main character declared herself a man. Another type of discussion question is when students have to create their own evidence-based questions. For example, in Domain 6, Lesson 1, students are told that “asking questions about a read aloud is one way to see how much everyone has learned. Think of a question you can ask your neighbor about the read aloud that starts with the word what. Turn to your neighbor, ask your question. Listen to your neighbor’s response. Then your neighbor will ask a new what question, and you will get a chance to respond.” Each lesson in the domains and the Skills Section also has a whole class discussion question.

There are abundant supports in place to scaffold speaking and listening skills for students. The supports are called emerging, expanding, and bridging. One example of this is in Domain 1, Lesson 5, where the emerging support is to prompt and support students to use words and phrases that relate to the given image. The expanding support is providing moderate support to elicit phrases and ideas with greater detail that relate to the given item, and the bridging support is providing minimal support in eliciting key details that relate to the given image. Another example is in Domain 3, Lesson 4, where the emerging support is providing sentence frames using a small set of learned phrases, the expanding support is providing sentence frames using an extended set of learned phrases, and the bridging support is providing minimal support and guidance for open responses. Domains also suggest, such as in Domain 3, that teachers pause within read alouds and allow student pairs to summarize the story information provided. Teachers are encouraged to assign partners for the “duration of the domain in order to promote a social environment where all students engage in collaborative talk and learn from one another.”

There are a large number of Tier II academic words taught in each lesson, and the vocabulary instruction typically encourages the use of the vocabulary words when having evidence-based discussions. Many of the comprehension questions use the vocabulary words. For example, in Domain 5, Lesson 4, a question is, “The read aloud said the Maya created a very accurate calendar. We have calendars today, too, but long, long ago someone had to invent calendars to keep track of the days, weeks, and months. How did the Maya make their calendar?” The word accurate is the vocabulary word, and students need to understand it in order to answer the question. Other examples of students using Tier II vocabulary words in evidence based discussions include in Domain 2, Lesson 2, where the Teacher Guide suggests providing students with an oral word bank to help them describe what they see in the image, including words such as skeleton, bones, body, and inside. Another example is in Domain 4, Lesson 16, where students turn and talk in the middle of the lesson to discuss what break the fast means.

There is some modeling of correct syntax when having evidence-based discussions. One example that was found in the curriculum was in Domain 11, the teacher explains that in the read aloud the students heard a conversation between Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. Through this discussion, there is instruction about using a period when telling a statement. Students practice speaking based on whether the sentence has a period or a question mark by changing the tone of their voice.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for supporting students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading with relevant follow-up questions and support. Many of the activities use Think-Pair-Share as a way for the students to express and share ideas. There are supports in every lesson that offer scaffolding for emerging, expanding, and bridging learners. Students are given multiple opportunities for learning through listening and for demonstrating their learning through different speaking activities.

Each lesson has an objective and a purpose for listening to help the teacher and the students focus on specific topics to listen for and speak about. For example, in Domain 2, Lesson 1, the objective is “Students will review what they know about how their bodies work and be introduced to the concept of a pediatrician,” while the purpose for listening is “Students will listen carefully to find out what is in their bodies beneath their skin that keeps them alive and healthy.” Similarly, in Domain 2, Lesson 4, students are asked to predict how long it takes their bodies to process food and then to listen carefully to find out if their predictions are correct. In Domain 4, Lesson 4, the purpose is for students to “listen to find out what changes occurred in Babylon over the years and to find out more about the new king who ruled Babylon.” In Domain 6, Lesson 9, students need to “listen carefully to learn the name of each planet and what makes it unique,” so that they can add these facts to a Planets Chart. In Domain 11, Lesson 7, the purpose for listening is to “find out which two tasks Lewis and Clark will have an opportunity to accomplish and whether or not they will be successful.”

There are supports for varied learners as well with their speaking and listening. In Domain 3, Lesson 7, students are asked a simple yes or no question; for emerging students, “Does the wolf want to play games with Little Red Riding Hood?” Students who are expanding are provided specific sentence frames such as “The wolf wants to.…” For bridging students, teachers encourage them to use keywords from the story in complete sentences. Another example, in Domain 8, Lesson 1, the support for emerging students is “Have students use phrases and familiar vocabulary to describe their image and explain why it belongs in a particular category.” The expanding support is “students describe their image and explain why it belongs in a particular category using short sentences.” The bridging support is having “students describe their image and explain why it belongs in a particular category using longer, more detailed sentences”.

Think-Pair-Share and Turn and Talks are other ways students’ speaking and listening is supported when they discuss the read aloud. One example of a Think-Pair-Share is in Domain 3, Lesson 3, when the students discuss how the stories of “Cinderella,” “The Girl with the Red Slipper,” and “Billy Beg” are the same. An example of a Turn and Talk is in Domain 1, Lesson 5, when the students are instructed to turn to a partner and talk about one way the wolf in the fable acts like an animal and one way the wolf acts like a person.

Additional examples of support with listening and speaking in the materials including differentiating support are in Domain 1, Lesson 3, by either having students verbally share keywords for the read aloud, having students verbally craft a complete sentence based on the read aloud, or having students verbally craft a detailed sentence based on the read aloud. Another example is in Domain 3, Lesson 7, when students describe their drawings, and the teacher encourages them to expand upon their ideas and encourages them to use increasingly complex sentences and domain-related vocabulary. In Domain 7, Lesson 4, during the extension activity, students work in small groups to identify how volcanoes and geysers are different. Students record their answers and then have to be prepared to share with the class the differences they identified. In Domain 11, Lesson 11, students work in small groups to discuss a particular image card for the read aloud and share information about the topic on the image card to the whole class.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate. The materials cover a year’s worth of instruction and include short and longer writing tasks and projects. There are opportunities for students to revise and edit, and the tasks and projects align to the grade-level standards.

Within the Grade 1 materials, there are multiple opportunities for on-demand writing that includes illustrating responses (labeling and/or dictating sentences). Students are also asked to write phrases and/or sentences in response to readings. Students often have to respond to the read aloud such as in Lessons 3 and 6 of Domain 1, when students independently draw and write or dictate a one sentence retelling of the read aloud. They also have to draw the plot to “The Goose and the Golden Egg” in Domain 1, Lesson 3. Similarly, in Domain 5, they also write one phrase or one sentence in response to the read alouds. For example, in Domain 5, Lesson 3, students write a phrase or sentence about what they learned about the Maya and the Mayan cities. Students draw their favorite scenes from their favorite fable and include the characters, setting, and plot, as well as write the moral of the fable in Domain 1, Lesson 6. Another example later on in the series is when students write sentences about Appalachian Mountain being a natural barrier to moving west, the Louisiana Purchase, and the route they take to school.

Throughout the materials, process writing charts are introduced, modeled, and used for narrative writing and informational writing. Examples include story maps, graphic organizers, and editing lists. Formal writing instruction designed to address the Common Core State Standards in writing starts in Unit 3 of the Skills Section. Students receive instruction in using a four-step writing process: plan, draft, edit, and publish. Students plan in Lesson 2, use the story map in Lesson 3 to draft, and then use an editing checklist in Lesson 4. In Unit 5, students write a letter to a character, and teachers are instructed to present the information in carefully scaffolded steps, modeled first by the teacher, and then with the group, so that students eventually learn how to plan, draft, and edit their writing. The same process is also taught in Units 6 and 7. Students are directly taught to plan and then use their plan to draft. In the Knowledge section, students also receive instruction on process writing. They practice planning for narrative writing by note-taking as a group in Domain 1 and draft a retelling narrative. In Domain 2, many of the lessons combine process writing with on-demand writing. For example, they draw a body system such as the skeletal system and then use all of their sentences over the course of several lessons to write an informational paragraph. In Domain 3, they use charts and other devices to plan their writing. In Domain 9, students practice planning for narrative writing by note-taking as a group with Elements of Fairy Tales chart, a Venn diagram, and other organizers. Students are expected to plan, write, and edit after instruction. In Domain 11, students work together to write a short informational paragraph summarizing Lewis and Clark’s expedition, using information from a graphic organizer they completed in various lessons.

Students are also given opportunities for writing through the use of technology. The variety of topics and incorporation of digital resources allow students to become familiar with digital tools as a support to the writing process.

The Grade 1 materials reviewed meet the criteria for providing multiple opportunities for students to address the different texts types of writing, which are narrative, expository/informational, and opinion. Students have opportunities to address literary writing, informational writing, and opinion writing.

Students write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriately sequenced events, include details, and provide a sense of closure. In Domain 1, students use graphic organizers such as Story Maps, Personification Charts, and “Somebody, Wanted, So, Then” to plan for narrative writing and to identify elements of a tall tale. They draw, dictate, or write one sentence retellings in Lessons 3 and 6, and they draft a retelling of “The Tale of Peter Rabbit.” In Domain 3, students draw the characters, setting, and a scene from the middle of the read aloud in Lesson 6, and students write and/or dictate a sentence about one element of “Cinderella” in Lesson 19. In Domain 9, students identify the elements of fairy tales before, during, and after read alouds. They also practice planning for narrative writing by note-taking as a group using the Elements of Fairy Tales chart, a Venn diagram, and other organizers. They also write a retelling of their favorite fairy tale. In the Skills Section of the curriculum, students write a book report in Skills Unit 3. In Unit 6, students write a personal narrative.

Students write informative/explanatory texts in which they supply facts about a topic. For example, in Domain 2, they learn to identify important facts, collect and synthesize those facts using a KWL chart or the “Somebody, Wanted, So, Then” organizer. They also independently draw, write or dictate a one sentence response about read alouds in Lessons 2 - 6. These sentences are combined to form a booklet. They also draw an informational paragraph about the five body systems. In Domain 4, students work on similar skills as Domain 2, but record information about and compare and contrast key components of civilization and create an informational paragraph as a group to describe key components of civilizations. In Domain 5, students continue to write one phrase or sentence responses to read alouds, and they synthesize their response statements into a paragraph in Lesson 2. In Domain 6, students again collect and synthesize information by note taking and then independently journal one to three sentence responses. In Domain 7, students explore letter writing. They first write a letter to a geologist from the read alouds, describing what they learned as a class about the earth’s crust. Then they work with a partner to write a letter to the paleontologist from the read alouds, describing what they learned about fossils. Finally, they write a letter to someone of their choice, describing what they learned about dinosaurs. Students also draw and write about read alouds and create an idea web graphic organizer to record information about minerals. In Domain 8, students write one to two sentences about what they learned about Arctic habitats. In Domain 11, students use a graphic organizer to analyze the actions of Daniel Boone. They also write sentences about some topics such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Appalachian Mountains. In this domain, students also work together to write a short informational paragraph summarizing Lewis and Clark’s expedition, using information from the read alouds. In the Skills Section of the curriculum, students begin receiving instruction on descriptive writing, and they describe and write informational text about an animal from “The Green Fern Zoo.” In Skills Unit 4, Lesson 2, students plan a descriptive paragraph about a grape or other food, that includes mention of the food, some descriptive language, and a concluding sentence. Lastly, students focus on instructional writing in Unit 7, Lessons 13, 14, 16, and 17.

Lastly, students write opinion pieces including stating their opinion and supplying a reason for their opinion. In Domain 6, Lesson 6, students write journal entries, where they write opinion statements and supply reasons. In Domain 8, students write an opinion piece about whether they think endangered species should be protected or not. They use evidence from the read alouds as well as the world around them to support their opinion. In the Skills Section of the curriculum, opinion writing is explicitly taught in Unit 5 in Lessons 15, 16, 17, and 18. In Unit 6, Lesson 19, students also have to state an opinion about the story, “Grace the Performer,” give reasons for their opinion, and offer a conclusion. In addition, in Unit 3, students are encouraged to include their opinion about the story that they have read.

The Grade 1 curriculum materials meet the criteria for materials including regular opportunities for evidence-based writing to support recall of information, opinions with reasons, and relevant information appropriate for the grade level. Materials provide frequent opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply writing skills when using evidence. In addition, they are also given multiple opportunities to develop and support their own opinions through various writing opportunities.

In the Knowledge section of the materials, there are opportunities for students to recall information from read alouds by drawing plots, dictating their understanding of the text in their own words, detailing elements of the stories presented, and writing informational sentences and/or phrases based on the expository information being learned. Some examples include drawing the plot to “The Goose and the Golden Eggs” in Domain 1, Lesson 3 and in Lesson 6,where they are asked to draw a scene from their favorite fable, including in the picture the characters, setting, and plot, and next to write or dictate the moral of the chosen fable. In Domain 3, students write or dictate a sentence about one element of “Cinderella,” either characters, setting, plot, or conflict. In Domain 5, one example of evidence based writing includes writing a phrase or sentence about what they learned about the Maya and farming in Lesson 1. In Domain 4, students write a sentence about writing in ancient Egypt in Lesson 6. In Domain 5, students write about things they have learned about the civilization that they are studying. Students write a sentence each day to create a written paragraph in the end. In Domain 7, students work to write letters to geologists, paleontologists, and someone of their choice to describe what they learned in the read alouds about the earth’s crust, fossils, and dinosaurs. In Domain 8, students write an opinion about if they think the endangered species should be protected or not, and they are asked to use evidence from the read alouds. In Domain 10, students write sentences about the thirteen colonies beginning in Lesson 1. In Domain 11, they work together to write a short informational paragraph summarizing Lewis and Clark’s, expedition using information from the graphic organizers they completed throughout the lessons after the read alouds.

In addition to the Knowledge section, there are evidence-based writing lessons in the Skills Section. Starting in Unit 1, there are activity sheets that have students write sentences to answer questions about a story they read. For example, in Skills Unit 4, Lesson 20, students write a descriptive paragraph about a grape or other food that includes mention of the food, some facts about the food, and a concluding sentence. Similarly, in Unit 4, Lesson 22, students research a topic and use the text, “The Green Fern Zoo,” to write an animal paragraph. In Unit 6, Lesson 19, students are given an activity page to answer key questions about the story, “Grace the Performer.” in writing.

The instructional materials for Grade 1 meet the expectation that materials include explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions/language standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context.

Specific grammar lessons and exercises throughout the instructional materials address various parts of speech and language usage conventions. Some of these skills include parts of speech, including nouns, verbs, and pronouns, as well as multiple meaning words, figurative language, and personification. In addition, instruction for the articles “a” and “the” is also present. The grammar and conventions are taught in a sequence consistent with the demands of the standards and are integrated with the reading and writing instruction both in explicit sections and embedded into the curriculum. Models of skills in isolation as well as in readings/text support the acquisition and practice of language standards. Students first learn the concepts and practice them orally. Then they are reinforced in written text. There are also grammar teaching opportunities in demonstration stories. Students will also practice grammar in the daily Warm Ups. The majority of the grammar lesson is found in the Skills Section verse in the Knowledge section.

The Unit 2 grammar lessons focus on nouns, including proper nouns and sentence building. Grammar is reviewed in some of the Warm Ups, as well. One in-context example is that students identify the noun in the story “Fuzz and Met,” identify if the nouns are proper nouns, and explain why the nouns are proper or common (lesson 13). In Unit 3, students continue to focus on capitalization, quotation marks, and ending punctuation. For example, in Lesson 14, students will put scrambled sentences in the correct order and and will identify common and proper nouns in those sentences. In addition, there are Pausing Point activities, such as circling nouns, sorting nouns, and making plural nouns in this unit.

In Unit 4, students are introduced to past-tense verb forms ending with -ed. They also discuss the pronunciation of these letters. They will continue to work on nouns and verbs in phrases and be introduced to adjectives. Some examples include Lesson 13, where students have to switch between regular past, present, and future tense verbs in oral sentences using the words yesterday, today, and tomorrow as clues. In Lesson 18, students evaluate the use of adjectives in oral sentences and will work as a class to produce adjectives to describe the objects.

In Unit 5 of the Skills Section, students learn about and practice changing nouns from singular to plural, as well as the way some root words change when adding the suffixes, -ing and -ed. They will review nouns and verbs, including the identification and formation of present, past, and future tense, and will also review adjectives. Additional grammar topics covered in this unit are sentence types, parts of sentences, and sentence building. They will practice identifying and creating statements, questions, and exclamations, both orally and in writing. One example is in Lesson 5, when students add the inflectional endings -ed and -ing to the end of root words and doubling the final consonant when necessary. There are also in-context examples in this unit. For example, students are asked to find two examples each of statements, questions, and exclamations in the story, “Kate’s Book” (lesson 20). Students build simple, declarative oral sentences in response to prompts using adjectives and prepositions and will write two complete sentences of at least five words (lesson 18).

Additionally, in Unit 6, students focus on nouns and pronouns. The pronouns are introduced, but nouns, verb tenses, and expanding sentences by adding propositions to provide more detail are review skills. Challenge activities are also provided such as asking students to write two more more sentences with the first sentence containing a noun and the other sentence containing the pronoun that replaces the noun.

In Unit 7, the grammar lessons teach the students to use conjunctions, commas, and noun/verb agreement in sentences. In addition, the comma is introduced as a punctuation mark that separates items in a series. One example of this is students read sentences containing a series of words and will separate the words in the series with commas (Lesson 10). Students will revise and expand oral sentences using the decodable conjunctions and, but, so, and or.

The Knowledge Domains provide several opportunities for students to learn and use multiple meaning words. Personification and figurative language are also present in these lessons, almost all of which are taught in context. For example, in Domain 4, Lesson 2, students learn about the golden rule. Another example is in Domain 1, Lesson 5: Students learn that “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” is a phrase we use to describe a hidden enemy or something that is not as it appears to be on the outside. The articles ‘a’ and ‘the’ are also taught in Domain 1. According to the materials, the purpose of these lessons is to help students understanding the direct connection between grammatical structures and the meaning of text. The activities should be used in conjunction with complex text presented in the read alouds.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectation that materials, questions, and tasks directly teach foundational skills to build reading acquisition by providing systematic and explicit instruction in the alphabetic principle, letter-sound relationships, phonemic awareness, and phonological awareness (K-1), and phonics (K-2) that demonstrate a transparent and research-based progression, with opportunities for application both in and out of context. The Skills Domain lessons are typically designed to run 60 minutes.

There are many opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds. Students learn to distinguish between long and short vowel sounds, such as in Unit 2, Lesson 8, when they have to raise their hand when they hear a word with /oe/ instead of /o/. Students also have opportunities to isolate and pronounce initial, medial, and final sounds, such as in Unit 4, Lesson 5, where students listen to orally stated words and have to determine if the medial sound is /ar/ or /er/. In Unit 5, students isolate and pronounce sister sounds such as /b/ and /p/ in spoken single-syllable words. Lastly, students also segment single-syllable words such as in Unit 1, Lesson 12, where students blend words with consonant blends. In Unit 5, Lesson 4, students orally produce single-syllable words with the /k/ sound in response to sound riddles.

Students have opportunities to apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. Skills taught include a review of vowel and consonant sounds in Unit 1, vowel teams in Unit 2, r-controlled vowels and a review of vowel digraphs (aw, oo, oi, ou, er) in Unit 4, common consonant digraphs introduced in Unit 5, and multiple spellings of consonants, such as /ng/ as ng or n in Unit 6. In Unit 2, vowel teams and final -e are taught. Also in Unit 2, Lesson 6, students practice the spelling i_e by segmenting each of the sounds in a word before writing it. Students learn that every syllable must have a vowel sound to determine the number of syllables in a printed word, beginning in Unit 4. Reading two-syllable words is also taught in Unit 4, and beginning in Unit 7, students begin reading compound words. In Unit 6, Lesson 7, students segment and blend two-syllable words by first segmenting each part of the word and then blending it. Reading words with inflectional endings is also taught in Unit 4, where students complete activities such as chaining in Lesson 10 and 11, with -er, -est, -ing, and -ed. More work on this occurs in Unit 5, in Lessons 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 11, and 21, where students add inflectional endings to root words and read them.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that materials, questions, and tasks provide explicit instruction for and regular practice to address the acquisition of print concepts, including alphabetic knowledge, directionality, and function (K-1), structures and features of text (1-2).

Students are expected to understand the organization of print concepts such as the features of a sentence. However, there is little instruction on end punctuation and capital letters of a sentence, and the focus is on more advanced punctuation such as apostrophes and quotation marks. In Unit 2, Lesson 1, the apostrophe is shown in the Decodable Reader and the teacher tells the students that this mark tells that the next word belongs to Gran (the main character). In Unit 2, Lesson 2, quotation marks are introduced. Identifying capital letters and ending punctuation occurs in grammar lessons where students have to add the correct punctuation and capital letters to already written sentences out of context (Unit 7, Lessons 9, 10, 17, and 18).

Students are first introduced to text features in Unit 2, where the student learns about the table of contents. It is also included in Unit 4 when the decodable is a nonfiction text. In Unit 4, teachers are informed of teaching headings, captions, and picture glossary, and students are expected to use these features to help locate key facts and information in each chapter. For example, in Unit 4, Lesson 4, the students learn that the sentences underneath the photo are called captions and that these help the reader better understand the text. In Unit 4, Lesson 8, students are specifically encouraged to use the text features to answer the questions. Review is included in later units such as Unit 6, Lesson 1, where the teacher asks the students to turn to the table of contents; the teacher reads the titles and explains that these stories are about the main character’s adventures. In Unit 6, Lesson 8, the teacher asks the students to turn to the table of contents to locate and read the title of the story; the teacher then asks them on which page the story is located.

While text structure is in some lessons, there is a missed opportunity for students to practice and demonstrate understanding of text structure. In Unit 4, Lesson 2, the teacher informs students the text is an informational text that provides factual, or real, information about a topic; however, the students are not provided an opportunity to identify the text structure or purpose.

The instructional materials for Grade 1 meet the expectation that instructional opportunities are frequently built into the materials for students to practice and gain decoding automaticity and sight-based recognition of high frequency words. This includes reading fluency in oral reading beginning in mid-Grade 1 and through Grade 2.

There are multiple opportunities throughout the year for students to read grade-level text through the decodable texts in every unit. Students are instructed to read the text in various modalities including independently, such as in Unit 2, Lessons 2 and 3 or with a partner in Unit 2, Lessons 2, 6, 11, 13, and 17. In Unit 3, all of the decodable stories are decodable versions of famous fables, and lessons include opportunities for whole group, small group, partner, and independent reading. These types of opportunities are present in all Units in Grade 1.

Students are provided multiple opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate sufficient accuracy, rate, and expression in oral reading with on-level texts. In Unit 2, there are several lessons that provide additional fluency work for students by having them read sentences or read the decodable using a silly voice of their choice (Lessons 5, 14, 16, and 19). Students are also instructed to bring home the decodables to read with families. In Unit 4, Lesson 2, the teacher and the students take turns reading the decodable aloud where the teacher emphasizes expression. Another opportunity for fluency practice is when students re-read the decodable, but it is written as a two-voice text, so students can take turns reading (Unit 4, Teaching Activities Section). To support students’ reading of decodable words, word sorts are also provided such as in Unit 4, Lesson 2, when students sort between /er/ and /r/ words.

Students are given opportunities to practice reading strategies such as re-reading frequently. In Unit 2, students re-read the story in Lessons 5 and 10 before answering questions. Similarly, the same occurs in Unit 4, Lessons 3, 5, and 9. Students have opportunities to practice and read irregularly spelled words. Students are provided flashcards for these words in both Unit 2 and 4. In Unit 1, it states that at the end of each lesson, there is a note about when common sight words become decodable. There are suggested sight word activities, such as writing the tricky word on the board, asking students how they would pronounce it, and then explaining how people actually read it.

The instructional materials for Grade 1 meet the expectation that materials, questions, and tasks provide systematic and explicit instruction in and practice of word recognition and analysis skills in a research-based progression in connected text and tasks.

In the beginning of the instructional materials, there is review and then the curriculum continues to introduce new phonics skills and include decodables that allow students to practice the words in context. For example, in Unit 7, alternative vowel spellings are introduced. According to CKLA, this is a difficult skill for students, but “the orderly and systematic way in which the vowel spellings are introduced in this unit and in later grades will help students cope with the complexity of English vowel spellings and lead to significantly stronger reading and spelling skills.” Only the most common spelling alternatives are taught in Grade 1 and other spelling alternatives are taught in Grade 2. For example, the “long a” sound /ae/ is taught to be spelled as a_e (review), ai, and ay. In addition, in this unit, syllable dividers that separate two-syllable words into smaller, more manageable chunks is discontinued.

The decodable readers include the phonics skills previously taught and currently taught in the unit. The decodable readers get more complex in each unit. For example, in Unit 6, the decodable “Grace” is a little bit longer, on average, than the stories in the previous Readers. The decodable reader is broken down into individual stories, and almost all of the stories in the Reader can stand alone. In addition, in this Unit it is the first time the font is new. In previous units, the font mimicked the type of letters students were writing, but now the font is similar to most trade books. Before students engage with a decodable reader, the teacher is expected to preview the words that students will encounter that have phonics skills being taught or reviewed as well as the tricky words included in the text. In addition, each story includes tips for introducing the story.

The instructional materials for Grade 1 meet the expectation that materials support ongoing and frequent assessments to determine student mastery and inform meaningful differentiation of foundational skills, including a clear and specific protocol as to how students performing below standard on these assessments will be supported. Each unit provides multiple opportunities for teachers to monitor student understanding and offers suggestions and methods for re-teaching and providing scaffolding supports. There are clear and specific protocols for teachers to analyze student work as well as additional opportunities for the students to practice the skills. There is also a separate publication found online called the Assessment and Remediation guide that provides further assistance in assessing, analyzing, and remediating specific skills.

Assessments begin in Unit 1, Lessons 6-10, where students take a placement assessment to identify large gaps in their core knowledge. The information gained from this assessment will help the teacher identify students who need to be regrouped to an earlier point in the Skills program.

In each unit, there are formative assessments to help monitor individual student progress in both decoding and fluency. There are observation records provided in the teacher guide to assist the teacher with this. One example of a “Check for Understanding” is in Unit 2, Lesson 3, where the teacher collects the Activity page to monitor the progress.

There are anecdotal reading record templates that teachers carry with them to take notes on students' reading. At times, there are specific lessons where the teacher should listen to the students read, such as in Unit 4, Lesson 3.

There are also end-of-unit assessments that evaluate students’ mastery of the skills taught in the unit. In Unit 1, the students are assessed on their ability to read individual words that contain the spellings from the unit. For example, in Unit 2, the multi-part assessment begins in Lesson 18. The first part is the Word Recognition Assessment, where the students look at several words on the activity page and circle the written word which matches the word the teacher says. For those students who perform poorly (less than 12 correct out of 15), the materials suggest that the teacher refer to the Additional Support Activities, the Pausing Points, and/or the Assessment Remediation Guide. In Unit 4, as part of the multi-part assessment, there is a dictation assessment where students are asked to spell and write words with the r- controlled spellings taught in this unit, as well as students work one-on-one with the teacher to complete the Word Reading in Isolation Assessment, which evaluates each student’s ability to read words with the letter-sound correspondences taught thus far in CKLA. In Unit 5, there is a multi-part assessment that begins with the Word Recognition Assessment, where students look at several words on the page and circle the written word that matches the spoken word read by the teacher.

There are weekly spelling assessments that monitor student performance and progress in reading and writing the skills taught in the lessons. These assessments occur every five days.

There are optional progress monitoring sessions. Students read individual words, and the teacher indicates what words the student can or cannot read, using this information to determine what reteaching and reinforcement is required from the Assessment and Remediation Guide. Another optional assessment is the Tricky Word Assessment record which is found at the end of Unit 2. Based on student performance on the progress monitoring, optional assessments, and end-of-unit assessments, teachers can select activities for individuals or groups in the Pausing Point section based on which areas students performed poorly or well.

In the Teacher Guide, there are resources for teachers to collect, organize, and analyze student results. Included in these resources, for example in Unit 4, are the Tricky Word Assessment Record, the Spelling Analysis, and the Word Reading in Isolation Scoring Sheet and Remediation Guide. In Unit 5, resources include the Tricky Word Assessment Lit and record, Anecdotal Reading Result, Spelling analysis directions and analysis of student spelling errors, and Word Recognition Assessment analysis direction.

The instructional materials for Grade 1 meet the expectation that materials, questions, and tasks provide high-quality lessons and activities that allow for differentiation of foundational skills.

In the daily lessons, there are supports and challenges provided in the margin of the text. For example in Unit 2, Lesson 1, there is a support is for students who have trouble hearing the middle sound in words. The teacher is supposed to say the word in segmented fashion and then repeat the word in its blended form. While the challenge is for extra segmenting practice, the students segment each word and then decide if it contains the /ee/ sound. In Unit 6, Lesson 16, a support is provided for students who are continuing to confuse spelling alternatives for the /w/ sound by explaining how two different flowers, a tulip and a daisy, are both flowers even though they look different.

In each lesson, there are places for formative assessments, so teachers can determine which students may benefit from reteaching and/or more practice in particular skills, using the Additional Support activities found at the end of each lesson. For example, in Unit 2, Lesson 7, there is additional support with oral reading when one student reads down column 1 and another student reads down column 2 to complete the story. In Unit 4, Lesson 4, there is a word sort, and in Unit 4, Lesson 11, there is a Bingo Game. In Unit 7, Lesson 1, there are additional activities to help students with spelling alternatives for /ae/.

In some lessons, there are also small group sessions. For example, in Unit 2, lesson 11, students complete a word sort with half the class completing it with the teacher and the other half completing it independently or with a partner. In Unit 3, Lesson 14, a small group of students completes the activity page with the teacher if they require more support and/or immediate feedback. In Unit 4, lesson 3 students who need more direct support and immediate feedback work with the teacher, while the other group of students reads with a partner.

There are also student performance assessments, and it is suggested that teachers use the results of the assessment to inform instruction and grouping, as well as how to use the Pausing Point exercises, before moving on to the next unit. The Pausing Point Activities are additional activities to teach and practice at the end of each unit. It is suggested that teachers pause for two to three days and provide targeted, remediation for individual or groups of students in any area in which they performed poorly on the end-of-unit assessment. Pausing Point activities are arranged by unit objective. For example, in Unit 4, some of the topics are reading words that contain vowel digraphs, writing words that contain vowel digraphs, reading tricky words, and reading decodable stories.