Kindergarten - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectation that anchor texts (including read-aloud texts and some shared reading texts used to build knowledge and vocabulary) are of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading/listening and consider a range of interests.

Each week teachers read aloud from a Literature Big Book. The big books include a paired text at the back of the book. All of these big books are of publishable quality and worthy of careful reading. These anchor texts are examined multiple times for multiple purposes and are used to expand topics and essential questions, build vocabulary, and prompt writing. These big books are all engaging, well-crafted, and provide interesting information for students at this age.

Quality literature texts in the materials build academic vocabulary and facilitate access to future texts. Quality informational texts in the materials are engaging and provide students with opportunities to gain and broaden their knowledge base and personal perspective on a variety of topics at various levels of depth/meaning.

Examples of quality Kindergarten texts include but are not limited to:

• Whose Shoes? by Stephen R. Swinburne is a concept text that depicts different occupations by using high interest photographs of different shoes professionals wear. The text is rhythmic.
• What Can You Do with a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla is a high interest literary text that uses colorful illustrations to depict a summer afternoon. The text includes rich language which identifies key Spanish words and has a predictable story pattern with repeated verses.
• Roadwork by Sally Sutton is a high-interest text. It includes engaging imagery, rhyme, and onomatopoeia.
• ZooBorns! by Andrew Bleiman includes high-interest photographs to introduce key vocabulary about animal traits and habits.
• The Birthday Pet by Ellen Javernick is a fictional text that includes colorful, animated illustrations that incorporate exaggerated close-ups, unusual perspectives, and witty details that extend the humor from the text.
• Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson includes detailed illustrations and lyrical text. The text includes unusual breaks and interesting verbs which emphasize the story’s rhythm.
• What’s the Big Idea, Molly? by Valeri Gorbachev is a high interest text about teamwork. Students will relate to the characters as well as the clear and detailed illustrations.
• All Kinds of Families by Mary Ann Hoberman is an inclusive, high interest picture book that celebrates families using rhyme and vibrant illustrations.
• Panda Kindergarten by Jeanne Ryder is an informational text that uses photographs and clear text to present facts and information about pandas.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. Read Aloud Texts, Literature Big Books and Paired Selections include a balanced mix of literary and informational texts. Text genres represented in the materials include, but are not limited to, realistic fiction, fantasy, informational texts, drama, folktales, poetry and songs.

Example of texts representing the balance of text types and genres include the following Literary Texts:

• Unit 1, “What About Bear?” by Suzanne Bloom (Fantasy)
• Unit 2, I Love Bugs! by Emma Dodd (Literary Fiction)
• Unit 3, How Do Dinosaurs Go To School? By Jane Yolen (Fantasy)
• Unit 4, What Can you Do with a Paleta? By Carmen Tafolla (Literary Fiction)
• Unit 5, “Maytime Magic” (Poetry)
• Unit 6, “The Frog and the Locust” Read Aloud (Folktale)
• Unit 7, Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson (Fantasy)
• Unit 8, When Daddy’s Truck Picks Me Up by Jana Novotny Hunter ( Literary Fiction)
• Unit 9, “The Little Red Hen” Read Aloud (Fable)
• Unit 10, “The Elves and the Shoemakers” Read Aloud (Tale)

Example of texts representing the balance of text types and genres include the following Informational Texts:

• Unit 1, Senses at the Seashore by Shelley Rotner (Informational text)
• Unit 2, The Handiest Things in the World by Andrew Clements(Informational text)
• Unit 3, “The Neighborhood” by Susanna Fallon (Informational text)
• Unit 4, Roadwork by Sally Sutton (Informational Text)
• Unit 5, A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma (Informational Text)
• Unit 6, A Tour of the Seasons Read Aloud (Informational Text)
• Unit 7, ZooBorns! by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland (Informational Text)
• Unit 8, Ana Goes to Washington, D.C. by Rene Colato Lainez (Informational Text)
• Unit 9, Bread Comes to Life by George Levenson (Informational Text)
• Unit 10, Panda Kindergarten Joanne Ryder (Informational Text)

Th instructional materials for Kindergarten meet the expectations for having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade level according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and a relationship to their associated student task. The texts read aloud in the Kindergarten materials are of the appropriate rigor to support students' literacy instruction. Read aloud texts span from a quantitative level of 90 and extend to 410, assuring complex features for children to hear and engage with. Texts are also qualitatively appropriate for read-alouds for this level.

Some examples of the range of quantitative rigor across the year's worth of read-aloud include the following:

• Come and Play by Nicole Spencer: Unit 1, Week 1; GR C, BM 3 Lexile 90 - Fiction
• What Can You See? by Ellen Dalton: Unit 2, Week 1 GR C, BM 4, Lexile 90 - Informational
• Cal’s Busy Week by Kathy Furgang: Unit 3, Week 3 GR D, BM 6, Lexile 110 - Fiction
• Helping Mom by Terry Miller Shannon: Unit 4, Week 3; GR E, BM 8, Lexile 290 - Informational
• Our Apple Tree by Carol Pugliano :Unit 5 , Week 2 GR E, BM 8, Lexile 250 - Informational
• Ant and Grasshopper by Lori Mortensen: Unit 6, Week 1 GR F, BM 9, Lexile 280 - Fiction
• Will’s Pet by Myka-Lynne Sokoloff: Unit 7, Week 2 GR G, BM 12, Lexile 190 - Fiction
• How Sun and Moon Found Home by Terry Miller Shannon: Unit 8, Week 3 GR G, BM 12, Lexile 300 - Fiction
• Nature at the Craft Fair by Kathy Furgang: Unit 9, Week 3 GR H, BM 14, Lexile 410 - Informational
• A Good Idea by Lori Mortensen: Unit 10, Week 1 GR H, BM 14, Lexile 290 - Fantasy

Qualitatively, the texts read aloud include rich language. Examples of this language include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Unit 6 includes predict, temperature, storm, clever, drought
• Unit 4 includes community, improve, quarrel, harvest, confused
• Unit 9 includes chores, organize, accomplish, contribute, member

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectation that anchor texts and series of connected texts are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. For each unit, the Teacher’s Edition includes a text complexity analysis including quantitative, qualitative, and reader and task information. This text complexity information is included for the Literature Big Books, the Reading/Writing Workshop stories, and the leveled readers.

The materials are clear about the level of text complexity and what students will gain from using these texts. For example, in Unit 10, Week 1, teachers are provided with the Literature Big Book, What’s the Big Idea, Molly? which has a Lexile Score of 580. Teachers are provided with qualitative information that indicates that students will be working on inferencing as well as reader and task information which provides teachers with a more detailed description and specific page numbers for teaching the lesson/skill for the week.

The Teacher’s Edition also contains the Instructional Path at the beginning of each week. This path lists all texts read, why students are reading the text, the educational focus, and how the texts connect to one another during the week. There is also a Research Base Alignment in the online resources. Additionally, a page is provided at the beginning of each week’s materials for teachers entitled “Differentiate to Accelerate.” Teachers are instructed on this page, “If the text complexity of a particular section is too difficult for children, then see the references noted in the chart below for scaffolded instruction to help children Access Complex Text.”

The instructional materials for Kindergarten meet the expectations for materials providing opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading, and there are supports to build students’ proficiency of grade level texts. Resources are provided to offer students texts to engage in a range and volume of reading. There are leveled texts, literature big books, and reading/writing workshop books, as well as book suggestions for extending complex texts.

Before each unit on the Differentiate to Accelerate Teacher pages, there is information for teachers titled, “Monitor and Differentiate.” Teachers are guided towards lessons they can use to reteach, develop, extend, and review material for students. This page also contains additional information for English Language Learners.

The amount of instructional time allocated for students to read independently with grade level text in Kindergarten during core instruction is approximately 10-20 minutes per week. During the differentiated small group portion, time spent reading is approximately 5-10 minutes each time the group meets. Additionally, students are encouraged to select an independent reading book for independent reading.

Text examples that show specific evidence for range and volume of reading from the Kindergarten materials include:

• In Unit 2, Week 2, students engage in the reading of a Literature Big Book Shapes All Around (340L). Students engage in the close reading of the text by citing evidence from the text, providing key details and a retelling of the text. Along with the big book, the students read leveled readers that range from Beginning Reading to Beyond Level 140L. Students also read the paired informational text Find the Shapes. Students also engage in the Interactive Read-Aloud Cards informational text “Kites in Flight.” Students make connections between the Big Book Shapes All Around and Interactive Read-Aloud Cards “Kites in Flight.” Students select an informational text with photographs for sustained silent reading. Teachers provide scaffolding for students to access complex texts. When students self-select reading, they answer questions to show comprehension. Teachers are given the tools to progress monitor student growth.
• In Unit 5, Week 3, students engage in the reading of the informational Big Book An Orange in January along with the paired text “Farmer's Market” and Interactive Read Aloud Cards “Farms Around the World.” Students choose leveled readers to extend their reading independence. Students practice close reading skills and identify main topic and key details. Students use the close reading companion to support gradual release of support to independent work while practicing literacy skills. Leveled readers range from Beginning Reading to Beyond Level 260L. Teachers are given suggested tools to progress monitor student progression to independent readers. Teachers use the weekly Data Dashboard to progress monitor students for grouping decisions.
• In Unit 9, Week 2, students engage in the reading of the Literature Big Book Hen Hears Gossip along with the paired text “Team up to Clean Up” and Interactive Read Aloud Cards “The Little Red Hen,” a fable. Students practice literacy skills of identifying characters, setting, and events. Students read the Leveled Readers that range from beginning reader to beyond (460L) Students use the reading and writing workshop big book to support literacy skills practice. Teachers use the weekly Data Dashboard to progress monitor students for grouping decisions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations of most questions, tasks, and assignments being text-based and requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text). Questions support students’ literacy growth over the course of the year.

Most questions and tasks connected to texts are text-based. These questions and tasks support students in drawing on textual evidence to support their learning of explicit and inferred information in a text or text set. Text-based questions and tasks require readers to produce evidence from texts to support opinions or statements when writing and speaking. These questions support students’ literacy growth over the course of the school year. Teacher materials provide support for planning and implementation of text-based writing, speaking, and activities through the Integrate Ideas section for each week.

Materials provide support for planning and implementation. For example, in Unit 1, Week 2, the Literature Big Book contains Pouch!, and the Teacher Edition states: “Reread page 7. Ask: How did the illustrator help you understand that Joey was talking?” In Unit 4, Week 3, the Literature Big Book contains Roadwork, and the Teacher Edition states: “Reread pages 8–9. Ask: Which words describe the sounds the machines make? (Bump! Whump! Whop!) Why do you think the words WHUMP and WHOP have all capital letters? (They are louder sounds than the sounds shown with smaller letters.)”

In Unit 2, Week 1 students engage with the Literature Big Book, The Handiest Things in the World. Text-based questions and tasks include, “ What does the girl do to make her hair tidy? How do you know? What is the girl using to make more music? What things in the picture help to stop the sunlight from going in the boys’ eyes? What does the author say to make you want to keep reading more? What is something that is the same in both photographs? What is something that is different? Why do you think the author chose to show the words away and stay as part of the photograph? What is the hand handiest for showing? How does the author show you this?” Students then engage with the Paired Selection, “Discover With Tools”. Text-based questions and tasks include, “In the smaller photograph on page 38, what is the scientist using to clean away dirt? How does the author help us to understand what a chisel is? What tool are the children in the picture using? How does the illustration on page 37 help you understand what a telescope does? How do pages 38-39 compare what tools can do? Why does the author ask questions at the end?”

In Unit 6, Week 1 students engage with the Literature Big Book, Mama, Is It Summer Yet? Text-based questions and tasks include, “ What is the first letter of the sentence? What is the ending punctuation? What is happening in the story now? How is the boy helping his mother? How do you know? When did Summer happen in the story? How does the illustrator help you understand what season of the year it is on pages 26 and 27? Which words does the author use to help you know what summer is like? How does this help you visualize summer? Why does the author have Summer come at the end of the story? How does the author let us know that summer is getting closer?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectation for materials culminating tasks that support series of text dependent questions and activities. Students are provided with a Unit Big Idea and a weekly Essential Questions. Students discuss questions, make connections, and create a graphic organizer to be used at the end of the unit. Similar processes are included at the end of most units to build students' ability to engage with the texts.

Each week an Essential Question is addressed throughout the texts and tasks. This Essential Question is revisited at the end of each text with Integrate Ideas activities. At the end of the week, students Integrate Ideas through Text Connections, Research and Inquiry, and Speaking and Listening activities. Students revisit the Essential Question and create a graphic organizer using notes from the weekly read. For Example in Unit 9, Week 1 students complete integrate ideas activities to connect to the week’s texts:

• Connect to the Essential Question: “Write the Essential Question on the board, “ How can you help out at home? Read the Essential Question aloud. Tell children that they will think about all of the information that they have learned about growing up and helping out at home. Say: We have read many selections on this topic. We will compare the information from this week’s Literature Big Book Peter’s Chair and the Paired Selection “The Clean Up!” Evaluate Text Evidence Guide children to review the selections and their completed graphic organizers. Have children work with partners to compare information from all the week’s reads. Children can record notes using a Foldable®. Guide them to record information from the selections that helps them to answer the Essential Question.”
• Research and Inquiry: “Have children create a checklist and review their author study page for the bulletin board.
  • Does their page have a sentence that tells one way the character grows up and helps out?
  • Does their page include a picture of a character in the books?
  • Did they include details in their illustration?
  • Guide members of each group to practice sharing their pages with each other. Children should practice speaking and presenting their information clearly. Prompt children to ask questions to clarify when something is unclear: How did the author show that Peter was growing up? What did you want your page to show? What action showed that the character was helping out? Have children use the Presentation Checklist online.”
• Text to Song: “Read aloud with children the Integrate activity on page 100 of the Close Reading Companion. Guide partners to discuss how the song is similar to this week’s selections. Have partners collaborate to complete the Integrate page by following the prompts. Present Ideas and Synthesize Information: When children finish their discussions, ask for a volunteer from each pair to share the information from their Foldable® and their Integrate pages. After each pair has presented their ideas, ask: How does learning about the characters in the story help you answer the Essential Question: How can you help out at home? Lead a class discussion asking children to use the information from their pages to answer the Essential Question.”
• Speaking and Listening: “As children are working with partners in their Close Reading Companion, or on their author study, make sure that they are actively participating in the conversation, and when necessary, remind children to use these speaking and listening strategies. Speaking Strategies: Express your ideas clearly and speak loudly. Identify and talk about the details on your page. Answer questions to explain something others may not have understood. Listening Strategies: Sit quietly and look at the person speaking. Follow the rules and raise your hand to ask a question. Ask questions if something is unclear.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for providing frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

Vocabulary routines are provided on Day 1 of each unit, and visual vocabulary cards are provided. A discussion follows the teacher introduction of the words. The vocabulary words are used during the discussion. Students then are instructed to complete the Talk About It activity from the Reading/Writing Workshop book with a partner. A “Collaborative Conversation” chart is included, with different strategies students can focus on each week.

Also on Day 1, students are instructed to retell the story using the provided retelling cards. Students are also invited to act out a favorite part. Students then respond to the text with provided sentence starters to focus discussion. During this activity, students cite text evidence.

Additionally, a grammar rule is taught, and students have time to work in partners to talk and practice the rule. This routine occurs on Days 2, 3, and 4 as well.

Throughout the week, students practice poems and/or songs. The Speaking and Listening Standards addressed are referenced. The oral vocabulary is reviewed on Day 4. On every Day 4, students also collaborate with partners to peer review and edit each other's’ writing.

Students also engage in discussions with partners to complete research projects and culminating projects. Examples of discussion activities are:

• Speaking and Listening: “Engage in collaborative discussions about how baby animals move. Retell and discuss Pouch! Present information how baby animals move.”
• Talk About It: Get Up and Go! “Guide children to talk about the ways that baby animals move. List their responses. Display pages 24–25 of the Reading/Writing Workshop Big Book and have children do the Talk About It activity with a partner.”
• Collaborative Conversations: “Listen carefully as children engage in partner, small group, and whole group discussions, encourage them to: Look at the person who is speaking. Listen to the words they are saying. Respect others by not interrupting them.”

In Kindergarten, Academic Vocabulary is used often. Words such as sort, informational text, pronouns, prompt and text evidence are a few examples. During Independent Writing, students are given an opportunity to use academic vocabulary in their writing from an earlier lesson. Then it continues with peer to peer, (partners) working together to think of something they have in common. Also, the curriculum encourages modeling. For example, the teacher models by stating, “Explain to children that if they are not sure what a word means, they can look at how the word is used in the sentence. They can also look for other words they already know in the sentence to give them Clues to the words meaning.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations for supporting students' listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching with relevant follow-up questions and evidence.

In all lessons, there are opportunities for speaking and listening: whole group discussions, small group discussions, and partner discussions.The curriculum includes Collaborative Conversations supports, graphic organizers, Access Complex Text information, Conference Routines, and modeled Think Alouds. Students are prompted to refer to the text with each task and modeled think alouds include text evidence.

Instructional time is dedicated to student’s practicing and applying speaking and listening skills daily. In Kindergarten, speaking and listening instruction is applied frequently over the course of the school year and includes facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports for teachers. Students have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate what they are reading (or read aloud) and researching through varied speaking and listening opportunities.

Students are expected to integrate ideas through Day 4 and Day 5 using speaking and listening skills weekly. Through the use of Make Connections and Respond to Text in each week, students discuss and listen to others speak. Speaking and Listening skills are also directly addressed during the Close Read Companion task. For example, in Unit 10, Week 3 teachers are directed to monitor students as they work with partners in their Close Reading Companion or on their posters to make sure that they are actively participating in the conversation, and when necessary, remind children to use these speaking and listening strategies. A list of speaking and listening strategies is provided:

• Speaking Strategies : Make sure to stick to the subject. Speak clearly and at an appropriate volume. Describe your posters and provide additional details about protecting the environment.
• Listening Strategies: Look at the person speaking and listen attentively. Wait for your turn to speak. If something is unclear, ask a question.

During Research and Inquiry each week, students complete weekly projects. Each week students are asked to work in pairs or small groups to find out more about the weekly reading topic. Students use what they learn from their reading and discussions as well as other sources to find additional information. There is an option to set up a Shared Research Board to post illustrations and other information that students gather as they do their research.

The instructional materials for Kindergarten meet the expectations for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing and short, focused projects incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

Each week students read and write about text in a mix of on-demand and process writing. On Days 1 and 2, students participate in both a shared and interactive evidence-based on-demand writing using the week’s texts. On Days 3, 4, and 5 students complete an independent process writing in which students analyze a student model, write, find textual evidence, apply a writing trait, revise, edit, and publish a writing. Digital resources are provided each week for additional practice.

In Unit 2, Week 1 the essential question is, “How do tools help us to explore?”. During Reading Writing Workshop, students are read the texts, “Pam Can See” and “We Can See!”. Students are also read the Literature Big Book The Handiest Things in the World and the Paired Read “Discover with Tools”. During the week students address both on-demand and process writing prompts including but not limited to:

• Shared Writing: What tools do the children use?
• Find Text Evidence: “Explain that you reread the text to find evidence and take notes to help answer the question...The photographs show me the tools they use. We can use these details to help us respond to the prompt. Let’s write down the tools the children use in our notes.”
• Write About the Text: “Why did the author call this book The Handiest Things in the World? Ask children: What can you tell about the tools children use? “
• Interactive Writing: “Why did the author call this book The Handiest Things in the World? As you reread, pause and ask children if there is any evidence you should record about handy tools.”
• Independent Writing: “How is the register a handy tool for Sam? Explain that children first need to understand the question. Say: The prompt is asking what the register does for Sam. Next, children need to use text evidence in their response.”
• Find Text Evidence: “Explain that Logan used notes about the text to find out how the register helps Sam. Then, he used the picture to make inferences about the register that were not stated in the text.”
• Analyze the Student Model: “Read the model and discuss the callouts.”
  • Clues: Logan used picture clues to tell how the register helps Sam in his work.
  • Verbs: He used the verb adds to tell what the register does for Sam.
  • Grammar, Details: He used details in the text to explain why the register is handy.
  • For additional practice with writing traits, use the digital Unit 2, Week 1 Writing Trait Minilesson.

Each week students also engage in writing about the texts they are reading. Throughout the unit, children will respond to writing prompts on a variety of texts. Scaffolded instruction is first provided through shared and interactive writing activities. The teacher guides children to respond to a prompt, using sentence frames as needed. In Independent Writing, children first review together a student writing sample that includes the weekly writing trait, then, they respond independently to a new prompt, as they practice the trait. For example, in Unit 9, Week 3 the essential question is, “How can things in nature be used to make new things?” During Reading Writing Workshop, students are read the texts, “Look! A Home!”, and “Nature Artists”. Writing activities are scaffolded and start with a shared writing, interactive writing and then with independent writing all related to the text. Students are asked to answer questions and complete tasks such as:

• Completing a shared writing journal entry from the point of view of the baker. Tell about the main steps from the time he cuts the wheat until he makes the flour.
• Reread the text to find evidence and take notes to help answer the question and respond to the prompt.
• Review the selections and their completed graphic organizers. Work with partners to compare information from all the week’s readings. Record notes using a Foldable. Record information from the selections that helps answer the Essential Question.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectation for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support recall of information, opinions with reasons, and clear information appropriate for grade level. The materials include weekly opportunities for students to respond to one or two texts in a variety of writing modes including informative, opinion, and narrative analysis.

Frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing occur in each week of instruction. For example, in Unit 5, Week 2, the essential question is, “How do living things change as they grow?” Students write multiple times for multiple purposes to address this question’s topic. Examples of writing opportunities include, but are not limited to:

• Write to Sources- Students draw evidence from informational text, compose opinion pieces, and conduct short research on trees.
• Independent Writing to a Source- Students write About Trees: Analyze a short response student model. Use text evidence to write to a source, following the writing process and applying grammar.
• Shared Writing- Students write about A Grand Old Tree
• Interactive Writing- Students write about A Grand Old Tree. Find Text Evidence.
• Independent Writing- Students write about “Ed and Ned.” Find Text Evidence.
• Conduct a Short Research Project- Make a Tree Life Cycle Display that describes the different stages of the life cycle of a tree.
• Shared Writing- Students write about the Literature Big Book.
  • First students analyze the prompt. The Teacher’s Edition states, “Tell children that you will work together to write a response to a prompt, or question. Read aloud the prompt. Do you think the author does a good job telling what happens to the tree? Say: To respond to this question, we need to look at the text and illustrations in A Grand Old Tree. We will look for clues that help us understand how the author tells what happens to the tree.”
  • Then students find text evidence. The Teacher’s Edition states, “Explain that you will reread the text and take notes to help answer the question and respond to the prompt. Read aloud pages 10 to 13. Say: The text and the pictures tell me that the tree grew flowers and grew fruit. These details name two things that happened to the tree. These details will help us respond to the prompt so we will write them down in our notes. Continue paging through the story, rereading, discussing important details conveyed in the text and illustrations, and taking notes.”
  • Finally, students write to a prompt. The Teacher’s Edition states, “Reread the prompt with children. Do you think the author does a good job telling what happens to the tree? Say: We need to look at our notes to remember the details about what happened to the tree. Then we need to think about whether those details helped us learn about the tree. Track the print as you reread the notes.
    Guide children in forming complete sentences for you to record. If needed, write this sentence frame and model how to complete it using the notes: The author . Continue with the following sentence frames, writing down children’s ideas for completing them: First, the author tells about when the tree . The pictures of the flowers. Write down their ideas. Guide children to include clues.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet expectations for explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions/language standards as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context. Explicit instruction is present each week. Across the year, students are taught about nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, and proper nouns. Students are also taught about sentences.

Grammar resources include grammar reproducibles and daily mechanics/usage practice. There are also online grammar games and an online grammar song.

Grammar instruction occurs every day.

• In Day 1, during Shared Writing, the weekly grammar lesson includes: model, guided practice, talk about it, and link to writing.
• In Day 2, during Interactive Writing, the weekly grammar lesson includes: review, guided practice, practice, and talk about it.
• In Day 3, during Independent Writing, the weekly grammar lesson includes: review, guided practice/practice, partner work, and talk about it.
• In Day 4, during Independent Writing, the weekly grammar lesson includes: review, guided practice, practice, and talk about it.
• In Day 5, during Independent Writing, the weekly grammar lesson includes: review and review practice.

An example of one day of grammar instruction:

• Unit 8, Week 2 Sentences with prepositions –
  • 1. Review – Remind children that a sentence has a naming part and a telling part. Write and read aloud: The coat fell off the hook. Have children tell the naming part and the telling part.
  • 2. Guided Practice/Practice – Show the photo card for the bridge. Write and read aloud: The bridge crosses over the water. Guide children to identify the naming part and the telling part of the sentence. Underline over the water. These words tell where the bridge crosses. Where is the water? Guide children to use a sentence with a preposition to respond.
  • 3. Talk about it – Have children place classroom objects over or under a table or chair. Ask them to orally generate complete sentences with a preposition to tell where each object is located.

Kindergarten students learn to print upper and lowercase letters in all the units. Question words are taught in Unit 3, 5, 6, 7, 9. Conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling are taught in every unit. Students are taught to capitalize the first word in a sentence and capitalize the pronoun I in Units 3, 5, 8, 10.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations of materials, questions, and tasks directly teach foundational skills to build reading acquisition by providing systematic and explicit instruction in the alphabetic principle, letter-sound relationships, phonemic awareness, and phonological awareness (K-1), and phonics (K-2) that demonstrate a transparent and research-based progression with opportunities for application both in and out of context.

During the three weeks of the materials first unit, Start Smart, there were 16 letter learning lessons. During each of these lessons, the teacher used an Alphabet resource poster. The first and last lesson went through the entire alphabet. All the other lessons focused in on 1-2 letters, followed by guided practice. Also during these three weeks, there were 15 phonological awareness/phonemic awareness lessons focusing on sentence segmenting, rhyme, syllables, and blending. For many of these lessons, the teacher used a Big Book of Rhymes. Guided practice followed each of these lessons as well.

Throughout lessons the teacher models and conducts guided practice. Phonics lesson are taught each day of the week

For example, in Unit 1, Week 1:

• On Day 1, students study Phonemic Awareness:Phoneme isolation. The phoneme /m/ is introduced.
• On Day 2, students study Phoneme Identity and review /m/.
• On Day 3, students study Phonemic Awareness: Phoneme blending. Students review /m/, identify words with /m/ and complete a picture sort.
• On Day 4, students study Phonemic Awareness: Phoneme blending while participating in a picture sort.
• On Day 5, students study Phonemic Awareness: Phoneme blending and sort pictures with /m/.

Small group phonics lessons are also provided at the end of each week for students who were approaching grade level, on grade level, and beyond grade level.

Some of the phonological/phonemic Awareness topics covered in Kindergarten include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1,Week 3, students work on Onset and Rhyme Blending, Phoneme Isolation (initial), Phoneme Blending, and Phoneme Categorization.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, students work on Recognize Alliteration, Phoneme Isolation, Phoneme Categorization, and Phoneme Blending.
• In Unit 4, Week 1, students work on Onset and Rime Segmentation, Phoneme Isolation (initial), Phoneme Isolation (initial/medial), Phoneme Blending, and Phoneme Categorization.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, students work on Count and Blend Syllables, Phoneme Isolation, Phoneme Blending, and Phoneme Categorization.
• In Unit 10, Week 2, students work on Onset and Rime Blending, Phoneme Identity, Phoneme Blending, and Phoneme Substitution.

Opportunities to learn isolating and pronouncing initial, medial vowel, and final sounds of consonant-vowel-consonant words are included. For example:

• In Unit 1,Week 3, students work on Phonics: /s/s (initial) and Consonant/Vowel Review: /a/a, /m/m".
• In Unit 3, Week 1, students work on Phonics: /i/i (medial) and Consonant/Vowel Review:
  /a/a, /m/m, /p/p, /s/s, /t/t.
• In Unit 4, Week 3, students work on Phonics: /i/i, /n/n, /k/c, /o/o, /d/d and Consonant/ Vowel Review: /a/a, /k/c, /d/d, /i/i, /m/m, /n/n, /o/o, /p/p, /s/s, /t/t.
• In Unit 7, Week 2, students work on Phonics: /g/g (initial/final), /w/w (initial), Extend: l-blends; sl, gl, cl, and Consonant/Vowel Review: /a/a, /b/b, /k/c, /k/ck, /d/d, /e/e, /f/f, /h/h, /i/i, /l/l, /m/m, /n/n, /o/o, /p/p, /r/r, /s/s, /t/t, /u/u.
• In Unit 9, Week 1, students work on Phonics: /ā/a_e, Extend: digraphs; sh, Consonant/ Vowel Review: /a/a, /b/b, /k/c, /d/d, /e/e, /f/f, /g/g, /h/h, /i/i, /k/k, /l/l, /m/m, /n/n,/o/o, /p/p, /kw/qu, /r/r, /s/s, /t/t, /u/u, /v/v, /w/w, /ks/x, /y/y.

The instructional materials for Kindergarten meet the expectation that materials, questions, and tasks provide explicit instruction for and regular practice to address the acquisition of print concepts, including alphabetic knowledge, directionality, and function (K-1), structures and features of text (1-2). The lessons contain modeling of print concepts by the teacher often. Opportunities for students to practice print concepts are typically found in Differentiated Instruction.

Students are taught print concepts starting in Unit 1. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, during the read-aloud of the Big Book, the teacher displays the Big Book cover and tracks the words from left to right. While reading the text, the teacher reminds children that we read from left to right and top to bottom.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, during the reading of The Handiest Things in the World, the teacher models turning pages. Point to the first sentence on page 4. Track the print from left to right as you read the sentence aloud. Explain that words in a sentence are separated by spaces.
• In Unit 2, Week 2, during the Reading/Writing Workshop Big Book, the teacher models book handling skills. “This is how I hold a book. This is the front cover. I make sure that the book is not upside down so I can see the words.” Then the teacher points to the first sentence and explains: This is a sentence. It is made up of a group of words.
• In Unit 4, Week 1, during Differentiated Instruction, the students practice print concepts. For students at the approaching level: Have children turn to page 2. Ask them to put their finger on the first word in the sentence. Have them point to each word as you model pointing and slowly reading each word on the page.
• In Unit 6, Week 3, in Concepts of Print: Turn to page 40 and read each sentence. Explain that the first word in a sentence begins with a capital letter, and a punctuation mark comes at the end of a sentence. Point out and identify the punctuation mark that ends each sentence.
• In Unit 10, Week 2, during the read-aloud of the Big Book, the teacher reads the title and author’s name and illustrator’s name. The author writes the words and the illustrator draws the pictures. Remind children that we read from left to right and top to bottom. Track print from left to right with your finger and model using the return sweep.

The instructional materials for Grade 1 meet the expectations that instructional opportunities are frequently built into the materials for students to practice and gain decoding automaticity and sight-based recognition of high frequency words. This includes reading fluency in oral reading beginning in mid-Grade 1 and through Grade 2.

High frequency words are addressed. During High-Frequency Word lessons, students practice reading, spelling, and writing high-frequency words.

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Day 1, students learn: see
  • The teacher displays High-Frequency Word Card and uses the Read/Spell/Write routine to teach each word.
• In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 1, students learn: like
  • After the Read/Spell/Write routine, students participate in guided practice by building sentences using high-frequency word cards, photo cards, and teacher-made punctuation cards.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2, students learn: my
  • Students participate in guided practice, which includes the High-Frequency Word Card and working a partner to create sentences using the word. Students count the number of letters in the word and then write the word again.

During Phonics lessons, students learn how to decode words.

• In Unit 2, Lesson 3, during the Handwriting: Write Sentences, students read the following sentence: Sam can tap.The directions to the teacher are: Ask children to identify which words has the sound /s/. Have them underline the letter that stands for the sound. Then have them read the word. Make sure children understand the directions. Ask children to identify words with the following sounds and to underline the letter that stands for the sound /a/, /m/, /t/, and /p/.
• In Unit 5, Lesson 1, during the review of /h/ h, the teacher models how to build words with card. Students blend /h/ /i/ /m/. Then the teacher changes the word cards to /h/ /a/ /t/.

During Start Smart, the teacher models fluency for the students, or practice reading high frequency words fluently in this three-week unit. The following is emphasized:

• Build Fluency: Word Automaticity with the high frequency word
• Model Fluency: Reading with Expression
• Build Fluency: Word Automaticity with the high frequency word can
• Build Fluency: Word Automaticity with the high frequency words I, can
• Model Fluency: Reading with Expression

During Unit 1, Week 1, the teacher models fluency and students practice fluency.

• Day 1: Emphasize intonation when reading a sentence that ends in a question mark.
• Day 2: Have small groups use the Reading/Writing Workshop to reread ‘I Can.
• Day 3: Build sentences using the High Frequency Word Cards, Photo Cards, and punctuation cards.” Read the Take-Home Book chorally and reread to build fluency.
• Day 4: Have small groups use the Reading/Writing Workshop to reread ‘I Can.
• Day 4: “Build Fluency: Build sentences in the pocket chart.”
• Day 5: Build Fluency: Word Automaticity

The small differentiated reading groups also reference fluency. For students who are approaching grade level or on grade level, fluency practice is in the lesson plan, and then also listed again for more practice. For students who are beyond the grade level, fluency is addressed after the lesson. Building fluency with phonics is addressed in the approaching grade level lesson only, and building fluency with high frequency words is addressed in all the lessons.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations that materials, questions, and tasks provide systematic and explicit instruction in and practice of word recognition and analysis skills in a research-based progression in connected text and tasks.

Each week students were provided with high frequency words that they would be learning over the course of the week. These words were explicitly taught through whole group lessons that focused on teacher modeling and a read/spell/write routine. These words were also used in context throughout the week and appeared in the reading/writing workshop book and again in small group instruction. The instructional practices have word recognition and analysis skills both in connected text, but also in isolated text through practice books or in class work. Letter-sound relationship, syllabication, morphology (roots/affixes) in context and out of context are all present in K-2.

During Start Smart, the beginning three-week unit, two sight words are taught and reviewed: “I,” and “can.” The words are introduced and practiced in isolation. Sometimes they are put with other word cards and picture cards to read in short sentences(context). Sometimes students practice writing in the air. Sometimes the teacher reads sentences orally, and the students hold up their word card when the word is said.

In Unit 1, Week 1, one high-frequency word is taught and students have opportunities to read the sight word in connected text.

• Day 1: The teacher models reading the word “the.” A read/spell/write routine is used to teach the word. Students practice with word cards to build short sentences.
• Day 2: The word is retaught. Students write the word in the air or on paper. Students review the words they learned during Start Smart.
• Day 3: Students review and practice “the.” Students again practice with building sentences and choral reading. Students read a little practice book that highlights the word. Students build a word bank. Then, the teacher teaches “out” using the Read/Spell/Write routine. And then there is more practice.
• Day 4: Students practice “the” again, using some visual vocabulary cards.
• Day 5: Students again review “the.” Students hold word cards and stand up when their word is said.

In the differentiated guided reading groups, the sight word is reviewed again. Students look for the word in their books as part of the approaching level and on level lessons. The word is also retaught after the lessons. The word is not reviewed during the beyond level lesson.

Much of the phonics instruction is practiced in connected text. In Unit 5, Week 2, students are working on short e.

• Day 1: A sound-spelling card is shown, and the letter/sound connection is made. Students then read a song with the teacher, in which the word “egg” is repeated many times.
• Day 2: Students use the letter e to build words with other letter cards. The words are not read in context.
• Day 3: Students review short e. Students blend words with short e and seven consonants. Students practice decoding words in connected text reading a Decodable Reader.
• Day 4: Students review and blend words again. Students write dictated words. Students read Decodable Readers.
• Day 5: Students read words and sentences which include short e words. They reread/sing the egg sound from Day 1.

In the differentiated guided reading groups, the sounds are reviewed again, and decodable readers are read again in the approaching and on level groups. They are not in the beyond level group.

The instructional materials for Kindergarten meet expectations for materials supporting ongoing and frequent assessment to determine student mastery and inform meaningful differentiation of foundational skills. There is a wealth of assessment resources that teachers are provided both in the Teacher Edition and online. Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information of students’ current skills/level of understanding. Materials support teachers with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in foundational skills.This program also utilizes quick assessments throughout Daily Lessons as well as weekly and Unit Assessments. A strength of this program is the guidance it provides for teachers when a student is struggling. Based on assessments or even daily quick checks, teachers were guided towards specific lessons and interventions that they could utilize with students.

Assessment books are included with the instructional materials: a Placement and Diagnostic Assessment book, a Unit Assessments book, and a Running Record/Benchmark Assessments book.

Kindergarten students are to be given a placement test at some point around the third week of the school year. Everything needed is included in the Placement and Diagnostic Assessment book. Kindergarteners are to be assessed on phonological awareness subtests, a letter naming fluency assessment, or a listening comprehension test. If students score 80% or higher on the phonological awareness subtests, and score at or above the appropriate benchmark for letter naming fluency, or 80% correct or higher on the listening comprehension test, then teachers are instructed to begin lessons with students with the Wonders On Level materials. Similar instructions are given on how to place students in the Wonders Approaching Level materials (pp. 4-5).

There are many other assessments included in the Placement and Diagnostic Assessment book. There is a chart on page 18 outlining a general testing schedule. For example, it is suggested that Kindergarteners be assessed on phonological and phonemic awareness subtests, letter naming fluency, and a phonics survey at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. Other assessments are to be considered for the middle and end of the year. Since many states use a screener such as DIBELS or the TPRI, alignment information is provided (pp. 16-27). The phonemic awareness assessments, the letter naming fluency assessment, and some of the other assessments appear to be publisher-written. The phonics assessment is called The Quick Phonics Survey and is written by Jan Hasbrouck.

In the Teacher Edition, each week there is a Monitor and Differentiate box. These boxes provided teachers with instructions for a quick check to see if students understand the concept. Teachers are instructed to turn to particular pages for additional small group instruction based on whether or not students understood the concept. For example, in Unit 2 Week 1 on page T21, teachers are provided the quick check – “Can children isolate /p/ and match it to the letter Pp? Can children recognize and read the high-frequency word?” Afterwards teachers are provided with pages to turn to based on how students performed on the quick check.

Additionally, in the Teacher Edition, each week there is a page that includes progress monitoring information, and a chart with guidelines to help teachers know how to use assessment results. Teachers are also provided with a page in the back of the teacher’s manual about how to use assessment results. For example with comprehension “If children answer 0-3 items correctly….Then reteach tested skills using the Tier 2 Comprehension Intervention Online PDFs.”

Examples of informal assessments include:

• Quick Checks: Wonders provides many opportunities for you to observe students independently practice a strategy or skill taught in whole group instruction. • The Quick Check reminds you to observe your students and see if any of them are having difficulty with a skill they have just learned. • You can use this information to decide if this is a skill you need to address in small group instruction.
• Assignments: Every assignment or activity allows you to assess reading behaviors. Assignments do not need to be formally graded, but they should be treated as a potential source of information about what students know, what they still need to learn, and what their misconceptions or difficulties are.
• Classroom Observations: You have opportunities to observe your students at work and at play, working alone, and interacting with other students. Be systematic with the way you do and record the observations.
• Other assessments included are Running Records and in the Diagnostic and Assessment Book, Phonological and Phonemic Awareness is assessed.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the expectations that materials, questions, and tasks providing high-quality lessons and activities that allow for differentiation of foundational skills. The monitor and differentiate boxes, small group lessons, English Language Learner boxes and corrective feedback boxes provide teachers many opportunities to target the needs of students. As evidenced below, students are provided many opportunities over the course of the week to work on foundational skills.

For every unit, there are pages titled Differentiate to Accelerate. These pages include the quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task information, as well as an outline for where to find information on how to differentiate for English Language Learners, how to differentiate using the Quick Checks, and also how to differentiate using the leveled readers. (Unit 2, Week 1, T9)

On every Day 1, and throughout the week, there are many scaffolds for English Language Learners. While many of these have to do with comprehension and vocabulary, there are some that have to do with foundational skills. “High Frequency Words: Build Meaning: To reinforce the singular context of the word a, display common objects and say the following sentences: This is a book. This is a pencil.” (Unit 2, Week 1, T28) Periodically, there is Corrective Feedback given. “Sound error: Model /p/ in the initial position, then have children repeat the sound.” (Unit 2, Week 1, T19)

Each day, there is a Monitor and Differentiate box. The Quick Check is listed.Some of these have to do with comprehension, but some of them have to do with foundational skills. “Can children isolate /p/ and match it to the letter Pp? Can children recognize and read the high frequency word?” Then, directions are given for small group instruction. The information in this box that referenced foundational skills remained the same throughout the week. (Unit 2, Week 1, T21)

Differentiation is provided within the small differentiated reading groups. The students in Approaching grade level practice foundational skills more than the students in on grade level and beyond grade level groups. In Unit 2, Week 1:

• Approaching: There are 4 short lessons for phonological awareness, 6 for phonics, including 1 for building fluency with phonics, 1 for reteaching high frequency words, and 1 for rereading text for fluency. (12 lessons)
• On: 3 lessons for phonemic awareness, 3 for phonics, 1 for reteaching high frequency words, and 1 for rereading text for fluency. (8 lessons)
• Beyond: There is 1 lesson for phonics, and 1 lesson for reteaching high frequency words. (2 lessons)