The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of careful reading. Texts are grouped into thematic units without a suggested anchor text. There are five texts in each theme and a paired selection to go along with each book, with an optional poem to end the 5-6 week unit.

Some texts are high quality, including rich language and engaging content. Accompanying illustrations are high quality as well, supporting students' understanding and comprehension of the associated text. Some examples of texts that fit this category include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Unit 3 -Special Effects in Film and Television, by Jake Hamilton. The content is clear and comprehensible, and the pictures illustrate the steps taken to make movies/shows.
• Unit 4 - Tripping Over the Lunch Lady, by Angela Johnson. Well-crafted comic-like illustrations and storyline are included in this text.
• Unit 6 - King Midas and the Golden Touch, retold by Charlotte Craft. This text includes rich language and clear message in its well-constructed story.

Other selections do not represent the same high quality as the examples provided above. Such texts include excerpts that may be missing information needed for students to understand the text. In some texts, much background knowledge is needed for students to engage with the materials. Some representative examples from the program that demonstrate this include:

• Unit 1 - Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O’Dell. Students read an excerpt (eight pages of text) from the novel and only get a summary of the main character’s experiences rather than detailed events. Students may be less engaged due to lack of detailed events. The inclusion of a lessonon writing a detailed narrative would more fully support the standards.
• Unit 2 - A Summer’s Trade, by Deborah W. Trotter. This is a realistic fiction piece about Navajo culture. This text contains more content-specific vocabulary related to the Navajo culture, rather that Tier II vocabulary. Additionally, the illustrations lack a strong connection to the text and do not engage students fully.
• Unit 5 - Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne. Students read only one entry of Young Harry’s diary from the whole novel. Students follow Harry’s description of their encounter with sea creatures which requires no higher level thinking on the part of the reader. As this excerpt does not provide any resolution, students may be left wondering what happens beyond this particular day of the journey.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations for reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. Unit main selection and paired selection texts include a mix of informational text and literature. Although there is a balance of informational and literary texts, the selections do not reflect a variety of genres.

Of the 30 anchor texts included for the course of the school year, 16 are literature and 14 are informational texts.The main reading selections are grouped into six units. Each unit contains at least one informational text and one literature text. For example, Unit 6, The Unexpected, contains three expository texts, one myth, and one realistic fiction reading selection.

Of the 30 paired texted included for the course of the school year, 11 are literary and 19 are informational texts. Paired reading selections for the unit’s main selections also include a balance of literature and informational text. For example, Unit 1, week 1, Meeting Challenges, The Red Kayak, a realistic fiction text, is paired with What Will I Do in an Emergency, a how-to-text.

Opportunities for students to read a complete novel or chapter book are needed in this program. The program exposes students to only a few pieces of poetry throughout the year and is lacking opportunities for students to read from the fantasy genre as well as text that expresses the author's opinion. One unit does provide additional poetry, but it is not a required unit.

While there are a variety of genres, the distribution is not equal. Teachers may need to supplement materials to include more poetry, science and drama.

The main reading selections present a variety of text types and genres. Examples include:

• • Technical Text: The Truth About Austin’s Amazing Bats, by Ron Fridell
  • Science: Talk with an Astronaut, by Dr. Ellen Ochoa
  • Social Studies: Ghost Towns of the American West, by Raymond Bial
  • Poetry: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
  • Drama: The Fabulous Perpetual Motion Machine, by Don Abramson
  • Story: Tripping Over the Lunch Lady, by Angela Johnson

The paired reading selections present a variety of text types and genres. Examples include:

• • Story: Shipwreck Season, by Donna Hill
  • Drama: The Heroic Paul Revere, by Charles Blair
  • Poetry: Perfect Harmony, by Charles R. Smith Jr.
  • Social Studies: "The Mystery of the Hindenburg Disaster"
  • Science: "A Model Scientist," from Owl Magazine
  • Technical Text: "Searching for Animation"

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectation of texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade level according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to their associated student task. Some of the texts are outside the quantitative band for Grade 5, but there is variation in qualitative measures and reader and task demands. Rigor is uneven in main texts students read across the school year. To fully comprehend some texts and complete the associated tasks, students will need background knowledge as the overall rigor is outside the grade level.

The quantitative measures of the following texts are outside the grade level band for Grade 5. However the qualitative and reader and task measures bring the level of complexity to an appropriate level for Grade 5 students:

Unit 3, Week 2, Leonardo's Horse

• Quantitative: Lexile 680
• Qualitative: This text is slightly complex. The text structure is chronological, the language features are easy to understand, and the purpose is explicit. Some students may find the knowledge demand moderately complex due to specific content knowledge of the Renaissance Period.
• Reader and Task: Struggling readers may need to understand the elements of a biography, prologues, locations in Italy, and life during the Renaissance Period. Students will be successful during the reading answering text-dependent questions and thinking about using knowledge of Greek and Latin roots to make sense of words. At the end, students write a persuasive speech. This may prove especially challenging for some students who are not experienced with writing opinion pieces, and the ability to self-select a topic removes potential text-based support for evidence gathering.

Unit 4, Week 3, "Exploding Ants"

• Quantitative: Lexile 1020
• Qualitative: While the Lexile level of this selection is outside of the Grade 4-5 text complexity band, the clear organization, explicit purpose, helpful text features, and conventional language features make it moderately complex and appropriate for Grade 5 readers. The subject matter is scientific, however the content assumes little prior knowledge beyond basic knowledge of animals. Scientific terms are typically accompanied with easy-to-understand synonyms, and sentence structures are clear and easy to follow.
• Reader and Task: Students, with teacher support from the TE, will easily be able to analyze graphic sources and their functions, identify important ideas, use context clues and synonyms to define unfamiliar words, and explain main ideas and details. Students will be able to use non-fiction text features to aid comprehension.

Other texts fall outside the appropriate level of complexity for Grade 5, and students may need additional external support from the teacher to fully comprehend the content and/or engage with the associated tasks. Some examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

Unit 5, Week 5, Ghost Towns of the American West

• Quantitative: Lexile 1170
• Qualitative: This Lexile level is above the Grade 5 band, so the readability of this text will be challenging. The text is organized in logical progression, explaining the overall topic and why towns grew quickly, and reasons for their decline. Language demands are more complex. Vocabulary within this text is sophisticated and could be challenging. Some use of figurative language could be problematic ("pull up stakes," or "strike it rich"). The text also includes primary source information through the use of numerous embedded quotes often containing colloquial words or phrasing. Compound and complex sentence structures are used and grammatical features such as ellipses or dashes are used. Background knowledge may be required to fully engage with the material. Photos and illustrations, if utilized, would assist students greatly. While the topic would be engaging, language and knowledge demands would make this a complex text for students in Grade 5.
• Reader and the Task: Understanding the geography or development of the American West would be crucial. Understanding of economic “push and pull” factors might also be problematic when the texts reference “economic failure” due to loss of resources (cattle and minerals). Reading the text should help students gain knowledge of the adventurers who helped drive Westward Expansion. After reading, students write a summary including the most important facts and details. Readers are also asked to consider the purpose of an expository text and use its feature, photos, illustrations, and captions to learn about the topic.

Unit 6, Week 4: The Hindenburg

• Quantitative: Lexile 1000
• Qualitative: The text structure is chronological, the language features are easy to understand, and the purpose is explicit. Some students may find the knowledge demands moderately complex due to specific content knowledge of the 1930’s.
• Reader and the Task: Students may struggle with the structure of nonfiction text, aeronautical vocabulary and international events of the 1930s and may need more explicit reading support. . During reading, students will be successful identifying facts/opinions. Following the reading, students write a critique about a nonfiction book or story they have recently read using examples from the text and their own opinion. This task will be difficult for students who do not independently read non-fiction text.

The materials for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations for the indicator of increasing complexity across the school year. While many of the main selections (19/30) fall within the “stretch” grade-level band (740-1010), over the course of the year, students are not supported to grow their literacy skills so that at the end of the school year, they are accessing and comprehending Grade 5 level texts. Guidance and scaffolded support from the teacher is suggested for regardless of the text complexity of the main selection. There is minimal support for the teacher to implement explicit instructions and time on texts that have very complex elements and demands.

Each main selection text contains a description of qualitative measures. Each main selection text contains reader and task suggestions to scaffold the text for students. These are general, broad suggestions for students in Grade 5.

For a Grade 5 reader, the main selections in the first unit all have a slightly complex structure. In Unit 5, four of the five selections are slightly complex. One main selection, The Hindenburg, has an unconventional structure making this text very complex. Students need more scaffolded support to access these texts with very complex structure besides two days of reading the text. Yet, all texts are read closely for two days. Furthermore, the majority of the texts in the final unit are only slightly complex in structure.

Suggestions are present to assist the teacher in supporting students who are struggling with the main selections, however there is minimal specificity within the suggestions. As the complexity level increases, more scaffolding for students is needed to access the text. Additional days may be needed to provide this scaffolding, which may extend beyond the two days currently allotted for the main selections.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectation that anchor and series of connected texts are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. Main selections have this explanation included, but a text complexity analysis and rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level is not provided for paired selections, teacher read-aloud, vocabulary skill selection, comprehension selection, or assessments.

A “Text Complexity Measures” rubric is provided for each main selection on the back of the week planning tab in the teacher edition. Quantitative metrics are provided for each anchor text in three categories: Lexile Level, Average Sentence Length, and Word Frequency. Qualitative measures are provided for each anchor text in four categories: levels of meaning, structure, language of conventionality and clarity, and theme and knowledge demands. Metrics provided for qualitative measures are in narrative form only and do not state the complexity level. For example, one narrative reads “Both the qualitative and quantitative measures suggest this text should be placed in the Grade 4-5 text complexity band, which is where both the Common Core State Standards and Scott Foresman Reading Street have placed it.” (TE, 5.5 week 3 tab) These explanations do not provide complete information for teacher planning.

An explicit rationale explaining complexity and placement of specific texts within the sequence of instruction is not provided. References to research-based or evidence-based best practices for increasing students’ reading skills through appropriate sequencing of text complexity are not included. For example, in Unit 1, the students read Red Kayak and a paired passage called, "What Will I Do in an Emergency". There connection between the two passages is not explained. In the Reading and Writing Across Tasks there is guidance for the teacher to ask questions about the two passages.

For anchor texts falling outside the grade 4-5 text complexity band, more text-specific explanations are provided, such as the one for Mahalia Jackson: “Several of the quantitative measures suggest this text may be challenging for some students at this level. Provide scaffolded support to help students get meaning from the longer sentences. The conversational writing style and less rigorous vocabulary should help students stretch to successfully access the content of this selection.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectation for support materials providing opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading. Materials provide some opportunities for independent reading. There are many missed opportunities to address independent reading, and teacher materials often lack explicit directions.

• Students miss an opportunity to read a full novel/chapter book with teacher guidance and scaffolding if the teacher is following the Teacher's Manual.
• Students read the main selection, paired selection, Sleuth, and leveled readers with teacher guidance. The Trade Book Library is available for teacher and student use online; however, the teacher materials often lack explicit directions.
• Teacher directions for the oral rereading strategy are vague, and implementation is unclear when considering time management and classroom management.
• Opportunities for independent reading are explicitly identified as one of the small group stations students are supposed to complete every day, but length of time devoted to this activity per student is not identified.
• The “Research and Inquiry” portion of each daily lesson has potential to provide independent reading time, but it was never explicitly stated that students should work independently.
• Throughout every lesson, every day, directions in the teacher edition begin with the words “Have students read...” followed by a particular paragraph, page, or passage. The majority of the time it is not explicitly stated whether students should be reading independently, with partners, orally, or silently. These instructions accompany the anchor text as well as the support texts. They cover a wide range of content, themes, and topics.
• More challenging text is suggested through the use of the leveled readers (supplemental resource) as a part of the independent reading station for advanced readers.
• Independent station directions at the beginning of each week in the teacher edition, provide guidance for the types of independent reading texts students should be choosing, but specific titles are rarely offered.
• The assessment handbook also provides a reading log template so that students can track their independent reading (page 143).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectation of materials, questions, and tasks addressing CCSS foundational skills and reading fluency. Materials sometimes include common prefixes and derivational suffixes, multi syllable words, and grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words. Materials do not provide a cohesive sequence that builds toward application.

The materials contain weekly spelling units of 20 spelling words with some explicit instruction. Instruction and practice often occurs in isolation and may be more effective if done in context. . Minimalemphasis is placed on meanings of words or word parts, and tasks do not build to application of skills other than spelling. On Day 1, students take the spelling pretest. On Day 2, students receive a mini-lesson on a spelling rule and practice the rule with their spelling words. On Day 3, students work with frequently misspelled words. On Day 4, students practice a spelling strategy, and on Day 5, students take the spelling test. These weekly activities lack a cohesive sequence that builds toward application.

Spelling instruction includes: Unit 1: short vowels, long vowels, digraphs, suffixes, and contractions; Unit 2: digraphs, irregular plurals, vowels with r, final syllables, and final syllables; Unit 3: schwa, compound words, consonants, consonants, and prefixes; Unit 4: cultural words, prefixes, homophones, suffixes, and negative prefixes; Unit 5: multisyllabic words, related words, Greek words, Latin roots, and Greek word parts; Unit 6: suffixes, final syllables, Latin roots, related words, and confusing words.

Visual aids for spelling are not included in the materials. The materials direct the teacher to write a list on chart paper or on the board, orally define the word parts, then have students copy down the chart or list, circle or underline word parts, then define and/or discuss. Though it is not included in the materials, continuous instruction and skill reinforcement throughout the week, supported by visual aids, would support students in their acquisition of word structure knowledge.

Amazing Word (TE Only) activities develop student vocabulary connected to the anchor text that students read in the unit. 10 above grade level words are presented each week. Word Analysis on Day 2 and Day 5 also focus on roots and affixes.

Selection Vocabulary is present in Teacher Edition and Student Edition. Anywhere from five to nine words are introduced each week. Word lists follow a theme every week, categorized by context clues (homographs, homonyms, antonyms, multiple-meaning words, and unfamiliar words), word structure (Greek and Latin roots, word endings, prefixes, and suffixes), and dictionary/glossary skills (unknown words). On Day 1 students are introduced to vocabulary, though it is not supported by context.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectation that materials, questions, and tasks guide students to read with purpose and understanding and to make frequent connections between acquisition of foundation skills and making meaning from reading. Materials do not provide students opportunity to demonstrate that they have made meaning of the grade texts.

Students are provided opportunities to practice oral vocabulary on Days 1-4 with assessment on Day 5.

• On Day 1 during “Build Oral Vocabulary”, students are asked to listen for Amazing Words (academic vocabulary) as the teacher reads aloud the selection. Following the read aloud, students are asked several questions about the Amazing Words, but students do not need to attack unfamiliar words because the teacher is reading the selection.
• On Day 5 during “Build Oral Vocabulary”, students are told to work with a partner and discuss the theme question, though they are not required to apply their foundational reading skills to attack unfamiliar words.

Amazing Words provides some vocabulary instruction with the intent of supporting students in making meaning. For example, in Unit 2, week 5, questions in the TE asks students to look for context clues to make meaning of the word battlefield. It also asks students to look at the word as a compound word and to work with the syllabication of this word. In some Word Analysis sections, students are asked to break words apart to see if they can use word parts to make meaning. Most of these words are included in the text. However, most of these activities take place outside of the actual reading of the text.

Selection Vocabulary activities do not provide ongoing opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of application of word analysis skills to grade-level text. Opportunities that are provided are typically decontextualized. As words are introduced, students are encouraged to use them correctly and provide examples in partner and class discussions. Students are also encouraged to define vocabulary using context clues and other strategies as they are presented in context in the “Vocabulary Strategy” passage on Day 2. Directions do not specify whether students are to perform these tasks independently, in partners, or as part of the whole group.

Word Analysis structures taught are rarely used in context during instruction and practice. Words and word parts are typically isolated, and students build, deconstruct, and define words and word parts.

Students are are assessed over the Word Analysis words on a Weekly Test. Roughly a quarter of the questions are isolated sentences where students are asked to fill in the blank with the best word to complete the sentence or find a word with the same meaning as the underlined word. Four possible responses are provided for the students

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectation of instructional opportunities for students to practice and achieve reading fluency in oral and silent reading. Materials provide opportunities for students to demonstrate sufficient accuracy and fluency in oral and silent reading, but directions for students to apply reading skills independently are not given. Materials do not allow an increase in students’ reading ability across the grade level band over the course of the year.

Each week, days 1-4 have an activity focused on fluency. On day 5, some students are assessed on their oral fluency.

Lexile levels are provided only for main selections. It is not stated whether assessments and other reading passages used for fluency activities are within the fifth grade level band as Lexile levels are not provided.

Teacher directions for the implementation of the oral rereading strategy need greater specificity with regards to timeand classroom management.

The fourth day of each week includes instructions in the student edition for fluency practice, using either a page from the anchor text or one of the support texts. In the teacher edition, teachers are instructed to use this fluency practice piece for progress monitoring, measuring students’ words correct per minute (WCPM). Current and End-of-Year Goals for WCPM are provided, but a tracking sheet (for teacher’s marks/records and words per line) is not provided. Instructions for time management and classroom management are not provided (i.e., How many students should the teacher assess? What are other students doing during this time?)

Goals for WCPM do not take text complexity into account. This is an important consideration as the Lexile levels of some anchor texts reach well beyond Grade 5 expectations, and Lexile levels of the support texts are not provided.

The fifth day of each week includes a fluency passage and directions for progress monitoring. A reproducible page/tracking sheet and Current and End-of-Year Goals are provided. A plan for which students to assess (advanced, on level, or strategic intervention) is provided. Throughout every lesson, directions in the teacher edition begin with the words, “Have students read...” followed by a particular paragraph, page, or passage. Often, the directions do not specify whether students should be reading independently, with partners, orally, or silently.

The assessment handbook (accessed online) provides a Fluency Progress Chart (page 281), the “Monitor Progress” passages referenced in the teacher edition, an assessment chart (page 383), and benchmark goals for fluency. These tools will be used by students for the purpose of monitoring their own progress, however, this is not stated in the handbook. The assessment handbook also provides a reading log template so students can track their independent reading (page 143), as well as an “About My Reading” self-reflection page (page 144).