The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for materials emphasize explicit phonics instruction through systematic and repeated modeling.

While there are opportunities to practice phonics skills learned through writing and reading in the materials, phonics instruction is not explicitly taught in a regular, systematic way.  The materials do not provide guidance for teachers that describes an explicit, systematic approach to instruction that focuses on modeling to instruct phonics. While the accommodations section of the plans sometimes includes modeling, not all students would be exposed to this feature. There are a variety of activities available for each consonant and short vowel; however, the materials do not provide for systematic modeling by the teacher. Materials do not indicate if these activities are to take place on a daily basis. There are not frequent opportunities for students to explicitly say letter names or sounds.

Materials contain limited explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of all grade-level phonics standards.

• Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words.
• No evidence found.
• Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.
• In Steps 4 and 5, Orange Teacher Planner, pages 281-282, the Mini Books activity gives students the opportunity to practice phonics skills. In the example on page 282, students read -oa and -ui words, write the words, and draw pictures of the words. As an extension, students read their mini books to a partner.
• Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels.
• In Step 6, Purple Teacher Planner, Step 6 Book, The Snakes Make a Snowman, pages 374-375, the materials state, "The basis of this book is to practice multisyllabic and compound words containing the phonics hunks and rules learned in Step 6." The following words are contained in the text: snowman, assembled, tennis, snowballs, melon, blanket, outside, powder, morning, blizzard, exclaimed, formed, hidden, engine, conductor, window, smiled, shaped, igloo, tunnel, entrance, slithered, artistic, imagine, construct, something, different, buttons, apple, orange, gumdrops, looked, always, before, never. 
• In Step 6, Purple Teacher Planner, The Rule and Practice Reading, Multisyllabic Words, students complete Practice Pages 310-311, as they practice looking at and reading words by chunking them or breaking them down into smaller parts.
• Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.
• In Step 6, Purple Teacher Planner, Unit 8, Topic: Prefixes and Suffixes, pages 335, a list of Practice Pages activities is provided. Pages 336-349 of the Purple Teacher Planner provide directions for each of the activities; however, it is unclear as to when or how often these activities should be completed. 
• Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences.
  
• In Step 6, Purple Teacher Planner, page 73 and BAB pages 117-118, Mini Book or/ore/our/oor/oar, students write one word with each spelling pattern on every page in their mini book and draw a picture to show the meaning of the word.

Lessons provide teachers with systematic and repeated instruction for students to hear, say, encode, and read each newly taught grade-level phonics pattern. 

• No evidence found.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for materials include frequent practice opportunities for students to decode words that consist of common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns and provide opportunities for students to review previously taught phonics skills.

There are many activities for practicing newly taught sound and spelling patterns, but it is unclear whether there are daily practice opportunities. There are no directions listed in the materials for how often or when to teach each activity. It is unclear whether the centers that focus on these skills are meant to be conducted on a daily or weekly schedule. 

Examples of opportunities for students to decode words include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Steps 4 and 5 materials contain a 5-day cycle. The materials focus on different topics, such as long vowel sounds vs. short vowel sounds, sneaky e, and vowel teams. There are review weeks for sneaky e (Days 206-215) and vowel teams (Days 246-255). The Step 6 materials contain Focus Phonics based on Reading/Reading Comprehension and Planned Phonics. There are eight Review Units which contain Practice Pages for students to complete. 
• In I Am Ready, Orange Teacher Planner, Steps 4 and 5, Day 219, Add to the Picture, students read phonetically decodable words with ee. The words are in sentences. Students add a picture next to the sentence.
• In Purple Teacher Planner, Step 6, pages 1-5, the center layout illustrates the letter that is taught during each five-day cycle. Each cycle provides some phonics practice in terms of reading The Consonant Play Book, practicing the phonics skill for that week in centers, and completing practice pages using that skill.
• In Purple Teacher Planner, Step 6, page 220 and BAB, pages 81 and 94, students make a flip book for the word family y (long i) then flip through the book and read each word.

Examples of review for previously taught grade level phonics skills include:

• In Orange Teacher Planner, Steps 4 and 5, Day 248, page 305, students complete a Practice Page called Fill in the Blank. Students say the sounds of each spelling pattern (on the top of the page). Students say the name of each picture. Students listen for the sound they hear at the beginning of the word. Students write either ai, ea, oa, or ui in the middle of each word based on the sound they heard. 
• In Step 6, Purple Practice Pages, page 34, students complete Write the Word for Review #1 ay, ar. Students view 12 pictures. Each picture has the initial starting sound. Students add ay or ar to complete the words. 
• In Step 6, Purple Practice Pages, page 221, students complete Write the Word for Review #6 aw, oy, ar. Students view 12 pictures. Each picture has the initial starting letter. Students add aw, oy, or ar to complete the words.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for materials include frequent practice opportunities for students to build/manipulate/spell and encode grade level phonics, including common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns.

Materials include some opportunities for students to build/manipulate and spell and encode grade level phonetic words; however, the practice is not always daily and doesn’t consistently have students practice encoding words. There are not daily opportunities for encoding words in isolation. There are a limited number of practice pages that address encoding words found in Step 6 of the Purple Practice Book. The centers in Steps 4 and 5, Orange Teacher Planner, and Step 6, Purple Teacher Planner, do not emphasize encoding a whole word, although there is practice in filling in the beginning, medial, or ending sound of words. The materials do not include protocols for teachers to model encoding.  

Limited opportunities for students to build/manipulate/spell and encode grade level phonics include:

• In Steps 4 and 5, Orange Practice Book, Practice Pages, pages 49, 53, 55, 119, 125, students have some opportunities to write/spell words in isolation. Students look at a picture, choose five words that have a certain blend or sound, and write them.
• In Step 6, Purple Teacher Planner, page 250, the teacher writes oy on the board, then invites students to add a letter to make a word. (e.g., Add b to make the word boy.)