2nd Grade - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics to build students knowledge and vocabulary which will over time support and help grow students’ ability to comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.

Materials build an understanding of content in science, social studies, and literature. Students acquire an understanding of that content while they work to acquire the grade-level literacy standards of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Within each Module, Unit 1 is designed to ensure students acquire content knowledge. In Unit 2 and Unit 3, teachers use close reading to engage students with complex text that deepens their knowledge of the Module topic. Lessons within the units provide complex text, students response pages, and anchor charts that support students’ ability to comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently in order to complete a culminating task.

The modules are based on topics with required and recommended text to support multiple reads for each topic. The K-2 Labs use of Storytime increases the amount of time that students spend with complex text through read-alouds while connecting to the content taught within the Module lessons. Vocabulary is introduced and reviewed throughout each module. Academic and Domain-Specific vocabulary are addressed through multiple reads of complex text along with the Language Dives. The words that have been selected fall into the categories of lesson specific, text specific, or vocabulary used in writing. The curriculum defines whether a word is newly introduced or is a review word, so that teacher can adjust instruction to meet the needs of the students. Multiple texts are used to build student knowledge and vocabulary, and they support students’ ability to comprehend complex text independently and proficiently.

In Module 1, students build their literacy and citizenship skills as they engage in a study on the topic of “Schools and Community.” In Unit 1, Lesson 4, during the close read aloud on page 4 of The Dot, the teacher focuses on the characters’ feelings of frustration. The teacher writes the word and draws a picture of a face that exemplifies frustration. After Unit 1, Lesson 6, students complete a Frayer model for the vocabulary words “visible” and “invisible.”

In Module 2, students build their literacy and science skills as they engage in a study on the topic of “Fossils Tell of Earth’s Changes.” After Unit 2, Lesson 3’s completion of the close read-aloud of the text Fossils, the words “excavate” and “excavator” are added to the Fossils Word Wall. The teacher provides each word’s definition, claps out its syllables, uses it in a sentence, and places the card on the Word Wall. In Unit 2, Lesson 5, students read A Group of Dinosaurs. The teacher reminds students that they have been learning about collective nouns for the past few lessons. The teacher displays the Collective Nouns Practice #3 sheet and informs students that, similar to the previous lesson, they will help fill in the missing collective nouns, “A _____ of wolves chased the deer.” Using a total participation technique, the teacher invites responses from the group.

In Module 3, students build their research skills and science knowledge as they engage in a study on the topic of “The Secret World of Pollination.” In Unit 1, Lesson 4, the teacher helps students complete a Frayer Model Anchor Chart for plants. The model includes a definition, visual, example, and characteristics of plants. In Unit 1, Lesson 7, students participate in a Language Dive after reading page 20 of Seed to Plant. Students determine the meaning of the following sentence from the text: “Pollen sticks to birds and bees when they fly from flower to flower.”

In Module 4, students engage in a study on the topic of “Providing for Pollinators.” In this Module, students build on their scientific knowledge of pollinators from Module 3, to consider how they can contribute to the protection of these important creatures in their own community. In Unit 1, Lesson 1, students participate in a Language Dive while reading the text, The Bear and The Bee. Students learn about prefixes by focusing on the following sentence from the text: “Although they may seem unimportant, small deeds can make the world a better place.” In Unit 1, Lesson 2, students read pages 1 and 2 of The Little Hummingbird and use a total participation technique to explore the following questions: “What does the word fled mean? How do you know? Why are the animals running away? What is the problem in the story?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language (words/phrases), key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts in order to make meaning and build understanding of texts and topics.

During every session of the Close Read Aloud, teachers utilize a variety of techniques to engage students in answering text-dependent questions such as Think-Pair-Share and Back to Back and Face to Face. Conversation Cues encourage conversations about the text. Language Dives explore chunks of text to determine author’s meaning. Additionally, students are taught how to use text features to locate information and strategies to determine the meanings of words.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Language Dive, the sentence, “Vashti splashed her colors with a bigger brush on bigger paper to make bigger dots,” was chosen for its use of comparative adjectives, prepositional phrases, and connection to the content and message of the text. Students apply their understanding of the content and structure of this sentence when writing about the character’s feelings.
• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 10, the teacher displays page 22 of the text and reads the first sentence aloud. The teacher reviews the definition of “remote,” emphasizing that paleontologists sometimes travel to remote places in search of fossils. Then, students read the remainder of pages 22–23 aloud. Using a total participation technique, the teacher invites responses from the group by asking, “What are these pages about?”
• In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 12, students look at an exemplar writing piece about a hummingbird before they begin their performance task of writing detailed sentences about bees. After reading the sentences about the hummingbird, the teacher asks, “What do you notice about the detail sentences?” The teacher then facilitates a turn and talk for students to review the following questions: “Why do bees go to plants? How do bees pollinate plants?” The teacher probes further by asking, “Can you say more about that?” Students write independently in their Bee Writing booklets after orally rehearsing their detail sentences.
• In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 10, students compare and contrast two texts, The Ants and the Grasshopper and Bunnyyarl the Flies and Wurrunnunnah the Bees. The teacher inquires, “What is the setting of each version of the story? Are those settings the same, or are they different?” The teacher asks the following additional questions about the characters: “Who were the characters in each story? Are those the same characters, or are those different characters?” This activity requires students to look at two very similar texts and utilize their knowledge of story elements to compare and contrast the two stories while supporting their answers with text evidence.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria that materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

Materials contain coherently sequenced text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to rely on the knowledge built over the course of the module. Text-dependent questions and tasks are specifically included in the anchor text and through close reading sessions that occur in lessons. “In each session, students are lifted to greater understanding of the text through purposeful text-dependent questions and activities” (Your Curriculum Companion, page 275).

Unit 1 of each module builds the foundational knowledge for the topic, Unit 2 requires students to analyze and synthesize information, and Unit 3 requires students to apply their learning to complete a culminating task which requires reading, writing, listening, and speaking as well as reflecting on the learning that has occurred. Close read aloud texts and questions create an understanding of the text and the module topic. Each module has a topic focus with required and recommended text to support building knowledge on that topic.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, during the Focused Read of the text, What Does School Mean to You?, the teacher draws students’ attention to the text and stops reading to ask, “But there are some schools in suburbs.…” and the teachers note, “This text mentions schools being in a city, in a suburb, and in the country.” Students are told to turn and talk with an elbow partner to discuss city, suburb, and country. Next the teacher selects volunteers to answer, “What is a suburb, and how is it different from a city and the country?” Then in the Unit 1 Assessment, students listen to the final portion of The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. They answer a text-dependent question, demonstrate their ability to use key details from the text and illustrations, and demonstrate understanding of characters, plot, and how characters respond to major story events.
• In Module 2, Module 2, Unit 2, during the Close Read/Read Aloud of Fossils, the teacher reads aloud a sentence from the text and defines traces (a very small amount of something). Students listen to this sentence again to hear some examples of traces. Then, using a total participation technique the teacher asks, “So based on the text, what are some traces animals might leave behind?” (footprints, tooth marks, or impressions of skin). Then in the Unit 2 Assessment, students engage in reading an informational text about fossils, Digging Up the Past. Students first hear the text read aloud by the teacher. They then work with a partner to identify the gist of each section. After identifying the gist, students independently reread the article, answer a series of selected response questions about the text, and write a constructed response.
• In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 4, during the Read Aloud of the text, What Are the Parts of a Plant, using a total participation technique, the teacher asks, “What do you notice when you look at this plant? What shapes or colors do you notice?” (Responses will vary, but should be related to the physical features of the plant). Then the teacher models how to make a scientific drawing of a plant and students do the same. In the Unit 1 Assessment, students independently read the section entitled “What Do Plants Need?” from Seed to Plant by Kristin Baird Rattini, and then respond to selected response and short answer questions, using the text and illustrations and rereading as needed. During Part II of the assessment, students hear the first half of the text read aloud again and then respond to selected response questions about key details by referring to their own copy of the text, using illustrations, and rereading as needed.
• In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 2, during the Close Read/Read Aloud of The Little Hummingbird, using a total participation technique, the teacher asks, “What is this song about?” (the different ways people can help take care of their space) and “Who is it talking about?” (It talks about us, both young people and adults). Then in the Unit 1 Assessment, students hear an excerpt of The Ant and the Grasshopper read aloud and answer questions about this fable. Students then reread the fable on their own, complete a graphic organizer describing its story elements, and write a paragraph describing the central message. In Part II, students use a copy of “Bunnyyarl the Flies and Wurrunnunnah the Bees” to compare and contrast two versions of the same story by completing a T-chart and short response question. In Part III, students create a videobook in which they read aloud a page of the story “Bunnyyarl the Flies and Wurrunnunnah the Bees.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria that the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated skills (e.g. combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

Materials offer opportunities for students to demonstrate their content and literacy knowledge through questions and instructional tasks across the three units within each of the four modules. Students participate in close reads, collaborative conversations, and journal and notebook tasks related to texts they have read. Students engage in tasks that require a combination of literacy skills including reading, writing, drawing, and speaking to demonstrate their knowledge of a topic. These tasks are consistently placed at the end of each close read/read aloud session, referred to as a culminating task. The performance task for each module is found at the end of Unit 3 and includes completion of narrative, informational, and opinion writing which is shared with peers or families.

In Module 1, students build their literacy and citizenship skills as they engage in a study of schools. Students begin by exploring the module guiding question, “What is school, and why are schools important?", through a variety of literary and nonfiction texts about schools. Students then build on this understanding by learning about schools around the world and the challenges some communities face in sending their students to school and how they solve these challenges. This leads students to consider the similarities and differences between their own school and some of the schools they have read about. In Unit 1, Lesson 6, following the close read of The Invisible Boy, students draw a picture of an event that makes Brian feel “invisible” and write a description of the event. The students draw a picture of an event that makes Brian feel “visible” and write a description of that event. The Module 1 Performance Task requires students to incorporate all their module learning about schools and community to write an informational book “The Most Important Thing About School.” Students use information from the whole class and small group research to write and compile a book comparing and contrasting their own school with the school from the text, Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World by Susan Hughes. Students also Use The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown as inspiration to write a concluding sentence about what they think is the most important thing about school.

In Module 2, students build their literacy and science skills as they engage in a study of fossils. Students begin the module by exploring the guiding question: “What do paleontologists do?” Students learn about Mary Anning, a famous fossil hunter. Students are introduced to the skill of answering selected response questions in this module and are taught how to read and answer questions in this format. Students then build knowledge about fossils and how they are formed in order to learn more deeply about how fossils show evidence of the changes that have occurred on earth over time. In Unit 1, Lesson 2, following the close read Stone Girl, Bone Girl: A Story of Mary Anning of Lyme Regis students are asked, “What did Mary Anning do to become a famous fossil hunter?” They complete a beginning, middle, and end graphic organizer. Then after being shown and reread pages 19–20 students must explain how Mary used a habit of character to overcome the challenge of getting the fossil out. The Module 2 Performance Task requires students to incorporate all their module learning about fossils and how they tell about the Earth’s changes to carefully and accurately create detailed illustrations for the narrative they wrote in the Unit 3 Assessment.

In Module 3, students build their research skills and science knowledge through a study of plants and pollinators. They discover this “the secret world” of plants and pollinators by first building their knowledge of plants, their needs, and their life cycle through reading, observing, conducting experiments, and discussing their findings. Students then move on to research the role of insect pollinators in helping plants grow and survive. Their research skills are built through both whole group and supported small group research on insect pollinators. They use their research notes to write an informative piece about a specific insect pollinator and its role in the pollination process. In Unit 2, students use pictures to orally describe the process of pollination and then document their learning in their Plants and Pollinators Research Notebook, Part II. The Module 3 Performance Task requires students to create a poster with scientific drawings and captions and then deliver an oral presentation. Students also include a reflection about the role critique and revision played in their final product and answer questions following their presentation from audience members. In Module 3, students build deep knowledge about the scientific topic of living things and pollinators, specifically. In Module 4, they then apply this knowledge to make a meaningful contribution to their community.

In Module 4, students build on their scientific knowledge of pollinators from Module 3 to consider how they can contribute to protecting these important creatures in their own community. Students begin by exploring what it means to contribute to a community by reading folktales and fables featuring fictional pollinator characters. They analyze how these characters overcome challenges and contribute to a better world. They then move on to study the dangers facing two real pollinators: bats and butterflies. Using informational texts, students hone their research skills as they learn to form an opinion based on evidence in a text. Students then write an opinion piece about why people should protect butterflies. In Unit 1, Lesson 2, following the close read of The Little Hummingbird, students retell The Little Hummingbird and state the author’s central message to a partner. The Module 4 Performance Task requires that students take action to help butterflies by creating a wildflower seed packet filled with wildflower seeds, which will help provide butterflies with nectar and a habitat. The front of the wildflower seed packet includes a title and a detailed, colorful pencil drawing of a monarch butterfly. The back of the wildflower seed packet includes instructions for how to plant the wildflower seeds, as well as a typed opinion piece explaining why people should help butterflies. Students present their performance task, along with a reflection on their work and learning, in a culminating celebration.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts.

Specific tasks are designed to build academic vocabulary within the curriculum during multiple readings of context-based texts, such as unpacking learning targets, interactive word walls, collaborative conversations, use of Frayer models, language dives, writing tasks, and explicit teaching of habits of character language. The Labs also provide opportunities for students to use content-specific and academic vocabulary while applying the speaking and listening skills taught in the module lessons. Additionally, vocabulary is highlighted at the beginning of each lesson with reference to whether it is new or review and whether it is taught within the lesson or with the use of text. Students are given opportunities to learn vocabulary using strategies that target all learning modalities through the use of movement, song, poetry, drawing, and writing.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Unpacking Learning Targets: In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 3, students examine the learning target, “I can use context clues to determine the meaning of a new word.” Teachers display pages 16–17 of What Is Pollination? and tell students that when they use context clues, they use clues in the sentences around the word to find its meaning. Sometimes the meaning is in the same sentence, and sometime it is in the next sentence. Student attention is then directed to the Text Features anchor chart, and students are reminded that important Vocabulary words are often in bold print. The teacher models how to find the meaning of the bold print words “hive” and “social” using context clues.
• Interactive Word Walls: In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 2, after completing the close read-aloud of the text Fossils, students are shown the Fossils Word Wall card for “clues.” Students discuss the meaning of the word “clue” with an elbow partner. Students stand up for a moment to pretend to look for clues. Then, the teacher says “clue,” its definition, uses it in a sentence, and places the word clue and its picture on the word wall.
• Collaborative Conversations: In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Close Read-aloud of Stone Girl, Bone Girl: A Story of Mary Anning of Lyme Regis, teachers focus student attention to the illustration on page 2. Using a total participation technique, students respond to several questions: “What does ordinary mean? What does extraordinary mean? Why did Mary Anning’s father think that she was ‘no ordinary girl’?”
• Language Dives: In Module 1,Unit 1, Lesson 4, students look at the meaning of ”Vashti splashed her colors with a bigger brush on bigger paper to make bigger dots.” This sentence is analyzed for its use of comparative adjectives, prepositional phrases, and connection to the content and message of the text. Students apply their understanding of the content and sentence structure when writing about the character’s feelings.
• Use of Frayer Models: In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 6, students complete a Frayer model for the vocabulary words “visible” and “invisible.”
• Writing: In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 5, the teacher and students create a shared writing on why bats should be protected. Students discuss the importance of protecting these “pollinators” and using vocabulary from the interactive word wall.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria that materials contain a year long, cohesive plan of writing instruction and tasks which support students in building and communicating substantive understanding of topics and texts.

In Unit 1 of each Module, background knowledge is built on the specific topic. In Module 2, students are engaged in more reading, writing, and research opportunities around the Module topic. In Module 3, the extended writing is more extensive and scaffold support is provided for students.

Throughout the Modules, students have multiple opportunities to use text-based evidence to respond to prompts about the text that they are reading in notebooks, journals, and response sheets. Students participate in daily collaborative conversations about texts, and teachers compile the knowledge and information gained from those conversations on Anchor Charts. The smaller writing tasks throughout the Module lead the student to use the compiled information to complete the writing performance task at the end to demonstrate understanding of the topic. Each Unit has a standards-based assessment allowing students to read, write, or speak with increasing independence about the texts that they have read.

Examples from each Module include, but are not limited to:

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 3, after reading What Is School?, students use their notebook to respond to the following prompt: “What did you learn from the book about what school is and why schools are important?” In Unit 3, Lesson 6, students focus on the learning target, “I can write about the differences between my school and the school that I researched using details from my notes.” The teacher uses the Comparing and Contrasting Research Note-catcher to model and think aloud, “I am going to show you how I used the notes from my Comparing and Contrasting Research note-catcher to help me think of the sentences I wrote about the differences between the two schools in my book.”
• The Module 1 Performance Task requires students to incorporate their Module learning about schools and community to write an informational book, The Most Important Thing About School. Students use information from the whole class and small group research to write and compile the book, comparing and contrasting their own school with the school from the text, Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools Around the World by Susan Hughes. Students also use The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown as inspiration to write a concluding sentence about their opinion on the most important thing about school.
• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 12, the teacher reviews the following components of a paragraph: focusing statement, supporting details, and concluding statement. Students write their own paragraph about a famous paleontologist on page 4 of their own paleontologist’s notebook. In Unit 2, Lesson 5, students answer the following question: “What are the steps of fossilization?” Students use the Fossilization Anchor Chart containing notes and sketches to write complete sentences and draw illustrations. Students complete their work using pages 9–10 of their paleontologist’s notebook.
• The Module 2 Performance Task requires students to incorporate their Module learning about fossils and how they tell about the Earth’s changes to carefully and accurately create detailed illustrations for the narrative they wrote in the Unit 3 Assessment.
• In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 11, students complete an introduction and focus statement about how bees pollinate plants utilizing their Research About Bees: Class Notes.
• The Module 3 Performance Task requires students to create a poster with scientific drawings and captions and deliver an oral presentation. Students include a reflection about the role critique and revision played in their final product and answer questions following their presentation from audience members.
• In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 8, students draft an introduction for an opinion piece that describes the dangers that butterflies face utilizing the Dangers that Butterflies Face and Reasons Butterflies are Important: Class Notes. In part B of the lesson, students write a focus statement that includes an opinion about why people should protect butterflies.
• The Module 4 Performance Task requires students to take action to help butterflies by creating a wildflower seed packet filled with wildflower seeds, which will help provide butterflies with nectar and a habitat. The front of the wildflower seed packet includes a title and a detailed, colorful pencil drawing of a monarch butterfly. The back of the wildflower seed packet includes instructions for how to plant the wildflower seeds, as well as a typed opinion piece explaining why people should help butterflies.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria that materials include a progression of focused, shared research and writing projects to encourage students to develop knowledge and understanding of a topic using texts and other source materials.

Materials provide opportunities for focused research and writing projects to support the development of knowledge and understanding of the Module topic during the K-2 Labs, which are designed to extend student learning from the Grade 2 Module Lessons. There are opportunities in the Research Lab for students to engage with materials and increase their skills in order to pursue answers to questions related to the content in the Grade 2 Module lessons. Students expand their understanding and knowledge of the topic through a range of research activities. As stated in the Your Curriculum Companion, page 77, “students study pictures and photographs, watch videos, and conduct original research based on their own questions.” Also, each unit within the modules contain lessons that require students to answer text-based questions and demonstrate knowledge of the topics using total participation techniques, anchor charts, language dives, notebooks, journals and student response sheets. The artifacts produced during each lesson are compiled throughout the modules to complete a culminating project.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Module 1, K-2 Labs, the guiding question is “How can I use research skills to learn about my classroom community?” In the Research Lab, students use research skills to learn about their classroom/school community by conducting surveys of people in their school and analyzing the results. Students learn about schools around the world during the module lessons. Students should connect their learning about their school community in the Research Lab and schools around the world in the Module lessons to complete Module 1 Performance task to write an informational book, “The Most Important Thing About School.”
• In Module 2, K-2 Labs, the guiding question is “How can I use research skills to learn and wonder about dinosaurs?” In the Research Lab, students use research skills to learn new information about and ask questions about dinosaurs and culminates with the creation of dinosaur trading cards that share facts about different dinosaurs. Students build upon their understanding of paleontology and fossils as they research facts and ask questions about different dinosaurs during the module lessons. Students should connect their learning about dinosaurs in the Research Lab with their understanding of paleontology and fossils in the module learning to complete the Module 2 Performance Task to incorporate all their module learning about fossils and how they tell about the Earth’s changes to carefully and accurately create detailed illustrations for the narrative they wrote in the Unit 3 Assessment. The final dinosaur trading cards could be companions to the performance task writing piece as students present at the End of Module Celebration.
• In Module 4, K-2 Labs, the guiding question is “How can I use research skills to learn and teach about our local pollinators?” In the Research Lab, students learn about and teach their community about the idea of “pesky pollinators,” pollinators that may be not be valued for the important role they play. During the initial stages of the Lab, students launch a survey to begin to collect their community’s attitudes toward these pollinators. While this data is being collected, they will begin to read a central text and some supporting materials and answer text-dependent questions to learn more about these pollinators. Students then reflect on the survey data they collected, and take steps to “re-educate” their community based on their perceptions. Student learning about common insect pollinators in the Module 3 lessons, and bats as pollinators in the Module 4 lessons, to provide perspectives within the school community about different pollinators. Students should connect their learning about community attitudes about pollinators in the Research Lab with learning about bats as pollinators in the module lessons to complete Module 4 Performance Task which requires students to take action to help butterflies by creating a wildflower seed packet filled with wildflower seeds, which will help provide butterflies with nectar and a habitat.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria that materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Materials provide opportunities for the teacher to incorporate 45 minutes of independent reading time during the Skills Block portion of the lesson while other students are completing differentiated tasks or working with the teacher. The curriculum does provide the teacher with a document titled "K-5 Recommended Texts and Other Resources" that lists multiple books per grade level and module that students can utilize during independent reading time. This list provides a variety of texts based on student interest and reading goals.

During the independent reading rotation, students choose books to read independently and complete Reading Response sheets. The focus of this independent reading time is to build stamina, automaticity, and comprehension by reading a large volume of student selectected texts, with a specific focus on personal reading goals (page 7, Grades K-2: Reading Foundations Skills Block Resource Manual). Teachers are encouraged to observe and confer with students around their reading goals. AIR is the only time set aside (other than during the Reader’s Toolbox instructional practice) for students to apply all they are learning in both the Skills Block (decoding and fluency skills) and Integrated Block (comprehension and vocabulary skills) while independently reading a wide range of texts of their choice (page 8, Grades K-2: Reading Foundations Skills Block Resource Manual). The reading routine also includes an independent whisper read, followed by an echo or choral read and student responses to comprehension questions and questions about individual words.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Independent Reading: Students choose a text (book, poem, magazine, etc.) and read independently. Students track books read, connect to their goals, and demonstrate comprehension by filling out a Reading Response Sheet.
• Conferences: Teachers observe students reading and/or goes over reading response sheets with the student. Teachers provide guidance, teaching points, encouragement, or celebrations based on observations and student response sheets.
• Accountable Independent Reading Resources: Teachers create a collection of decodable texts, texts that approximately align to a group’s current phase, required complex texts from integrated Module lessons, and recommended texts on the module topic. Lists to complete these text collections are provided.
• Decodable Student Reader Routine: Students learn to whisper-read the text independently while teacher listens in and notes who might need more support. If the teacher notices that the majority of the group needs more support reading some words or pages with automaticity and fluency, the teacher might choose to echo read the text, choral read as a group and/or revisit a specific word or group of words in the text and remind students of the spelling pattern and pronunciation of the high-frequency word. Students then respond to basic comprehension questions and respond to questions about individual words in the text.
• Reading Response Sheets: Teachers are given a Reading Response Sheet template to provide for students to complete during their independent reading on page 22-25 in the Grades K-2: Reading Foundations Skills Block Resource Manual.