1st Grade - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1aiv.

The materials provide clear directions for the teacher related to providing explicit instruction and modeling how to correctly form all 26 of the uppercase and lowercase letters. The materials do not provide opportunities for students to practice forming all of the letters using a variety of multimodal and multisensory methods. 

Materials include clear directions for the teacher concerning how to explain and model how to correctly form each of the 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase). For example:

• Print all upper- and lowercase letters.

  • In Unit 1, Week 2, Session 2, the teacher models how to form uppercase and lowercase a and i. The teacher thinks aloud while forming the uppercase I by stating, “Start at the top line, Lift to the top line and slide right across the top line. Lift to the bottom line. Then slide across the bottom line,” and  lowercase i by stating, “Start at the middle. Draw straight down to make a line. Lift and add a dot above the line.” The teacher is directed to use the Teacher Guide Instructional Resource Letter Formation on A68-A71 for specific directions

  • In Unit 2, Week 9, Session 2, the teacher models how to form uppercase and lowercase Bb. The teacher thinks aloud while modeling letter formation for uppercase B by stating, “Start at the top line. Draw straight down to make a line. Lift to the top line. Make a curve to the right and meet your line in the middle. Then make another curve to the right and meet your line at the bottom” and lower case b by stating, “Start at the top line. Draw down to make a line. Lift to the middle of your line. Curve to the right and meet your line at the bottom.” The teacher is directed to use the Teacher Guide Instructional Resource Letter Formation on A68-A71 for specific directions.

Materials include frequent opportunities for students to practice forming all of the 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase). For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 5, Session 2, students practice Letter Formation of uppercase and  lowercase Uu. 

• In Unit 4, Week 20, Session 2, students practice letter formation as they write words that the teacher dictates: we, seem, green, brain, He sees three trees. 

Materials include frequent opportunities for students to practice forming letters using multimodal and/or multisensory methods. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 2, students with data variance in letter formation receive small group prerequisite instruction. In the Reteach lesson students review and reinforce Letter Formation: Mm. Students practice writing with their finger on their palm the letters M and m before they practice in their workbooks. Students say the letter name and letter sound each time they write a letter. Then students practice their phonics skills in their Student Workbooks.

• In Unit 1, Week 5, Session 2, students with data variance in letter formation receive small group prerequisite instruction. In the Reteach lesson students review Letter Formation: Aa and practice skywriting each letter A and a before they practice in their workbooks. Students say the letter name and letter sound each time they write a letter. Then students practice their phonics skills in their Student Workbooks.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1b. (K-early Grade 1).

The materials provide explicit instruction related to the organization of print concepts in the area of capitalization, spacing between words, and ending punctuation. Concepts of print instruction is found in Unit 1 through Unit 4. Materials include a variety of books suitable for teaching print concepts, and there are 15 texts for teaching concepts of print embedded in Unit 1. The materials provide opportunities for students to participate in authentic practice, letter identification, and letter formation using print concepts through student workbooks and library books found in the classroom. The materials include students’ practice of previously learned print concepts, letter identification, and letter formation.

Materials include explicit instruction for all students about the organization of print concepts (e.g. recognize features of a sentence). For example:

• Recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence (e.g., first word, capitalization, ending punctuation).

  • In Unit 1, Week 3,  Session 4, the teacher explains, “Words are made up of letters, and sentences are made up of words. The first word of a sentence always begins with a capital letter. Sentences always end with a punctuation mark.” The teacher reads the first sentence in Let’s Read! on page 56 and calls attention to the capital letter at the beginning of the sentence and the period at the end. 

  • In Unit 1, Week 5, Session 3, the teacher reminds students that a sentence begins with a capital letter and ends with an end mark. The teacher explains that the punctuation mark at the end of the sentence might be a period, question mark, or exclamation point. 

  • In Unit 3, Week 15, Session 3, the teacher reminds students about concepts of print in the text Jen’s Music! The teacher reviews the differences between letters, words, and sentences.

Materials include frequent, adequate lessons, tasks, and questions for all students about the organization of print concepts (e.g. recognize features of a sentence). For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 4, the teacher says, “When we read, where do we start? We start at the top and read across. When we go to the end of a line, we return to the left to start the next line.”

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Session 2, the teacher asks students to point to letters and words. Then the teacher asks students to identify the first letter in the word, but.

Materials include a variety of physical books (teacher-guided, such as big books) that are suitable for the teaching of print concepts. For example: 

• In Unit 2, Week 9, Sessions 1–4, the teacher uses the Alphabet Tales Big Book, Student Alphabet Book: R, student Alphabet Book: D, and two Duet Passages. 

• In Unit 7, Week 26, Sessions 1–4, the teacher uses the Duet Decodable in June and the Magnetic Reader It Is Hot.

Materials include sufficient and explicit instruction about the organization of print concepts (e.g., recognize features of a sentence) in the context of a book. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 8, Session 4, the teacher uses the Magnetic Reader to review concepts of print. The teacher reminds students that a sentence always ends with a punctuation mark. The teacher points to the first sentence on page 2 of the Magnetic Reader, “Jen’s Music” and explains that an exclamation mark reminds students to read with excitement. The students discuss the different kinds of end punctuation and review what each mark means. 

• In Unit 2, Week 9, Session 2, the teacher tells students that it is a good idea to point to each word as they read because it helps them read every word. Then the teacher models it.  

Materials consistently include opportunities for students to engage in authentic practice using print concepts in the context of student books. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 4, Session 2, students find information, including the title, author’s name, and the name of the illustrator on the cover of a book. The students then use Hop on a Log, and additional classroom books, to point to the title, author, and illustrator’s name.

• In Unit 1, Week 5, Session 2, the students look at the student text, Meg Can Help, and locate periods and exclalmation points. Students point to the different ending punctuation in the student text.

Materials contain periodic cumulative review opportunities during which the teacher reminds students about previously learned grade-level print concepts, letter identification, and letter formation.  For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Session 4, the teacher models skills previously presented in Kindergarten related to the identification of Short i: j, qu, z, w, v, y, the concept of a word in a sentence, and points out the narrow space between the letters and larger space on either side the word. The teacher then asks the students words in the next sentence and points to the spaces between words. 

• In Unit 3, Week 14, Session 2, the teacher reinforces Letter Formation: The teacher models and explicitly reviews the formation of X,x.

Materials include students’ practice of previously learned print concepts, letter identification, and letter formation.  For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 1, students use their workbooks to demonstrate how to hold a book correctly and turn one page at a time. The teacher checks that students are able to recognize that print carries over from one page to the next. Students model reading page by page using a previously read book from the classroom library.

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 4, students review letter identification and formation and practice with letters they have difficulty forming. As students practice in their workbooks, they say the letter name each time they write the letter. The teacher calls on students to orally spell their first name before they write it in their workbooks. The teacher asks, “Which letters in your name are easy to write?” 

• In Unit 2, Week 7, Session 2, the teacher reviews letter identification and formation for Y, y. As students practice in their workbooks, they identify and say the letter name each time they write the letter.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1c.

The materials provide daily opportunities for students to practice phonological awareness skills. All skills are introduced with explicit teacher modeling, and students engage in oral practice activities that are reinforced through a variety of multimodal activities. Using the Teacher Toolbox Articulation Videos, students practice articulating sounds with visual and auditory modeling of phonological awareness activities.

Materials include a variety of activities for phonological awareness. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 8, Session 3, students use picture cards of objects with one syllable that begins with a single consonant sound and identity the onset and rime. The materials suggest that students say the onset as they touch a counter with their left pointer finger. Repeat with the rime and right pointer finger. Students use the Blend Sounds routine and  move the counters together as they blend the word. 

• In Unit 4, Week 20, Session 1, students use the Blend Sounds Routine using a visual, such as Elkonin boxes and place a counter in a box for each phoneme in the words feet, creek, cheek, peel. Students point to the counter and say each phoneme. Then, students slide a finger under the counters and say the word.

• In Unit 6, Week 30, Session 2, students tap a finger on the desk for each sound and the teacher incrementally adds words with more phonemes for students to segment. Students use the Segment Sounds Routine to segment the words drawn, /d/ /r/ /ô/ /n/ crawls, /k/ /r/ /ô/ /l/ /z/ crook, /k/ /r/ /oo˘/ /k/ haul, /h/ /ô/ /l/ thaw, /th/ /ô/.

There are frequent opportunities for students to practice phonological awareness. Over the course of the year, students participate in daily phonological awareness activities. For example: 

• In Unit 2, Week 11, Session 1, students practice adding phonemes to make new words. Students listen to the sounds in the word right and add /f/ to make fringe. Students use the Add Sounds Routine to add phonemes to change words from rust to crust, rack to crack, rain to crane, and row to crow.

• In Unit 3, Week 13, Session 3, students blend phonemes in the word steak. Students listen to the sounds in the word sprout and blend the sounds. Students use the Blend Sounds Routine to practice with the words spruce and strange.

• In Unit 6, Week 30, Session 1, students practice blending phonemes with variant vowels, au, aw, al, all. Students use the Blend Sounds Routine to practice with the words haul, lawn, fault, thaw, auto, launch, and faucet. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1d.

The materials provide teachers with systematic, explicit instruction in phonological awareness in all six units through modeling of teaching syllables, phonemes, and spoken words. Each lesson is designed to follow a routine where the teacher models a specific skill. The materials provide the teacher with six examples or six words for each activity for teacher modeling.

Materials provide the teacher with systematic, explicit modeling for instruction in syllables, sounds (phonemes), and spoken words.  For example:

• Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.

  • In Unit 3, Week 15, Sessions 3, the teacher uses systematic and explicit instruction to guide students through the Identity Sounds Routine with five sets of three words. The teacher models identifying if the word is short or long a in the words bake, gate, pace, bat, can, sad, take, late.

  • In Unit 4, Week 17, Session 3, the teacher uses systematic and explicit instruction to guide student through the Idenritfy Sounds routine. The teacher models identifying whether the sound is short or long with the words, let, bed, men, mean, feet, heal, cube, fume, use, mug, tub, fun, pen, deck, get, seen, feel and meet. 

• Orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.

  • In Unit 3, Week 13, Session 1, the teacher uses the Blends Sounds Routine to model blending sounds together in the word scratch /s//k//r//ă//ch/. 

  • In Unit 4, Week 19, Session 1, the teacher uses the Blend Sounds Routine to model  blending sounds together to say the word /d/ /r/ /ā/ /n/ to make the word drain. 

• Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.

  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 2, the teacher uses the Isolate Sounds Routine and models listening for the first or beginning sound in act. The teacher says the first or beginning sound in act and uses the routine to have students students isolate the first sound in each word big, /b/ coat, /k/ add, /ă/ match, /m/ not, /n/ ten, /t/.

  • In Unit 2, Week 7, Session 1, the teacher uses the Isolate Sounds Routine and models listening for the last, or ending sound in the word tooth. The teacher models the sound, and students isolate the last sound in the word. mouth, /th/ crash, /sh/ wash, /sh/ trash, /sh/ both, /th/ cloth, /th/

  • In Unit 4, Week 16, Session 1, the teacher uses the Isolate Sounds Routine and says, “I am going to listen to the middle sound in the word rode. Now I will say the middle sound I hear in road /o/, The middle sound in rode is /o/.”  The teacher uses the routine and has students isolate the medial sound in each word, hope, /ō/ those, /ō/ tight, /ī/ bike, /ī/ ride, /ī/ hose, /ō/.

• Segment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes).

  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 4, the teacher uses the Segment Sounds Routine and demonstrates breaking the word side into the complete sequence of phonemes. “What sounds do I hear in side? /s//ī//d/.” The teacher uses the routine and has students segment single-syllable words into individual sounds.

  • In Unit 4, Week 16, Session 2, the teacher uses the Segment Sounds Routine and demonstrates breaking the word hive into the complete sequence of sounds. The teacher uses the routine and has students segment single-syllable words into individual sounds.

Materials provide the teacher with examples for instruction in syllables, sounds (phonemes), and spoken words called for in grade-level standards. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 4, Session 2, the teacher directs the students to listen to the sounds /r/ /ĕ/ /k/.  The teacher tells the students the word is wreck.  

• In Unit 2, Week 2, Session 2, the teacher tells students that they are going to blend sounds together to make a word. Students listen as the teacher says the sounds /f/ /ĭ/ /l/. The teacher says, “Now I will blend those sounds together: /fffiiilll/. The word is fill.”

• In Unit 2, Week 6, Session 3, the teacher tells students they are going to blend syllables together to say a word. The teacher models blending the syllables /whim/ /per/ into the word whimper.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1e. 

The materials provide practice opportunities for students throughout the lessons for each newly taught sound and sound pattern. Lessons include multimodal/multisensory activities for student practice of phonological awareness skills.

Materials provide ample opportunities for students to practice each new sound and sound pattern. For example: 

• Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.

  • In Unit 3, Week 15, Session 4, students distinguish vowel sounds heard in the long /ā/ in paste to /ă/ in past. The students distinguish the difference between the short and long vowel sounds in the following five words: /ā/ in base to form bass; /ă/ in rack to form rake; /ă/ in band to form bend.

  • In Unit 4, Week 17, Session 4, students distinguish between the short and long vowel sounds in the following words: /ē/ in seal to form sell; /ĕ/ in led to form lead; /ĭ/ in lick to form like, /ŭ/ in tub to form tube; /ē/ in meet to form met.

• Orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.

  • In Unit 1, Week 3, Session 2, the students blend sounds together to say a word. Students blend the sounds using the Blend Sounds Routine for the words /b/ /ŏ/ /b/, bob; /p/ /ŏ/ /t/, pot; /h/ /ĭ/ /s/, hiss; /s/ /ŏ/ /k/, sock.

  • In Unit 3, week 11, Session 1, students blend sounds together including consonant blends cr-, fr-. Students practice orally blending the words, freeze, crisp, frost, cream, and friend.

• Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.

  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 1, students use the Isolate Sounds Routine to isolate the first sound in the words act. map, big, coat, add, match.

  • In Unit 1, Week 5, Session 1, students practice isolating and pronouncing the medial sound in the following six words: mutt, bed, rub, met, fuss, and sun.

  • In Unit 2, Week 8, Session 1, students practice isolating the final sound in dash. Then they practice isolating the final sound with six other words, reach, mush, itch, couch, wash, and latch. 

• Segment spoken single-syllable words into their complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes).

  • In Unit 3, Week 15, Session 2, students segment the sounds in shade /sh/ /ā/ /d/. Students segment the sounds in shake /sh/ /ā/ /k/ and use the Segement Sounds Routine  for the words base, /b/ /ā/ /s/; chase, /ch/ /ā/ /s/; just, /j/ /ŭ/ /s/ /t/; cape, /c/ /ā/ /p/.

  • In Unit 4, Week 16, Session 2, students practice breaking the words pride, pile, mole, and drove into a sequence of individual sounds.

Materials include a variety of multimodal/multisensory activities for student practice of phonological awareness. For example: 

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Session 2, students place a counter to mark each sound and then sweep their hand below the counters as they blend the sounds together.

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Session 1, students stand as the teacher says a set of words such as ox, box; lash, dash; or rip, rock. If the teacher says words that do not rhyme, the students hop up and down.

• In Unit 4, Week 17, Session 2, students tap their desks as they segment each phoneme. Then students repeat the same process as they segment the sounds.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1f.

The materials provide teachers with explicit instructional routines, systematic and repeated modeling, and instruction for students to hear, say, encode, and read the newly taught grade-level phonics pattern.

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

• Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs.

  • In Unit 2, Week 6, Session 4, the teacher reminds children that sometimes two consonants together will stand for one new sound. The teacher displays the Sound-Spelling and Articulation Cards for ch and explains that sometimes two consonants together can represent one sound. The teacher says the image name, says the sound, and writes the word chin. The teacher breaks the word chase into sounds and then asks, “What sounds do you hear in chase?” 

  • In Unit 2, Week 7, Session 3, the teacher displays the Sound-Spelling and Articulation Cards for -ck. The teacher begins the lesson on ending digraph -ck by explaining that the letters c and k together stand for /k/. The teacher explains that sometimes two consonants together can represent one sound.

• Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.

  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 1, the teacher displays the Sound Spelling and Articulation cards for /n/. The teacher models blending the sounds back together and says the word is man. The teacher uses the Blend Sounds Routine models blending sounds to read the words: cab, bam, mat, tab, can, tan.

  • In Unit 5, Week 22, Session 1, the teacher displays the Sound Spelling and Articulation Cards for /ī/. The teacher explains that the vowel sound can have different spellings and writes the word sight on the board and reads it aloud while underlying the igh and saying the vowel sound. The teacher then models blending the sounds in the word is sight. The teacher uses the Blend Words Routine to model blending sounds to read the words: fight, bright, thigh, sight, right, flight.

• Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.

  • In Unit 3, Week 15, Session 2, the teacher introduces the lesson on Long a: a_e and explains that sometimes long a is spelled with the letter a followed by a consonant and a silent e. The teacher models with words where the e at the end of the word makes the letter a say its name. 

  • In Unit 4, Week 16, Session 1, the teacher explains that sometimes the /o/ is spelled with the letter o followed by a consonant e: o_e. The teacher models with words where the final e is silent, and the o says its name.  

  • In Unit 5, Week 21, Session 1, the teacher introduces the lesson on Long o: oa and explains that the long o sound can have different spellings. The teacher writes road on the board, underlines the oa, and reads the word aloud. The teacher explains that oa is a vowel team that can stand for the long o sound.  

• Use knowledge that every syllable must have a vowel sound to determine the number of syllables in a printed word.

  • In Unit 3, Week 11, Session 2, the teacher models breaking words into syllables to read longer words. The teacher reminds students that each syllable in a word has one vowel. The teacher writes the word napkin and reads it aloud, holding up a finger for each syllable. The teacher explains there are two vowels in different parts of the word, so it is two syllables. The teacher writes the word sunset on the board and models dividing the word between the two consonants to determine the number of syllables in the word.

  • In Unit 6, Week 28, Session 2,  the teacher reminds students that every syllable has one vowel sound and introduces the lesson on Vowel Team Syllable Patterns. The teacher explains that many vowel sounds are spelled with vowel teams, such as ai, ee, ea, and oa, and explains that vowel teams always stay together in the same syllable. The teacher writes the word floating and draws a slash to separate the syllables, float/ ing to determine how many syllables are in the word.

• Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns by breaking the words into syllables.

  • In Unit 2, Week 10, Session 2, the teacher writes the words back and pack on the board. The teacher reads the words out loud to students and tells them that when they put back and pack together, the word is backpack. 

  • In Unit 6, Week 26, Session 2, the teacher reminds the students that every syllable has one vowel sound and they can read longer words by breaking words into syllables. The teacher explains the consonant+le pattern and uses the word purple to break the word into syllables: pur/ple. 

• Read words with inflectional endings.

  • In Unit 2, Week 9, Session 4, the teacher reminds students that adding -ed to an action word shows that the action happened in the past, and adding -ing to shows that the action is happening right now. The teacher builds the word hug and ends by having students read the word hugging. 

  • In Unit 5, Week 25, Session 4, the teacher reminds students that when -er is added to a word, two things are compared. When -est is added to a word, two or more things are being compared. The teacher writes the word easy on the board and models how to add the suffix -er. The teacher writes the sentence with the word easier in it and has students read 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. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 7, Session 1, the teacher uses the Encode Words Routine which includes Word Building Cards, Connect Sounds to Spellings Routine, and Dictation to build and read words with digraphs sh and th. The teacher writes and displays the word rush and models saying each sound, then blending the sounds to read the word. The teacher guides students through building and reading the words wish, math, and hush. The teacher models saying a word slowly and recording a letter for each sound then dictates each word. 

• In Unit 3, Week 13, Session 2, the teacher uses the Encode Words Routine which includes Word Building Cards, Connect Sounds to Spellings Routine, and Dictation to build and read words with the three letter blend spl-. The teacher guides students through building and reading the words split, splint, and splash. The teacher models saying a word slowly and recording a letter for each sound then dictates each word.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1g.

The materials provide students with opportunities to decode phonetically spelled words. Phonics lessons are designed to provide students with frequent opportunities to read words of newly taught grade-level phonics skills and to review previously learned grade-level phonics skills through word lists and student workbook pages. Materials contain a variety of methods such as word cards, student workbook pages, and connected text, to promote students’ practice of previously taught grade-level phonics skills.     

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to decode (phonemes, onset and rime, and/or syllables) phonetically spelled words. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Session 1, students decode the phonetically spelled words for six words with short o sounds, including ox, cot, not, box, mom, and tot. 

• In Unit 3, Week 11, Session 3, students use the Blend Sounds routine to  blend sounds to say the words drag, truck, drip, trim, drum, and trash.

• In Unit 6, Week 28, Session 2, students blend and decode two-syllable words like season, repeat, daisy. Students practice matching syllables to make and read the words tower, oyster, joyful, raisin in the Student Workbook. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read complete words by saying the entire word as a unit using newly taught phonics skills. For example:

• In Unit 3, Week 12, Session 3, students learn beginning Blends sn-, sw- and use the Blend Sounds routine to practice reading the whole words snack, swim, snug, swing, sniff, and switch. Students read the Connected Text A Big Trip and practice reading words with sn- and sw- to reinforce the newly taught phonics skill.

• In Unit 4, Week 19, Session 1, students learn long a: ai and use the Blend Sounds routine to practice reading the whole words bait, pain, stain, wait, faint, and braids. Students practice word-level reading fluency by reading words with long a: ai for automaticity. 

Materials contain opportunities for students to review previously learned grade-level phonics. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Session 1, students review previously learned short a and consonants m, t, s, b, n, p, r, h, c/k, d using the Blend Sounds Together Routine. Students practice decoding the words cab, mat, can, bam, tab, and tan. In Session 2, students practice reading the words in the Connected Text titled “At Bat.”

• In Unit 4, Week 20, Session 4, students use the previously learned Sound Spelling and Articulation Cards displayed in the room as tools to help them spell words. Students use the letters in the pictures to make words with both newly-taught long e patterns ee and eal and previously-taught long a pattern, ain. 

Materials contain a variety of methods to promote students’ practice of previously taught grade-level phonics. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 4, Session 3, students use a variety of activities to practice previously learned short e sounds. For example, students practice using the Blend Words Routine. Students blend onset and rime for the word  bench, /b/ /ench/ by adding movement. Students step to the left for onset and to the right to say the rime, and hop to say the whole word. Students then read the Connected Text “A Big Hot Pot” and the Magnetic Reader “The Big Picture,” which includes words with short e.

• In Unit 3, Week 13, Session 4, the students use a variety of activities to review three letter Consonant Blends: str-, spr-. Students use counters to mark each sound and sweep their hands below the counters to blend the sounds together. Students echo read to blend the sounds and then read the Magnetic Reader, “Stop, Spot, Snap,” that includes words with str and spr.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1h.

The materials provide explicit, systematic instruction to support students with decoding phonetically regular words in a sentence. Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to decode words in a sentence, including Connected Text passages, Student Workbook passages, and Word Level Reading Fluency activities.

Materials provide explicit, systematic practice for decoding phonetically regular words in a sentence. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 9, Session 2, students read the Connected Text passage “Big Red Blobs,” which contains eight sentences. The teacher calls attention to words with the target sound spellings bl- and cl- and the week’s Super Words. The teacher models decoding the first sentence, pointing to each word as students point along. Students read the text in unison as the teacher circulates and provides feedback as needed. 

• In Unit 4, Week 17, Session 4, students read the Connected Text passage “Fun and Games,” which contains twelve sentences. The teacher calls attention to words with the target sound-spellings and the week’s Super Words. The teacher models decoding the first sentence, pointing to each word as students point along. Students read the text in unison as the teacher circulates and provides feedback as needed.  

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to decode words in a sentence. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 4, Session 1, students practice decoding words in sentences in the Magnetic Reader, “The Big Picture,” which has 33 sentences.

• In Unit 4, Week 19, Session 1, students practice decoding words in sentences in the Magnetic Reader, “Going Places,” which contains 41 sentences that include long a words.

• In Unit 6, Week 25, Session 2, students practice decoding words in sentences in the Connected Text passage, “The Turnip Mystery.” The passage contains 68 sentences.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1i.

The materials contain teacher-level instruction and modeling for building, manipulating, spelling, and encoding words using common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns of phonics utilizing Word Build Cards. In addition, the materials provide students with frequent opportunities to build, manipulate, spell, and encode words using common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns phonics through the use of Word Building Cards and Student Workbook practice pages. 

The materials contain teacher-level instruction/modeling for building/manipulating/spelling and encoding words using common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns of phonics. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Session 1, the teacher uses Word Building Cards to build the word jog. The teacher points to each card, says the sounds, and then blends the word. The teacher uses the Connect Sounds to Spellings Routine and says, “Think about the first sound. Which letter stands for that sound? Write the letter. Keep going for each sound in the word.” Students read the word, then the teacher changes one card at a time to build the words log and hog. Students read the new word after each change. The teacher dictates the words dog, hop, lot, for students to spell. 

• In Unit 3, Week 15, Session 4, the teacher uses the Word Building Cards and models saying the word take, and then tells students they are going to think about the sounds they hear in take. Then the teacher says, “I say the word slowly, take.” The teacher says the sounds, and writes the word for the students. The teacher dictate the words name, rake, rack for students to spell.  

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to build/manipulate/spell and encode words using common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns phonics. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 5, Session 2, students use Word Building Cards to build words, say the sounds, and blend the word. Students point to each card, say the sound, and then blend the word. Students change one letter to spell sum and hum. Students use the Connect Sounds and the Spell It Routine to sound and write the dictation words bun, fun, cut, wet on page 81 of their Student Workbook.

• In Unit 4, Week 17, Session 2, students use Word Building Cards to build words, say the sounds, and blend the word. Students change one letter at a time to make the words cube and cute. Students use the Connect Sounds and the Spell It Routine to sound and write the dictation words to write the dictation words eve, tube, rude and the sentence These cute pups like to play.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1j. (mid K-Grade 2)

The materials include explicit, systematic teacher modeling that demonstrates the use of phonics to encode sounds to letters and words in writing tasks through the use of Word Building Cards, Spell It Routine, and Connect Sounds to Spelling Routine. Lessons provide students with frequent activities and tasks to promote the application of phonics as they encode words in sentences or in phrases based on common and newly taught phonics patterns through the use of dictated sentences and activities in the Student Workbook.

Materials include explicit, systematic teacher-level instruction of teacher modeling that demonstrates the use of phonics to encode sounds to letters and words in writing tasks. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Session 2, the teacher uses the Word Building Cards to model building the word jog. The teacher points to each card, says the sound, and then blends the word. Students change one letter to spell log. Students repeat to spell hog. Students write dictation words on page 45 of their Student Workbook.

• In Unit 4, Week 16, Session 4, the teacher uses the Spell It Routine to model encoding the word wide. The teacher dictates words and sentences, and students connect sounds to spelling and write the words hide, chose, ripe, state, and the sentence The kind sits on a throne.

Lessons provide students with frequent activities and tasks to promote application of phonics as they encode words in sentences or in phrases based on common and newly taught phonics patterns. For example:

• In Unit 5, Week 21, Session 2, students use the Connect Sounds to Spelling and the Spell it Routine to build and read long o words. Students encode the words cold, soak, float and the sentence, Can you find the boat in the stream?

• In Unit 6, Week 27, students use the Connect Sounds to Spelling and the Spell it Routine to build and read ow words. Students encode the missing ow words in the phrases the silly clown, the king’s crown, the wise owl, and the big cow. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1k.

The materials include systematic and explicit lessons. Materials include frequent opportunities for the teacher to model the spelling and reading of high-frequency words in isolation in Sessions 1 and 2, with a review in Sessions 3 and 4. Materials include a sufficient quantity of grade-appropriate high-frequency words for students to make reading progress, with students learning sixty high-frequency words in the year. Materials include a sufficient quantity of grade-appropriate high-frequency words for students to make reading progress, with students learning 120 high-frequency words in the year. Students practice identifying and reading high-frequency words in isolation and in context each week, reviewing words from the previous week as well.

Materials include systematic and explicit instruction of high-frequency words. For example:

• Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

  • The Grade 1 Instructional Routines outline the process for introducing high-frequency words, which includes seeing and saying the word, spelling the word, and writing the word. The materials indicate that the routine focuses on helping students identify known sound-spellings in the words before learning unknown spellings. 

  • In Unit 2, Week 9, Session 1, the teacher displays the Super Word Cards about, out, play, and were. The teacher uses the Super Words Routine. Students see and say the word, repeat the word, listen to the word in context, spell the word, write the word, and apply learning on the Super Words practice page.

  • In Unit 4, Week 20, Session 1, the teacher displays the Super Word Cards around, found, good, and now. The teacher uses the Super Words Routine. Students see and say the word, repeat the word, listen to the word in context, spell the word, write the word, and apply learning on the Super Words practice page.

Materials include frequent opportunities for the teacher to model the spelling and reading of high-frequency words in isolation. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 10, Session 1, the teacher displays the Super Word Card for come and some. The teacher uses the Super Word Routine to model seeing and saying the word, spelling the word, and writing the word. The teacher reads the context sentence on the back of the card and spells each word aloud before asking  students to spell each word chorally.

Students spell and read the irregularly spelled words: come and some.

• In Unit 3, Week 13, Session 1, the teacher displays the Super Word Cards for the high-frequency words all, small, their, and through. The teacher uses the Super Word Routine to model seeing and saying the word, spelling the word, and writing the word. The teacher reads the word, reads the context sentence on the back of the card, then reviews any applicable known sound-spellings. 

Students practice identifying and reading high-frequency words in isolation.

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Session 3, students identify and read the current week and previous week’s Super Word Cards: do, that, they, was, but, her, not, and of. Students engage in a speed drill, flashing each card while they read the word, gradually increasing speed. 

• In Unit 4, Week 19, Session 2, students identify and read the Super Words away, because, each, and where. Students spell each word and tap the corresponding word. Students take turns reading and spelling a Super Word and have another student identify the correct word by tapping it. 

Materials include a sufficient quantity of grade-appropriate high-frequency words for students to make reading progress. For example:

• The Grade 1 Scope and Sequence indicates that high-frequency word instruction begins in Unit 1, Week 1. The teacher introduces four new high-frequency words per week.  

• The First Grade Teacher Guide, Scope and Sequence, high-frequency words are taught each week. Students learn a total of 120 words.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1l.

The materials provide frequent opportunities through the use of connected text and the student workbook for students to read grade-level high-frequency words in a sentence and write them in tasks designed to promote automaticity. Materials also use Super Word Cards to provide repeated, explicit instruction on how to use student-friendly reference materials and resources and read high-frequency words.

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read grade-level high-frequency words in a sentence. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 8, Session 2, students read the irregularly spelled words or, look, have, and from in sentences in the decodable text, “Such Fun Music.”

• In Unit 3, Week 12, Session 2, students read the connected text, “A Brill Skill,” which contains sentences that include the week’s high-frequency words could, great, said, and would. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to write grade-level high-frequency words in tasks (such as sentences) in order to promote automaticity in writing grade appropriate high-frequency words. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 5, Session 1, as part of the Super Words Routine, students see and say the word, connect sounds to spellings, and write the Super Words  be, he, she, and we on a practice page and in their student workbooks. 

• In Unit 5, Week 21, Session 2, as part of the Super Words routine, students see and say the word, and connect sounds to spellings. Students use a word bank with the Super Words, find, light, little, and right, and choose the correct word to complete the two sentences. Students write the correct word in the blanks. 

Materials provide repeated, explicit instruction on how to use student-friendly reference materials and resources and reading high-frequency words (e.g., word cards, word lists, word ladders, and student dictionaries).  For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 7, Session 1, the High-Frequency Word Tip directs teachers to display the Super Word Card for students to use as a reference tool for self-checking. 

• Every Session throughout each unit  includes high-frequency word instruction through the Super Words Routine. The routine includes See and Say, Spell and Write, isolated practice, Student Workbook practice, and connected texts with the Super Words bolded. Students use the connected texts as a resource for the review of high-frequency words.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1m.

The materials provide frequent, explicit instruction of word analysis and decoding strategies, through the use of teacher scripts, teacher modeling, and student practice. Materials include frequent opportunities for explicit instruction of word solving strategies to decode unfamiliar words. Materials contain varied and frequent opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis strategies in decodable text and in student workbook pages through words in isolation and sentences.

Materials contain frequent explicit instruction of word analysis strategies (e.g. phoneme/grapheme recognition, syllabication, morpheme analysis). For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 5, Session 4, the teacher reminds students that the -ed word ending indicates that an action happened in the past. The teacher writes the sentence, Tom filled the bins, and underlines the -ed ending in filled. The teacher explains that this happened in the past.

• In Unit 6, Week 26, Session 2, the teacher reminds students that they can decode unfamiliar words by breaking a word into syllables. The teacher provides an explicit lesson designed to teach students to use the consonant+le syllable pattern.

Materials contain frequent explicit instruction of word solving strategies to decode unfamiliar words. For example:

• In Unit 5, Week 24, Session 1, the teacher provides examples of r-controlled vowel ar words and then uses the Isolate Phonemes lesson activity to decode unfamiliar words.

• In Unit 6, Week 26, Session 4, students prepare to read the connected text, “Up in the Sky.” The teacher calls attention to words that contain oar and ore and writes and displays the words roar and before from the text so that students can practice reading the words with automaticity. The teacher models decoding the first sentence of the text. Students then read the text in unison. 

Multiple and varied opportunities are provided over the course of the year for students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis strategies. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 8, Session 4, students identify which words end in -s and which end in -es, and rewrite the words in groups according to their ending. Students read the words in unison.

• In Unit 5, Week 21, Session 2, students read and clap the words robot, hotel, boat, goat, road, and remix. Then students record the number of syllables in each word. Students rewrite each word with two syllables and draw a line to divide the syllables. 

• In Unit 6, Week 27, Session 2, students identify and practice ou words and decode ou words as they read them in the decodable text, “Up in a Cloud.” 

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1n. (K-1)

The materials include frequent opportunities for both teacher explicit instruction and student practice in decoding text with accuracy and automaticity. The materials include teacher scripts for four Fix-Up Strategies: Confirm and Correct Word Recognition, Read Out Loud, Read More Slowly, and Reread. These scripts focus on accuracy and cue the teacher on modeling and guiding students to apply these strategies along with automaticity within daily lesson plans in the Teacher’s Guide. Instruction and guided student practice occur in Units 1–6 with the Read Connected Text and Magnetic Readers. Grade 1 materials also include optional fluency practice materials that the teacher may use for additional practice opportunities. 

Materials provide systematic and explicit instruction and practice in fluency by focusing on accuracy and automaticity in decoding. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 4, Session 2, students read the Magnetic Reader, “Hop on a Log.” The teacher reviews the high-frequency words and the short e phonics pattern. The teacher reviews the Fix-Up Strategy, Confirm and Correct Word Recognition, and models reading out loud and correcting errors. The teacher reads with the students in unison, modeling fluent reading. 

• In Unit 2, Week 8, Session 2, the teacher reads aloud a portion of the Magnetic Reader, “Jen’s Music.” The teacher models misreading the word like as lick. The teacher asks students if lick makes sense in the sentence, then explains they will use the Fix-Up Strategy Confirm and Correct Word Recognition to correct the error. The teacher models reading the word out loud and correcting the error. Students read pages 1–5, and the teacher reminds them to self-correct if they misread.

Materials provide opportunities for students in Kindergarten and Grade 1 to engage in decoding practice focused on accuracy and automaticity. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 10, Session 3, students use the high frequency words that have the sm- and sp- word patterns on page 180 in their Student Workbooks to participate in speed drills for accuracy and automaticity when reading words. 

• In Unit 3, Week 14, Session 3, students read pages 4–8 in the Magnetic Reader, “Is It a Plant?” The teacher checks that students can decode with automaticity and read with accuracy. The teacher reminds students to use what they know about letters and sounds and what is happening in the text to self-correct.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1o. (Grades 1-2)

The materials include frequent, systematic opportunities for explicit instruction in fluency along with opportunities for students to hear fluent reading of grade-level text. Materials include a variety of resources for explicit instruction in fluency, such as decodable Connected Text and Magnetic Readers. Each session includes an opportunity to read connected text, and the lesson plans for Sessions 2 and 4 of each week include targeted fluency instruction for the second read of the text. Additionally, each week of instruction includes Magnetic Reader lessons, which also include instruction in fluency Fix-Up Strategies and routine modeling of fluent reading. Units 1–3 focus on accuracy, and Units 4–6 include instruction in accuracy, prosody, and rate. 

Materials include frequent opportunities for explicit, systematic instruction in fluency elements using grade-level text. For example:

• Read grade-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

  • In Unit 5, Week 22, Session 2, the teacher guides students during a second read of the Connected Text, “Ty’s Mitt.” The teacher tells students that good readers use their voices to help show the meaning of a text. The teacher models reading the first page of the text with expression and points out specific places where reading with accuracy and expression shows the meaning of the text. The teacher explains the Fix-Up Strategy Intonation and guides children to apply the strategy to orally read the second page of the text with accuracy and expression. 

  • In Unit 6, Week 27, Session 2, the teacher guides students during a second read of the Connected Text, “Up in a Cloud.” The teacher tells students that reading with accuracy and at a natural pace will help readers understand a text. The teacher models reading the first paragraph of the text very slowly, then rereads the text at a natural pace and discusses the difference with students. The teacher explains the Fix-Up Strategy Pacing and guides children to apply the strategy to echo read the second paragraph of the text with natural pacing. 

Materials provide opportunities for students to hear fluent reading of grade-level. For example:

• In Unit 3, Week 13, Session 1, the teacher reads aloud the first page of the Magnetic Reader “At Hot Springs” as students follow along. 

• In Unit 5, Week 25, Session 2, the teacher reminds students to read at an appropriate pace, and then reads the passage again modeling an appropriate pace that sounds like natural speaking for students. 

Materials include a variety of resources for explicit instruction in fluency. For example:

• In Program Implementation, Instructional Resources, Fluency Fix-Up Strategies, the materials include a Fix-Up Strategies guide that outlines eight instructional routines to use as needed. Four of these strategies focus on accuracy, including Confirm and Correct Word Recognition, Read Out Loud, Read More Slowly, and Reread. Three strategies focus on prosody, including Expression, Phrasing, and Intonation, and one strategy focuses on Rate/Pacing. The guide includes teacher scripts, a visual cue card for students, and instructions for more practice. Fluency strategies are included in every week of instruction. Units 1–3 focus on accuracy, and Units 4–6 focus on accuracy, prosody, and rate. Explicit instruction in fluency strategies is embedded in Connected Text exercises and Magnetic Reader lessons.  

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1p.

The materials offer daily opportunities for instruction and supported practice to gain oral reading fluency over the course of the year. The Connected Text passages and the Magnetic Reader for each week include student practice of fluency skills through repeated readings. The materials include opportunities for echo reading, unison reading, partner reading, and independent reading. In these practice opportunities, the materials instruct teachers to monitor for fluent reading and offer feedback and support strategies for students to gain oral reading fluency.

Varied, frequent opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to gain oral reading fluency. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Session 2, during Word Level Reading Fluency, students turn to page 52 in their workbooks and practice reading words with the sound spelling of short o and high-frequency words fluently and accurately.

• In Unit 4, Week 20, Session 3, in the Build Independence section of the lesson for the Magnetic Reader, “East Park Beat,” students read the text aloud on their own or with a partner. The teacher checks to make sure that students are reading with automaticity and accuracy. 

• In Unit 6, Week 29, Sessions 1–4, within the Magnetic Reader, “Looking at Stars,” students read the text, “Shining Bright,” over four sessions. Over the course of the four sessions, students read the text twice, and the teacher provides instruction, modeling, and corrective guidance in reading with accuracy and appropriate phrasing. 

Materials contain opportunities for students to participate in repeated readings of a grade-level text to practice oral reading fluency. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 7, Session 4, the teacher models fluent reading on page 130 of the Connected Text, “Quack Shack.” Students follow along, then read each sentence chorally after the teacher. Then students reread page 130 in partner groups, focusing on fluent reading. 

• In Unit 6, Week 29, Session 2, students reread passages in the Connected Text, “Make a Moon Book” and focus on using punctuation to read fluently with appropriate phrasing.

Materials include guidance and feedback suggestions to the teacher for supporting students’ gains in oral reading fluency. For example:

• In Unit 4, Week 17, Session 2, students read the Connected Text, “Fun in the Sun,” in unison while the teacher listens for appropriate phrasing. The Check asks teachers whether students are able to read the text with appropriate phrasing. If not, the materials indicate that the teacher should have students use gestures, such as a stop motion, to help them remember to stop at the ends of sentences. 

• In Unit 5, Week 23, Session 4, students read the Connected Text, “A New Pet.” The Check includes suggested feedback designed to encourage students to use punctuation marks to read with appropriate phrasing.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 1q.

The materials provide frequent teacher guidance in confirming or self-correcting errors. Lesson plans for Connected Text passages and Magnetic Readers include explicit instruction and modeling as well as guided practice with confirmation and self-correcting errors, using both letter sounds and context to confirm and/or self-correct. Materials also include frequent opportunities for students to read text with purpose and understanding. Each unit features a unit theme to which the unit texts connect. The teacher opens and closes each unit with a discussion of the theme that includes explicit sentence frames for supporting discussion. Lesson plans for the weekly Magnetic Readers instruct the teacher to guide students to set a purpose for reading and include comprehension questions. 

Materials provide explicit lessons for the teacher in confirming and self-correcting errors in fluency. For example:

• Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

  • In Unit 2, Week 6, Session 2, the teacher models the Fix-Up Strategy Confirm and Correct Word Recognition. The teacher tells students that when they get stuck on a word, they should stop, sound out each part of the word and blend the sounds together, then ask themselves if it sounds like a real word. The teacher tells students to read the sentence next again and make sure the word makes sense in the sentence. The teacher rereads page 104 of the Connected Text, “A Ship for Jess,” misreading big as dig, then models the FIx-Up Strategy. 

  • In Unit 5, Week 21, Session 2, the teacher explains the Fix-Up Strategy Read More Slowly. The teacher tells students that if what they read does not make sense, they should stop and ask themselves if they read too quickly or if they skipped any words or punctuation marks. The teacher tells the students to reread the text slowly and carefully, ensuring they read the words correctly and that what they read makes sense. 

Materials provide opportunities for students to practice using confirmation or self-correction of errors. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 7, Session 4, as part of the Accuracy Fix-Up Strategy practice, students read with a partner to practice using the strategy to self-correct errors.

• In Unit 4, Week 17, Session 3, students read the second half of “Fun in Forts.” The teacher reminds students to use what they know about letters and sounds and what is happening in the story to self-correct. 

Multiple opportunities are provided over the course of the year for students to read on-level texts (Grades 1–2) for purpose and understanding. For example:

• Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

  • In Unit 1, Week 4, Sessions 1–4, within the Magnetic Reader, students read the text “The Big Picture” over a series of four sessions. In Session 1, the teacher guides students to set a purpose for reading and gives examples of finding out how the kids work together or finding out what drawing they make. In Sessions 2 and 3, the teacher asks 1–2 comprehension questions after the students read the text. In Session 4, the teacher prompts students to make connections between the story and themselves and the story and the Unit 1 theme, “Friendship.”

  • In Unit 4, Week, Sessions 1–4, within the Magnetic Reader, students read the text “Time For A Trip” over a series of four sessions. In Session 1, the teacher guides students to set a purpose for reading the text about a father and son who leave their city home to visit relatives in the suburbs. The teacher guides students to recognize that the way they read the text helps them understand the character’s feelings. 

  • In Unit 6, In the Sky, Unit Wrap-Up, the teacher reminds students of the texts they read in the unit and the unit words. The teacher guides students to set a purpose for reading and tells students they can use the words to talk about objects in the sky they read about.