1st Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials contain full, adult-level explanations and examples of the foundational skills concepts included in the program so teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

The Teacher’s Guidebook summarizes what foundational skills concepts are included in the program. There are adult-level explanations of some foundational skills concepts and a few examples of the concepts themselves. However, explanations and examples of key foundational skill concepts are not included, such as the concept of “beginning sounds”, which is taught in Days 1-30. Some definitions, such as the definitions of CVC words and sight words, are limited in scope and do not provide enough information for teachers to understand the concept. For other concepts, such as digraphs, there are examples of digraphs given for the teacher, but materials do not include a definition or explanation of a digraph. There is a page in the Steps 1-5 Teacher Guide books with some adult explanations of the foundational skills concepts, but the explanations are minimal and are only in relation to how to present the skills to students. The explanations do not provide information to help teachers improve their own base of knowledge on the subject. It is not clear which definitions are foundational reading skills and which are unique to the curriculum.

Some detailed adult-level explanations are provided for each foundational skill taught at the grade level. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In “Ready, Set, Go!” Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1-5, page 25, there is a page that describes what sticky words are in comparison to what high-frequency words are. The program explains that sticky words are words that students get stuck on.
• In “Ready, Set, Go!” Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1-5, page 250-256, “Definitions by a Teacher”, there is a definition for the word “blending”
• “the process of taking two or more sounds and putting them together with fluidity to create a spoken word.”
• In “Ready, Set, Go!” Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1-5, pages 250-256, there is a definition given for “medial vowel sounds”
• “the sound of /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, or /u/ in the middle of the word; The short or long vowel sound, or even the sound of a combination of two vowels.”

Some detailed examples of the grade level foundational skill concepts are provided for the teacher. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, page 193, Days 131-135, the instructions indicated that the teacher should point to the two digraphs /ch/ and /th/ and then to /sh/ on the other side of the “Crash Letters #4-5” sheet.
• In the Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1-5, page 25, the directions state that “and” is decodable once students have learned the letters A - N, but that it is not a sight word.
• In “Ready, Set, Go!” Teacher’s Guidebook, page 251, the example of blending is, “the student needs to take the three individual sounds in ‘sun’ and slide them together to make the word. The student might say ‘/s/ -- /u/ -- /n/’ and then ‘/s/ -- /un/’ and then ‘sun.’”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that foundational skills lessons are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. Content can reasonably be completed within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.

The scope and sequence includes mini-lessons, whole-class lessons, and center activities with suggested instructional time frames. This provides for teacher choice and flexibility within a five-day instructional sequence. Daily lessons are flexible and manageable for a variety of teacher schedules. However, the program lacks effective guidance for teachers in terms of pacing and delivering explicit lessons. Although time guidelines are provided for each activity, there is no indication of how lessons should be paced in order to cover all grade-level standards over the course of the school year. While materials provide lessons in five-day increments, there is no established number of lessons that would be completed in a school year, as students work at their own pace and begin work at their current level. Many of the lessons that include grade-level standards are included in center lessons and will not necessarily be completed by all students. It is not clear if students will complete enough lessons to master standards for the grade level, especially if a student starts with materials below grade level.

The lesson design structure includes both whole group and small group instruction. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, Steps 1-5 Scope and Sequence, the centers can be turned into small group activities.
• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, page 107, Days 21-25, in the whole group lesson students are listening and blending CVC words.
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 101-105, page 39, the scope and sequence says Whole Class/Small Group Lesson, “Ducks Has a Nest.”

The pacing of each component of daily lesson plans is partially clear and appropriate. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, page 143, Days 31-35, Week Look, the mini lessons are suggested to take 5-15 minutes. The whole class lesson is slated to take 15-25 minutes, and the centers are suggested to last 30-40 minutes.
• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, page 281, Days 61-65, there is a Mini-Lesson on “Word Wiggles”, and the recommended time is 10 minutes.
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, page 165, Days 126-130, the planner recommends that the mini-lessons take 5-15 minutes, the whole class lesson 15-25 minutes, and the centers 40-60 minutes.

The suggested amount of time and expectations for maximum student understanding of all foundational skill content (i.e. phonological awareness, phonics, irregularly spelled words, word analysis, fluency) can partially be completed in one school year and should not require modifications. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, Days 51-55, page 239, students work on mini lessons for 10-15 minutes. In this lesson, students are practicing long and short vowels.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Green Planner, Step 1, Scope and Sequence, there are four weeks of beginning sound activities.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Green Planner, Step 1, Scope and Sequence, there are four weeks of medial short vowel sound practice.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Green Planner, Step 1, Scope and Sequence, there are two whole group lessons with Sticky Words, after which students practice these words in centers.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Green Planner, Step 1, Scope and Sequence, there are eight weeks of CVC word work.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Green Planner, Step 1, Scope and Sequence, there are six weeks of practice with blends.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Green Planner, Step 1, Scope and Sequence, there are eight weeks of practice with digraphs.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Green Planner, Step 1, Scope and Sequence, there are two weeks of practice with multisyllabic words and two weeks of practice with long vowels.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Green Planner, Step 1, Scope and Sequence, there are eight weeks of lessons in which students practice Sneaky E.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Green Planner, Step 1, Scope and Sequence, there are six weeks of practice with vowel teams and two weeks of practice with vowel team reviews.

For those materials on the borderline (e.g. approximately 130 days on the low end or 200 days on the high end), evidence does not clearly explain how students would be able to master ALL the grade level standards within one school year. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• The program guide says that students can be done in Steps 1, 2 and 3 for first grade.
• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, there are 55 days of lessons, mapped out over the course of 11 weeks of instruction.
• In the Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2-3, Days 96-175, there are 17 weeks of instruction planned.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that the Scope and Sequence clearly delineate an intentional sequence in which phonics skills are to be taught, with a clear explanation for the order of the sequence.

The Teacher’s Guidebook for Ready, Set, GO!” and Big Steps includes a scope and sequence for phonics skills. The materials delineate an intentional sequence of instruction for phonics skills. The program clearly delineates an intentional sequence of instruction for each step. Step 1 has the following sequence: letter name and sound of consonants are reviewed, followed by short vowels, and then CVC words. Step 2 includes instruction for blends (beginning and ending) and short vowels. Step 3 includes instruction for digraphs (ch, st, th, tch), short vowels, -nk, -ng, and two-syllable words with short vowels. Step 4 includes sneaky e, long vowels, and soft c. Step 5 includes vowel teams (ai, ee, ea, oa, ui) and long vowels. However, the materials do not provide a clear, research-based rationale for why the phonics skills were chosen in that order.

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

• In Ready, Set, GO!, Teacher’s Guidebook, there is a scope and sequence for Green Planner, Sections 1–3. In Section 1–3, this is the scope and sequence:
• Days 1–5: Consonants b, c, d, f, g, h
• Days 6–10: Consonants j, k, l, m, n, p
• Days 11–15: Consonants qu, r, s, t
• Days 16–20: Consonants v, w, x, y, z
• Days 21–25: Short a
• Days 26–30: Short i
• Days 31–35: Short o
• Days 36–40: Short u
• Days 41–45: Short e
• Days 46–60: Short vowel and consonant review
• Days 51–85: CVC words
• In Ready, Set, GO!, Teacher’s Guidebook, there is a scope and sequence for Blue Planner, Sections 1–3. In Sections 1–3, this is the scope and sequence:
• Days 86–115: Blends
• Days 116–120: Consonant digraphs (ch)
• Days 121–125: Consonant digraphs (sh)
• Days 126–130: Consonant digraphs (th)
• Days 131–135: Consonant digraphs (tch)
• Days 136–145: Consonant digraphs
• Days 146–150: -ng and -nk
• Days 151–160: two-syllable words and compound words
• Days 161–165: Review all
• In Ready, Set, GO!, Teacher’s Guidebook, there is a scope and sequence for Orange Planner, Sections 1–3. In Sections 1–3, this is the scope and sequence:
• Days 166–175: Long Vowel Sounds vs. Short Vowel Sounds Intro
• Days 176–215: Sneaky “e”
• Days 216–255: Vowel Teams
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, there is a list of the skills and centers that are taught during each five-day cycle, including the focus of each class lesson (blends, consonant digraphs, -ng/-nk, two-syllable words, and compound words).

Materials have a clear research-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence.

• No evidence found

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

• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 96-100, Whole Class Lesson, Step 2 Book - The student reads Duck and His Mom. The teacher explains that the /ck/ “is different in that it is two different letters that make ONE sound. Both letters C and K can make the same sound (/k/), and when they are together, they just make that sound one time.”
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 131-135, Whole Class Lesson, Activity Crash Letter Introduction, page 195 - The teacher explains digraphs as “a combination of consonant letters” and “that the digraph makes a brand-new sound”. The planner lists /ch/, /sh/, /th/, and /tch/ as digraphs to be introduced.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Steps 4 and 5, Days 186-190, the teacher explains, “Sneaky ‘e’ is VERY sneaky. It sneaks up on a word and whispers, ‘Say your name’ to the vowel, but you never hear its sound. It is silent!”
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Steps 4 and 5, Days 206-210, the teacher explains that c is soft and makes /s/ when followed by e, i, y.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Steps 4 and 5, Days 226-230, the teacher explains vowel teams as, “When 2 vowels go walking, the first 1 does the talking” and “When 2 vowels team up, they shout the first one’s name.”

Patterns and generalizations are carefully selected to provide a meaningful and manageable number of phonics patterns and common generalizations for students to learn deeply. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Scope and Sequence, the scope and sequence indicates that one or two blends will be introduced during a five-day instructional cycle.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Steps 4 and 5, Scope and Sequence, the scope and sequence indicates that two vowel teams are introduced in each five-day instructional cycle. The vowel teams are taught in the following order: /ee/, /ea/, /ai/, /oa/, /ui/. There is a review of vowel teams before new vowel teams are introduced.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials include decodable texts with high-frequency words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence.

Grade 1materials contain a scope and sequence for instruction using decodable readers; however, the high-frequency words are not mentioned in the scope and sequence, and some of the decodable books have different high-frequency words than the words taught that week. Instruction of "Sticky Words" builds upon previous lessons, and “Sticky Words” are practiced in multiple books over the course in Steps 2-5. Students have opportunities to reread the decodable books, but these opportunities are not guaranteed to occur, as the books are reread primarily in optional centers or at home. There is no evidence that there is explicit instruction of all high-frequency words before students encounter them in text. The Scope and Sequence does not provide a list of "Sticky Words" that will be taught. Materials do not include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings to secure knowledge of high-frequency or irregularly spelled words.

Materials include decodable texts that utilize high-frequency/irregularly spelled words. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 96-100, Whole Class Lesson, page 20, students receive the decodable book Duck and His Mom. The decodable book introduces the new “Sticky Word” “see” and contains previously introduced "Sticky Words" “the” and “go.”
• Blue Teacher Planner, Step 2, Book 1, in the decodable text Duck has a Nest, the book contains previously introduced "Sticky Words", “for”, “the”, “he”, and “too”.
• Blue Teacher Planner, Step 2, Book 1, in the decodable text, Chimp Gets a Check-up, the book contains previously introduced "Sticky Words", “the”, “go”, “does”, “he”, “sees”, “like”, “have”, “to”, and “be”. The new sticky word is “good.”
• Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 136-140, pages 222-223, students receive the decodable book Fish Had a Wish. The decodable book introduces a new “Sticky Word”, “she,” and contains previously introduced "Sticky Words" “was”, “to”, “the”, “for”, and “be.”

Decodable texts contain grade-level high-frequency/irregularly spelled words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1-5, the Express Readers’ Book Layout provides the Scope and Sequence for "Sticky Words", which are introduced throughout the program. Words introduced in Step 2 include “see”, “puts”, “does”, “have”, “come”, “like”, and “of.” Words introduced in Step 3 include “good”, “she”, “where”, “are”, and “all.” Words introduced in Step 4 include “they”, “do”, “again”, “wants”, “you”, “my”, “when”, “says”, “some”, “there”, and “her.” Words introduced in Step 5 include “why”, “now”, “what”, “we”, “our”, “could”, “no”, and “said.”
• Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, page 4, Scope and Sequence - On Days 106-110, students read the decodable book, Frog and His Sled. The “Sticky Words” included in the book are “to”, “he”, and “the”.
• Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, page 5, Scope and Sequence, Days 116-120 - Students read the book, Duck and The Mess. The new "Sticky Words" are “come” and “like”. The old words are “to”, “the”, “have”, and “he”.
• Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 96-100, Whole Class Lesson, page 20, students receive the decodable book Duck and His Mom. The decodable book introduces a new “Sticky Word” “see” and contains previously introduced "Sticky Words" “the” and “go.” The words introduced in the decodable book are aligned with the Scope and Sequence presented in the Ready, Set, Go Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1-5, page 5.

Materials include do not include lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing high-frequency words/irregularly spelled words in context. Lessons are general and do not provide detailed information for repeated readings. For example:

• Express Readers Tool Kit, Steps 2 and 3, students read the story Frog and the Sled. The story contains the "Sticky Words" “puts”, “the”, “to”, and “he”. Students read along with the teacher in the text. Students are then prompted to read the book a second time with another student.
• Express Readers Tool Kit, Steps 2 and 3, students read the story Fish Had a Wish. The "Sticky Words" in the decodable are “she”, “was”, “to”, “the”, “for”, “of”, and “be”. Students read along with the teacher in the text. Students are then prompted to read the book a second time with another student.
• Express Readers Tool Kit, Steps 2 and 3, students read the story Chimp Camps. The "Sticky Words" in the decodable are “where”, “are”, “have”, “for”, “to”, “from”, “he”, “puts”, “does”, “see”, “the”, and “go”. Students read along with the teacher in the text. Students are then prompted to read the book a second time with another student.
• Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 96-100, Whole Class Lesson, page 20, students receive the decodable book Duck and His Mom. The decodable book introduces a new “Sticky Word” “see” and contains previously introduced "Sticky Words" “the” and “go.” The specific focus of the lesson states, “Students reread sentences if they need to slow down to decode or identify words” and “Students practice with a partner” after the class has read the book as a group.
• Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 96-100, Center 6, pages 26-27, students practice rereading decodable book Duck and His Mom. Students reread with either the teacher, a stuffed animal, or a classmate.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities(Kindergarten-Grade 1) that measure student progress through mastery of print concepts (Kindergarten-Grade 1), letter recognition (Kindergarten only), and printing letters (as indicated by the program scope and sequence) (Kindergarten-Grade 1).

Express Readers provides multiple opportunities for assessing letter recognition and printing of letters, but there is no evidence of an assessment on print concepts. The materials in the Express Readers, Step 1 Program include a baseline formal assessment at the beginning of the year on letter naming and letter recognition. Depending on how students perform on the baseline, teachers can use this assessment to collect progress data as the year progresses. There is an assessment completed twice throughout the school year to evaluate printing letters. There are eight Check Ups included that evaluate student progress on letter formation of some letters. However, the assessments in Steps 2 and 3 have limited questions on letter recognition and printing letters as compared to the assessments included in Step 1. The Guidebook directions do indicate that, based on assessment results, teachers should reflect on lessons that were effective. However, the directions do not elaborate further on the steps that should be taken next. While the online website has directions for the assessment management system, lack of access to the website prevented observations of what reports or next steps might be available for teachers and students.

Materials provide some assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, Days 6 - 10, page 33, the teacher has the students complete the Level 1 Uppercase Handwriting Assessment, the Level 1 Lowercase Handwriting Assessment, and the Level 2 Uppercase and Lowercase Handwriting Assessment.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1- 5, Check-Up #2, Days 66 - 70, page 110, the student is asked to circle the letter H.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1- 5, page 50, it contains the teacher recording sheet for handwriting assessment. The recording sheet has each uppercase and lowercase letter for teachers to “circle any of the letters that students formed incorrectly” as well as a space for observational notes.
• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, Whole Class-Formal Assessment, Days 1-5, the teacher assesses students individually on letter names and letter sounds. It provides information on when to discontinue the test based on how students score in each section. This assessment round is baseline testing in order to define a beginning point for each student and to monitor progress through the year.
• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, Whole Class-Formal Assessment, Days 6-10, the teacher assesses students in small groups of 2-4 students in order to observe each student’s formation of each letter. This assessment includes both uppercase and lowercase letters. Materials include a Handwriting Assessment Notes Sheet for teachers to indicate which letters were formed incorrectly either in shape or directionality. There are three levels, and it is up to teachers to determine which level to use based on informal assessment and daily observations. This assessment is repeated once on Days 46-50.
• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, Whole Class Lesson-Check Up #1, this informal assessment includes letter formation using the student’s finger. This is repeated in Check Up #2 through Check Up #8.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1-5, page 108-109, Step 2, Check Up #3, Question #3, the teacher asks students to put their finger on the row of end marks beneath the number three. The teacher says the sentence and instructs the student that, based on how the teacher says the sentence, the student is to circle the end mark that would come at the end of that sentence.

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

• In Express Readers Online Assessment, Assessment Guide, the online assessment provides several reports including singular student assessment report, class assessment report, student error report, and singular student comparison report. The reports can be printed to share information or notes that you have taken about a student's work on an assessment, and an error report can be printed to show any of the incorrect responses that a student submitted on an assessment.
• In Express Readers Online Assessment, Home Page, in the third paragraph, it states that the online assessment assists the teacher by placing children within the Express Readers Program, giving record of the current skills of students, and organizing all data automatically
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1-5, pages 39-50, provide an assessment for the progression of handwriting skills in three levels. The first level allows a student to form each uppercase and lowercase letter by tracing inside of a bubble letter, the second level provides a blank box for the student to copy each letter, and the third level provides lined paper for the student to copy each letter.

Materials support teachers with some instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Green Teacher Planner, Step 1, Days 6 - 10, page 33, the directions state that, depending on how students do on the handwriting assessment, the teacher might put two students in a group who will need more support.
• In Ready, Set, Go, Steps 1-5 Teacher Guide, page 157, it provides a program correlation to assessments. The guide indicates what lesson a student should begin at according to their assessment results.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress of phonological awareness (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).

The Teacher’s Guidebook provides formal assessments and refers to lessons for informal assessments throughout the program. Although assessments are provided, the materials do not provide teachers with next steps for addressing the needs of students who are unable to demonstrate mastery on any given assessment. The instructions indicate that teachers should use the assessments to determine possible areas of review but there is no further explanation or guidance. For example, the Teacher’s Guidebook states, “If a modification is needed, students need to remain in Step 1 for further instruction and practice.” The program includes teacher observation and one formal auditory discirmination and rhyming assessment. The assessment lacks a corresponding explanation of next steps based on assessment results. No materials were found that support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students progress toward mastery in phonological awareness. Unlike the Check-ups throughout the program, each of the formal assessments at the end of Steps 1–5 require students to read words and circle the rhyming word and lacks the same auditory rhyming assessment of the check-ups. There are placement considerations provided in interpreting assessments; however, all placement considerations correspond to the phonics-based assessments that include identifying letter names, sounds, and decoding words.

Materials provide some assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonological awareness. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In “Ready, Set, Go!” Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, page 105–106, during the Auditory Discrimination and Rhyming Assessment, the teacher orally assesses students on rhyming, beginning sounds, ending sounds, and middle vowel sounds.
• In “Ready, Set, Go!” Teacher’s Guide, Step 1–5, pages 114–115, the materials provide a formal assessment of oral blending, during which the teacher orally segments a word and the student must blend the sounds and circle a matching picture. The instructions include, “/sh/-pause-/i/-pause-/p/. Once you know the word, circle the picture for that word.” Picture choices include a trunk, ship, a person opening a door, and an arrow pointing to a chin.

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

• In “Ready, Set, Go!” Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, page 104, teachers may access a general observation assessment checklist used to note the student’s level of proficiency. Teacher guidance points out occurrences such as, “child skips/omits letters when saying sounds or names” and “child skips/omits sounds when blending.” The proficiency levels are “always,” “often,” “sometimes,” “rarely,” or “never.” The Teacher’s Guidebook does not address how the teacher should use the information gathered from the assessments to guide future instruction.
• In “Ready to Read” Teacher’s Guidebook, “I am Ready” Program, pages 118–119, the materials provide guidance on administering an auditory discrimination and rhyming assessment of four to five questions in each of the four categories of rhyming, beginning sounds, ending sounds, and middle vowel sounds. The teacher documents the correct number in each category and the correct number out of a total of 18 questions on the record sheet provided.

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

• In “Ready, Set, Go!” Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, page 155–157, the materials provide the teacher with information on interpreting assessments for Steps 1–5. The section provides a list of assessments and reminds the teacher to “always place students in a prior Step or program if there is any question of mastery of a concept.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress of phonics (as indicated by the program Scope and Sequence).

The Grade 1 materials provide the teacher a record collection sheet to document data regarding student progress in phonics. Although Check-Ups are routinely given throughout the program, there is an absence of information to support instructional adjustments other than the number of correct items on each assessment. At this level, students are assessed on letter sounds, blending real and nonsense CVC words, and reading sentences with CVC words to be able to complete tasks, as well as finding pictures of rhyming words on the Formal Assessments. There are short Check-Ups scattered throughout the program; the teacher may administer the Check-Ups as a quick check of students’ proficiency on specific skills. There is one Check-Up in Step 2 and three in Step 3. The last four Check-Ups are in Steps 4 and 5. The teacher is advised to use the Formal Assessments to determine if students are ready to move to the next level. However, the materials do not provide guidelines that tell the teacher what scores mean to determine if the students are ready to move up. In addition, if a student is not ready, there are no guidelines on what the teacher should review to help students get to the next level.

Materials provide some resources and tools to collect ongoing data about students’ progress in phonics. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, teacher resources include recording sheets for assessing letter sounds, CVC words, words with blends, digraphs, Sneaky e, and vowel teams.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, pages 111–127, teacher resources include blackline master copies for student Check-Ups that assess letter sounds, digraphs, and decoding words. Pages 128–130 provide answer keys for the Check-Up assessments.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, pages 204-205, teacher guidance states, “Students must read four or more words correctly to pass” when assessing students’ ability to blend real words and nonsense words. The Simple Sentences section of the assessment also states that “a student must read 11 or more words correctly to move on to the next section.”
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Scope and Sequence, pages 6–8, Check-Ups #4, 5, and 6 are included in these Steps. During these Check-Ups, students point to the digraph when given the sound it makes, circle a word said by the teacher, and circle the vowel heard in a spoken word.
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 146–150, students complete the formal assessment. Students read words with digraphs, vowel teams (Step 5), blends, and short vowels.
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 151–155, the teacher completes Check-Up #4 with students. The teacher says a word, and students find and circle the word.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Steps 4 and 5, Scope and Sequence, pages 5–8, Check-Ups #7–10 are included in these two Steps. During these Check-Ups, students point to the digraph or vowel team when given the sound it makes, circle a word said by the teacher, and circle the vowel heard in a spoken word.

Materials offer limited assessment opportunities to determine students’ progress in phonics that are implemented systematically. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 111–115, students complete pages 33–42, which contain mixed blend words. Students may complete the practice pages independently as an informal assessment, after the teacher gives them instructions.
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Step 3, Scope and Sequence, pages 6–8, the Formal Assessment is used to measure progress midway through the lessons. This is a repeat of the Formal Assessment given in Kindergarten and includes letter names and sounds, reading real and nonsense CVC words and sticky words in isolation, and reading sentences with CVC and sticky words. The Formal Assessment, Step 3, Part 1 is administered the following week. The Formal Assessment, Step 3, Part 2 (exit) is given at the end of the lessons in the same week that Check-Up #6 is given. In Part 1, students read sentences to complete directions, write a missing digraph in a word, write a word from a word bank under a picture, find a rhyming word, and choose the sentence that describes a picture. These assessment pieces are repeated in Part 2.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Steps 4 and 5, Scope and Sequence, pages 5–8, the Formal Assessment for progress testing and exiting the Step are given during the last week of lessons in both Steps 4 and 5. In Part 1, students read sentences to complete directions, write a missing digraph in a word, write a word from a word bank under a picture, find a rhyming word, and choose the sentence that describes a picture. In the exit test, students read sentences to complete directions, write a missing vowel or vowel team in a word, write a word from a word bank under a picture, find a rhyming word, and choose the sentence that describes a picture.

Limited assessment opportunities are provided regularly for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence with phonics. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Guide, Steps 1–5, pages 67–68, the materials provide the assessment schedule for the program. There is one Check-Up for Step 2 on Days 116–120, three Check-Up assessments for Step 3 between Days 151–175, and two Check-Up assessments for Step 4 between Days 196–215. During the Check-Up assessments, students identify blends from a row of blends, identify digraphs from a row of digraphs, circle a decodable word read aloud by the teacher, and circle a long vowel word read aloud by the teacher.
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and Step 3, Days 131–135, Center #3, the planner indicates that the practice pages can be used as an informal assessment “to see if students could apply the phonics and skills learned.”
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Step 3, Scope and Sequence, pages 6–8, Check-Up #4 is given in Week six, followed by Check-Up #5 two weeks later. The Formal Assessment for progress testing is given in Week 5. Part 1 of the Step 3 Formal Assessment is given in Week six, and Part 2 is given in Week ten, along with Check-Up #6.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Steps 4 and 5, Days 196–200, Center #3, the practice pages can be used as an informal assessment when students are allowed to complete a page independently. When completing Practice Page #20, students write the words ride, vine, fire, smile, wire, time, slide, drive, and hike.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Step 4, Scope and Sequence, pages 5–6, the Formal Assessment for progress testing and exiting the Step is given during the last week of lesson. Check-Up #7 is given during the third week of the Step and Check-Up #8 is given during Week six.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Step 5, Scope and Sequence, pages 7–8, the Formal Assessment for progress testing and exiting the Step is given during the last week of lessons in Step 5. Check-Up #9 is given in Week five and Check-Up #10 is given in Week seven.

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

• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, page 157, if students correctly decode 75% of the words in the Step 2 online assessment on words with blends and short vowels, the guidebook suggests that students should start at Day 126, Step 3. If students correctly decode 75% of the words in the Step 3 online assessment on words with digraphs and short vowels, the planner suggests that students should start at Day 176, Step 4.
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, pages 99–103, the materials provide record pages for use when assessing letter sounds and students’ ability to decode additional phonics patterns throughout Step 1. Additional phonics patterns include CVC words, nonsense words, words with blends, digraphs, vowel teams, and "Sneaky E" words. The record sheet includes a score out of the total number of items in each category.
• In Blue Teacher Planner, Step 3, Whole Class Lesson, Formal Assessment Step 2, page 379, this Step Assessment is given at the end of the Step to create a written record of student understanding and ability with the given material. The Step Assessments should be used along with the Express Readers Assessment to decide if students need more practice before moving on to the next Step in the program. By finding errors, the teacher can assess what types of practice students need as well. The Step 3 Assessment includes Read and Draw, Add to the Picture, Missing Letter, Missing Word, Rhyming Words, and Pick the Sentence.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Step 4, Center #1, Formal Assessment Step 4, Days 221–225, this Step Assessment is given at the end of the Step to create a written record of student understanding and ability with the given material. The Step Assessments should be used along with the Express Readers Assessment to decide if students need more practice before moving on to the next Step in the program. By finding errors, the teacher can assess what types of practice students need as well. The Step 4 Assessment includes Read and Draw, Add to the Picture, Missing Vowel, Missing Word, Rhyming Words, and Pick the Sentence.
• In Orange Teacher Planner, Step 5, Center #1, Formal Assessment Step 5, Days 261–265, this Step Assessment is given at the end of the Step to create a written record of student understanding and ability with the given material. The Step Assessments should be used along with the Express Readers Assessment to decide if students need more practice before moving on to the next Step in the program. By finding errors, the teacher can assess what types of practice students need as well. The Step 5 Assessment includes Read and Draw, Add to the Picture, Missing Vowel Teams, Missing Word, Rhyming Words, and Pick the Sentence.

Materials do not measure students’ progress to support teachers with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in phonics. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, page 202, the materials provide the teacher with guidance on inputting assessment observation notes into the digital assessment platform. An example is “adds /u/ sound after each letter sound.”
• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, page 213, the materials include an example of the digital assessment error report. The report indicates the types of assessment questions the students answered incorrectly. The teacher is able to see the number of errors as well as the phonics skills the student has not yet mastered.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress of word recognition and analysis (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).

Assessments provide some opportunities throughout Steps 1–3 to assess Sticky Words and CVC words. Although assessments are provided throughout the program, explicit information regarding instructional next steps based on assessment results is absent. The materials provide information regarding a starting point for placement into the program and provide general directions that students should be “placed in a prior Step or program” if students are unable to demonstrate mastery. A formal assessment is completed at the end of Step 1 to evaluate students’ knowledge of Sticky Words. A student error report is generated after each administration of the formal assessment, but the report does not explain what is included in this report and how much information it provides concerning students’ current skills and levels of understanding of word recognition and word analysis.

Materials provide limited assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of word recognition (high-frequency words or irregularly spelled words) and analysis. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Blue Teacher Planner, Steps 2 and 3, Days 151-155, in Step 3, Part 1, the students read the decodable text and Sticky Words. Students draw a picture to represent the details in the sentence.
• In Online Assessment, the formal assessment is given once at the end of Step 2 to exit, twice in Step 3 for progress testing and at the end for exit, and once at the end of Steps 4 and 5 for progress and exit purposes. Starting with Step 1, the formal assessment includes assessing all of the Sticky Words taught in Steps 1–5, assessing reading real words and nonsense words, and reading words in sentences.

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

• No evidence found.

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

• No evidence found.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that assessment materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment and assessment materials clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.

The Grade 1 materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed in assessments. The documentation lists the standard content from CCSS and the location in Express Readers assessment in which this content can be found. There is no evidence of alignment documentation showing specific standards correlated to specific questions and tasks. Materials contain a general correlation outline that states where the standards can be found in the instructional materials by component types.

Materials include denotations of the standards being assessed in the formative assessments. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher Guidebook, Steps 1–5, pages 247–249, the Assessment Alignment: First Grade outlines the standard content from the CCSS for print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency. Next to each standard, there are notations of where these standards can be found in Express Readers assessments.

Materials include denotations of standards being assessed in the summative assessments. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher Guidebook, Steps 1–5, pages 247–249, the Assessment Alignment: First Grade outlines the standard content from the CCSS for print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency. Next to each standard, there are notations of where these standards can be found in Express Readers assessments.

Limited alignment documentation is provided for some tasks, questions, and assessment items. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher Guidebook, Steps 1–5, pages 247–249, the Assessment Alignment: First Grade outlines the standard content from the CCSS for print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency. Next to each standard, there are notations of where these standards can be found in Express Readers assessments.

Alignment documentation contains standards correlated to lessons. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Guidebook, Steps 1–5, page 215, the Alignment Documentation: Standard guide denotes which standard goes with each Express Readers activity.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen in a language other than English with extensive opportunities for reteaching meet or exceed grade-level standards.

The Grade 1 materials provide a brief discussion of the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) in the alignment section of the Teacher Guidebooks; however, materials do not provide suggestions for teaching or reteaching in order for students to work towards meeting or exceeding grade-level standards. Additionally, the information provided for teachers does not vary for each standard. There is a lack of guidance in terms of specific strategies to use with ELL students in the lessons, and there is a lack of specific scaffolding and instructions within the Teacher Guidebooks. After the Reading Standards and the Speaking and Listening Standards, there is a list of examples for “Emerging, Expanding, & Bridging of English Language Development(ELD)in Express Readers in First Grade.” However, there is no explanation of these levels to teachers, and the examples do not explain how to adapt the examples for the various levels. There is a reference to modifications for students who are English Learners(ELs)for Center 2 in some lessons, but not all five-day instructional sequences. Instructions for Center 2 include identical modification instructions from week to week and do not provide extensive opportunities for reteaching.

Materials provide limited support for ELL students. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher Guidebook, Steps 1–5, page 226, materials provide teachers with information on EL proficiency: “If the student has little or not native language literacy,” the students “will need instruction in print concepts.” Students with some proficiency “will need instruction in applying their knowledge,” and students with literacy skills in a language that uses writing other than the Latin alphabet “will need instruction in learning the Latin alphabet.”
• In Teacher Guidebook, Steps 1–5, page 233, materials include this example for ELD: “[F]acilitate simple questions about what has been read.”

General statements about ELL students or few strategies note at the beginning of a unit or at one place in the teacher edition are then implemented by the materials throughout the curriculum. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher Guidebook, Steps 1–5, Language Standards, pages 215–244, at the beginning of each set of standards (language-conventions of standard English, reading-print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency), a brief description of what ELL students will need is provided for three separate groups of students: no or little native language proficiency, some foundational literacy in a language not using the Latin alphabet, and some foundational literacy proficiency in a language using the Latin alphabet. In addition, after the Reading Standards, and the Speaking and Listening Standards, there is a section with “examples for use of Emerging, Expanding, & Bridging of ELD in Express Readers in First Grade.”
• In Teacher Guidebook, Step 1–5, page 228, CCSS: Print Concepts, 1. PIII.1-1, materials include the following guidance regarding a student who has little or no native language literacy: “Students will need instruction in Print Concepts.”
• In Teacher Guidebook, Step 1–5, page 231, teacher guidance regarding students who have some foundational literacy proficiency in a language not using the Latin alphabet (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Russian) is as follows: “Students will be familiar with print concepts, and will need instruction in learning the Latin alphabet for English, as compared or contrasted with their native language writing system.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level with extensive opportunities for reteaching to meet or exceed grade-level standards.

The Grade 1 materials provide some modifications and accommodations for mini-lessons, whole-class lessons, centers, and extra activities for students who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level. No evidence of opportunities for small group reteaching was found. Materials include modifications for students not performing at the level of the lesson; however, the modifications use the same materials with teacher modeling. Materials lack evidence of reteaching or scaffolded instruction other than teacher modeling. Center activities indicate that they can be overlapped between Guidebooks, with the Step 1 Guidebook containing centers at the Kindergarten level. There is a lack of direct alignment or scope and sequence for the centers in order to ensure students would be practicing the same skill.

Materials provide some opportunities for small group reteaching. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 96–100, teacher guidance explains that mini-lessons can be repeated to review a skill, that whole-class lessons “can also be done in smaller groups to accommodate behaviors and capabilities,” and that centers “can be done in small groups.”
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 101–105, modifications include “teachers work with a small group of students” to practice decoding “with help from teachers.”
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 106-110, Center #7, materials include the following note: “Teachers decide on the version used by each student based on ability and need” while determining which “Wonder Word” strip to use at the teacher-led center.
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 136–140, Whole-Group Lesson, students read Fish Had a Wish and the teacher prompts students to identify the “Sticky Words.” Then in Center #2, students go on a “Sticky Word” hunt. The guidebook states that all centers can be done in small groups or independently.
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 146–150, in the whole class lesson, “Wonder Word,” students practice creating words with digraphs /ch/, /th/, and /sh/. Then in Center #7, “Silly Sentences,” students create silly sentences using these digraphs.
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 156–160, students complete practice pages 99–102 in the Steps 2 and 3 book in centers. Then in Center #5, students create sound collages with /ch/, /sh/, and /th/ using pages 318–319.

Materials provide some guidance to teachers for scaffolding and adapting lessons and activities to support students who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level in extensive opportunities to learn foundational skills at the grade-level standards. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, page 3, the center overlapping explanation indicates “center overlapping is where the Green, Blue, and Orange Guidebook can be overlapped during center time,” allowing teachers to use centers from different Steps of the program to “individualize content for different homogeneous groups.”
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 96–100, in the accommodations section, the guidebook states, “Teachers say and elongate five to ten words while doing the motion. Students copy/mimic in order to practice the directions.”
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 111–115, in the modifications section, the materials include a small group accommodation to provide students with more individualized support and immediate help in self-correcting. Students track at the same time the teacher or another student reads. The accommodation is as follows: “Students color the first letter green to signify ‘Go,’ or the start of a sentence. Color the end mark read to signify ‘Stop,’ or the end of the sentence.” Teachers use a sample book in a visible place to model how to track when reading.
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 126–130, in the accommodation section, teacher guidance recommends that students use the Wonder Word letter cards and mat to build each word one time as the teacher facilitates and checks. Students read their built words to the teacher once the words are on their mat.
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 131–135, Whole Class Lesson, materials include modifications such as teachers showing pictures and helping “students sort cards into ‘yes’ or ‘no’ piles to determine if they begin with the /ch/ sound.”
• In Blue Teacher Guidebook, Steps 2 and 3, Days 141–145, materials include this modification, “[C]omplete the independent practice as a group, modeling reading with expression.”