3rd Grade - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1c. 

The materials include texts that are of an appropriate level of complexity for Grade 3. The materials provide Lexile levels for all the anchor texts, and the majority of the texts fall within the Grade 3 Lexile band range of 420-820. For the first quarter, texts have a quantitative Lexile range from 470-990. In the second quarter, texts have a quantitative Lexile range from 460-840. During the third quarter, texts range quantitatively from 570-860. For the final quarter, texts have a quantitative Lexile range from 690-1010. Overall, these ranges are appropriate for the grade level. The Grade 3 materials do not provide qualitative measures, features, or analysis for anchor texts to support the complexity indicators of meaning/purpose, text structure, language features, and knowledge demands. The materials do not provide a rationale for educational purpose and placement.

Most anchor/core texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to their associated student task. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson 4, during Reading and Responding, students read Bummer and Lazarus by Dennis Fertig, which has a Lexile of 720. The text is moderately complex due to the narrative nonfiction structure that follows two dogs in San Francisco during the 1800’s. 

• In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students read Storm Chasers by Alanna Parker. The Lexile level for this text is 780 and is moderately complex based on content specific vocabulary.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 2, during Reading and Responding, students read The Cherokee: Gold and Tears by Jessica Lasko, which has a Lexile of 710. The text is moderately complex due to historical elements and academic vocabulary. 

• In Unit 5, Lesson 6, during Reading and Responding, students read So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George, which has a Lexile level of 810. The text is moderately complex due to academic vocabulary and an engaging story structure. 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 6, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students read Ah, Music! by Aliki, with a Lexile level of 740. The text is moderately complex due to the variety of informational text features.

A rationale for educational purpose and placement is not provided by the materials.

• The publisher gives the quantitative information of the text selections by providing the Lexile levels for anchor texts. Materials do not provide a qualitative measurement for text complexity. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1d. 

The instructional materials provide texts that cover the appropriate Lexile band for Grade 3. The Lexile levels of the texts range from 460-1010, with the majority of the texts falling in the Grade 3 Lexile range of 420-820. Text complexity falls within the grade level band and does not build over the course of the year. Throughout the course of the year, comprehension strategies that are modeled earlier on are revisited later with less modeling by the teacher. More complex texts have more modeling by the teacher, or use strategies previously taught in the materials. The texts require students to read and reread each text multiple times within the week. The first read of the core text is with strong teacher support; whereas on the third read, students do the reading independently with limited support, if needed. As the year progresses, the routines for reading and analyzing texts are similar and do not change based on the complexity of the text, making it difficult to see how the materials build independence in the reader throughout the year. Reader and task demands frequently focus primarily on comprehension strategies, such as predicting and making connections, that do not align with the standards. Over the course of the year, the materials transition from teacher modeling to teacher prompting when reading and rereading text selections. 

The complexity of anchor texts students read provides an opportunity for students’ literacy skills to increase across the year, encompassing an entire year’s worth of growth. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The texts found in Unit 1 range from 420-720 and include “The White Spider’s Gift,” a play adapted by Jamie Turner (with a Lexile level of 590) and Bummer and Lazarus. 

• The texts found in Unit 2 range from 700-990 and include Storm Chasers by Alanna Parker. This text has a Lexile level of 770. 

• The texts found in Unit 3 range from 630-840 and include The Overlanders by Suzanne Collins. This text has a Lexile of 630.

• The texts found in Unit 4 range from 570-810 and include Animals and Their Habitats. This text has a Lexile of 660. 

• The texts found in Unit 5 range from 730-1010 and include the text Marching with Aunt Susan by Claire Rudolf Murphy. This text has a Lexile of 730.

• The texts found in Unit 6 range from 690-770 and include the text Behind the Scenes by Tina Messerly. The Lexile level is 770. 

As texts become more complex, appropriate scaffolds and/or materials are provided in the Teacher Edition (e.g., spending more time on texts, more questions, repeated readings, skill lessons). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 2, the Reading and Response Tab identifies Lexile 630 for the anchor text, a fantasy, The Origami Master by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer in the Student anthology booklet. Under the Read Selection section of the Teacher Edition, the “Comprehension Strategy” Predicting is modeled during the first read. Students are provided scaffolding with the sentence stems to help make predictions: I predict ____ because ____. The clues the author gave are ____, so I predict ______. On Day 2, the teacher uses the “Access Complex Text” under the Reading Response Tab to model Cause and Effect using a graphic organizer. As students read, they are asked to identify cause and effect. Materials state: “Have students read the first paragraph on page 14. Ask students to identify an effect caused by the fact that Shima has chosen to live high in the mountains.” On Day 5, in the Access Complex Text tab, students are asked to identify related causes and effects in “The Origami Master” after multiple readings throughout the week.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students read the historical fiction core text A New Life For Mei by Judy Kentor Schmauss with a Lexile of 710. During Reading and Response, comprehension strategies provide a model and prompt of Predicting and Asking and Answering Questions. The Asking Questions Teacher Model provides the following prompts: “I wonder how she will be able to support herself. Where will she live, and where will she work? Will she have to rely on her neighbors in Chinatown?” 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 5, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students read Ecosystem Invaders by Nancy Morris with a Lexile level of 810. During the second read, students work on determining the Main Idea and Details. The Teacher Edition prompts the teacher to model finding the key details in the section titled “Upsetting the Balance” and then prompts the students to determine the main idea. The materials direct the teacher to prompt the students to find the main idea and details of another section titled “Good Pigs Gone Bad.”

• In Unit 5, Lesson 1, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students read the informational text/myth, The Road To Democracy by Chandler Tyrell with a Lexile of 830. The Big Idea is “Why do we need a government?” The anchor text is accompanied by three Essential Questions for students to think about and/or answer throughout the week. The questions include: “What are some ways that people make decisions as a group? What ways are the easiest? What ways are the most fair?” On Day 4, students read the text multiple times with varied purposes, such as visualizing, fluency, rate, text features, and questioning. During the Inquiry portion of the lesson, students are prompted to develop their own research question around the Big Idea and Essential questions. The teacher is prompted to help students narrow their questions to make them more specific or to improve the possibility of research.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1e.

The materials provide some opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading. Each unit contains a variety of texts and genres, including an anchor text and a Science or Social Studies Connection, with many lessons containing a third text to support the anchor text. Students also have opportunities to read a variety of texts during small group instruction. The materials provide some supports and scaffolding for the teacher to foster independent reading; however, the prompts frequently focus on various comprehension strategies. The materials provide limited independent reading procedures. There is no independent reading accountability system available for the teacher or students to use, nor are there recommendations for the amount of time students should spend reading, or a suggested schedule to provide students adequate opportunities to engage in independent reading. 

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in reading a variety of text types and genres. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Over the course of the year, students read a variety of genres including biographies, informational texts, myths, narrative nonfiction, legends, fantasies, historical fiction, realistic fiction, and poetry. Students also read a variety of text types including articles, excerpts, historical documents, plays, and songs.

• In Unit 4, Lesson 4, Day 1, during Reading and Responding, students read the informational text Amazing Animals by Karen E. Martin. In Unit 4, Lesson 4, Day 3, Reading and Responding, students read the poem “The Platypus” by Sharon Konkus. In Unit 4, Lesson 4, Day 4, Reading and Responding, students read the informational text “Animal Traits” for the Science Connection. 

• In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 1, during Reading and Responding, students read the biography Little Melba and Her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown. In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 3, Reading and Responding, students read the poem “Jazz is Everywhere” by Maggie Smith-Beehler. In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 4, Reading and Responding, students read the informational text “Force” for the Science Connection. 

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in a volume of reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Grade 3, students read 57 texts over the course of the year. Additionally, they listen to a read-aloud at the onset of each unit.

• In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 1, during Reading and Responding, students listen to the Read Aloud “Wind” from Weather Legends: Native American Lore and the Science of Weather from the Mi’kmaq Tribe. In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 2 Reading and Responding, students read the informational text Storm Chasers by Alanna Parker. In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 4, Reading and Responding, students read “Safety First” during the Social Studies Connection section in order to find connections to Storm Chasers. Students also read “The Big Storm” to look at vocabulary from the lesson.

• In Unit 5, Lesson 1, during Reading and Responding, the teacher reads “A Call to War” aloud to students. Students think about questions as they listen to the story. On Day 2, students read the anchor text, The Road to Democracy by Chandler Tyrell. Students browse the selection before the teacher reads aloud and uses the Model and Prompt instructions for guided reading and responding. During fluency, students go back and read the first two pages of the selection pages 162-163 to practice accuracy.

• In Unit 6, Lesson 1, Day 1, during Reading and Responding, students listen to the read-aloud “The Panic Broadcast” (author not provided). In Unit 6, Lesson 1, Day 2 students read The Power of Music by Karen E. Martin. In Unit 6, Lesson 1, Day 4, Reading and Responding, students read “Fossils” for the Science Connection. 

There is limited teacher guidance to foster independence for all readers (e.g., independent reading procedures, proposed schedule, tracking system for independent reading). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Teacher Edition provides the teacher with a scope and sequence and daily Reading and Responding lessons, to be used along with the Student Anthology Anchor text, Science or Social studies Connection, and Vocabulary stories.

• The Resource Library contains “Challenge Novels” for students reading above-level, which gives additional novels for these students to read.  

• Few independent reading procedures are included in the lessons.

  • The materials suggest that leveled reading passages are read independently with the On Level and Beyond Level passages. The Approaching Level readers are suggested to read in a small group with the teacher. Teachers are not provided step-by-step procedures for this portion of the lesson.

  • On Day 4 of each weekly lesson, within most units, during the Reading and Response portion, students are asked to read the anchor text a third time independently. Students are asked to read for specific information, such as, “Read specific parts of the story to identify ‘writer’s craft’ or to read the text all the way through.” 

• In Grade 3, students have Decodable Take Home books that can be sent home for students to read independently. A parent letter explains reading the decodables at home. The Instructional Routine for reading a decodable story in class has students read a page silently and then read it aloud. They repeat this process throughout the book. The teacher asks questions about the book, so students reread with a partner. 

• There is no proposed schedule for independent reading. Independent reading is embedded into daily lessons during multiple reads of anchor texts and fluency reads. 

• There is no tracking system to help monitor independent reading. The Scope and Sequence provides information on the volume of reading done in class by students.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1i. 

The materials provide opportunities for both on-demand and process writing over the course of the year. On-demand opportunities are typically provided in the Reading and Responding section. Under the Look Closer section, students respond to a writing prompt located in the Student Anthology. Students also respond to prompts provided in the Skills Practice book that provide opportunities for on-demand writing. However, on-demand writing opportunities infrequently require students to draw upon the texts in the unit. Process writing, including revising and editing, occur during the Language Arts section of the lessons. The teacher models revising and editing and the students are given time to revise and edit their pieces.  The Skills Practice provides a revision and editing checklist for students. There are opportunities to use digital resources for typing, editing, and presenting throughout the materials. The Language Arts Handbook provides tips for writing on a computer.

Materials include on-demand writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. However, on-demand writing opportunities infrequently require students to draw upon the texts in the unit. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Lesson 2, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students reread “Seasons of Change” and then compare and contrast winter in Colorado with winter in Kenya by using a Venn diagram to record similarities and differences between Colorado and Kenya. On Day 4, students answer the questions, “What would it be like to live in a place that does not have the same seasonal changes as where you live now? Describe how your life would be different.”

• In Unit 3, Lesson 4, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students read The Dancing Birds of Paradise by Renée S. Sanford. Under the Look Closer section, students complete the writing activity by themselves, which states, “Imagine you are living back in 1942. Write an opinion newspaper article explaining why it is unfair to imprison loyal Japanese Americans at places like Tanforan and Topaz.” Students are not required or encouraged to draw upon the text to support their opinions.

• In Unit 4, Lesson 1, Day 3, during Reading and Responding, students read “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse” for the second time and use the Compare and Contrast Graphic Organizer to record details about the similarities and differences between the two characters or the two settings. Students write a short paragraph comparing and contrasting the characters or the settings.

• In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, Writer’s Craft, Point of View, after answering questions orally, students are asked to, “Write four or five sentences detailing whether they agree or disagree with the point of view expressed in the opening page. Have each student support his or her opinion by using evidence from the text, and by connecting opinion to reason using strong linking words and phrases such as because, since, and for example.”

Materials include process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Opportunities for students to revise and edit are provided. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 3, during the Language Arts block, students edit their opinion writing. The Teacher Edition provides a lesson for the teacher on verbs and verb phrases. After the Instruct and Guided Practice section, students work on the Apply section.The Teacher Edition states, “Have students look through their journals or previous writing assignments to find examples of verbs and verb phrases. Have students share their examples with a partner and have them check each other’s sentences for correct usage. Have students rewrite any incorrect use of verbs or verb phrases.”

• In Unit 1, Lesson 4, Day 3, during the Language Arts block, students begin to generate a list of three or four broad topics to give an opinion about. Teachers guide the writing practice with skills practice by displaying an idea web or graphic organizer. Students apply the skill by completing the organizer. On Day 5, students are introduced to the TREE Diagram (Topic Sentence, Reasons, Explanation, Ending) and complete the TREE diagram for their opinion piece.

• In Unit 2, during the Language Arts block, students work on informational writing pieces throughout the entire unit. For example, in Lesson 3, the teacher models informative/explanatory writing by first completing a graphic organizer with the class about composting. The teacher models the process throughout the week, with students practicing informative writing and going through the writing process. 

• In Unit 2, Lesson 4, Days 2 and 3, during the Language Arts block, students work on an informative writing piece, revising on Day 2, and editing on Day 3. Students complete the writing process during the week-long lesson. Unit 2 materials include weekly practice of informative writing. Each writing piece takes students through the entire writing practice, including revising and editing.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 3, Day 3, during the Language Arts block,  students edit their narrative writing pieces. The Teacher Edition provides modeling for editing a narrative story, including a draft for the teacher to use. Under the Apply section, the Teacher Edition states, “Instruct students to edit their tall tales using the checklist on Skills Practice 1 page 180, as well as the list of suggested edits from their partner.” The Skills Practice page is included.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 5, Day 4, during the Language Arts block, students finish their draft of a fantasy story. The students complete a Skills Practice page to use action words and descriptive words. Under the Apply section, the Teacher Edition states, “Have students finish drafting their fantasy stories, using the feedback they received during the writers’ conference and the graphic organizer they used to plan their stories.” 

• In Unit 4, Lesson 2, Days 2-3, during the Language Arts block, students compare and contrast two places in an informational writing. Students work through the entire writing process, with revising and editing taking place on Days 2 and 3.

• In Unit 5, Lesson 5, Day 4, during the Language Arts block, students publish a summary. Under Instruct-- Publish a Summary, the Teacher Edition states, “Remind students that the final stop of the writing process is publishing. They will produce a final copy of their summary and present it to others.” 

• In Unit 6, during Language Arts block, students again write an informative/explanatory essay comparing and contrasting two places. Students research and report on topics of choice. Students move through each step in the Writing Process including Prewriting, Drafting, Revising, Editing/Proofreading, and Publishing.

• In Unit 6, Lesson 4, Day 3, during the Language Arts block, students are asked to revise their plot descriptions. Students revise to make sure that important events from the story are included. Students also revise for action verbs, adjectives, and specific language that identifies the elements of plot. Students are asked to focus their revisions on making precise word choices

Materials include digital resources where appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson 5, Day 2, during Reading and Responding, students work on Inquiry Step 5-Develop Presentations. The materials provide a variety of options for students to use for their presentations. One option includes creating a slideshow presentation. The Teacher Edition states, “To give students exposure to the way a slideshow program works, have them view the online TechTutor Video. Explain that a slideshow related to the way Native Americans respect nature through themes in their visual arts could involve showing shots of different examples of such visual arts, placed side-by-side with information about each art form and how it shows a respect for nature. Discuss the types of slides that could be used to display information.” The Tech Tutor video is included in the materials. 

• In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 2 during the Language Arts block, students have the opportunity to research a topic before they begin planning. There are many sources they can use to find more information, such as print and digital encyclopedias, nonfiction books, and the Internet. Students refer to the Language Arts Handbook Sources page 262–263 for an overview of using sources for research.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 4, Day 4, during Reading and Responding/Social Studies Connection, in the After reading “Changing Culture” section, students work with a partner to answer questions, including the “Go Digital” question, “Research types of clothes people wore at different times and foods that people of different cultures eat.”

• In Unit 5, Lesson 3, Day 3, during the Language Arts block, students work to publish their nonfiction piece. Under the Apply section, the Teacher Edition states, “Encourage students to create a clean copy of their writing by using a computer in the classroom or library to type their finalized work.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1j.

The materials provide many opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply the required writing types; however, there is no balance among the required writing types across the year. Each six-week unit provides a Language Arts section that focuses on process writing. Students typically work on 4-5 pieces in the unit. The units often focus on a text type, such as opinion, but those text types come up again in other units, as well as with the on-demand writing prompts in the Reading and Response section. Students learn to write opinion statements, informative/explanatory texts (informative reports, descriptions, explanations, summaries, book reviews), and narrative texts (personal narratives, autobiographies, biographies, realistic stories, fairy tales). With multiple process writing prompts and on-demand writing prompts throughout each unit, there are sufficient writing opportunities to cover the course of a year. At times, writing assignments are connected to the texts.

Materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes/types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Approximately 30% of the writing students do in Grade 3 is opinion writing. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 2, during the Language Arts block, students begin prewriting their opinion piece. The Teacher Edition states, “Have students turn to Skills Practice I page 9. Explain to students the importance of choosing a purpose and an audience as part of the prewriting phase.” The Skill Practice page provides a space for students to write about their audience, their purpose, and then begin brainstorming ideas. In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 4, students publish their Opinion piece. In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 5, Language Arts, they begin prewriting for another opinion piece. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 5, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students respond to the Write prompt in their Student Anthology. The prompt states, “Imagine you are living back in 1942. Write an opinion newspaper article explaining why it is unfair to imprison loyal Japanese Americans in places like Tanforan and Topaz.” 

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 1, Day 3, during the Language Arts block, students begin drafting a persuasive piece. Under the Instruct section, the Teacher Edition states, “Remind students that they will need a topic sentence that tells their opinion, three reasons why the reader should agree with the opinion, a further explanation for each reason, and a concluding statement that sums up the opinion.” 

• Approximately 43% of the writing in Grade 3 is informative/explanatory writing. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 5, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students respond to the Write section in their Student Anthology. The prompt states, “Write a guide for how you can equip yourself and your home to stay safe from a fire. Include illustrations to help the reader visualize what they will need.” 

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 4, Day 4, during the Language Arts block, students begin writing a summary. During the Guided Reading section, the Teacher Edition states, “Display one of your finished models of writing to inform from Unit 2. Ask students to guide you in completing the graphic organizer. Remind students that they do not need to write in complete sentences when they are taking notes.” 

• Approximately 26% of the writing in Grade 3 is narrative writing. 

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 5, Day 3, during the Language Arts block, students begin drafting a fantasy story for their narrative. Under the Apply section, the teacher writes goals on the board including, “The plot has a beginning, middle, and end” and “Include details to tell the reader when and where the story takes place.” In Unit 3, Lesson 6, Day 4 Language Arts students publish their fantasy narrative. 

Where appropriate, writing opportunities are connected to texts and/or text sets (either as prompts, models, anchors, or supports). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 3, during the Language Arts block, students begin prewriting a tall tale. During the Guided Practice section, the materials state, “Direct students to work in pairs, either by assigning partners or having students choose their own partners. Choose a tall tale from previous readings, or choose a tall tale from the classroom library. Have partners list examples of exaggerations and unlike characters, settings, or events in the tall tale.” 

• In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 2, during the Language Arts block, students start the prewriting for their Respond to Nonfiction piece. The Instruct section in the Teacher Edition states, “Tell students that they will be writing a response to the Unit 5 Lesson 1 reading selection ‘The Road to Democracy.’ Explain that writing a response to a fiction or nonfiction text is a way to share what they have learned with others or to explore their thoughts and feelings about what they read.”

• In Unit 6, Lesson 5, Day 3, during the Language Arts block, students write a biography after reading the biography “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone” by Katheryn Russell Brown. Students are directed to that story as a model.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1k. 

The materials provide limited opportunities for students to write using text evidence. Opportunities for evidence-based writing typically occur during research projects. Often, students are asked to discuss, answer or work with a partner, but the materials do not explicitly state that students are to respond with a written answer or a written answer using text evidence. Within every formal assessment in the Reading and Responding section, students answer a constructed-response question that asks them to use evidence from the text; however, there are few opportunities for students to explicitly practice a text-based written response before the assessment. The “Getting Started” week in Unit 1 provides more explicit instruction for students to write using text evidence; however, the rest of the unit does not include the same explicit instruction, leaving the teacher to make assumptions that the text-based evidence discussions should also be responded to in writing.  Additionally, many of the tasks and questions do not require text-based evidence. Students are often asked to write in response to a broad topic that does not require a response based on text evidence. 

Materials provide infrequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Getting Started, Days 2-4, during Language Arts, there is a Writing About the Selection activity each day that connects with the selection students have been reading, “Robinson Crusoe.” The directions state, “Tell students they are going to write a paragraph that describes Robinson Crusoe. Explain that they must use evidence from the text, such as Crusoe’s thoughts and actions, to support their statements and opinions about him.” On Day 5, students write a summary about the Social Studies Connection text. However, after this first week, there does not appear to be a Writing About the Selection task. The Language Arts section for the Teacher Edition begins process writing, which is practiced throughout the school year in this block.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students are asked to complete a Write activity on their own in the Student Anthology. The prompt is connected to the text’s characters, Hong and Mei. In Unit 3, Lesson 3, Day 4, the Write Activity is not text-dependent and asks students to, “Write a message to a friend about a trip you took. Where did you go? How long did it take? What did you do on your trip?”

• In Unit 4, Lesson 2, Day 5, during Reading and Responding, students complete a formal assessment. One of the prompts on the assessment states, “Read the question below. Write complete sentences for your answers. Support your answer with evidence from the selection.” The question states, “Who were the providers in the story? How did they provide for others?” 

Few writing opportunities are focused around students’ recall of information to develop opinions from reading closely and working with evidence from texts and sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students respond to the writing prompt after reading the text Damon and Pythias by Brian Dalton. The writing prompt states, “The poems and the story give a lot of examples of duties. Make a list of the duties you have.” While this prompt references the texts read, students are not directed to use evidence from the text to support their writing. 

• In Unit 2, Lesson 5, Day 4, during Reading and Responding, students reread portions of “Hot Enough to Fry an Egg” in order to look at what makes the writing strong. Students respond to a writing prompt, “Make a list of supplies you would need if you were traveling through one of the deserts you have read about. Make sure you take into account the weather conditions of whichever desert you choose.” Directions do not require use of text evidence for writing.

• In Unit 6, Lesson 4, Day 1, during Language Arts, students begin prewriting for their response to literature. Under the Apply section, the Teacher Edition states, “Instruct students to complete Skills Practice 2 page 193 to map the events in the stories they have chosen. They will write the events in the plot that help explain the problem, develop the problem as the action rises, and so on.” A graphic organizer is included. Directions do not explicitly state that students need to use evidence from the text to support their writing.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1l.

Materials provide explicit instruction of most grade-level grammar and usage standards through the Instruct and Guided Practice sections within Language Arts. The materials lack opportunities for students to learn how to consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings. Materials provide the teacher with explicit instruction and examples. Materials provide opportunities for students to demonstrate the application of skills in context, including applying grammar and convention skills to writing through the Skills Practice pages, Writing assignments, and the Apply sections for Word Analysis and Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics of the Teacher Edition.

Materials include explicit instruction of most grammar and usage standards for the grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students have opportunities to learn the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 5, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, Verbs and Verb Phrases Review, materials prompt the teacher to review action verbs, state-of-being verbs, and verb phrases with students. Materials state: “Ask students to explain the functions of verbs in sentences. A verb or verb phrase tells the action, condition, or state of being of the subject.”

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 4, Guided Practice, students provide examples of nouns and verbs from what they are reading. The materials include possible answers for nouns: dog, Noah, school, Ming, Lizzy; and verbs: walked, raked, sang. The teacher writes the examples from the students on the board. The teacher makes sentences using nouns and verbs from the list and has students identify the complete subject and the predicate in each sentence.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 5, Day 4, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, Pronouns, the teacher models replacing nouns with pronouns. Materials state: “Write the following sentences on the board. Model replacing nouns with pronouns in each sentence. Sharon is investigating wildlife in Belize. She is investigating wildlife in Belize. Noah flew the plane. He flew it. Remind students that subject pronouns replace nouns used as subjects, possessive pronouns show ownership, and object pronouns can be used in place of direct object nouns. Tell students that a pronoun must agree in number and gender with the noun it replaces.”

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 4, Day 3, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, Adjectives, the teacher writes sentences on the board and points out the adjectives. (Eli put the largest book on the shelf. The girl with curly hair waited in line.) The teacher explains that adjectives tell information about a noun or pronoun and that adjectives tell how something looks, feels, smells, sounds, or tastes and how many, how much, and which one. Students add a description to writing that would help readers visualize.

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 5, Day 3, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, Adverbs, the teacher writes the following sentences on the board and points out the adverbs: Carefully put the flowers and water in the vase, and then put the vase on the table. carefully, then We will go to the park tomorrow, but it is supposed to rain tomorrow. Materials state: “Explain to students that adverbs are words that describe a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverbs tell how, when, where, or how much something happens. Many adverbs end with the suffix -ly. Some words that end in -ly are not adverbs. Adverbs can be placed before a verb, after a verb, at the beginning of a sentence, or at the end of a sentence.”

• Students have opportunities to learn from and use regular and irregular plural nouns. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 4, Day 3, Developing Oral Language, the teacher points to one of the words on the word lines and asks students to explain the rule for how the plural was formed. Students name other nouns. The teacher asks a volunteer to say and spell the singular form of a noun on the word lines and use it in a sentence. The teacher has another student use the plural form in another sentence. I thought I saw a bird sitting in our rose bush. Bushes are good hiding places for birds.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 2, Day 3, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, Regular and Irregular Plural Nouns, Instruct, the teacher writes sentences on the board and points out the plural nouns in each sentence. Sentences include, Flies buzzed around the garbage can. Several cars pulled over during the storm. The people on the bus began to sing. Aunt Sally gave Luther two kisses on his cheeks. A group of calves wandered through the field. The teacher reminds students that a noun names a person, place, or thing and explains that a plural noun names more than one person, place, or thing. 

• Students have opportunities to learn how to use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 2, Day 3, Word Analysis, About the Words, Abstract Nouns, the teacher explains that the nouns in these lines name feelings or concepts. They are things that cannot be seen, heard, touched, smelled, or tasted. The teacher discusses the meaning of the following words with students: wisdom, freedom, pride, idea, talent, strength, grief, childhood. In About the Sentences, students identify the abstract nouns in the sentence: You must know that trust is an important part of any friendship.

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 5, materials state: “Review with students that abstract nouns are nouns that cannot be experienced with the five senses. They are concepts, ideas, and feelings. Write or display the following sentences on the board. Underline the abstract nouns as shown. Sentences include: The dog was in misery as the cold rain soaked his fur. Carson made a promise to visit his grandma once a week. Jenna’s loyalty to the basketball team did not surprise me.”

• Students have opportunities to learn how to form and use regular and irregular verbs.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 2, Day 3, Word Analysis, Irregular Verbs, and Abstract Nouns Decoding, the teacher reviews with students that most verbs follow a regular pattern when changing tense that involves adding -ed. Materials state, “For example, the present, past, and past participle forms of open can be found in these sentences: Open this letter now. My aunt opened her own store last year. The bank has opened for the day. Some verbs have irregular past and participle forms with different spellings or no change in spelling.”

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 2, Day 4, Word Analysis, Irregular Verbs and Abstract Nouns Developing Oral Language, the teacher gives students the present tense of any of the words in Lines 1 and 2 and asks them to describe how the word is changed to form the past tense. The materials state, “The past tense of forget is formed by changing the e to an o. Words: Line 1 - bring, brought, catch, caught Line 2 - shut, forget, forgot, forgotten”

• Students have opportunities to learn how to form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will walk) verb tenses.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 5, Day 3, Guided Practice, the materials state, “Display the following sentences on the board, and have students correct the mistakes in verb tense. Sentences include: Yesterday I watch a dog doing tricks at the park. I watched a dog doing tricks at the park. The children were putting on a play next week. The children will be putting on a play next week.”

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 1, Day 5, Word Analysis, the class identifies any verbs in the past or progressive tense from a list of words.

• Students have opportunities to learn how to ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent agreement.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 5, Day 3, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, Pronouns, Apply, students take turns writing sentences on the board. For each sentence, another student replaces the subject, possessive noun, or direct object with an appropriate pronoun.

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 3, Day 1, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Subject/Verb Agreement and Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement, Guided Practice, the materials state, “Students are to point out the simple subject and verb in sentences written on the board and identify if the sentence has subject/verb agreement. Example: The sun rises each morning. subject: sun; verb: rises; Both are singular, so the sentence has subject/verb agreement.”

• Students have opportunities to learn how to form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them depending on what is to be modified.

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 4, Word Analysis Comparatives and Superlatives Developing Oral Language, the teacher organizes students into small groups to think of adjectives and adverbs in comparative and superlative form, and then use them in complete sentences. Volunteers read the sentences to the class and choose the correct form or the incorrect form. The rest of the class indicates whether the word is correct or incorrect and says the entire sentence correctly.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 1, Day 4, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Comparative and Superlative Adjectives and Adverbs, Apply, materials state: “Students write one sentence with a comparative or superlative adjective and one sentence with a comparative or superlative adverb. Students trade papers with a partner. Partners check the sentences for correct use of comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs and make any needed corrections.”

• Students have opportunities to learn how to use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 4, Day 5, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Compound Subjects and Predicates, the teacher reviews compound subjects and predicates with students reminding them that a compound subject is two or more subjects joined by a conjunction and a compound predicate is two or more predicates joined by a conjunction. The teacher writes pairs of sentences on the board, and students rewrite each pair into a single sentence with a compound subject and predicate.

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 4, Day 5, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, Apply, materials state: “Each student writes three complex sentences. At least one of the complex sentences should contain a preposition and prepositional phrase. Students exchange sentences with partners and the partners identify the subordinate conjunctions and preposition(s) in the sentences, as well as the verb tense of each sentence. Volunteers share their best sentences with the class.”

• Students have opportunities to learn how to produce simple, compound, and complex sentences.

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 1, Day 1, the teacher has students use the words from the word lines in sentence starters. For example: In preschool, the students… The teacher then has volunteers expand each sentence by adding more details to demonstrate the meaning of the word. In preschool, the students learn some of the things they’ll need to know for elementary school.

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 5, Day 2, Word Analysis, Developing Oral Language, a student uses two words from a list in a simple sentence. Another student expands the sentence by adding another word from the list, creating complex or compound sentences when possible. This is repeated until the sentence contains as many words from the word list as possible.

• Students have opportunities to learn how to capitalize appropriate words in titles.

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 5, Day 3, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, Apply, the teacher has students create one sentence that has a title and one sentence that contains dialogue. The teacher has students exchange their papers with a partner, and the partners check to make sure the punctuation is correct. Students correct any mistakes.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 3, Day 5, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Capitalization and Commas—Dates, Cities and States, Addresses, Titles Review, students review capitalization and commas in dates, addresses, cities and states, and book titles. Materials state, “Remind students to capitalize the first word, last word, and all important words in a book title. Write the following sentences on the board. Have students triple-underline letters that should be capitalized. Ms. Sanchez’s favorite novel is Charles Dickens’s a tale of two cities. Ms. Sanchez’s favorite novel is Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities.”

• Students have opportunities to learn how to use commas in addresses.

  •  In Unit 4, Lesson 3, Day 4, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, the teacher guides students to write three sentences: one that includes the name of a city and state; one that consists of a book title; and one that includes an address. Students exchange sentences with a partner and check the sentences for correct capitalization and commas usage. Volunteers share their sentences with the class. 

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 5, Day 4, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics, Guided Practice, the teacher writes the following sentence on the board: Zoe and her mother lives at 1528 maplewood street in taos new Mexico. The teacher has volunteers rewrite the sentence to correct mistakes in subject/verb agreement, commas, and capitalization.

• Students have opportunities to use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 5, Day 3, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Quotation Marks, Commas, Capitalization Instruct, the teacher writes sentences on the board. The teacher points out the commas and quotation marks in the sentences. For example, “Ross said, “Charlotte agreed to go to the movies with me.” We read the poem “Two Best Friends.” Materials state: “Explain to students that quotation marks set off the exact words of one character or speaker from another.”

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 3, Narrative Writing, the teacher writes a sentence on the board, and students guide the teacher in rewriting it as dialogue. The class discusses why the dialogue is better than the original sentence.

• Students have opportunities to learn how to form and use possessives.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 3, Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics Possessive Nouns and Pronouns, Instruct, the teacher displays sentences from the ePresentation Resources. The materials state, “Point out the possessive nouns in the sentences. Kayla’s bicycle was parked near a tree. The puppies’ noses felt cool and damp. puppies’ The children’s parents attended the concert. Children's.” The teacher explains that possessive nouns and pronouns show ownership and explains where to add the apostrophe based on if the noun is singular or plural.

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 2, Word Analysis, students use the words from the word lines in sentence starters. For example, The principal’s office is . . . Volunteers expand each sentence by adding more details to demonstrate the meaning of the possessive. 

• Students have opportunities to learn how to use conventional spelling for high-frequency and other studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 2, Day 1, Word Analysis, Dictation and Spelling, the teacher uses Routine 8, the Sentence Dictation Routine, to dictate the sentence. The teacher says the sentence and then dictates one word following Routine 7, the Whole-Word Dictation Routine. The sentence says,  We could hear the booming sound all over town.

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 2, Word Analysis, Dictation and Spelling, the teacher uses Routine 7, the Whole-Word Dictation Routine, to dictate the words for students to write. Words include embodies and engraving.

• Students have opportunities to learn how to use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g., word families, position-based spellings, syllable patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in writing words.

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 1, Dictation and Spelling, the teacher uses Routine 7, the Whole-Word Dictation Routine, to dictate the words for students to write. Materials state, “The teacher says each word, uses the word in a sentence and then repeats the word. Students say the word and think about each sound they hear. Students write the word, referencing the Sound/Spelling Cards as needed. After each line, the teacher displays the words and sentences to the students and has them proofread their work. Students are told to circle any incorrect words and rewrite them correctly. Words: data, tame, blaze, wild, fire, slide, poster, spoken, awoke, grateful, item, over.”

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 3, Dictation and Spelling, the teacher uses Routine 7, the Whole-Word Dictation Routine, to dictate the words for students to write (from the ePresentation resources containing prefixes dis- and auto-). The teacher uses Routine 8, the Sentence Dictation Routine, to dictate the sentence. Materials state, “Remind students to use appropriate capitalization and punctuation. After each line, display the words and sentences to the students. Have students proofread their work and tell students to circle any incorrect words and rewrite them correctly.”

• Students have no opportunities to learn how to consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed to check and correct spellings.

  • No evidence found. 

• Students have opportunities to learn how to choose words and phrases for effect.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 1, Day 3, Developing Oral Language, the teacher will say a word or words to describe the kind of responses required. For example, the teacher says, “you could use the words negative and positive. Share the following examples with students: Negative: There is absolutely no way I would ever want something like that! Positive: Of course! I would absolutely love to have something like that! Point out that even though you used the word absolutely in both statements, the two statements have very different meanings. Students identify which words and phrases help make the different meanings. Choose other words, or have students make up responses to the words negative and positive.”

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 3, Narrative Writing, students continue writing their drafts. The teacher reminds students to look for places in their stories where dialogue could be used to show the actions, thoughts, and feelings of their characters. The teacher explains that reading their dialogue aloud can help them sound more realistic. If students are writing fantasy stories, it is pointed out that even non-human or non-realistic characters should have realistic dialogue.

• Students have opportunities to learn how to recognize and observe differences between the conventions of spoken and written standard English.

  • In Unit 3, Lesson 3, Day 3, Read the Song, Language Use: Informal Language, the teacher asks students whether the language of a song seems formal or informal and why. The teacher reminds students that this is an actual song that became quite popular and asks them if that fact helps explain why the language is so informal. The teacher asks students how they think the song would be different if it were written down in a formal tone.

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 5, Day 2, Inquiry, when preparing to write a presentation, the teacher explains to students some of the differences between the conventions of spoken and written English and tells them that when they are writing papers, especially informative papers, that their writing will be more formal. The teacher goes on to point out to them that, There are certain things we say in English that we would not write out. For example, the contraction would've. If they were writing a paper, they should spell it out as would have. But it is very common to speak that contraction.” Students are told that as they write their scripts they should make an effort to recognize some of these differences between written and spoken English. 

Materials include opportunities for students to demonstrate application of skills in context, including applying grammar and convention skills to writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 5, students create five sentences. Students switch papers with a partner and circle the subjects and underline the predicates in their sentences. Partners work together to make corrections as needed.

• In Unit 3, Lesson 5, Day 3, Narrative Writing: Drafting, Apply, students begin drafting their fantasies. Students use the graphic organizers to guide their writing and keep in mind the following goals as they write, “Include vivid and interesting adjectives and adverbs; Be sure to use the correct homophone; The plot has a beginning, middle, and end; Include details to tell the reader when and where the story takes place.”

• In Unit 6, Lesson 2, Day 1, Word Analysis, Guided Practice, Skills Practice 2, pages 171-172, students write contractions and possessives for words in sentences.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1n.

Materials contain explicit instruction of phonics and word recognition consistently over the course of the year. The Scope and Sequence includes a Foundational Skills section showing Phonics and Decoding, High Frequency Words, Fluency, and Word Analysis. The Program Overview indicates that the focus shifts from phonics to word analysis in Grade 3. Tasks and questions are sequenced to the application of grade-level work through Student Skills pages and ePresentation Resources of word lists and sentences. There are multiple assessment opportunities in the Assessment Book, Diagnostic Assessment Book, and The Benchmark Assessment. There is a Teacher Resource Book with interventions, but it is not cross-referenced with each individual assessment. There is a lack of direct, explicit information on how to provide intervention for each assessment.

Materials contain explicit instruction of phonics, word recognition, and word analysis consistently over the course of the year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students have opportunities to learn how to identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 2, Day 1, Word Analysis Suffixes -ful and -less, the materials state: “Teacher reviews with students that derivational suffixes are word parts added to the end of base words. They can change the meaning and part of speech of the base word. Remind students that knowing the meanings of common suffixes will help them define unfamiliar words that contain these suffixes. Use Routine 10, the Words with Prefixes and Suffixes Routine, to review using suffixes to understand words.”

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 1, Day 3, Word Analysis, the teacher reviews what a prefix is and that a prefix does not affect the spelling of the base word. Routine 10, Words with Prefixes and Suffixes Routine is used during the review. In About the Words, students read words with the prefixes con- and in-/im-.

• Students have opportunities to learn how to decode words with common Latin suffixes.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 2, Day 5, Word Analysis, students review and decode a list of 16 words that include suffixes -ful and -less and Latin suffixes -able and -ity.

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 4, Day 1, Word Analysis Review: Latin Suffixes -ment, -ive, -ity, and -able, the materials state: “The teacher reviews with students that derivational suffixes are word parts added to the ends of base words that change their meaning, part of speech, and often spelling. The teacher reminds students that suffixes are derived from ancient languages such as Latin. Use Routine 10, the Words with Prefixes and Suffixes Routine, to review using suffixes to understand words.” Students complete Skills Practice 2. 

• Students have opportunities to learn how to decode multisyllable words.

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 1, Phonics and Decoding, the teacher reviews long e spelled e and e-e and long u spelled u and u-e using Sound/Spelling Cards 28 and 31. The teacher uses Routine 4, the Closed Syllable Routine, to review dividing words with a VCCV pattern and uses Routine 5, the Open Syllable Routine, to review dividing words with the VCV pattern. Students read the words on the word lines from the ePresentation Resources by blending the sounds in each syllable then blending the syllables together. Words include even, zebra, secret, meter.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 6, Day 4, Word Analysis, students review and decode a list of 16 multisyllable words such as humid, blizzard, hurricane, temperature.

• Students have opportunities to learn how to read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 4, Day 2, Reading a Decodable Story, the teacher reviews that through is an irregularly spelled word and helps students with its pronunciation as necessary. 

  • In Lesson 4, Day 3, Irregular Plurals, Decoding, students review words on the word lines that do not follow the standard rules for forming plural nouns, including cacti, fungi, octopi, and stimuli.

All tasks and questions are sequenced to application of grade-level work (e.g., application of prefixes at the end of the unit/year; decoding multi-syllable words). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Units 1-3, students learn to read multisyllabic words with various syllable types. In Unit 4, students learn to read words with suffixes, including Latin suffixes. In Unit 5, students learn to read words with prefixes. In Unit 6, students review the various syllable types, prefixes, and suffixes within multisyllabic words.

• The Resource Library, Scope and Sequence includes a Foundational Skills section with Phonics and Decoding, High Frequency Words, Fluency, and Word Analysis. The Scope and Sequence outlines the foundational skills instruction over the course of the year. The materials consistently provide opportunities for students to participate in explicit instruction of foundational skills, guided practice, and application during the Apply the Concept section using Skills Practice pages, Takehome decodables, and ePresentations. 

• The Resource Library, Program Overview, Grades 2-3, page 23, notes that the emphasis shifts from phonics to morphology. In SRA Open Court Reading, this is called Word Analysis. Students learn to identify and read meaningful chunks of words rather than individual spellings. Word Analysis also supports vocabulary development. Students learn how inflectional endings change a word’s tense, number, and how affixes can be added to a root or base word to create or derive a new but related meaning. Students learn how to deconstruct words and construct new words by adding affixes to base words and roots.

Multiple assessment opportunities are provided over the course of the year to inform instructional adjustments of phonics, word recognition, and word analysis to help students make progress toward mastery; however, materials lack direct, explicit information on how to provide intervention for each assessment. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Resource Library, Lesson and Unit Assessment, contains multiple choice and fill-in-the-blank blackline masters. Book 1, Diagnostic Assessment, includes a Phonics and Decoding Section. The scope of the assessment includes Sounds and Spellings/Word Structure and Meaning. On page iv, the guide informs teachers that the Diagnostic Assessment can be used as an initial screener with individual students or groups of students. Students’ results can be used to identify a student’s reading needs. The guide indicates that students who score below the expected level in any skill area, including Phonics and Decoding, will need additional scaffolding and support provided in intervention.

• The Resource Library Benchmark Assessment includes multiple choice questions with a goal of 4 out of 5. Benchmark Assessments occur three times during the year and provide a means for progress monitoring with separate scores for Phonics and Word Analysis. On page vi, the Diagnosis section indicates that if students score below the cutoff, teachers should provide reteaching, practice opportunities, differentiation during Workshop, and intervention for students who need more intensive help.

• In the Resource Library, the Intervention Teacher Guide is aligned to the skills taught in each lesson. Materials also include a Formal Assessment on Day 5 for each lesson that assesses the skills taught during Days 1-5. While materials provide these assessment and intervention resources, materials do not provide the teacher with specific guidance on what to do with formal assessment results and when to use intervention materials.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1o.

Over the course of the year, the materials provide multiple and varied opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis skills in Phonics and Decoding lessons, Word Analysis lessons, and through use of Core Decodables. The materials have tasks and questions that allow students to access different foundational skills within the Core Decodable stories. However, there is no evidence of students having opportunities to access different foundational skills in anchor texts in the Anthology for Reading and Responding lessons.

Multiple and varied opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to learn, practice, and apply phonics, word analysis, and word recognition skills in connected tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, Lesson 4, Day 2, Phonics and Decoding, Dictation and Spelling, students review and practice /oi/ spelled oi and _oy. During the Fluency lesson, students read the Core Decodable story, “Money Stories,” which includes the words choice, coins, voices, employee, joined, disappointed, enjoy.

• In Unit 4, Lesson 1, Day 3, Word Analysis: Latin Suffixes -ment and -ive, the teacher guides students through reading words with the suffixes -ment and -ive using Routine 10, Words with Prefixes and Suffixes Routine. The teacher displays words, and students identify the base word. Students read two sentences that contain the suffixes. 

• In Unit 5, Lesson 1, Day 2, Student Skills Pages, multiple pages offer practice using prefixes, suffixes, and word analysis skills to answer questions about stories being read, completing sentences, and matching words to their meanings.

• In Unit 5, Lesson 3, Day 1, Word Analysis, About the Words, students review and practice the number prefixes uni-, bi-, tri-, and multi. During Guided Practice, students work independently on Skills Practice 2 pages 107- 108, including the prefixes uni-, bi-, tri-, and multi-.

Materials do not include tasks and questions that provide opportunities for students to access different foundational skills within the anchor text and supporting texts. 

• No evidence found.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1p.

Materials include multiple opportunities over the course of the year for students to demonstrate sufficient accuracy and fluency in oral and silent reading of the Core Decodable stories, Anthology of Stories, and Fluency Passages in the Skills Practice Book. Materials support students’ fluency development of reading skills over the course of the year. Benchmark Assessments and the Lesson and Unit Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information about students’ current fluency skills. However, assessment materials do not link teachers directly to instructional adjustments to help students progress toward mastery of fluency.

Multiple opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to demonstrate sufficient accuracy and fluency in oral and silent reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students have opportunities to read grade-level text with purpose and understanding; however, that purpose is not consistently connected to grade-level standards.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 2, Reading and Responding, the teacher sets the purpose for reading “Storm Chasers.” The materials state, “Tell students to think as they read about why storm chasers take such great risks. What kind of a person would make a good storm chaser?” Students practice reading the selection with accuracy. The materials state, “Remind students that reading a text accurately, or correctly, is very important for comprehension. Tell students that if they do not recognize a word or if they mispronounce a word while reading, they should stop reading and decode the word, syllable by syllable, if necessary. Or they should use context to understand the word and self-correct their pronunciation.” They should reread the entire sentence several times until they can read it accurately and automatically.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 3, Day 1, Reading and Responding, the teacher sets the purpose for reading “Einstein Anderson and the Mighty Ants.” The materials state, “Tell students to think about how this situation is like and different from the one in the previous Einstein story as they read. What is the problem, and how does Einstein help solve it?” Students echo read pages 54-55 of the selection and practice automaticity. Materials state, “Have students follow along as you read pages 54 and 55 of ‘Einstein Anderson and the Mighty Ants’ aloud. Then have them echo read the passage with the same expression, rate, tone, and automaticity you modeled.”

Materials support reading or prose and poetry with attention to rate, accuracy, and expression, as well as direction for students to apply reading skills when productive struggle is necessary. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Students have opportunities to read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 1, Day 3, Fluency, students learn about rate and reading fluency. Materials state, “The teacher reads a few pages of ‘The Origami Master’ aloud at a slow pace. Then reread the pages at an appropriate rate explaining that fluent reading involves reading smoothly, expressively, and at a rate that moves the story along and keeps the audience engaged. Tell students that as they reread ‘The Origami Master’ they should try to read smoothly and at an appropriate rate. Let students know it is perfectly acceptable to slow down when they encounter unfamiliar words or concepts. Expression is important too, however. If they need to briefly slow their pace for emphasis or effect, they should do so as well.”

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 1, Day 2, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Story, students build fluency by reading the Core Decodable story “The Empty Field” with a partner. Partners reread the story aloud several times. The teacher reviews with students about the appropriate speed or pace when reading. The teacher reminds students that readers use commas in the text to help them control the pace. 

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 4, Day 4, Fluency, students read the dialogue in a play with expression. They note stage directions and think about how the characters would feel when saying the lines. They speak the lines as realistically as possible. The teacher models some of the lines. The teacher assigns students to different characters, and students read “Get the Facts” with expression. Students exchange parts until all students have practiced the other lines.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 6, Day 1, Fluency, students read the “Santa Ana Winds” for fluency practice on pages 71 and 72 of Skills Practice 2. Before they begin, the teacher reviews punctuation marks and explains that each mark signals a pause and sometimes a particular intonation. The teacher reads the first two paragraphs aloud, and students raise their hands when they hear a pause. Students practice reading the paragraphs with a partner.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 1, Day 4, Fluency, students read pages 20 and 21 of “The Country Mouse and the City Mouse,” focusing on identifying the emotions of the story, ranging from awe to curiosity to fear. Students practice changing their intonation to reflect the emotions of the story. The materials state, “By reading with proper expression, students can increase their comprehension of the characters and events. As students read, have them stop periodically and ask what emotions the characters are experiencing.”

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 2, Day 3, Fluency, students practice reading the poem “Election Day” aloud. Students use punctuation as a guide for where to pause instead of pausing obviously at line breaks. The teacher explains that pausing obviously at all line breaks and emphasizing end rhymes will give the poem a “sing-songy tone” that students should avoid. The teacher discusses the emotions the speaker is expressing and how to convey those emotions while reading. The teacher encourages students to read with expression.

  • In Unit 5, Lesson 6, Day 3, Fluency, the teacher reminds students that proper phrasing is an important part of fluency. The teacher assigns the fluency passage on pages 151–152 of Skills Practice 2 to practice fluent reading. The teacher models how to draw slashes at phrase boundaries in sentences from the passage. Students practice in pairs and reread the sentences to make sure their phrasing is accurate.

  • In Unit 6, Lesson 6, Day 1, Fluency, the teacher reminds students that reading with accuracy is essential to fluency. To read with accuracy, students must show that they know the pronunciations of all words in the text. The teacher reads aloud pages 424 and 425 of "Ah, Music!" and points out how to read quickly and accurately. The materials state, “Discuss any words students might still have trouble pronouncing, such as expression, universal, twittering, and brilliant. Divide the words into syllables to help with pronunciation if necessary. Have students reread these pages, concentrating on reading fluently and accurately. Remind students to use context to confirm their word recognition and understanding.”

Materials support students’ fluency development of reading skills (e.g., self-correction of word recognition and/or for understanding, focus on rereading) over the course of the year (to get to the end of the grade-level band). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students have opportunities to use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary. 

  • In Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 1, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Story, students read “Vic’s Big Chore” using Routine 9, Oral and Silent Reading Routine. The teacher reminds students to use the story’s context to monitor their accuracy and confirm or self-correct their reading when they mispronounce or misunderstand a word.

  • In Unit 2, Lesson 6, Day 1, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Story, students read “Migrating Geese.” The teacher tells them to use the story’s context to monitor their accuracy and confirm or self-correct their reading when they mispronounce or misunderstand a word.

  • In Unit 4, Lesson 4, Day 3, Fluency, Reading a Decodable Story, the teacher reminds students that reading with automaticity is essential to fluency. Students practice automaticity by reading and rereading a text. Students try to use context to confirm meanings if they encounter any unfamiliar words. Students follow along as the teacher reads pages 78–79 of “Amazing Animals” aloud. Students echo read the passage with the same expression, rate, tone, and automaticity as the teacher modeled.

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information of students’ current fluency skills. However, materials do not provide teachers with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery of fluency. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Edition, Resource Library, Assessment, Lesson and Unit Assessment, there is an Oral Reading Fluency strand of each Unit Assessment. The scope of the assessment includes Oral fluency development from lesson to lesson and unit to unit. There is a chart to show expected correct words-per-minute for each unit. There is also a checklist for prosody with the end-of-year expectation for students should demonstrate four out of five prosody elements at the average level.

• In the Teacher Edition, Resource Library, Assessment, the Diagnostic Assessment can be used as an initial screener with an individual student or groups of students. Oral Fluency is one of the five skill areas assessed. The assessment checks oral reading rate, accuracy, and reading prosody.

• In the Teacher Edition, Resource Library, Assessment, the Benchmark Assessment is given three times per year (after Units 1, 3, and 6). Oral Fluency is a strand in the Benchmark Assessment. Page v provides a table of correct words-per-minute cut-offs for each of the assessment periods.

• In the Teacher Edition, Resource Library, the Intervention Teacher Guide is aligned to lessons for instructional adjustments but not to data from the assessment.