The materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected sequence for teaching phonemic awareness skills. The materials have a cohesive sequence of phonemic awareness instruction based on the expected hierarchy to build toward students’ application of the skills. Materials include a phonemic awareness warm-up as Part 1 for 5 minutes, including phonemic awareness tasks such as isolating, blending, and segmenting. During Part 2, materials introduce the new sound(s) using a Sound Wall and then immediately introduce the grapheme using the Consonant Corner portion of the Sound Wall.

Materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected sequence for teaching phonemic awareness skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Reading Horizons, RHD Research Base, Phonemic Awareness, the materials state that “phonemic awareness serves as the essential foundation upon which fluent reading is built.” Additionally, phoneme segmentation and blending proficiency is essential and cites the work of Susan Brady (2020). Brady recommends that kindergarten emphasizes early phoneme awareness. The document also refers to the work of Dr. David Kilpatrick (2015), who compiled and referenced over 30 years of reading research regarding phonological awareness and its importance in reading instruction. Further, the document states that the scope and sequence in which skills are taught is based on the hierarchy of phonological skill acquisition (Paulson, 2004) and recommendations from the National Reading Panel that phonemic awareness should take no more than 20 instructional hours per year with daily lessons of two brief phonemic awareness tasks designed to take no more than five minutes.

• In Implementation Essentials, Module 7: Building Phonemic Proficiency, the video presenter states that “each lesson includes two phonemic awareness warm-up tasks that build in complexity and are designed to take no more than 5 minutes each day. The tasks begin with early skills, such as rhyming, and move to more complex tasks, such as phoneme deletion and substitutions. Emphasis is placed on blending and segmenting tasks, as the skills are most closely related to reading and writing.” 

Materials contain a cohesive sequence of phonemic awareness instruction based on the expected hierarchy to build toward students’ immediate application of the skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Grade 1 Scope and Sequence, phonemic awareness instruction is as follows: 

  • Lessons 1-4 Rhyming Words and Syllables

  • Lessons 5-12 Isolate and Delete Initial Phonemes and Blend/Segment Two Phonemes

  • Lessons 13-19 Substitute Initial Phonemes and Blend/Segment Three Phonemes 

  • Lessons 20-28 Isolate Final Phonemes, Delete Final Phonemes, Blend Three to Four Phonemes

  • Lessons 29-36 Substitute Final Phonemes and Segment/Blend Three to Four Phonemes

  • Lessons 37-44 Isolate Vowel Phonemes and Blend/Segment Four Phonemes

  • Lessons 45-52 Substitute Vowel Phonemes and Blend/Segment Four Phonemes

  • Lessons 53-64 Delete Initial Phonemes and Blend/Segment Three to Four Phonemes

  • Lessons 65-72 Add Initial Phonemes and Blend/Segment Five Phonemes

  • Lessons 73-84 Substitute Initial Phonemes and Delete Final Phonemes

  • Lessons 85-88 Add and Delete FInal Phonemes

  • Lessons 89-100 Substitute Vowel Phonemes and Blend/Segment Four to Five Phonemes

  • Lessons 101-116 Delete Second Phonemes, Segment/Blend Phonemes in Multisyllabic Words, and Substitute Second Phonemes

  • Lessons 117-123 Delete and Substitute Final Phonemes

Materials attend to developing phonemic awareness skills and avoid spending excess time on phonological sensitivity tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Beginning in Lessons 5-12, students begin receiving instruction in phonemic awareness, specifically to Isolate and Delete Initial Phonemes and Blend/Segment Two Phonemes. From there, materials consistently focus on phonemic awareness skills development.

Materials contain a phonemic awareness sequence of instruction and practice aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Reading Horizons, Program Overview, Scope and Sequence, there are columns for phonemic awareness tasks, sound wall, lesson/phonics focus, and MCW (Most Common Words). Students learn to isolate sounds and blend and segment phonemes in words in the phonemic awareness part of the lesson as they learn letter groupings in Part 2. For example, in Lesson 6, in Part 1, the phonemic awareness tasks include identifying initial phonemes in words and segmenting two phoneme words used are by, see, low. In Part 2, students learn about consonant sounds /f/ and /n/ using the Sound Wall. Students are introduced to the associated graphemes using the Consonant Corner portion of the Sound Wall.

• In Lesson 38, Part 1, the phonemic awareness warm-up includes isolating vowels and segmenting four phonemes. In Part 2, students learn Double L using the Sound Wall and are then introduced to the grapheme -ll.

The materials include opportunities for students to practice phonemic awareness. Each daily lesson begins by practicing two phonemic awareness activities that sometimes correlate with the phonics focus for the day. The materials include specific directions to the teacher for demonstrating how to articulate and pronounce each phoneme. In addition to scripted articulation practice, teachers are provided with pictures of mouth formation, which is included on each phoneme card. 

Daily phonemic awareness instruction does not always correlate to the phonics portion of the lesson (phoneme-grapheme correspondence). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 22, Part 1, Phonemic Awareness, students isolate the final phoneme by saying the last sound in words such as vet (/t/), mop (/p/), ship (/p/), yum (/m/). The second phonemic awareness skill has students blending three or four phonemes to then say the word, such as /s/ /t/ /ŭ/ /k/ (stuck), /g/ /r/ /ĭ/ /p/ (grip), /s/ /w/ /ĭ/ /m/ (swim), /g/ /l/ /ū/ (glue) /p/ /l/ /ā/ (play), /f/ /l/ /ē/ (flea). The phonics focus of the lesson is on decoding and encoding words with initial sh. The phonemic awareness instruction does not correlate to the phonics portion of the lesson.

• In Lesson 31, Part 1, Phonemic Awareness, the teacher guides students to blend three or four phonemes to make a word using words: brow, stew, smooth, breeze, sty, grin, crack, pride, place, spell. In Part 2, Phonics and Spelling, the teacher introduces the first four S-blends, sc, sk, sl, sm. Students practice words with these S-blends through the remainder of the lesson.

• In Lesson 50, Part 1, Phonemic Awareness, the teacher models segmenting three to four phonemes using the following words: wind, lunch, latch, cats, roost, yield, mint, pact, most, and fridge. The Phonics skill for this lesson is Digraph Endings. Students practice working with words that contain a final digraph. The following words were used in the phonics portion of the lesson: math, swish, much, dish, bath, cash, with, mash, moth, neth. The Digraph ch is the only digraph that matches the phonemic awareness and phonics skills within this lesson. 

Materials include opportunities for students to practice connecting sounds to letters. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 3, students identify the beginning sound in the words tiger, top, and ten.  Students state the letter that makes the sound /t/. 

• In Lesson 14, students identify the beginning sound in the words lion, love, and light.  Students state the letter that makes the sound /l/. 

• In Lesson 15, students identify the beginning sound in the words up, under, and us.  Students state the letter that makes the sound /u/.

Materials include directions to the teacher for demonstrating how to pronounce each phoneme (articulation/mouth formation). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 13, Lesson Summary, the Real Time Coaching video models for the teacher how to make the /w/ and /d/ sounds. In Part 2, the teacher displays the mouth formation card for the sound /w/. The teacher scripting has the teacher talk through and asks the students if the lips are open when they say this sound. (yes). Then asks if something is blocking the air (yes) and also asks if air is felt when this sound is made (yes). The script explains the placement of the tongue, teeth, and lips as the sound is made.

• In Lesson 42, Part 2, Teacher Tips, the teacher is given information for articulating the glued sounds /ng/: “This sound is made with the voice on and the lips slightly parted. The middle part of the tongue lifts into a hump and pushes against the middle and back part of the soft palate. The tongue creates a seal so the air cannot come out of the mouth and is shunted up through the nasal cavities where it resonates and exits.”

The materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of a year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonemic awareness. The assessment suite includes varied assessment types: Readiness Check, Optimal Phonemic Awareness Toolkits Assessment, Student Observation Checks, Daily Skill Check, Multi-Skill Check, and Cumulative Skill Check. Transfer and Review days give teachers structured time and routines for ongoing formative and summative assessment. Data is collected in the assessment suite, which provides detailed reports to teachers regarding student progress toward mastery of skills. Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of phonemic awareness. The materials contain a Corrective Feedback and Next Steps Guide that provides teachers with next instructional steps based on each assessment. Teachers use the observation tool to rate students based on their phonemic awareness skills; the data is compiled in the assessment suite and automatically provides feedback and teaching tips.

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonemic awareness. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Resource Center, Program Guides, the Assessment Guide: Technical Summary, the materials list the types of assessments available in the Assessment Suite, including the Readiness Check, Optimal Phonemic Awareness Toolkits Assessment, Student Observation Checks, Daily Skill Check, Multi-Skill Check, and Cumulative Skill Check.

• In the Overview, Assessment Guide: Technical Summary, the materials include details regarding when to administer the assessments. The Readiness Check is an initial check at the beginning of the year that identifies student readiness to learn foundational skills, identifies which students may need additional support, and identifies which students may also need to complete the Phonemic Awareness Toolkits Assessment. The Phonemic Awareness Toolkits Assessment is given as needed, based on Readiness Check or Student Observation Check scores. Student Observation Check provides an opportunity for student demonstration of multiple skills throughout key phases of the whole class lesson. Skill checks are for understanding and application of a single skill after each day’s whole class lesson. Multi-skill Check provides information about retention and transfer of a sample of key skills learned throughout the semester; this assessment takes place at the middle and end of the year.

• In Phonetic Skill 4: Vowel Toolkit, students are assessed on blending and segmenting words. Blending: /l//e//t/ let, /h//o//t/ hot, /s//a//v/ save, /g//r//a//f/ graph, /t//a//p/ tape, /w//a//v/ wave and segmenting job, shun, gave, take, game, bled.

• In Supplemental Resources, Lesson Toolkits, Phonetic Skill, Digraph sh Toolkit, students are assessed on blending and segmenting words. They blend /sh//e//d/ shed, /m//o//th/ moth, /ch//i//p/ chip, /sh//u//t/ shut, /s//l//i//k/ slick, /h//o//t/ hot and segment ship, drop, chat, thin, this, shun.

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

• In the Overview, the materials include information about the student-level reports. Teachers will know how well students have mastered skills as they progress through the scope and sequence. The Class Skill Proficiency report allows teachers to determine skill proficiency and improvement after supported practice. The Student Skill Progress Report provides overall data looking at the Whole-Group Instruction recorded observations, Initial Skill Check, Small-Group Instruction recorded observations, and Post Skill Check to determine the effectiveness of instruction and practice. The Multi-Skill Data Check enables teachers to see the results of multiple Multi-Skill Checks in one place and allows them to see how students are performing in each skill group. The Readiness and Cumulative Skill Check Data summarizes results for the Readiness Check, Middle-of-Year Cumulative Skill Check, and End-of-Year Cumulative Skill Check.

• In the Observation Checkpoint Guide, the materials provide teachers with a Quick Reference Scoring Criteria Rubric for observing students’ progress in phonemic awareness:

  • Red - the student is unable to perform the task accurately, even with teacher support or scaffolding.

  • Yellow - the student is able to perform the task accurately with teacher support or scaffolding OR the student may not be able to perform the task with automaticity.

  • Green - the student is able to perform the task accurately, independently, and with automaticity.

• In Reports, the Student Skill Proficiency Report provides progress monitoring data from each lesson using the student observation panel in Phonemic Awareness, Decoding, Encoding, and Transfer. When data is accurately and regularly entered into the database, this report identifies which students need additional support and in which of the aforementioned areas. 

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

• In Corrective Feedback and Next Steps Guide, the materials provide teachers with next steps for instruction for students who:

  • Inaccurately articulate phonemes

  • Inaccurately identify isolated phonemes

  • Inaccurately blend phonemes

  • Inaccurately segment phonemes

  • Inaccurately manipulate phonemes within a word

• In Observation Checkpoint Guide, Observation Opportunities, the materials explain that at the end of the Phonemic Awareness section of each lesson, teachers can use “look fors” for phonemic awareness concepts to identify any student behaviors that signal the need for additional support or practice, then use the Next Steps to guide instructional decisions. For example, in Corrective Feedback and Next Steps Guide, pages 8-9, the materials provide next steps for students who inaccurately identify isolated phonemes.

  • Phonemic Awareness Toolkits: Use the Phonemic Awareness Toolkits to practice isolating phonemes.

  • Exaggeration: Consider exaggerating the phoneme placement a student struggles to isolate. For example, if initial isolation is a struggle, exaggerate or repeat the initial sound: sat /ssssssss- aat/ or pig /pppp-ig/.

The materials include a detailed scope and sequence with an evidence-based rationale for the sequence of phonics instruction. Instruction is logically grouped into high-utility patterns, beginning with letter groups and working up to phonetic skills instruction focused on syllable types. Phonics instruction moves from simple to more complex.

Materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected sequence for teaching phonics skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Research Base, Phonics, the materials indicate that the phonics instructional sequence is informed by the following:  

  • Utility: the materials introduce high-utility letters and at least one vowel to support word building. Short vowel sounds are introduced first to enable students to encode and decode closed syllables, the most common syllable type. 

  • Continuous sounds: the materials introduce some continuous sounds, including /s/ and /m/, early to support blending and connected phonation. 

  • Common errors: the materials separate easily confused phonemes and graphemes, including i/e, b/d, and p/q. 

  • Rules of orthography: the materials introduce c and k last so that students will have learned all vowels, enabling them to identify the correct orthographic spelling of the /k/ sound at the beginning of a word. 

• In Research Base, Phonics, the materials indicate that phonics instruction moves from letter groups to digraphs because they produce a single sound, to two-phoneme blends, to double l patterns, and then glued sounds because they are letter combinations that introduce new sounds. Then, the instructional focus shifts to syllable types, which are taught in the context of the Five Phonetic Skills. 

• In Program Overview, Scope and Sequence, it states that “the sequence is logical and intentional, building from the simplest concepts to the more complex. The skills are intentionally grouped together to reduce cognitive load, allowing students’ brains to process and store information more efficiently. Syllable types and syllable division are presented in a simple framework of Five Phonetic Skills and Two Decoding Skills, which provides a more accessible and meaningful structured and organized approach.”

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

• The Scope and Sequence follows an intentional sequence of phonics instruction from simpler to complex skills. Chapter 1 includes Letter Group Lessons. Chapter 2 includes digraphs, consonant blends, double l patterns, and glued sounds. Chapter 3 includes short and long vowels, Phonetic Skills 1-5, trigraphs and three-letter blends, and vowel families. Chapter 4 includes suffixes, r-controlled vowels, special vowel sounds, jobs of y, Decoding Skills 1-2, and multisyllabic words. 

  • Chapter 1: Letter sounds in letter groups: 

    • Letter Group 1: Aa, Mm, Ss, Tt, Pp

    • Letter Group 2: Ii, Ff, Nn, Gg, Bb

    • Letter Group 3: Oo, Rr, Hh, Vv, Jj

    • Letter Group 4: Ee, Ww, Dd, Ll, Yy

    • Letter Group 5: Uu, Qu, Zz, Xx, Cc, Kk

    • Spelling with c and k

• Chapter 2: Digraphs th, ch, sh, wh, ph; L-Blends bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sl;  R-Blends br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr; S-Blends sc, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, st, sw, final s-blends; W-Blends tw, sw, dw; Plurals -s, Doubles ss, ll, ff, Plurals -es, Double l all, oll, ell, ill, ull; -NG Glued Sounds -ang, -ing, -ong, -ung, -NK Glued Sounds -ank, -ink, -onk, -unk; Suffixes -ed and -ing

• Chapter 3: Short and Long Vowels; Phonetic Skill 1- single consonant ending, digraph ending; Spelling with -ck; Trigraph -tch Phonetic Skill 2 - blends and two-consonant endings, consonant digraph endings; Three-letter S-Blends scr, str, spr, spl, squ; Phonetic Skill 3; Phonetic Skill 4 - vowels a, o, i, u, e, nce; Trigraph -dge; Phonetic Skill 5 - ai, ay, ea, ee, oa, oe, ui, ue, ie; Spelling with -ke and -k; Vowel Family O -old, -ost, -olt; Vowel Family I -ind, -ild. 

• Chapter 4: Suffixes -ed and -ing; R-Controlled Vowel - ar, or, ir, er, ur; Special Vowel Sounds - au, aw, ou, ow, oi, oy, oo; Jobs of Y; Suffixes -er and -est; -igh and -ight; Digraph Blends thr and shr; Decoding Skill 1 - single consonants, blends and digraphs; Decoding Skill 2 - two consonants, blends and digraphs; Multisyllabic Words - the schwa, prefixes, final -le. 

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

• In Chapter 1, the scope and sequence indicates instruction on consonants and vowels, thus providing students with skills to read CVC words with short vowel sounds. 

• In Chapter 2, the scope and sequence indicates instruction on digraphs, two-letter blends, plurals, double consonant patterns, and glued sounds. According to the Research Base document, the instruction moves from the simplest, as digraphs make one sound, to more complex as glued sounds have letter combinations that introduce new sounds. 

• In Chapter 3, the scope and sequence indicates instruction on short and long vowels, spelling with -ck, trigraphs and three-letter blends, and Phonetic Skills 1-5, which includes instruction in syllable types, moving into vowel teams and vowel families. 

• In Chapter 4, the scope and sequence indicates instruction on affixes, r-controlled vowels, special vowel sounds, multisyllabic words, and Decoding Skills 1-2. Instruction moves into more complex phonics patterns and application to multisyllabic words.

Materials do not contain elements of instruction that are based on the three-cueing system.

• Materials do not contain lessons or resources that include the three-cueing system.

The materials provide ample practice and review opportunities in a reasonably paced manner. Each lesson provides opportunities for student practice in the context of the teacher-guided lesson, in small groups using the Student Transfer Book, and independently using the learning software. Skill groups of instruction are followed by regular Review and Transfer days, which provide review of the newly-taught phonics skills and also incorporate review of previously-taught skills. Instructional timing is included in each daily lesson and includes 40 minutes of instruction: Part 1: Phonemic Awareness, 5 minutes, Part 2: Phonics and Spelling, 27 minutes, Part 3: Whole Class Transfer: 8 minutes.

Materials include reasonable pacing of newly-taught phonics skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lessons 1-19, the materials reintroduce all 26 letters, organized into working groups. Each working group contains 5-6 letters. The lesson structure includes 1-2 letters per lesson, followed by a review and transfer day, then moving on to the next working group. Working group one also includes introductory lessons on building words and nonsense words.

  • In Lessons 1 - 4, the materials group the following letters: a, m, s, t, p. Each daily lesson focuses on explicitly teaching one to two letters and their corresponding sound at a time. Lesson 4 guides students to use the taught letter sounds to build words. 

  • In Lessons 5  - 8, the materials group the following letters: i, f, n, g, b. Each daily lesson focuses on explicitly teaching one to two letters and their corresponding sound at a time. Lesson 8 guides students to use the taught letter sounds to build nonsense words. 

• In Lessons 20-34, the materials introduce digraphs and blends. Over the course of 14 lessons, the teacher reviews or introduces five digraphs and 27 blends. Digraphs are taught and practiced 1-2 per lesson, and blends are taught and practiced 3-4 per lesson. 

The lesson plan design allots time to include sufficient student practice to work towards automaticity. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 21, Part 2, Phonics and Spelling, the phonics objective is for students to decode and encode words with initial ch. During the Dictation for Encoding portion of the lesson, students write the dictated word chap on their boards and mark the word, using an x to indicate the vowel and an arc to indicate the digraph. Students repeat the process with the words chop, chip, and the nonsense word cheb. Then, students play the Eraser Game, in which they identify and decode the words chap, chop, cheb, chip, and chin using clues given by the teacher. Then, students use the remaining word, chug, to practice word building, changing letters to make the following word chain: chug/chum/hum/hem/them. Students read the list of created words aloud. Student practice occurs during the Phonics and Spelling portion of the lesson, for which 27 minutes is allotted to include instruction, modeling, and guided practice. 

• In Lesson 22, Part 2, Phonics and Spelling, the phonics objective is for students to decode and encode words with digraph sh. During the Dictation for Encoding portion of the lesson, students write the dictated word shin on their boards and mark the word, using an x to indicate the vowel and an arc to indicate the digraph. Students repeat the process with the words shut, shop, and the nonsense word shug. Then, students play the Eraser Game, in which they identify and decode the words shed, shin, shut, shop, and shug using clues given by the teacher. Then, students use the remaining word, sham, to practice word building, changing letters to make the following word chain: sham/ham/hat/chat/that. Students read the list of created words aloud. Student practice occurs during the Phonics and Spelling portion of the lesson, for which 27 minutes is allotted to include instruction, modeling, and guided practice. 

• In Lesson 23, Part 2, Phonics and Spelling, the phonics objective is for students to decode and encode words with final ch and sh. During the Dictation for Encoding portion of the lesson, students write the dictated word rush on their boards and mark the word, using an x to indicate the vowel and an arc to indicate the digraph. Students repeat the process with the words such, fish, and the nonsense word nish. Then students play the Eraser Game, in which they identify then decode the words wish, rush, such, fish, and nish using clues given by the teacher. Then, students use the remaining word, much, to practice word building, changing letters to make the following word chain: much/mush/mash/math/path. Students read the list of created words aloud. Student practice occurs during the Phonics and Spelling portion of the lesson, for which 27 minutes is allotted to include instruction, modeling, and guided practice. 

• In Lesson 24, Part 2, Phonics and Spelling, the phonics objective is for students to decode and encode words with digraphs wh and ph. During the Dictation for Encoding portion of the lesson, students write the dictated word whim on their boards and mark the word, using an x to indicate the vowel and an arc to indicate the digraph. Students repeat the process with the words Phil, whip, and the nonsense word phub. Then, students play the Eraser Game, in which they identify and decode the words whim, Phil, whip, and phub using clues given by the teacher. Then, students use the remaining word, when, to practice word building, changing letters to make the following word chain: when/hen/then/thin/bin. Students read the list of created words aloud. Student practice occurs during the Phonics and Spelling portion of the lesson, for which 27 minutes is allotted to include instruction, modeling, and guided practice. 

• In Lesson 25, Part 2, Phonics and Spelling, the phonics objective is for students to decode and encode words with digraphs th, ch, sh, wh, and ph. During the Dictation for Encoding portion of the lesson, students write the dictated word ship on their boards and mark the word, using an x to indicate the vowel and an arc to indicate the digraph. Students repeat the process with the words which, math, and the nonsense word bosh. Then, students play the Eraser Game, in which they identify and decode the words that, ship, which, math, and bosh using clues given by the teacher. Then, students use the remaining word, chop, to practice word building, changing letters to make the following word chain: chop/chip/whip/hip/ship. Students read the list of created words aloud. Student practice occurs during the Phonics and Spelling portion of the lesson, for which 27 minutes is allotted to include instruction, modeling, and guided practice. 

Materials contain distributed, cumulative, and interleaved opportunities for students to practice and review all previously learned grade-level phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 20, Part 3: Whole Class Transfer, Student Transfer Book, students engage in the following mixed review words that include sounds taught in previous lessons: kid, can, cot, kit, Kim, cub, cup. After mixed review, students practice decoding a passage using the Skill Words, Mixed Review Words, and Most Common Words.

• In Lesson 43, Part 3: Whole Class Transfer, Student Transfer Book, students engage in the following mixed review words that include sounds taught in previous lessons: fang, king, flossed, fang, wing, glossed, dashed. After mixed review, students practice decoding a passage using the Skill Words, Mixed Review Words, and Most Common Words.

• The materials include a Review and Transfer day at the end of each working group. For example:

  • In Review and Transfer Day 7, after lesson 34, students take Multi-Skill Check 7, aligned with previously taught lessons on s-blends and w-blends. The materials provide resources for teacher-led small-group lessons, differentiated based on the results of the Multi-Skill Check. Materials include student choice boards focused on review and transfer of decoding of s-blends and w-blends. Lessons and activities also include previously taught digraphs and letter groups. Review work includes student choice boards that feature decoding speed drills, encoding practice, and passage decoding using passages from Weeks 31-34 and the decodable book Snapshot. 

  • In Review and Transfer Day 18, after lesson 95, students take Multi-Skill Check 18, aligned with previously-taught lessons on r-controlled vowels. The materials provide resources for teacher-led small-group lessons, differentiated based on the results of the Multi-Skill Check. Materials include student choice boards focused on review and transfer of decoding of r-controlled vowels. Lessons and activities also include previously-taught digraphs, trigraphs, blends, suffixes, and letter groups. Review work includes student choice boards that feature decoding speed drills, encoding practice, and passage decoding using passages from Weeks 88-95 and the decodable book Sir Longfur.

The materials include systematic and explicit phonics instruction with repeated routines for teacher modeling. The lesson structure includes teacher scripts for explicit instruction with consistent routines for teacher modeling for all grade-level phonics standards. 

Materials contain explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of newly-taught phonics patterns. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

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

  • In Lesson 21, Part 2, the teacher says the words chip, chain, and chair and tells students that all three words begin with the /ch/ sound. The teacher identifies the ch on the sound wall and reveals the grapheme ch. The teacher tells students that a digraph is two consonants that spell one sound. The teacher tells students that the digraph ch makes the /ch/ sound, then models using an arc to mark the digraph ch to indicate that digraphs always stay together. 

  • In Lesson 23, Part 2,  the teacher tells students, “A digraph is two consonants that spell one sound. Digraphs can be found at the beginning or end of a word.” The teacher first models the /ch/ and /sh/ sounds at the end of the following words: rich and dish. The teacher says, “Whether a digraph is at the beginning or end of a word, the way we mark a digraph stays the same.” 

  • In Lesson 24, Part 2, the teacher says the words where, which, and why and tells students that all three words begin with the /wh/ sound. The teacher identifies the wh on the sound wall and reveals the grapheme wh. The teacher tells students that a digraph is two consonants that spell one sound. The teacher tells students that the digraph wh makes the /wh/ sound, then models using an arc to mark the digraph wh to indicate that digraphs always stay together. The teacher repeats the process for the digraph ph. 

• Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.

  • In Lesson 40, Part 2, the teacher models marking the words stall and shell, using an x to mark the vowel, an arc to indicate the blend, and another arc to keep the vowel and double l together. As the teacher marks each, the teacher verbalizes the word parts, then reads each word as a whole twice. 

  • In Lesson 56, Part 2, the teacher models marking the words go and me, using an x to mark the vowel and a line above the vowel to indicate a long vowel sound. The teacher reads each word as a whole twice. 

  • In Lesson 68, Part 2, the teacher tells the students that they will be learning about another sound for /g/. The teacher displays the word fudge and marks the vowel u with an x and -dge with an arc. The teacher then marks the vowel e with an x and a silent line, and makes a Rainbow J with an arc over the letters ge. The teacher marks the Guardian Consonant (j) and writes a breve above the u. This process is repeated with the word lunge. 

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

  • In Lesson 58, Part 2, the teacher says, “Phonetic Skills 4 tells us that when a vowel is followed by a consonant and silent e, the first vowel sound is long.” The teacher displays the word name and models marking it, using an x for the vowels, drawing a vertical line through the final e to indicate that it is silent, and adding a horizontal line above the first vowel to indicate the vowel is long. The teacher says, “The e is silent but strong. Silent e makes the first vowel spell its long vowel sound.” The teacher reads the word name. The teacher repeats the process with the word grade.

  • In Lesson 70, Part 2, the teacher says, “Phonetic Skills 5 tells us that when two vowels are adjacent, the second vowel is silent, and the first vowel sound is long.” The teacher displays the Adjacent Vowels Poster, which shows the nine most common adjacent vowels. The teacher tells students they will begin practicing this skill with adjacent vowels ai, which make the long a sound. The teacher displays the word rain and models marking it, using an x for the vowels, drawing a vertical line through the i to indicate that it is silent, and adding a horizontal line above the a to indicate the vowel is long. The teacher reads the word rain. The teacher repeats the process with the word aid. 

  • In Lesson 74, Part 2, the teacher says, “Phonetic Skill 5 tells us that when two vowels are adjacent, the second vowel is silent, and the first vowel sound is long.” The teacher models the sounds made when oa are next to each other by saying, “When the vowels oa are adjacent, they spell the long o sound: /ō/. This spelling for the long o sound can be found in the beginning and in the middle of words.” The teacher models decoding the word load and oat using the oa sound.

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

  • In Lesson 115, Part 2, the teacher tells students that a syllable is a word or part of a word with one vowel sound or one working vowel. The teacher says, “When words have more than one working vowel, that means they have more than one syllable.” The teacher displays the nonsense word mo and models marking and reading the open syllable word. The teacher models adding a t to the end of the word, then models marking and reading the closed syllable word mot. The teacher models adding an e to the end of the word, then models marking and reading the word mote. After each of the words, the teacher identifies the number of working vowels and tells students that the words have one working vowel, which means they have one syllable. The teacher adds an l to the end of the word, then models marking and reading the word motel. The teacher identifies the two working vowels in motel and tells students that the word’s two working vowels make it a two-syllable word. 

  • In Lesson 118, Part 2, the teacher displays the word campus and models marking the word, using a x to indicate each vowel. The teacher says, “I can count the x’s under the word to help me know how many working vowels and syllables are in the word. In this word, there are two x’s, showing me there are two working vowels.” The teacher repeats the process with the word subject. 

  • In Lesson 121, Part 2, the teacher reminds the students that “a syllable is a word, or part of a word, that has exactly one vowel sound or one working vowel.”

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

  • In Lesson 116, Part 2, the teacher tells students, “Decoding Skills 1 tells us when there is only one consonant between two vowels, the consonant moves, or runs, with the next syllable. A quick saying to remember this is One must run. This reminds us that the one consonant will run to the next syllable.” The teacher models marking the word program, using x’s for the vowels and arcs to indicate the blends. The teacher models using Decoding Skill 1 to divide the word into syllables. The teacher models applying Phonetic Skill 3 to mark the first vowel as long and Phonetic Skill 1 to mark the second vowel as short. The teacher models decoding each syllable and then reads the word as a whole. The teacher repeats the process with the word migrate. 

  • In Lesson 117, Part 2, the teacher displays the word baby and models marking the word, using a x to indicate each vowel. The teacher models using Decoding Skill 1 to divide the word into syllables, then models using Phonetic Skill 3 to mark the first vowel as long. The teacher puts a small e with a macron above the y to indicate the long e sound, then reads the word baby. The teacher repeats the process with the word spicy. 

  • In Lesson 121, Part 2, the teacher says words with more than one syllable are called multisyllabic. The teacher explains that there is a vowel sound that can sneak into any syllable called a schwa. The teacher models the schwa in multisyllabic words using the word soda. The teacher marks the vowels and has students help count the number of consonants in between the vowels. The teacher reminds students in Decoding Skill 1 that when there is one consonant between two vowels, it runs to become part of the next syllable. 

• Read words with inflectional endings.

  • In Lesson 47, Part 2, the teacher reminds students that the suffix -ed changes an action word to show that it happened in the past and reviews the rule for when the ending makes a /t/ or /d/ sound. The teacher tells students that the suffix -ing shows that an action is happening right now. The teacher displays the word fill, then models marking the word, using an x for the vowel and an arc to indicate the vowel and double l stay together. The teacher reads the word twice and then displays the word filled next to the original word. The teacher underlines the -ed ending, then tells students that because it follows a voiced sound, -ed spells the voiced sound /d/. The teacher reads the word twice, then repeats the process with the words call and calling. 

  • In Lesson 84, Part 2, the teacher displays the word hopping and underlines the -ing ending. The teacher tells students that the -ing ending means the action is happening now. The teacher says, “Ethan is hopping like a bunny. Ethan is hopping now.” The teacher displays the word hopped and underlines the -ed ending. The teacher tells students that the -ed ending means the action already happened. The teacher says, “Ethan hopped like a bunny. Ethan has already hopped.” The teacher models marking and decoding the words planned, running, and boxing. 

  • In Lesson 109, Part 2, the teacher displays the word hot. Before adding the suffix -er, the teacher reminds students that “when a word follows Phonetic Skill 1 and ends in a single consonant, we double the consonant before adding a vowel suffix. The teacher then displays the word hotter, marks the suffix -er, and has students read the word. The teacher then shows the word hottest and has students read that word as well. 

Lessons include blending and segmenting practice using structured, consistent blending routines with teacher modeling. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 12, Part 2, the teacher models marking the slide pe, and the word pet, using an x to mark the vowel and an arc to indicate the blend. As the teacher marks each slide and word, the teacher models blending the sounds to read the slide or word. 

• In Lesson 18, Part 2, the teacher models marking the slides ke and ki and the words Ken and kid, using an x to mark the vowel and an arrow to indicate the slide. As the teacher marks each slide and word, the teacher models blending the sounds to read the slide or word. The teacher verbalizes each step, saying, for example, “Begin to say /k/ and slide to /ĕ/: /kĕ/.”

• In Lesson 31, Part 2, the teacher models marking the slides sca, ski, slo, sma and the words scan, slim, slob, and smash, using an x to mark the vowels and arcs to indicate the blends and digraphs. As the teacher marks each slide and word, the teacher models blending the sounds to read the slide or word.

Lessons include dictation of words and sentences using the newly-taught phonics pattern(s). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Review and Transfer Day 11, Activity 2, the teacher-led transfer activity includes guided dictation of words and sentences. The materials provide a word bank of words and sentences that include the newly-taught Phonetic Skills 2-3. The materials indicate that teachers can choose the words and sentences that meet students’ needs to differentiate for each group. The dictation bank includes 12 sentences and 148 words organized into the following categories: Phonetic Skill 2 with 2 consonant endings, Phonetic SKill 2 with 2 consonant endings and initial blends and digraphs, Phonetic Skill 2 with consonant digraph endings, Phonetic Skill 3, and nonsense words. 

• In Review and Transfer Day 22, Activity 2, the teacher-led transfer activity includes guided dictation of words and sentences. The materials provide a word bank of words and sentences that include the newly-taught suffixes -er and -est. The materials indicate that teachers can choose the words and sentences that meet students’ needs to differentiate for each group. The dictation bank includes 12 sentences and 109 word sets (i.e., big/bigger/biggest) organized into Phonetic Skills 1, 2, 4, and 5. 

• In Lesson 51, Part 2, the teacher first says and spells the word sick, then directs students to spell, write and mark the word. This process is repeated with the words black, rock, check, pack, and the nonsense word greck. 

Materials include teacher guidance for corrective feedback when needed for students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Corrective Feedback Guide, Phonics, the materials offer the following corrective feedback suggestions if a student inaccurately connects a phoneme to a corresponding grapheme: use the Lesson Toolkits to provide explicit instruction on problem phoneme(s), use visual and auditory drills in a structured manner to connect phoneme and grapheme. 

• In Corrective Feedback Guide, Phonics, the materials offer the following corrective feedback suggestions if students inaccurately decode words: use the Lesson Toolkits to provide explicit instruction in decoding with identified skills, model, and practice blending sounds without pausing between sounds, use a blending board for practice, use decodable texts for additional practice, and provide practice in isolation vowel sounds for students with consistent vowel sound errors in decoding. 

• In Corrective Feedback Guide, Phonics, the materials provide a sample script for the teacher to use: Identify the error, Confirm the expectation, Confirm the correction, Guide Correction, Provide specific praise. Each box in the cycle provides an example of what the teacher might say. For example, in Identify the error, the sample script is “Listen to/Look at the way you read/wrote this word/sound.

The materials include consistent instructional routines that contain regular opportunities for students to practice decoding and encoding words using common and newly taught sound and spelling patterns. The materials indicate that Part 2 of the lesson, Phonics and Spelling, as well as the Whole Group Transfer Card in Part 3, are focused on accuracy. The student practice in these sections includes marking words to support accurate decoding and encoding. The decodable passage and decodable texts contain opportunities for students to practice decoding with a focus on automaticity. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to decode phonetically spelled words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 9, Part 3, students read the Whole Class Transfer Card, which contains the words top, got, mop, and the nonsense word pob, and the sentence I got the mop.

• In Lesson 25, Part 3, students read the Whole Class Transfer Card, which contains the words then, each, when, cash, Phil, whip, the nonsense word ched, and the sentence When can Beth and Chad shop? 

• In Lesson 50, Part 2, in the Warm Up, students read the words jog, yes, plus, and bed in partners. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to encode phonetically spelling words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 27, Part 2, students encode the words plug, plum, glad, slip, and the nonsense word flep. Students spell the word and mark it, using an x for the vowels and an arc for the blends.

• In Lesson 40, Part 2, students encode the words drill, spell, grill, spill, troll, and the nonsense word choll. Students spell the word and mark it, using an x for the vowels and an arc for any blends or digraphs.

• In Lesson 70, Part 2, students encode the words snail, brain, and paint and the nonsense word chaid. Students spell the word and mark it, using an x for the vowels, a vertical line through the second vowel to indicate it is silent, a horizontal line over the first vowel to indicate a long vowel and an arc for any blends or digraphs.

• In Lesson 113, Part 2, students encode the words thigh, night, and flight and the nonsense word jigh. Students spell the word and mark it, using an x for the vowels, a vertical line through the g and h to indicate they are silent, a horizontal line over the i to indicate a long vowel, and an arc for any blends or digraphs.

Lessons include student-guided practice and independent practice of blending words using the sound-spelling pattern(s) in an instructional sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 60, Part 2, in Dictation for Decoding, students write the words kite and slime as the teacher dictates letter by letter. Students mark the words using an x to indicate the vowels, a vertical line through the final e to indicate it is silent, an arc to indicate a blend, and a long vowel mark to indicate the first vowel is long. Students read the word twice. 

• In Lesson 80, Part 2, in Dictation for Decoding, students write the words sold and post as the teacher dictates letter by letter. Students mark the words using an x to indicate the vowels, a line under the vowel families old and ost, and a long vowel mark to indicate the first vowel is long. Students read the word twice. 

• In Lesson 100, Part 2, in Dictation for Decoding, students write the words grown and blow as the teacher dictates letter by letter. Students mark the words using an x to indicate the vowels, a macron to indicate the long sound, an arc to indicate a blend, and special vowel sound, the diphthong ow. Students read the words twice. 

• In Lesson 114, Part 2, in Dictation for Decoding, students write the words shrimp and throat as the teacher dictates letter by letter. Students mark the words using an x to indicate the vowels, a line through the vowel a, a long vowel mark to indicate the first vowel is long, and an arc under the blends thr and shr. Students read the word twice. 

Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in word-level decoding practice focused on accuracy and automaticity. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 12, Part 3, students read the lesson’s decodable passage, consisting of five sentences using the newly taught short e spelling. Students read the passage chorally, then the teacher reads the passage aloud, then students read the passage with a partner. The materials indicate that the instructional focus is automaticity, rate, and prosody. 

• In Lesson 16, Part 3, students read the lesson’s decodable passage, consisting of five sentences using the newly taught consonants z and x. Students read the passage chorally, then the teacher reads the passage aloud, then students read the passage with a partner. The materials indicate that the instructional focus is automaticity, rate, and prosody. 

• In Lesson 41, Part 3, students read the Whole Class Transfer Card, which includes decoding the words missed, boxed, the nonsense word dessed, and the sentences It fizzed when they mixed it and I waxed with the cloth. Students read the second sentence twice. 

• In Lesson 95, Part 3, students read the Whole Class Transfer Card, which includes decoding the words warp, work, squash, world, feared, serve, and third, and the sentences The worm can squirm in the dirt, and The squad wore the worst shirts. Students read the second sentence twice. 

Materials contain frequent opportunities for students to review previously learned grade-level phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Review and Transfer Day 5, after Lesson 25, students build words with recently taught digraphs th, sh, wh, ph, and ch and previously taught letters b, d, f, g, l, m, n, p, qu, r, s, t, w, x, and z.  

• In Review and Transfer Day 12, after Lesson 64, students read the words be, take, line, time, state, name, globe, game, white, stone, size, same, while, five, shape, wave, and chime. The words review recently-taught final e long vowel spellings and previously-taught blends and digraphs. Students write the word that makes sense in the following fill-in-the-blank sentences: “Did her late _____ end on _____? These come in the _____ and ______.” 

• In Review and Transfer Day 19, after Lesson 100, students read the words aunt, cause, count, ouch, draw, flown, our, hawk, straw, cloud, brown, snow, south, shout, town, and mouse. The words review recently taught special vowel sounds au, aw, ou, and ow as well as previously taught blends and digraphs.

The materials contain spelling rules and generalizations that align to the phonics scope and sequence. The materials include explanations for spelling of specific words or spelling rules. Detailed information about articulation and morphology is provided for the teacher in the form of Teacher Tips and scripting. Students have sufficient opportunities to practice spelling rules and generalizations. Daily practice occurs in direct instruction and in Daily and Post Skills Checks. The Skill Checks provide students with digital activities that allow for practice of phonics skills from the lesson. Practice opportunities are also present in Part 4 of daily instruction in the small group setting.

Spelling rules and generalizations are aligned to the phonics scope and sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 21, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on Digraphs: initial ch. Students spell words with the initial digraph ch.

• In Lesson 30, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on l-blends and r-blends with digraphs. Students spell words with l-blends and l-blends. 

• In Lesson 40, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on Double L with Digraphs and Blends. Students spell words with Double L with Digraphs and Blends such as grill, spill, troll, drill.

• In Lesson 52, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on Trigraph -tch. Students spell words with -tch, such as hatch, pitch, clutch.

• In Lesson 71, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on ai and ay. Students spell long /a/ words with an adjacent vowel team -ai and -ay at the beginning and middle.

• In Lesson 88, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on the ar pattern. Students spell words with the ar pattern, such as art, scarf, smart, jat, car, farm, darf.

Materials include explanations for spelling of specific words or spelling rules. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 41, Part 2, the teacher tells students, “The suffix -ed means in the past and is added at the end of action words or verbs. When we add -ed to the end of a verb, it means the action has already happened…This suffix is always spelled with the letters -ed, but it spells three different sounds.”

• In Lesson 51, Part 2, the teacher tells students, “When a one-syllable word has a short vowel followed only by the sound /k/, that final sound will always be spelled -ck. This is a consistent pattern in English.”

• In Lesson 65, Part 2, the teacher says, “Today, we will learn another sound for consonant c when it is followed by the vowels i or e. We have already learned that when c is followed by a, o, or u, it will spell the /k/ sound. We will learn that when c is followed by the vowels i or e, it spells the sound /s/. In this lesson, you will learn a new marking to show when c spells the /s/ sound. The marking is called Rainbow S because it looks like a rainbow and is marked above the word. It shows that when c is followed by i or e, it spells the sound /s/.”

• In Lesson 102, Part 2, the teacher introduces the Special Vowel Sound /oi/. The teacher says, “The letters oy are the spelling for the sound /oi/ used most often at the end of words.”

• In Lesson 123, Part 2, the teacher explains the final consonant -le spelling pattern. The teacher says, “a consonant with the letters -le (c-le) is always the last, or final, syllable, so it is also known as the final stable syllable.”

Students have sufficient opportunities to practice spelling rules and generalizations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 29, Part 2, students practice spelling words with r-blends fr, gr, pr, and tr on their whiteboard. Words include fret, grab, trot, prub.

• In Lesson 63, Part 2, students practice spelling words with long e (e-e) on their whiteboard. Words include theme, Steve, eve, these, breve, Neve, Pete, zeme.

• In Lesson 83, Part 2, students practice spelling and proving words with -ed on dry-erase boards. Students repeat the word the teacher says and then write it on their board. Students add the -ed ending. Students then show the word to the teacher to check for accuracy. Words include printed, heated, and funded.

• In Lesson 123, Part 2, students practice spelling and proving multisyllable words with -le on dry-erase boards. Students repeat the word the teacher says and then write it on their board. Students then show the word to the teacher to check for accuracy. Words include bubble, apple, stable, table.

The materials feature decodable texts containing grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. Each lesson includes a decodable passage that the teacher uses during Part 3. The materials include general lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts. Decodable books are used in the small group centers with direct teacher instruction. Reading practice occurs in decodable texts until students can accurately decode single syllable words.

Decodable texts contain grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 28, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on r-Blends. Part 3 includes a decodable passage featuring words with r-Blends, such as Brit, Drax, bran, cram, brim, Bran, drop, drag, crop. 

• In Lesson 68, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on Sounds for G: Trigraph -dge. Part 3 includes a decodable passage featuring words with Trigraph -dge such as Hodge, bridge, ridge, edge, budge, lunge, cringe.  

• In Lesson 107, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on Jobs of Y: y as Long i.  Part 3 includes a decodable passage featuring words with Y such as dry, cry, sky, shy, type, rhyme, try, why.

• In Lesson 123, the Scope and Sequence indicates a phonics focus on Final Consonant -le. Part 3 includes a decodable passage featuring words with final consonant -le, such as simple, bubble, cable, tickles, apple, pickle, giggle. 

Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address acquisition of phonics skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 50, Part 3, students reread the decodable passage three different times. Students discuss the targeted skill, final digraphs, by answering the following questions: “How many Guardian Stars is a digraph marked with? Why is a digraph marked with one star? Let’s check to see how you feel about using today’s skill. Show me your 1, 2, or 3.”  

• In Lesson 74, Part 3, students reread the decodable passage three different times. Students first read the passage together. Students reread the passage a second time. Last, students take turns reading with a partner. Upon completion of reading, the materials indicate that students answer the following question, “What do we know about adjacent vowels?”

• In lesson 80, Part 3, students reread the decodable passage three different times. Students first read the passage together. Students reread the passage a second time. Last, students take turns reading with a partner. Upon completion of reading, the materials indicate that students answer the following question: “What do we know about the sound of the vowel in the Vowel Family O?”

Reading practice occurs in decodable texts (i.e., an absence of predictable texts) until students can accurately decode single syllable words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 5, Part 3, the text is decodable based on prior content introduced and does not contain predictable text: “Sit, Tim. Sit at the mat, Tim.” The text contains letter sounds taught in Lessons 1-5 and the previously taught high-frequency word the. 

• In Lesson 25, Part 3, the text is decodable based on prior content introduced and does not contain predictable text: “Chad got fish in the dish. Phil got dip in the dish. Josh can whip the dip. Rich got chips. They are ready for fish dip!” The text contains previously taught sound spellings and high-frequency words, with the exception of the word ready, making the text over 90% decodable.

• In Lesson 76, Part 3, the text is decodable and does not contain predictable text: “Rue wants to paint. She can see a peach. She will paint the fruit, but all she has is a blue hue. Blue will not suit this fruit. What will Rue do? She will paint the peach blue and laugh!” The text contains previously taught sound spellings and high-frequency words, with the exception of the word laugh, making the text over 90% decodable.

The materials provide resources and tools to collect formative and summative data about students’ progress in phonics. Multiple assessment tools are provided for the teacher to administer throughout the year to measure student progress toward mastery of phonics skills. Materials also provide teacher tools to generate overview and progress reports at the student and classroom level. Varied assessments include Readiness Checks at the start of the year, Daily Skill Checks after each lesson, Student Observation Checks, Multi-Skill Checks offered three times for each skill set, a Mid-Year Cumulative Skill Check, and an End-of-Year Cumulative Skill Check. 

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Reading Horizons Discovery Program Overview, Assessments, page 38, the materials describe formative and summative assessments for students to demonstrate mastery and independence with phonics. Assessments include Readiness Check, Mid-Year Cumulative Skill Check, End-of-Year Skill Check, Single Skill Check, Student Observation Check, Multi-Skill Check. 

• The Assessments Guide, Technical Summary (Digital Download), page 9, states that the Skill Check is administered at the end of each Whole-Class Lesson Delivery and a second time after the student completes the assigned differentiated activities. These daily skill checks enable the teacher to immediately evaluate the impact of their instruction. The Post-Skill Check gives teachers the impact of whole-group instruction plus differentiated learning activities.

• In the Assessment Guide, the Cumulative Skills Check on page 5 is described as a “check for retention and transfer of a sample of key skills learned throughout the semester.” The Skills Check is given at the middle and end of the year and is meant to do the following: 

  • Evaluate the impact of teaching RH Discovery during a specified time period (about half of the academic year),

  • Identifies the contribution of RH Discovery to external measures

  • Helps rule out decoding skills as an inhibitor to performance on external measures (e.g., if students perform well on the Cumulative Skill Check but poorly on external measures, teachers can explore other causes of lower performance).

• In the Observation Checkpoint Guide, the materials state that there are multiple assessment opportunities embedded within lessons to monitor student performance: Observation Checkpoints during phonemic awareness, dictation, transfer, and small group routines. The same monitoring options are available during formal assessments. Formative and summative data is collected and analyzed in the Student Observation Panel within the Lesson Delivery Tool.

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

• Materials provide teacher tools to generate overview and progress reports at the student and classroom level. For example, “The Student Skill Progress Report provides overall data looking at the Whole-Group Instruction recorded observations, Initial Skill Check, Small-Group Instruction recorded observations, and Post Skill Check to determine effectiveness of instruction and practice. The report “tells the overall account of the Daily Skill Check data. It uses the average score across all Skill Checks to determine if the student needs support, practice, or enrichment.”

• In Program Overview, page 29, it states, “After Whole-Class Lesson Delivery is complete, students take a quick five-question Skill Check in the software based on the content just taught in the lesson. The Skill Check empowers teachers to check for students’ understanding of each day’s Skill lesson and inform small groups for differentiated learning activities for Extended Transfer.

• In Reading Horizons Discovery Program Overview, Reports, page 41 describes the reports available to teachers and administrators for aggregation of data. Reports detail a “high-level overview of district and school performance and detailed data of class and individual student performance.” Reports available to provide teachers with information about students’ current level of understanding of phonics are Student Skill Progress Report, Class Multi-Skill Check Report, Class Readiness/Cumulative Check Report. The Student Skill Progress Report includes information from each lesson in the areas of Whole-Group observation status (red, yellow, green), Initial Skill Check score, Small Group Observation status (red, yellow, green), Post Skill Check score, Recorded errors. The report gives an overall account of where the student is, what the student frequently struggles with, and how many times the student has been in the Needs Support group during Groups and Centers time.

• In Lesson 74, Part 3, Check for Understanding, the students use a rating system to determine their level of understanding of the phonics skill taught in today’s lesson about adjacent vowels oa. 

• In the Class Skill Proficiency Report, data is listed for each student by Lesson. For example, the teacher can look at the Skill Check and Post Skill Check percentages for each student for Lesson 78. The percentage is listed inside a color-coded circle (Green, Yellow, Red). The teacher can also see any student observations that were recorded throughout the lesson for Whole Group, Skill Check, Groups, and Post Skill Check.

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

• In Reading Horizons Discovery, Program Overview, page 45 describes the Readiness and Cumulative Skill Check Data report teachers can access to make instructional adjustments. The report identifies student readiness for the content taught in each grade level. The data shows student proficiency in early phonics skills. If a student scores low in any area of the assessment, the teacher is alerted to monitor that student closely for needing additional support.

• The Reading Horizons Accessing the Digital Tool and Additional Resources PDF shows how teachers can click on the complete instruction button once the lesson has been delivered and students have completed the digital Skills Check for that lesson. Teachers can view a Lessons Insight Page where teachers can then click on Groups and Centers, which takes them to Transfer Routine activities for students in need of Enrichment Group Instruction versus Support or Practice Group Instruction.

• In Lesson 30, after completing instruction and Observation Checkpoints throughout the lesson, the teacher is provided with a summary page that indicates the percentage of students needing Enrichment, Support, and Practice. The “What’s Next?” section indicates which students are ready to take the Skill Check and directs the teacher to proceed to Lesson: Review and Transfer Day: Multi-Skill Check 6. The Groups and Centers button takes teachers to a Transfer Routine Download for Needs Support, Needs Practice, Needs Enrichment. Each practice group includes activities: Teacher-Led Transfer with Word Mapping, Skill Transfer activities, and Decodable Passage, Partner and Independent Transfer activities.

• In Lesson 104, when the teacher finishes the lesson, they are provided with a summary page. It starts with “What’s the Impact?” and gives teachers the breakdown of percentage of students placed in the Enrichment, Practice, or Support Groups. In the “What’s Next?” section, it tells the teachers which students should take the Skill Check and to Proceed to Lesson 105. On the next page, the teacher can see each group that was automatically generated based on lesson observations and data. It tells which students are in each group, their color rating, and percentage of mastery. Each group has a downloadable Transfer Routine page that gives directions for instruction.

• In Multi-Skills Check 7, Lessons 20-34, the teacher is provided with a report of students who need support, practice, and enrichment based on the skills covered in lessons 20-34: digraphs, l-blends, and r-blends with digraphs, two-letter s-blends, and w-blends. 

• In Multi-Skills Check 20, Lessons 88-105, the teacher is provided with a report of students who need support, practice, and enrichment based on the skills covered in lessons 88-105: r-controlled vowels, exceptions, adding -ed and -ing, special vowel sounds au, aw, ou, ow, oi, oy, oo.

The materials include systematic and explicit instruction in high-frequency words. The instruction includes identification of decodable, not yet decodable, and irregularly-spelled words, and a routine for identifying the irregular spelling or not yet taught sound-spelling. The materials include a sufficient number of high-frequency words. The Lesson Toolkit includes a resource that groups the high-frequency words by phonetic skill. 

Materials include systematic and explicit instruction of high-frequency words with an explicit and consistent instructional routine.  Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 11, Part 2, the teacher introduces the word he. The teacher explains that this word is not yet decodable. The teacher says the word and segments the sounds. The teacher uses the Project Slide with two lines or draws two lines on the board, displaying a line for each sound. The teacher works with the students to identify the sound for each line and how that sound is spelled. The teacher writes h on the first line and e on the second line, circling the e, which is the irregular part or new spelling part of the word. Each time the teacher circles an irregular sound, she says, “This is the part we need to remember.”

• In Lesson 35, Part 2, the teacher introduces the word were. The teacher tells students that the word is irregular, then guides students to segment the word and count the sounds. The teacher displays a blank line for each sound, then guides students to identify the first sound and name the letter for that sound, displaying the letter as students name it. The teacher tells students that the last sound /er/ is spelled er. The teacher records the spelling on the second line, then circles the letters er and tells students this is a new spelling that we need to remember. The teacher displays a final silent e after the last space and tells students there is a silent e at the end of the word. The teacher says the word were twice. 

• In Lesson 81, Part 2, the teacher introduces the word my, telling students that the word is not yet decodable. The teacher says the word and segments the sounds. The teacher uses the Project Slide with two lines or draws two lines on the board, displaying a line for each sound. The teacher works with the students to identify the sound for each line and how that sound is spelled. The teacher writes m on the first line and y on the second line, circling the y, which is the irregular part of the word. Each time the teacher circles an irregular sound, she says, “This is the part we need to remember.”

Materials include teacher modeling of the spelling and reading of high-frequency words that includes connecting the phonemes to the graphemes. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 57, Part 2, the teacher introduces the word then. The teacher guides the students to segment the sounds in then and uses the Project Slide with three lines to sound and spell the letters in the word, one sound/letter at a time. The teacher proves the word is decodable by coding it and reads it two times, along with using the word then in a sentence by saying, “Omar went to breakfast, and then went to school.”

• In Lesson 72, Part 2, the teacher introduces the word more. The teacher guides the students to segment the sounds in more then uses the Project Slide with two lines to sound and spell the letters in the word one sound/letter at a time. The teacher circles the new spelling of or and the silent e as the part that needs to be remembered. The teacher points to the word more and reads it two times, along with using the word more in a sentence by saying, “I would like more corn at dinner, please.”

• In Lesson 100, Part 2, the teacher introduces the word place. The teacher tells students that the word is decodable and then guides students to segment the word and count the sounds. The teacher displays a blank line for each sound, then guides students to identify the sound and name the letter for each sound, displaying each letter as students name it. The teacher displays a final silent e after the last space and tells students that the word place has a silent e at the end, which makes the c make a /s/ sound. The teacher says the word place twice. 

Materials include a sufficient quantity of high-frequency words for students to make reading progress. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Program Overview, the Grade 1 Scope and Sequence indicates that the materials introduce a total of 123 high-frequency words. The materials introduce a new word during each lesson in Lessons 1-123. 

• In the First Grade Most Common Words Toolkit, pages 3-5, is a table of Most Common Words Grapheme Mapping that indicates instruction of high-frequency words by lesson. Each word is identified as not yet decodable or irregular, broken down by phonemes, and shows mapping of the graphemes. Words listed include: the, of, and, a, to, in, is, you, that, it, he, was, for, on, are, as, with, his, they, I, at, be, this, have, from, or, one, had, by, word, but, not, what, all, were, we, when, your, can, said, there, use, in, each, which, she, do, how, their, if, will, up, other, about, out, many, then, them, these, so, some, her, would, make, like, him, into, time, has, look, two, more, write, go, see, number, no, way, could, people, my, than, first, water, been, called, who, am, its, now, find, over, new, sound, take, only, little, work, know, place, years, live, me, back, give, most, very, after, things, are, just, name, good, sentence, man, think, say, great, were, help, through, much, before

The materials contain student practice identifying and reading high-frequency words in isolation. Students practice reading Most Common Words in isolation daily on the Whole Class Transfer Card. The lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read high-frequency words in context. Students read high-frequency words in daily lessons using Decodable Text, Decodable Books, and the Whole Class Transfer Card. Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to write high-frequency words in tasks, such as sentences, in order to promote automaticity of high-frequency words. Students have daily opportunities to practice writing high-frequency words in the dictation part of each lesson. 

Students practice decoding high-frequency words in isolation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 65, Part 3,  students read the Whole Class Transfer Card, which includes the high frequency words like, made, and would in isolation. 

• In Lesson 79, Part 3, students read the Whole Class Transfer Card, which includes the high-frequency words could, way, and word in isolation. .

• In Lesson 121, Part 3, students read the Whole Class Transfer Card which includes high-frequency words through, help, where in isolation. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read high-frequency words in context. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 29, students read the Decodable Text, Fun with Gram, which includes the previously taught high frequency words is, a, are, to, they, with, and, the, be, one, for.

• In Lesson 44,  students read the Decodable Passage Think of Who You Can Than, which includes the previously taught high frequency words the, a, to,all, you, have, there, be.

• In Lesson 58, students read the Decodable Text Shane’s Pancakes, which includes the previously taught high-frequency words and, all, then, when.

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to write high-frequency words in tasks, such as sentences, in order to promote automaticity of high-frequency words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 36, Part 2, students record the dictated sentence We are in class, which includes the high-frequency words we, in, and are.

• In Lesson 71, Part 2, students record the dictated sentence Chat at the mat. Students repeat the sentence, count the words, then write the sentence, which contains the newly-taught high-frequency word at and previously-taught high-frequency word the. 

• In Lesson 98, Part 2, students record the dictated sentence I work out in the park, which includes the high-frequency words the, work, and out.

The materials contain regular explicit instruction in word analysis. The program contains daily instructional routines of marking words, in which students code the different elements of a word as they are introduced (vowels, digraphs, blends, suffixes, etc.). This word marking lays a foundation for syllable division and decoding and encoding multisyllabic words. The materials include explicit instruction in Phonetic Skills, which is the study of syllable types, and Decoding Skills, which teach syllabication rules. 

Materials contain explicit instruction of syllable types and syllable division that promote decoding and encoding of words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 53, Part 2, the teacher introduces Phonetic Skill 1 - closed syllables with two ending consonants. The teacher says, “Phonetic Skill 2 tells us that when a vowel is followed by two Guardian Consonants, the vowel sound is short.” The teacher displays the word lift and models marking the word, using an x for the vowel and two stars for the Guardian Consonants f and t. The teacher displays a breve above the i to indicate the vowel is short. The teacher repeats the process with the words task and mess. 

• In Lesson 79, Part 2, the teacher introduces Phonetic Skill 5. The teacher says, “Phonetic Skill 5 is when two vowels are adjacent, the second vowel is silent, and the first vowel sound is long.” The teachers uses the Project Slide of the word rain. The teacher marks an x under the vowels a and i in the word. The teacher explains that the letter n is following the adjacent vowels and will not be a guardian consonant. The teacher goes on to explain when the vowels a and i are adjacent the second vowel will be silent. The teacher marks the i by putting a vertical line through it. The teacher repeats this process with the word aid.

• In Lesson 118, Part 2, the teacher introduces Decoding Skill 2. The teacher says, “Decoding Skill 2 tells us that when there are two consonants between two vowels, the consonants split.” The teacher goes on to explain that each syllable gets a consonant. The teacher displays the Project Slide with the word campus and models how to code/mark the word. The teacher puts an x under the letters a and u, then draws a vertical line between the two consonants m and p. The teacher draws a box around the first syllable and puts a breve over the a. Then does the same thing for the second syllable by putting a breve over the u and then reads the word campus. The teacher repeats the same process for the word subject.

Materials contain explicit instruction in morpheme analysis to decode unfamiliar words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 35, Part 2, the teacher tells the students, “Today, we are going to learn about plural words. If something is plural, it means there is more than one.” The teacher displays the word dot next to a picture of one dot and tells students dot is a singular word because there is one dot. The teacher displays the word dots next to a picture of two dots. The teacher explains that when the letter s is added to a dot, it becomes dots to show there is more than one. The teacher models underlining the -s ending. This process is repeated with cat to cats and sled to sleds.

• In Lesson 84, Part 2, the teacher tells students, “A suffix is an ending that can be added to make a new word with a new meaning.” The teacher displays the words hopping then hopped and tells students that adding -ing to a verb means the action is happening in the present and adding -ed means it happened in the past. The teacher tells students that a single-syllable word with a short vowel must have two Guardian Consonants before adding a suffix that begins with a vowel. The teacher displays the word plan and models doubling the n before adding the suffix -ed to make planned. The teacher reads the word and tells students that the -ed ending in planned is pronounced /d/ because the letter right before it spells the voiced sound /n/. 

• In Lesson 122, Part 2, the teacher tells the students, “A prefix is a word part that has meaning and is added to the beginning of a word. A prefix is also one or more letters added to the beginning of words that change the meaning of the word.” The teacher explains that they will be working with the prefixes un-, which means not, and re-, which means again. The teacher displays the Project slide with the word unhappy. The teacher draws a line under the prefix un in the word and explains that the prefix un- means not; therefore, unhappy means that you are not happy. This process is repeated with the words unlock and refill.

Multiple and varied opportunities are provided over the course of the year for students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis strategies. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 55, Part 2, Dictation for Decoding, students spell the word scrub, write the letters on their dry-erase board, and code the word. Students draw an arc under the letters scr, an x under the letter u, and a short mark/breve above the letter u, then the students draw a guardian star above the letter b. The students then read the word scrub twice. Students repeat the process with the word spalt.

• In Lesson 63, Part 2, in Dictation for Decoding, students write the word eve as the teacher dictates letter by letter. Students practice word analysis skills by marking the word, using x’s for the vowels, a vertical line through the silent e, and a macron to indicate the first vowel is long. Students read the word twice. Students repeat the process with the word these. 

• In Lesson 123, Part 2, Dictation for Decoding, students spell the word in wiggle, write the letters on their dry-erase board, and code/prove the word. The students put an x under the letters i and e. The students put a short mark/breve above the i and draw a vertical line through the e. The students draw a vertical line between the two letter g’s to show the two syllables, draw a vertical line through the first g as it is not heard, and put a schwa mark between/above the gl.

The materials offer regular and systematic assessment opportunities in the areas of word recognition and word analysis. The program uses the student observation checkpoints, Skill Checks, and Multi-Skill Checks to regularly measure student progress. The materials include information to determine students’ current understanding and instructional suggestions for supporting growth based on assessment data. 

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of word recognition and analysis. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Multi-Skill Check 5, students read the Most Common Words one, had, by, word, but, not, what, and all in isolation. Students read the sentence What word is not in the box? which includes the Most Common Words what, word, is, not, and the. 

• In Multi-Skills Check 9, students decode and encode words with NG Glued Sounds, Digraphs, s-blends, w-blends, Double f/s/z/l, Plurals -s, Three Sounds of Suffix -ed, Suffix -ing, and Most Common Words. Students encode the following words: slat, stem, grasp, twig, clips, classes, full, small, sniffed, ding, gong, bank, junk, chunk, telling. Students are asked to write the following sentence: Which song was she singing? Students decode the following words: stash, bricks, ships, twill, longing, dank, use, an, each, which, she, do. Students read the following sentences: Which song was she singing? Which gong will she use?

• In the Middle of the Year Multi Skills Check, students are given a word. The word is then used in a sentence, and the students are asked to spell the word. For example, the students are asked to spell the word swept. The students are given the letters n, w, a, r, s, c, k, e, t to choose from to spell the word. 

• In Lesson 104, Student Software Skills Check, students decode the following words: brook, hook, stood, wool, hood. Students must encode the following words: cook, good, shook, look, wood, took, and stood.

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

• In Print Multi-Skill Check Overview, Most Common Words, the materials indicate that teachers calculate the accuracy percentage for reading the 3-8 Most Common Words included on each Multi-Skill Check. The materials indicate that teachers may use the box on the data sheet to record Most Common Words that students struggle to read, or teachers may track mastery of irregular and not yet decodable words using the tracking sheet in the Most Common Words Toolkit.

• In Observation Checkpoint Guide, Scoring Criteria, the materials provide guidance for determining student performance levels. A student is scored in the Needs Support category (red) when they are unable to perform the task accurately, even with teacher support or scaffolding. A student is scored in the Needs Practice category (yellow) if they are able to perform the task accurately with teacher support or scaffolding or if a student is unable to perform the task with automaticity. A student is scored in the Needs Enrichment category (green) if they are able to perform the task accurately, independently, and with automaticity.

• In Program Overview, the materials state that data from the daily Skill Check groups students and determines the type and number of activities each student will be required to complete. “This ensures practice is targeted to each student to help them reach skill proficiency.”

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

• In the Corrective Feedback and Next Steps Guide, the materials make the following recommendations for students who do not recognize words immediately or easily: 

  • Repetition: use lesson materials, Student Transfer Books, Decodable Books, Groups and Centers Routines, Most Common Words Toolkits, and Lesson Toolkits to repeat transfer routines. 

• In Lesson 74, Ready Made Centers provide the teacher with three group options based on the student’s performance throughout the lesson. The three groups are for students with Needs Support, Needs Practice, or Needs Enrichment. The students in the Needs Support Group have a list of activities generated for the teacher to complete. This list of activities for the Needs Support group states, “The priority for students in the Needs Support group is the Teacher-Led Transfer activities aligned with the Student Transfer Book. Their next priority should be completing the Independent Transfer: RH Discovery Software activities and the final Skill Check. If time allows, these students can complete the Partner or Independent Transfer activities.”

The materials contain varied, frequent opportunities over the course of the year in core materials to gain automaticity and prosody. The materials contain daily instruction in decoding with a focus on automaticity in the Whole Class Transfer activities. The materials provide practice opportunities for word reading fluency in a variety of settings, namely the Whole Class Transfer Card and Whole Class Decodable Passage. Students read words in isolation, sentences, and passages to develop automaticity and prosody with decodable words and familiar spelling patterns. The materials provide practice opportunities for word reading fluency in a variety of settings. Students practice fluency by reading independently, with partners, and with the teacher. The materials include general guidance and corrective feedback suggestions to the teacher for supporting students’ gains in oral reading fluency.

Varied, frequent opportunities are provided over the course of the year for students to gain automaticity and prosody. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 53, Part 3, Whole Class Decodable Passage, the students practice reading sentences with Two Consonant Endings. First, the students read chorally with the teacher. Then, students listen to the teacher read the passage using their voice to make the reading interesting. Last, students take turns reading the passage with a partner.

• In Lesson 63, Part 3, Whole Class Decodable Passage, the students practice reading sentences with Two Consonant Endings. First, the students read chorally with the teacher. Then students listen to the teacher read the passage using their voice to make the reading interesting. Last, students take turns reading the passage with a partner.

• In Lesson 117, Part 3, Whole Class Decodable Passage, the students choral read the passage at the just right speed. Students take turns rereading the passage with a partner.

Materials provide practice opportunities for oral reading reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., repeated readings, dyad or partner reading, continuous reading). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Lesson 80, Ready Made Centers, Transfer Book 2, Page 38 contains a page of decodable words based on the lesson’s targeted Skill Words and Mixed Review Words. This is done during centers as part of the “Teacher-Led Transfer” center.

• In Lesson 94, Part 3, Whole Class Transfer, Whole Class Decodable Passage, students read chorally with the teacher, listen to the teacher model fluent reading, and read with a partner.

• In Lesson 122, Part 4, Groups and Centers, Needs Practice Group, students practice reading with a partner in two ways. First, they read one line each, taking turns through the passage. Then, each partner takes a turn to read the passage.

Materials include guidance and corrective feedback suggestions to the teacher for supporting students’ gains in oral reading fluency. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Corrective Feedback and Next Steps Guide, Fluency, the materials provide the teacher with a Corrective Feedback Sample Script for students inaccurately reading at an appropriate rate (either too fast or slow):

  • “Repeated Reading: Encourage students to read passages, books, and sentences multiple times. This allows students to shift from decoding effort to fluency. 

  • Examples and Nonexamples: Model reading too quickly or slowly. This nonexample allows students to hear the difference in rate. Ensure that you repeatedly model positive examples for students in read-alouds, recorded readings, etc., so students have an anchor. 

  • Record and Listen: Record the student’s reading and play it back to them. This can help them hear their own rate and work on improving. 

  • Visual Cue: Display a fun sign, such as ‘Slow Down,’ “Speed Bump,’ or ‘Speed Limit,’ to provide a visual reminder of rate.”

    • In Corrective Feedback and Next Steps Guide, Fluency, the materials provide the teacher with a Corrective Feedback Sample Script for students inaccurately reading with expression:

  • “Echo Reading: The teacher reads a sentence with expression, and students echo read the sentence. 

  • Intonation Reading: Students read the same sentence, emphasizing different words. Discuss the change in meaning. 

  • Targeted Emotions: Students read a sentence or passage with a targeted emotion (sadness, excitement, etc.) to emphasize intonation.”

The materials include regular and systematic opportunities for assessment over the course of a year in order for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence of oral reading fluency. Assessment materials provide the teacher and students with information about students’ current skills/level of understanding of oral reading fluency. Additionally, the materials support the teacher with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in oral reading fluency through the Corrective Feedback tool, Lesson Toolkits, and lesson plan suggestions. 

Multiple assessment opportunities are provided regularly and systematically over the course of the year for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence of oral reading fluency. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Program Overview explains that fluency is assessed through the Print Multi-Skills Check utilized after each chapter of lessons. This assessment allows teachers to assess student skills, including fluency. Students are given a one-minute decodable fluency passage to determine accuracy, rate, and prosody.

• In the Assessment Guide: Technical Summary, page 5 states that Fluency is assessed through Student Observation Checks that “inform instructional support decisions during individual instruction, reteaching, or small-group routines.” This Assessment Guide also states that fluency is assessed through Multi-Skills Checks by “Grouping students by target skills for the Review and Transfer Day, grouping students for small-group instruction, and identifying differentiated learning activities for each student.”

• In Lesson 80, Part 4, Whole Class Transfer, Observation Checkpoint, the teacher assesses each student’s reading fluency through Observation Checks as the lesson plan directs teachers to “record students needing additional support in the Student section of the tool.”

• In Lesson 107, Part 4, Needs Practice Group, Skill Transfer, students read the Skill Transfer independently from left to right and top to bottom as the teacher listens for accuracy. 

Assessment materials provide the teacher and students with information about students’ current skills/level of understanding of oral reading fluency. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Observation Checkpoint Guide, Scoring Criteria, the materials provide guidance for determining student performance levels. A student is scored in the Needs Support category (red) when they are unable to perform the task accurately, even with teacher support or scaffolding. A student is scored in the Needs Practice category (yellow) if they are able to perform the task accurately with teacher support or scaffolding or if a student is unable to perform the task with automaticity. A student is scored in the Needs Enrichment category (green) if they are able to perform the task accurately, independently, and with automaticity. The materials indicate that teachers should use these categories to determine current fluency levels based on lesson and small group observations. 

• In Supplemental Resources, Print Multi-Skill Checks, Resource Overview, the materials include a Print Multi-Skill Check Fluency Data Sheet. The form includes data collection points for total words, errors, words correct per minute, accuracy percentage, expression, and phrasing. 

• In the Program Guide, reports available from data on the Multi-Skills Check group the students as needs support (red), needs practice (yellow), and needs enrichment (green). The report does not specifically give fluency data but rather an overall data point from the entirety of the assessment. The materials indicate that teachers should use the Print Multi-Skill Check Fluency Data Sheet to record scores and determine student groupings until the digital fluency assessment in development becomes available. 

Materials support the teacher with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in oral reading fluency. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Corrective Feedback and Next Step Guide, Fluency, pages 7-8 provide corrective feedback sample scripts for fluency errors. The following suggestions are provided for teachers in order to address accuracy needs: 

  • “Lesson Toolkits: Use the Lesson Toolkits to provide explicit instruction on decoding with identified skill(s). 

  • Continuous/Successive Blending: Sound out words with no stopping or pausing between sounds. For example, in the word on, the sound of o is held because it is continuous, and then the sound of n is said without any break between the two sounds: /oooon/.

  • Blending Boards: Use a tech-enabled or teacher-created blending board to provide additional practice in decoding accuracy with identified phoneme-grapheme correspondences and orthographic patterns. 

  • Decodable Texts: Use decodable texts and books available in lessons and Groups and Centers to allow students additional practice opportunities to decode words.”

• Lesson Toolkit, Supplemental Resources, Phonetic Skill 5: ea Toolkit, Recommended Transfer activities provide the teacher with instructional adjustments using the Decodable Passage. The lesson toolkit directs the teacher to “give corrective, immediate feedback to students to support fluent reading. Preview words in which students may need vocabulary or language support.” The following are the skills practiced for Grade 1, Lessons 72-23:

  • Skills Practiced: Decoding, Fluency, Comprehension 

  • Choral Read: Students read the passage with the teacher. 

  • Partner Read: Students read the passage with a partner. 

  • Modeled Echo Read: The teacher reads, and then students repeat, like an echo. This serves as a model of fluent reading.