2nd Grade - Gateway 1

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

Materials provide teachers with sample dialogue to present explicit phonics instruction to students. Teachers are provided with instructions for teaching phonics and students have multiple practice opportunities with skills. The Teacher Manuals continue to provide dialogue samples for repeated lessons or refer the teacher back to the introductory lesson. The online video library is referenced as a resource for teacher modeling in applicable lessons.

Materials contain explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of all grade level phonics standards. For example, the following is noted:

• Distinguish long and short vowels when reading regularly spelled one-syllable words:
• In the "Large Group Manual," pages 20-21, the teacher identifies short ("Sound Bus") and long ("Name Bus") vowel spellings. “The letter -e is put at the end of vowels to make a vowel letter have a sound like its name. Because of that I like to think of -e as 'What’s-your-name-e.' Let me show you (Place the -e after the letter - a)...The letter -a answers: '/ae/'. So when you see, “What’s-your-name-e after a vowel, that vowel has to say its name.”
• In the Small Group Folder, page 4, Words Lists 19-24 are provided for -e to end and 2 ee’s. The word lists contain both short and long vowel words. It provides sample dialogue, “How do you spell the /ae/ sound. Why did you spell it that way? We do need that -e. Where did Screech say -e needs to go? What is the vowel sound? When -a says its name what has to go with it?” The same dialogue is repeated for /ee/.
• Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams:
• In the "Large Group Manual," pages 94-95, the teacher teaches long vowel sounds using the "Vowel Team Chart."
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 116, sounds and spelling for ai, ay, ea, oa are introduced. The video library set 10 "Two Vowels Go Walking" is referenced as a resource. The teacher introduces the "Screech" poster for "Two Vowels Go Walking." Materials provide a sample dialogue to segment and write beast, “Let’s keep the two vowels go walking in mind when we segment and write the word beast. Show me with your fingers how many sounds are in the word beast. There are four. Use the magnet letter to spell the sound /b/.” The teacher is given sample dialogue to complete spelling beast and the word tray.
• Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with long vowels:
• In the "Large Group Manual," page 59, students learn about multisyllable words where the vowel says its name. The teacher is provided with words to have students analyze such as paper, shiny, driver, and frozen.
• In the "Small Group Manual," pages 243-248, in the multisyllable lesson "Video Library," set 13 is referenced for the modeling of the lesson. A sample dialogue is provided for the teacher to use the word frozen to discuss syllables and whether they have a name or sound hat (i.e., short or long vowel) when the word is divided.
• Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes:
• In the "Small Group Manual," pages 214-216, in the multisyllable "Instant Syllables -ing Ending," the teacher writes the word shouting on the board. The teacher is given a sample dialogue for the steps in the lesson. The section for "Read Words with -ing Ending" includes, “Look at each word in this list. Can you instantly find the ending -ing?” Words used in the lesson include dropping, grabbing, strapping, filling, plodding, and dragging.
• In the "Small Group Manual," pages 217-218, the teacher is given a sample dialogue, “What’s the suffix or ending you see in these words on the left?” The teacher is to help the students notice the -y and -ly. “What do you think of for a -y when it’s at the end of a multisyllable word?” The teacher is to provide /ee/ for students.
• Identify words with inconsistent but common spelling-sound correspondences:
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 127, students learn that the /oo/ sound may be spelled -oo or -ue. The teacher directs students to segment and write spool and plume. As they discuss ue as the /oo/ sound, the sample dialogue is provided, “Now let’s look at how you spelled the /oo/ sound. We would expect to spell /oo/ with 2 o’s like we did in the last word. But in many words the /oo/ sound is spelled -u-e.”
• In the "Small Group Manual," pages 131-132, students learn that g can only represent the /j/ sound if it is followed by e, i or y. The teacher has students segment gent and spell it with letter tiles. The teacher discusses the "Screech" poster with the students, “Let’s find out when g can have the /j/ sound.”

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, the following is noted:

• In the "Large Group Manual," page 77, teachers are provided with instructions for a "Sort the Ending" activity in which students practice multisyllable words. The teacher is instructed to, “Give partners sets of all 'Instant Syllable' strategies learned to date. Mix them up. Tell the partners to find ways to sort the sounds into 'Instant Syllable' sets. Once the words are sorted, each student reads each list of words to the other. Each must agree with the other before moving on.”
• In the "Spelling Manual," page 5, materials explain the process for instruction: “Students are made aware that they need to develop visual memory for words. They analyze each word and highlight any spelling that requires visual memory. Throughout the week students do exercises with the words that require visual memory. The words are seen and spelled often.”
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 127, the teacher says the word spool. The teacher reviews the number of sounds in spool. Students use markers to spell the word.

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

Students have frequent opportunities over the course of the school year to write and build new words. Phonics practice is completed in the "Small Group, Large Group, and Spelling Manuals." Students write words using markers or magnetic letters on their whiteboards. Teacher instructions for these routines are clear. Instructional routines are consistent throughout the school year.

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, the following is noted:

• In the "Small Group Manual," pages 80-81, in a "Segment and Write" lesson that focuses on the word brunch, the teacher explains a trick students can use to remember the ch spelling pattern. “T: -h chart in view. Look at the letter -c. My trick for -ch is that /ch/ always makes me think of sneezing. /ch/! /ch/! I think of the letter -c as the mouth opening up to let out a sneeze. (Point to the open part of the -c on the -h chart.) So I think of /ch/ as the brother with allergies. He can’t ever quite get his sneeze out though. Instead of saying /choo/ he gets stuck. He says /ch/.../ch/.../ch/...but never quite gets to /choo/.” Students segment and write words with ch.
• In the "Small Group Manual," pages 127-128, students learn that the /oo/ sound may be spelled -oo or -ue. Students segment and write spool and plume. As they discuss -ue as the /oo/ sound, the sample dialogue is provided, “Now let’s look at how you spelled the /oo/ sound. We would expect to spell /oo/ with 2 o’s like we did in the last word. But in many words the /oo/ sound is spelled -u-e.” Students write words with -oo or -u-e.

Lessons provide students with daily opportunities to build/manipulate/spell and encode words in isolation based in common and newly-taught phonics patterns. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Large Group Manual," pages 80-88, "Multisyllable Lessons 7-8" include endings -y, -ly and -er. Following the lessons, students practice decoding words with the endings ten minutes a day for the rest of the week. Day 4 practice includes a "Spelling" component in which students are asked about the ending of the word and asked to say the word then spell the ending. A "Sort the Ending" activity is provided.

In the "Small Group Manual," pages 136-137, students complete a "Segment and Write" lesson that focuses on the word smidge. Students practice writing words with -dge and -ge.

• In the "Small Group Manual," pages 138-140, students complete a "Segment and Write" lesson that focuses on the word switch.
• In the "Spelling Manual," pages 77-81, students review the long vowel /ee/, 2-e’s stick together by segmenting the words street, need, feet, greets, here, and keep, and identifying how many sounds using their fingers. Students spell the words before writing them independently.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for materials promote application and encoding of phonics in activities and tasks. (mid K-Grade 2)

Pathways to Reading materials provide explicit systematic teacher modeling and instruction for encoding of phonics. The "Segment and Write" routine provides students with numerous opportunities over the course of the school year to apply their phonics knowledge to writing. Students practice writing individual words using "Segment and Write." The materials provide opportunities to apply phonics skills to encode words in sentences or phrases in "Pathways to Spelling" lessons.

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, the following is noted:

• In the "Large Group Manual," pages 100-101, the teacher models: “How many syllables in the word capture? What’s the first syllable in capture? Tell me how to spell /cap/. What’s the last syllable? What are the sounds in /cher/? (Write each sound as students say it.) Those are the sounds we hear in /cher/. Sometimes it is spelled that way. But more often it’s spelled in a tricky way...the /ch/ sound is spelled with -t-u. The /er/ sound is spelled with -r-e. Let’s look at some words with /cher/ endings.”
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 78, students segment and write flash with the new sound /sh/. The teacher tells students there are four sounds in the word flash and asks, “What is the first sound?” The teacher tells students, “Put /f/ on the first sound dot.” The teacher continues to tell the students to put the appropriate letters on the sound dots for each letter until they finish spelling flash.
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 133, students complete a "Segment and Write" lesson on the word, large. As part of the lesson, the teacher tells students, “When the sound /j/ is at the end of a word it is always, always spelled with the two letters -g and -e. We know that -e is one of the letters that lets -g have the /j/ sound. It’s always there with -g at the end of words that need the /j/ sound.”

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, the following is noted:

• In the "Spelling Manual," page 11, students practice writing two sentences that are dictated by the teacher. For example, using PowerPoint, Lesson 4, Day 3, Slide 2, the teacher dictates the following 2 sentences to students, “Was the trash there by the tree where she left it?” and “They will make their fire close to the three tents.”
• In the "Spelling Manual," page 168, students work with sound letter spellings of c=/s/ and g=/j/ in the sentences, “The large man knew he could sing with a nice voice. Did the new man go into space?” The overview for "Whole Group" on Day 1 states that students read and spell new words and sentences, and segment and spell words.
• In the "Spelling Manual," page 257, practice writing, proofing, and “imaging” correspond to the sounds for the week. The sentences are “The ship carried food to many countries,” and “How many stories have you copied?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for materials include systematic instruction of high-frequency words and practice opportunities of high-frequency words to develop automaticity.

The Pathways to Reading materials contain consistent and explicit instructions for introducing and teaching the words to students. Students are provided with high-frequency words to study over the course of the school year. Materials provide systematic instruction and opportunities for students to practice high-frequency words through "Read Word," and "Spelling" lesson activities to develop automaticity. High-frequency words are posted on the classroom door frame to provide practice of the words as students come and go from the classroom during the day.

Materials include systematic and explicit instruction of irregularly spelled words. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Small Group Manual," pages 154-155, the teacher shows a "Screech" word (a non-phonetic word) and analyzes the word for "cheater" parts with the students:
• "These words are tricky because one of the sounds in the word isn’t spelled the way you would think it should be. Let’s see what I mean. This word is ‘said’."
• In the "Spelling Manual," page 55, The teacher states, “Your next word is a Screech word. These are words that have a sound not spelled the way you would expect. Your Screech word is find.”
• In the "Spelling Manual," page 80, when discussing the words said, been, live, and some, the teacher discusses the number of sounds and the spelling of each word with students. “If it is a non-phonetic spelling ask: “How do we usually spell that sound? (R) “How is it spelled in this word?” (R) After students spell the words, the teacher is given the following instructions to use with students, “If it is a non-phonetic spelling say: “Color those letters with your yellow crayon.”’

Materials include frequent opportunities for the teacher to model the spelling and reading of irregularly spelled words in isolation. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Spelling Manual," page 17, as part of the whole group lesson, the teacher is instructed to, “1. Echo read new spelling words and sentences. 2. Segment and spell words using PowerPoint and Lesson 1 Take Home page. 3. Tape “Screech” words to classroom door entry.” Sight words included in the week’s list are with, them, fish, ship, of, from, was, and want.
• In the "Spelling Manual," pages 168-172, Lesson 12, Day 1 includes "Fry" words with -ed (opened, remembered, started, liked, timed), and "Fry" cheater words with -ed (answered, colored). “Screech is here. This week we’ll add -ed to the end of words to make them past tense. Past tense means that an action has already happened. It’s all over with. The -ed ending is wishy washy. It has several sounds.” Students analyze "Screech" words with the teacher. Students complete “Fill in My Screech Words.”
• In the "Spelling Manual," page 248, the teacher models how to spell the words mountains and animals by using the word in a sentence, counting the number of syllables, identifying the “tricky” syllable such as the /tins/ or /tens/ in mountains and the /muls/ in animals. Students color the letters they need to remember using a yellow crayon. Students add the words to their “My Screech Words” list for the week.

Students practice identifying and reading irregularly spelled words in isolation. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Small Group Manual," page 150, students practice using the onset and rime strategy to read a list of words from "SNAP and Map" high-frequency words lists.
• In the "Spelling Manual," page 9, instructions are provided for the "On the Spot" routine. Students practice reading high-frequency words in isolation. “To aid in developing visual memory for the four non-phonetic words, the teacher plays ‘On the Spot’. The teacher laminates and cuts out two flash cards of the week’s cheater words and tapes them to the class doorway. Students may be asked ‘On the Spot’ to read or spell one of the words.”
• In the Small Group Folder, as part of the lesson plans for Level 2, students read words from word lists or "SNAP" pools (high-frequency words) on Days 4, 5, and 6. Levels 3 and 4 students read words from word lists or "SNAP" pools on Days 1, 2, and 3.

Materials include a sufficient quantity of new grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words for students to make reading progress. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Large Group Manual," pages 2-5, the learning continuum includes targeted high-frequency words listed for each week ranging from the -ight family (Week 10) to contractions (Week 29). The high-frequency words are incorporated into whole group lessons and into more targeted small group instruction based on students’ assessment results.
• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab" pages 44-46, materials include "Sources for Single Word Reading" practice. "Word List 1," "Fry" high-frequency words 201-400 ("SNAP" words), are sorted into sound pools. The sound pools are: Pool 1-"Short vowels and Digraphs;" Pool 2-"Long Vowels;" Pool 3 "Buddy Vowels;" Pool 4 "-r vowels;" Pool 5-"Multisyllable" words; and "Non-Phonetic."
• In the "Assessment Manual," page 29, students study and are assessed on 140 sight words across Grade 2.

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for materials provide frequent practice opportunities to read and write high-frequency words in context (sentences).

Pathways to Reading Grade 2 materials provide students with frequent practice opportunities to read and write high-frequency words in sentences during "Small Group" lessons. Student reference materials such as "ABC" charts for students to record high-frequency words and words of personal interest are included. Word cards that the teacher can post by the doorway for students to practice are a part of the spelling routine.

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read grade level irregularly spelled words in a sentence. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Small Group Manual," page 154, students complete a "Paired Learning" activity with "SNAP and Map Screech Words." Students take turns quizzing each other on "Screech SNAP and Map Words."
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 187, students read sentence strips to determine what emotion the sentence conveys. The sentence strips contain high-frequency words.
• In the "Screech and Me Student Book," Lesson 9, Day 4, the cheater words are would, you, should, and your. Students read the following paragraph. “I know you have a boy. Your boy can jump high. You should have your boy in a jumping contest. He would win! Would you ask him if he would be in the jumping contest? He should try it. The contest will be held south of town. I hope your boy will come!”

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to write grade-level, irregularly spelled words in tasks (such as sentences) in order to promote automaticity in writing grade-level irregularly spelled words. For example, the following is noted:

• In the Spelling Manual, page 33, the teacher dictates the words in isolation: phonics objectives (with, cloth), visual memory (from, of), and transfer skills (crush, this) by using them in a sentence “I am with my mom,” or “The doll is made of wax.” Then, students write the words in sentences, for example, “I want to fish from the ship.”
• In the "Spelling" Powerpoint, Lesson 11, Day 3, Slide 2, students take a spelling pretest. As part of the pretest, the teacher dictates the following sentences, “Where in the world are those birds?” and “Were you the first girl to start a trip to the North Pole?” The routine is followed on Day 3 throughout the spelling sequence.
• In the Spelling Manual, page 325, students work independently to copy the sentences, and circle spelling words. Students add a sentence with an additional thought to one of the week’s sentences.

Materials provide repeated, explicit instruction in how to use student friendly reference materials and resources, and reading irregularly spelled words (e.g., word cards, word lists, word ladders, student dictionaries). For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Spelling Manual," page 9, teachers are provided with instructions for using word cards to help students study their spelling words on a weekly basis. “To aid in developing visual memory for the four non-phonetic words the teacher plays ‘On the Spot’. S/he laminates and cuts out two flash cards of the week’s cheater words and tapes them to the class doorway. Students may be asked ‘On the Spot’ to read or spell one of the words.”

In the "Spelling Manual," page 257, students work with "Fry" words with the, "-y to -i add -es rule." The "My Word Families" reference sheet for Lesson 19 provides examples to remind students to change -y to -i and add -es.

• In the "Screech and Me Student Book," each student’s spelling book contains an "ABC" chart where students write down "My Screech Words." The student book includes an "ABC" chart where students write down "My words for Me!"

The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for materials explicitly teach word analysis strategies (phoneme/grapheme recognition, syllabication, morpheme analysis) based on the requirements of the standards and provide frequent practice opportunities for students to apply word analysis strategies.

In Pathways to Reading, explicit instruction in word analysis is provided with sample dialogue. Practice opportunities are varied and include both whole group and partner work. Students have frequent opportunities to analyze word endings and syllables.

Materials contain frequent explicit instruction of word analysis strategies (phoneme/grapheme recognition, syllabication, morpheme analysis). For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Large Group Manual," pages 90-93, students are introduced to the “Wishy-Washy” strategy for -ed words as they change the sounds:
• In this word lifted, the -ed is pronounced the way you would expect: /ed/ (page 91).
• In the word hugged it sounds like /d/ (page 92).
• “That’s why it’s Wishy-Washy!” (page 92).
• Students identify if the ending sounds like /ed/, /t/, or /d/ in the "Read Words" lists (page 93).
• In the "Small Group Manual," page 230-232, students learn to analyze words with the -ture ending. The teacher leads students in analyzing the word capture. “T- This tricky ending is in the word capture. T: (Student name #1) how many syllables in the word capture? (R) Draw two syllable lines on the board. T: What’s the first syllable in capture? (R: /cap/).” The lesson continues with students spelling the first syllable and identifying and spelling the second syllable. Students also read and analyze words such as fracture, moisture, and denture.
• In the "Spelling Manual," pages 376-377, there are explicit instructions for students to recognize prefixes: “If we place the prefix ‘mis’ in front of the word, it modifies its meaning. What does the word mean now? Correct or confirm. Mis means bad or wrong, badly, or wrongly. Let’s spell this week’s words: misspell, miscount (highlight o-u), misbehave, mislay, mismatch (recall -tch for /ch/ when its last and follows a one letter vowel), misprint, mistake, mistreat (highlight -e-a), misplace (highlight -c), and misunderstand."
• In the "Spelling Manual," pages 386-388, students learn the sound spelling of the prefix pre-. The teacher lets students know they will learn an "instant syllable." “If we place the prefix pre- in front of the word it modifies its meaning. What does the word mean now?” Let’s spell this week’s words.” The teacher asks students the number of syllables from a given list of words, then students are asked what the syllables are, and then has the students read the word, syllable by syllable. The students then say what letters are needed to spell the syllables to complete the word.

Materials contain frequent explicit instruction of word solving strategies to decode unfamiliar words. For example, the following is noted:

• In the "Large Group Manual," page 69, students practice "Eyeball Vowel Bump," and "Circle and Read." The routine involves students "eyeballing" the number of vowel sounds to mentally break the word into syllables, read each syllable, and then read the word. The teacher is provided with words to use to practice this routine such as beside, repeat, bandit, and princess.
• In the "Large Group Manual," pages 94-96, students learn that the -le suffix attaches to the consonant before it. “The first tricky ending is in the word handle. (Student Name #1) how many syllables in the word handle?” The teacher is directed to draw two syllable lines on the board. “However, we said that every syllable must have a what? This syllable is tricky because we don’t hear a vowel, but we’re going to stick this -e at the end of the syllable so that it has a vowel in it. The -l and the -e stand for the /l/ sound.”
• In the "Large Group Manual," "Teacher Preparation Tab" pages 49-52, the “Student Assists” are described for teachers and categorized by: "Most Support," "Moderate Support," and "Least Support." For example, if a student pauses on a word, the teacher prompts as follows:
• "Most Support:" Teacher prompts, “What’s the rime? What’s the onset? What’s the word? Is that a word you know?
• "Moderate Support:" Teacher prompts, “What will you ask yourself first to help you figure out this word? (Student: The onset and rime). What do we do next? (Student: Blend the sounds.) What will we do last? (Ask if it’s a word we know.).
• "Least Support:" Teacher prompts, “I saw you stop and figure out that word. What were you thinking? How did you do that?”

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

• In the "Large Group Manual," page 72, students learn about "Instant Syllable with Double Consonants." “When you see words with double consonants you can find the syllables instantly. You simply divide the word right between the two consonants. There’s a syllable on each side.” Students practice reading and identifying syllables in the following words: biggest, kitten, puppet, rabbit, and traffic.
• In the "Large Group Manual," page 77, the teacher is provided with instructions for a "Sort the Ending" activity for students to practice instant syllables. “Give partners sets of all Instant Syllable strategies learned to date. Mix them up. Tell the partners to find ways to sort the words into Instant Syllable sets. Once the words are sorted each student reads each list of words to the other. Each must agree with the other before moving on. Teacher rotates from group to group assessing and assisting.”
• In the "Large Group Manual," pages 103, students practice and apply their word analysis strategies for tricky endings (suffixes) -le, -tion, -ture, and - tion:
• "Spot the Suffix." Partners take turns flashing cards with words and students identifying the suffix.
• "Say the ending." Say the word. Students identify endings and words while a partner “agrees” or “disagrees” with the pronunciation. The partner can say “spelling challenge” to have the student spell the entire word.
• "Sort the Tricky Suffix." Partners sort words by their various endings.