4th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics (or, for grades 6–8, topics and/or themes) to build students’ ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.

Each module has a topic which is stated by the name of the module and clearly outlined in the section titled “Building Knowledge Networks.” Within each module, students interact with anchor texts, supporting texts, daily tasks, and writing tasks designed to grow the students’ understanding of the unit’s topic. 

Examples include:

• In Module 1, students read texts about identity. Examples of these texts include: Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, Yes! We are Latinos by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, and The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin. 
• In Module 2, students read texts on the topic of the five senses. Examples of these texts include: The Science Behind Sight by Louise Spilsbury, Animal Senses from Animal Atlas, and Blind Ambition by Matthew Cooper as told to Rachel Buchholtz. 
• In Module 4, students read about heroism. Texts in this module include: Prince Charming Misplaces His Bride by Christopher Healy, Smokejumpers to the Rescue by Laurie Toupin, and The Battle of the Alamo by Amie Jane Leavitt. 
• In Module 6, students read about Earth's natural wonders and what makes them exciting and unique. Examples of texts in this module include: Mariana Trench by Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods, Weird and Wondrous Rocks by April Pulley Sayre, and Coral Reefs by Jason Chin. 
• In Module 8, students read about the topic of healthy food. Students learn about nutrition and the benefits of healthy and sustainable foods. Examples of texts in this module include: Eco Friendly Food by Cath Senker and Now You’re Cooking! by René Saldaña, Jr. 
• In Module 9, students read about the topic of protecting the planet. Students learn about conservation and ways they can help save our planet. Examples of texts in this module include: Luz Sees the Light by Claudia Dávila, Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson, and On Sea Turtle Patrol by Nancy Dawson. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts. 

Throughout Modules 1–10, students interact with the text to answer questions during Targeted Close Reads, Read for Understanding, Collaborative Discussion, and independent work using graphic organizers, and while responding to questions in writing that include finding evidence in the text. In Modules 11–12, students complete Genre Studies, where they are asked to further analyze previously read texts. 

Specific examples of coherently sequenced questions and tasks about language include:

• In Module 3, Lesson 10, after reading the play Catch Me if You Can by Carol Schaffner, students are asked with what adage they can identify and what it means. They are then asked what the saying means in relation to the text and how the meaning of each expression is from the meaning of each individual word within it. 
• In Module 7, Lesson 3, while reading Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen, students are asked the meaning of the phrase “rattling the rafters” and the type of figurative language it represents. Students are also asked to locate the simile the author uses in paragraph 9 and if that is a good way to describe Rose. 
• In Module 12, Lesson 9, in the Genre Study Teacher's Guide, after rereading paragraph 30 in In the Days of King Adobe as told by Joe Hayes, students are asked to identify figurative language in the paragraph and how the figurative language helps the author achieve his purpose. 

An example of coherently sequenced questions and tasks about key ideas is:

• In Module 7, Lesson 1, after reading A Tale of Traditional Tales (unknown author), students are asked to identify the topic of the  selection, the central idea, and the evidence about fables that supports the central idea. Students are then asked how the organization of the text supports the central idea. 

Specific examples of coherently sequenced questions and tasks about details include:

• In Module 4, Lesson 2, after reading Prince Charming Misplaces His Bride by Christopher Healy, students are asked the identity of the mysterious woman and the reason the prince was intrigued by her. Students are also asked what causes Frederic to finally stand up to his father. 
• In Module 9, Lesson 1, after reading letters between Eco Guardians and Emilia Garcia, students are asked about the author of the letters, the purpose of the first letter, and the opinion the Eco Guardians have about the use of the vacant land. 

Specific examples of coherently sequenced questions and tasks about craft include:

• In Module 1, Lesson 3, after reading Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, students are asked why the author uses a graphic novel format to begin the story. Students are also asked what the author’s purpose for writing the story is and what part of the text supports their answer. 
• In Module 12, Lesson 3, after rereading paragraphs 33–36 in The Year of the Rat by Grace Lin, students are asked about the difference(s) of the story if written in third-person point of view. They are also asked about how Pacy being the narrator helps the author achieve her purpose. 

Specific examples of coherently sequenced questions and tasks about structure include:

• In Module 5, Lesson 9, after reading Let’s Dance Around the World by Leticia Ann Kimura and Annabel Wildrick, students are asked what text structure the author uses in paragraph 6 and why. 
• In Module 10, Lesson 3, after rereading paragraphs 22–25 in The History Of Communication (author not cited), students are asked about the structure of that part of the text. Then they are asked how knowing the structure of the text helps them understand the central ideas on the page.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 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.

In the modules, students are given a  Knowledge Map, where they work with the teacher to create a concept map about the topic of study. After each text, students return to the Knowledge Map and complete additional information to help them build knowledge and answer the essential question. 

Examples of text-dependent questions that help students analyze knowledge and ideas include:

• In Module 2, Lessons 2-5, students read The Science Behind Sight by Louise Spilsbury and are asked questions such as, “If you close one eye,  would it be easier to put the pieces of the puzzle together? Why or why not?", "How would your eyes react if you walked outside on a sunny day?”; and “Why would there be a lot of shadows in a thick forest?” 
• In Module 3, Lesson 2, students listen to the teacher read the biography “Ellen Ochoa” (author not cited), and while the teacher reads, students are asked questions such as “Why didn’t Ellen dream of becoming an astronaut as a young girl?"; "How did Ellen train to become an astronaut?”; and “What qualities helped Ellen to be selected as a research engineer at NASA?”
• In Module 4, Lessons 6 and 7, students read the narrative nonfiction Smokejumpers to the Rescue! by Laurie Toupin and answer questions to build knowledge including “What kinds of feelings do smokejumpers experience when they jump into a wildfire?"; "What do  the smokejumpers’ supplies tell you about what they do to fight a fire?”; and “What kinds of people make good smokejumpers?” 
• In Module 6, students learn about Earth’s natural wonders. In Lesson 7, while reading Weird and Wondrous Rocks by April Pulley Sayre, students are asked, "What are the two causes for the ringing of the rocks?” and “What mystery do scientists want to solve in Death Valley National Park?”.
• In Module 8, Lesson 5, after reading Eco-Friendly Food by Cath Senker, students are asked questions such as “Which of the ideas that the author lists are wasteful? Which are waste-aware?” and “What are some ways that growing food at a school garden can be useful?” 
• In Module 9, Lessons 8–10, students read How we Reduce Household Waste by Mary K. Pratt and are asked questions such as “What are four categories of household waste?"; "What are some examples of plastic waste that people throw away?";  "How is plastic waste harmful to the environment?”; and “What are three things you can do to reduce trash?” 
• In Module 10, after reading The History of Communication (author not cited) in Lessons 1–5, students are asked, “How did the Gutenberg press change people’s lives?” and “How has the way people communicate changed from before the Renaissance to present day?” 

Students are also asked to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across multiple texts. Some examples include:

• In Module 3, Lesson 2, students compare the video “Rise Up”, the text, “Never Give Up!,” and the biography “Ellen Ochoa.” They are asked questions such as “What do you know now about rising to meet a challenge that you did not know before?” and “How is the information in the video ‘Rise Up,’ the text ‘Never Give Up!,’ and the selection ‘Ellen Ochoa’ the same and different?” 
• In Module 4, Lesson 2, students listen to the text “Mack and the Hidden Tree House” (author not cited). They are then asked to compare that to the module video and text “Who‘s a Hero?” Questions include “What do you know now about heroes in everyday life that you didn't know before?” and “How is the information in the video ‘Everyday Heroes,’ the text ‘Who’s a Hero?,’ and the selection ‘Mack and the Hidden Tree House the same and different?” 
• In Module 6, students learn about natural wonders. In Lesson 5, they fill out the Knowledge Map after reading the text Mariana Trench by Michael Woods and Mary B. Woods. Students complete the area about water. Then students add information from the text “Seven Natural Wonders” (author not cited). Then in Lesson 10, students add more to the Knowledge Map after reading Weird and Wondrous Rocks by April Pulley Sayre and Nature’s Wonders (by various poets). 
• In Module 9, Lesson 5, students use the text from Luz Sees the Light by Claudia Dávila to complete the Knowledge Map and offer some solutions. Then in Lesson 10, students reflect on the essential question, and what they read in How Can We Reduce Household Waste? by Mary K. Pratt to add more solutions in their Knowledge Maps.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria that the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic (or, for grades 6–8, a theme) through integrated skills (e.g., combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

Throughout the Grade 4 materials, students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of a topic by completing a culminating task through integrated skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. At the end of each module, students are tasked with completing a performance task that utilizes the texts, skills, and strategies from the module and requires students to apply their learning to a writing prompt. These tasks require students to reflect on what they learned in the module, including what knowledge they gained, and they require them to use the module texts and vocabulary as well. Students are also given the opportunity to share their culminating task, requiring additional speaking and listening skills. 

Some specific examples of culminating tasks that require students to demonstrate their knowledge through integrated skills include:

• In Module 2, students learn about the importance of senses to people and animals in navigating the world. Students use the texts that they have read and discussed throughout the module to write an article that explains how one sense helps people and animals survive and navigate the world. In Weeks 1 and 3, students draw directly from writing experience gained in an earlier module when writing a descriptive paragraph after reading The Science Behind Sight by Louise Spilsbury and later, in Week 3, an informative paragraph after reading The Game of Silence by Louise Erdich. Students integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening to complete the tasks. 
• In Module 6, students learn about Earth’s natural wonders and the qualities that make them exciting and unique. At the end of the module, students write an article about one of Earth's natural wonders, using evidence from texts and the Big Idea Words, that captures words about natural wonders. Students demonstrate their knowledge of natural wonders that they learned throughout the module by using texts and discussions and writing about one natural wonder. 
• In Module 8, students learn about how to make more healthful food choices. After reading and discussing multiple texts, students are tasked with writing an editorial for a local newspaper to explain whether they think school lunch should include more healthy foods and be served in ways that do the least harm to the environment. Students must include evidence from the module texts and videos and include what they have learned about persuasive writing. Students share their editorial by either creating a digital copy, presenting a speech, or participating in a panel discussion. The end-of-module task requires students to use reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to demonstrate their knowledge of healthy food choices. 
• In Module 9, students learn ways to care for the planet. Students write a speech at the end of the module about a change the school could make to help the environment. Students must use evidence from the text to support their ideas.  Students share their speech by either posting it on a website, reading it aloud to a small group, or delivering the speech to a pretend school council. Students use the information they learned throughout the module to complete this task. 
• In Module 10, students learn about communication. Their task is to think about the information they learned from reading the text A New Language—Invented by Kids! by Chasman Harris and watching the video Dolphin Dinner and then write an article about an unusual or unexpected form of communication, using facts and examples from the text and video. This requires both reading and listening skills. In Lesson 3 of the module, students read The History of Communication (author not cited) and write an advertisement for an invention that helps people communicate.  This activity helps them complete the culminating task. Students integrate their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills to complete the task. They listen to shared readings of informational stories and a video throughout the module. Then they write an informational article, and they have the option of sharing their article by reading it aloud.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 materials 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. 

Throughout the Grade 4 materials, students learn vocabulary that is found within the module texts, as well as strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words not explicitly taught. Direct word instruction includes students learning both general academic and domain-specific words using consistent routines and Vocabulary Cards. Instruction focuses on word pronunciation, word meaning, and context. Students also learn word-learning strategies that include Vocabulary Strategy and Generative Vocabulary Lessons. These lessons are designed to help students see the connections between words, deepen their understanding, and provide students with tools that will help them unlock the meaning of unknown words. In the Genre Study Modules (11 & 12), there is no direct vocabulary instruction; however, a list of instructional vocabulary words and definitions is included at the beginning of the week in the Teacher's Guide. The guide states to encourage students to use these words in their speaking and writing during the week. 

Students engage with a vocabulary routine to learn academic vocabulary words prior to reading a module text. Teachers read aloud each word, and the students repeat it. Then students read and discuss each word’s student-friendly definition. The teacher points out an example of the word, and students suggest other examples. In Step 2 of this routine, students discuss questions and prompts using the vocabulary words. In Step 3, students work independently to complete activities and prompts on Vocabulary Cards. Students Turn and Talk with a partner to discuss the words. Some specific examples include:

• In Module 1, Lesson 2, students learn the words cynic, defiance, profound, inadvertently, consumed, descended, obliged, mundane, considered, and disdain from the text Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo. In Step 2, students are asked questions such as “How might a cynic react to hearing good news?” and “Would you expect a mundane person to take huge risks?” 
• In Module 5, Lesson 2, students learn the words dignified, stunned, and regretted from the text, The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer. Students discuss the words by answering “What makes a person looked dignified?” 
• In Module 7, Lesson 2, students learn the words recall, vividly, accentuated, partial, and splendor from the text Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen. In Step 3, students work in partners to discuss various prompts about the words. 

In addition to learning specific words that are found in the texts, students learn vocabulary strategies and generative vocabulary to apply to unknown words. The routine for these lessons is a three-step process. In Step 1, there is a discussion of the meaning of the strategy or affix and how to apply the strategy or affix. In Step 2, students engage in guided practice by determining the meaning of other words using the taught strategy or affix. In Step 3, students apply the strategy by completing an independent practice. For example, students write sentences using the words and share sentences with their partners. At times, students also review previous affixes. Specific examples include:

• In Module 2, Lesson 10, students participate in a Generative Vocabulary lesson about the suffixes -ness and -ment. In Step 2, students look at words with the suffixes, discuss the parts of the words they recognize, and predict definitions of the words. 
• In Module 3, Lesson 12, students participate in a Vocabulary Strategy lesson for multiple-meaning words. Students review the strategy and then discuss the multiple meanings of the word pound. Students then apply this strategy for multiple meaning words, such as play, right, and rock, in the text My Diary from Here to There by Amada Irma Perez.  
• In Module 4, Lesson 4, students participate in a Generative Vocabulary lesson for the prefixes sub- and fore-. Students learn the meanings and examine examples, including subdued and foreboding, from the text Prince Charming Misplaces His Bride by Christopher Healthy. 
• In Module 8, Lesson 10, students engage in a Generative Vocabulary lesson with the prefixes sub- and fore-. The teacher models how to use the prefixes sub- and fore- to determine the meaning of words and together students and the teacher define the words substitute, subway, forefather, foremost, and foreshadowing. 
• In Module 9, Lesson 12, students engage in a Vocabulary Strategy lesson about context clues. Students learn that some words have multiple meanings, and they need to use the context of the sentence to know which meaning of the word is intended. Students practice the strategy with a partner with words from the text Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson. In Module 10, Lesson 10, students participate in a Generative Vocabulary lesson about prefixes il- and ir-. Students are taught the prefixes and then are shown the words illimitable, irrecoverable, and irremovable. Students define the words based on their understanding of the prefixes. 

Students also review vocabulary from previous modules throughout the year. An example is in Module 6, Lesson 5. Students review vocabulary words from Module 5, including dignified, stunned, polished, and regretted. Students review the meaning and use words in sentences.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria that materials support students’ increasing writing skills over the course of the school year, building students’ writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the school year.

Students have many opportunities to write during literacy instruction. Following each main text in their myBook, students respond to their reading through a writing about the reading task. For each of these tasks, students are provided with planning space, a graphic organizer, and reminders to use text evidence. These writing tasks include a variety of text types. In addition, at the end of each module, students complete a performance-based writing task based on the module’s essential question. Many of these prompts ask students to synthesize at least two texts in the module. Students use graphic organizers to plan, draft their writing, edit, and revise before finishing the assignment. Finally, in Writing Workshop, students are explicitly taught the writing process for narrative, informational, and opinion writing. Each of these modules includes explicit modeling and instruction for each stage of the writing process. Each module is tied to a focal text and students write daily and receive regular conferencing with teachers and peers to improve their writing. For most modules, the students focus on a particular writing mode and explore it through all aspects of writing instruction, which further help students achieve grade-level proficiency in writing. 

Specific examples of writing instruction prompts in myBook include:

• In Module 2, Lesson 3, after reading The Science Behind Sight by Louise Spilsbury, students write a summary about the importance of light to the sense of sight. 
• In Module 3, Lesson 9, after reading the play Catch Me if You Can by Carol Schaffner, students write a new scene that builds on the events of the play. Students must use elements of a drama, such as character tags, setting, and stage directions. 
• In Module 7, Lesson 3, students write a blog post after reading Thunder Rose where they explain characteristics of a tall tale using the story as an example. 
• In Module 8, Lesson 3, students write a how-to instruction manual for the school about growing and preparing food, after reading Eco-Friendly Food by Cath Senker. 
• In Module 10, Lesson 3, after watching the screencast, “The History of Communication,” students create an advertisement for one of the inventions from the screencast. In the advertisement, students must explain how the invention helps people communicate. 

Performance tasks require students to apply what they have learned about the writing process in order to demonstrate their understanding of the essential question and key knowledge and skills in each module. Some examples of performance tasks that provide instruction in writing include:

• In Module 1, students write a story that tells how the characters Ulysses and Kitoto work together to solve a problem from the module texts. Students integrate skills such as writing a story with a beginning/middle/end, using text evidence, and demonstrating the steps of the writing process. 
• In Module 4, students write a play about a hero. They must present a problem that their hero has to solve, offer a resolution that tells how the problem was solved, use stage directions and dialogue to tell the story, and have a theme or lesson that the character learns. 
• In Module 6, students write an article for a science magazine about Earth’s natural wonders. Students must include an introduction, details from the module texts, and multiple paragraphs. 
• In Module 7, students write a trickster tale including a lesson they want to share with their audience. Students use a graphic organizer to map out the characters, the trick, the events, and the lesson or moral. 

In Writing Workshop, students engage in lessons that focus on process-based writing to generate ideas, organize drafts, revise, edit, publish, and share. Students learn about the characteristics of narrative, informational, and opinion writing and work on one piece of writing throughout all three weeks of a module. Specific examples of writing instruction and prompts in Writing Workshop include:

• In Module 1, students write a personal narrative about a time that they learned a lesson from an event that took place in their lives. Students learn story elements and vocabulary to complete this task. 
• In Module 3, students write an opinion essay about the importance of relying on friends when faced with a challenge. Students are taught the elements of an opinion essay and learn how to combine and rearrange ideas to make them clearer. 
• In Module 6, students write a correspondence letter to an expert in a specific field of study, asking for more information about a natural wonder. 
• In Module 8, students write an opinion essay about the reasons people should try different types of food, using the text It’s Disgusting and We Ate It! by James Solhei as a mentor text. 
• In Module 10, students write an expository essay about a discovery that someone has made. Students begin their writing by conducting research at the library or on the internet about their topic. 

During the Genre Study Modules (Modules 11 and 12 in the Genre Study Teacher's Guide), students work on a week-long writing assignment in the genre they are reading about. Examples include:

• In Module 11, Lessons 6–10, students learn about biographies and write a biographical magazine article about their favorite music group or create a poster about a person they admire. 
• In Module 12, Lessons 11–15, students study the characteristics of historical fiction and write and present a historical fiction journal entry or a historical fiction story based on an image.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria that materials include a progression of focused research projects to encourage students to develop knowledge in a given area by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials.

Each module in Grade 4 contains an Inquiry and Research Project. These projects require students to work for an extended period of time to solve a problem, answer a question, or share information. Inquiry and Research Projects align to the big idea in the module, and students are encouraged to draw from the texts read during the module. Each Inquiry and Research Project follows three steps, with each step taking place during a different week of the module. During Week 1, the project is launched. Students collaborate to generate research questions and develop a research plan. Students also research source materials available, including books, magazines, videos, and online sources. During Week 2, students write and create their project. Students draft and revise their work and a variety of materials are provided to complete the project, including art supplies and digital materials. During Week 3, students present and reflect. Students practice their presentations, share their final products with an audience, assess their work, and celebrate. In the Guiding Principles and Strategies resource book, teachers are provided with guidance for best practices to facilitate Inquiry and Research Projects. Some of these best practices include selecting an outside audience for Week 3, allowing time for revision, and modeling how to find and record information.

Specific examples of research projects found throughout the year include, but are not limited to:

• In Module 1, students collect stories from classmates or neighbors for an oral history project. Students learn about oral histories. In Week 1, students select a person to interview and generate questions to ask. In Week 2, students write out the interview they recorded and organize the order of the stories for an oral history book with a group. In Week 3, students practice and present their oral histories to an audience.
• In Module 2, students work in groups to create an advertisement for a sensory invention. In Week 1, students brainstorm an invention that will help someone who has a common sensory disability and then research existing sensory disability inventions. In Week 2, students choose an invention idea and draft a copy of their advertisement. Students also write a statement about how their invention might improve the lives of its users. In Week 3, students present. 
• In Module 3, students write a biography about a person who has overcome obstacles. In Week 2, through research, students identify information that they find interesting about the person that should be included in the biography and then write the biography with photographs and a timeline. In Week 3, students present their biography and dress as that person.  
• In Module 4, students collaborate to generate ideas, research, complete, and present an inquiry-based project based on acting out a fairy tale and drafting a skit from another culture. Before beginning, students work in groups to discuss fairy tales they are familiar with, discuss commonalities, select a skit they will perform, and create visuals that show the setting. In Week 2, students draft the skit and practice before presenting in front of the whole class. 
• In Module 5, students research about art so they can create an art project for the school; students must defend and provide justification for the reason it should be implemented. Students brainstorm ways to make the school more attractive and decide on an art project for their group. In Week 2, students draft an art project and an argument for the school to adopt this idea. Students outline materials needed for the project and write an essay about the benefits of the project. Students present with their group in week 3 and reflect on what they learned. 
• In Module 6, students research marvels in nature in order to create a museum exhibit on an extreme environment before sharing with the class. 
• In Module 7, students read a variety of texts to publish their own literary magazine of fables. In Week 1, they analyze and discuss a variety of fables in groups. In Week 2, students continue to analyze the structure of fables so that they can duplicate it, discuss the fables they have read, and draft a short fable. They also revise their drafts with their group and create illustrations. In Week 3, students present what they have learned through their literary magazine. 
• In Module 8, students plan a restaurant with a healthy menu and create an ad campaign for the restaurant. In Week 1, students research information from the USDA that offers suggestions for making healthier choices. In Week 2, students choose menu items, organize them, price them, and name their restaurant. Then they draft their menu and develop an ad campaign with visuals before presenting in Week 3.
• In Module 9, students research and participate in a local environmental initiative by creating a public awareness campaign. In Week 1, students research and discuss ways to create a positive effect on the environment. In Week 2, students draft campaign materials, create visuals, revise, and edit, before presenting in Week 3. 
• In Module 10, students research an aspect of communication such as an invention or mode of communication such as sign language and present their research in a blog and an oral presentation to the class.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 4 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.

In the Guiding Principles and Strategies resource book, there is an area called Supporting Reading Independence. In this section, teachers are provided with resources and strategies to help students become independent and enthusiastic readers both in the classroom and at home. There is also information regarding organization of a classroom reading center, including procedures for students to self-select books, set individual reading goals, and construct responses to reading.  In addition, the Family and Community section provides information on independent reading. Students complete independent reading during literacy centers while the teacher is meeting with small groups of students. Students self-select books and record progress on a reading log. There is information on how to promote independent reading at home and ways to keep track of texts students read. In Modules 11 and 12, students read independently in the genre focus for the book. 

Some of the specific suggestions that the program provides for independent reading in the classroom include:

• Organizing the classroom reading center, introducing new books in the library throughout the year, and creating a diverse library that reflects the diversity of the classroom. The reading center should be designed in a way that students read independently and also discuss books with peers. Reading logs, reading nonfiction printables, pencils, and markers should also be found in the reading center.
• Teaching students to self-select books by modeling choosing books and having students conduct short book talks to recommend books to their classmates.
• Teaching students to set goals and respond to reading by gradually increasing the amount of time that students read throughout the year, encouraging students to set a goal for how much reading they will do, and having students create a response journal to document their independent reading books. 
• During literacy centers, students can self-select or continue reading an independent reading book, keep track of progress by using a reading log, and utilize the independent reading printables (one each for fiction and nonfiction) to keep track of key ideas. The reading log includes title, genre, date, time spent, pages read, as well as, a summary or answer to a discussion question. 

Some of the specific suggestions that the program provides for independent reading at home include:

• Demonstrating to families how to be a fluent reader and how to interact with children while reading aloud to them. It is encouraged that this happens once a week, and that parents also hear children read to them. The teacher should also provide book ideas and coach parents on how to consider children’s interests when selecting a text.
• Encouraging families to dedicate time at least once per week to read with their children, sending home a reading log so students can record time spent reading outside of the classroom, and providing strategies for text selection, such as reading a page and seeing if they read five or more words incorrectly and choosing a different book.
• Sharing a summer reading list with suggestions of titles across a variety of genres for students to read independently and with their families. The teacher should also send home a list of questions families should ask students before, during, and after reading. 
• Suggesting that families participate in a book club or other book events that will spark students’ interest in topics.