1st Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 1 meet the expectations that they assess grade-level content. 

i-Ready Teach and Assess is the portal through which both assessments and the Ready Classroom Mathematics Teacher Toolbox are housed. Unit Assessments are found in the Ready Classroom Mathematics Teacher Toolbox, Classroom Resources, Assess. Comprehension Checks are found in i-Ready, Teach and Assess, Assessment. 

The series is divided into units, and each unit has numerous opportunities for both formative and summative assessments that can be administered in online and/or paper and pencil formats. The online Teacher Toolbox includes two versions of Unit Assessments: Form A and Form B. Form A assessments are editable in each one of the units. The Form A assessments also have the grade-level standard identified with a brief narrative of possible ways students could solve the item, and/or reasoning as to why specific multiple choice options are not accurate. Form A assessments also include a standards correlation chart, DOK levels, as well as a correlation to the lesson(s) related to each assessment question. Form B assessments do not include these features.

An additional assessment opportunity is provided through the online i-Ready Comprehension Check portal. This feature presents opportunities for teachers to load class rosters and collect data, and is described as “an alternative to the print Mid-Unit or Unit Assessment. For each of these assessments, the tables (below) provide a Depth of Knowledge (DOK), standard(s) addressed, and the corresponding lesson(s) assessed by each Item.” 

Above grade-level content addressing probability, statistical distributions, similarities, transformations, and congruence do not appear in the assessments. Examples of assessment Items from the Classroom Resources tab aligned to Grade 1 CCSS include:

• In Unit 2, Assess, End of Unit, Unit Assessment - Form A Teacher, Item 8 states, “Some birds sit on a fence. 9 fly away. Now there are 5. How many birds were on the fence to start?” (1.OA.1)

• In Unit 5, Assess, End of Unit, Unit Assessment - Form A Teacher, Item 12 states, “Draw a wrong way to measure the length of the spoon.” This Item has students show their conceptual understanding that same length measures must be used or that no overlaps or gaps may be used. (1.MD.2)

• In Unit 6, Assess, End of Unit, Unit Assessment - Form A Teacher, Item 8 states, “Circle all the reasons this shape is a square.” The choices students choose from are: “It is smaller than most shapes; It has 4 square corners; It has 4 sides the same length; or It is gray.” This Item has students show their conceptual understanding of defining attributes (e.g., “square corners” or “4 sides the same length”) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., “gray” or “smaller than most shapes”). (1.G.1)

Examples of assessment items from the Assess and Teach tab aligned to Grade 1 CCSS include:

• In Comprehension Checks, Comprehension Checks Details, First Grade, Unit 1 (Lessons 6-10), Preview, Item 1 states, “3 birds are in the tree. More birds join. Now there are 6 birds in the tree. How many birds joined?” (1.OA.1) 
• In Comprehension Checks, Comprehension Checks Details, Grade 1, Unit 5 (Lessons 30-32), Preview, Item 1 states, “What is the length of the object in unit cubes? Put your answer in the box. Use the number pad.” Students have to express the length of an object as a whole number of length units. (1.MD.2) 
• In Comprehension Checks, Comprehension Checks Details, Grade 1, Unit 6, (Lessons 33-35), Preview, Item 9 states, “Remi’s cake is cut into 2 equal pieces. Greg’s cake is cut into 4 equal pieces. Which pieces are smaller?” The three choices given are: “Remi’s pieces are smaller,” “Greg’s pieces are smaller,” or “Remi’s and Greg’s pieces are the same size.” (1.G.3) 

Above grade-level assessment items are present but could be modified or omitted without a significant impact on the underlying structure of the instructional materials. Items that could be modified or omitted include:

• In Classroom Resources, Unit 6, Assess, End of Unit, Unit Assessment - Form A Teacher, Item 1, Teacher Directions, the standard identified is 1.G.2. The assessment item states, “Lily uses cubes to make this prism. How many cubes does she use? Circle.” This Item is composed for the students, of 12 cubes of which the students can see 10 cubes and have to figure out there are 2 hidden. This is aligned to 5.MD.4: Measure volumes by counting unit cubes, using cubic cm, cubic in, cubic ft, and improvised units.

The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 1 meet expectations for spending a majority of instructional time on major work of the grade. To evaluate focus on the grade, alignment to the major work with clusters in 1.OA and 1.NBT, as well as cluster 1.MD.A were examined at the levels of unit, lesson, and instructional days. Of the three levels, instructional days were determined to be the most representative of the amount of instructional time spent on major work of the grade. 

Evidence: 

• The approximate number of units devoted to major work of the grade (including assessments and supporting work connected to the major work) is 4.5 of 6, which is approximately 75%.
• The number of lessons devoted to major work of the grade (including review days, assessments, and supporting work connected to the major work) is 30 of 35, which is approximately 86%. (Lessons in this series are taught over a number of instructional days.)
• The number of instructional days devoted to major work (including review days, assessments, and supporting work connected to the major work) is 147 of 175, which is approximately 84%. 

An instructional day analysis is most representative of the instructional materials because most lessons are taught over 4 to 5 days with review and assessment included. As a result, approximately 84% of the instructional materials focus on the major work of the grade.

The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 1 meet expectations that supporting work enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade. 

i-Ready Teach and Assess is the portal through which the Ready Classroom Mathematics Teacher Toolbox is housed. Supporting standards/clusters are connected to the major standards/clusters of the grade. There is one supporting cluster in Grade 1 (1.MD.C) which is addressed in one lesson in Grade 1 Ready Classroom Mathematics. This lesson is comprised of several sessions as noted below in the examples. Examples of when supporting standards and clusters are connected to major standards and clusters found in the Classroom Resources tab include:

• Lesson 18, Session 3, Develop, connects the supporting cluster 1.MD.C (Represent and interpret data) to the major cluster 1.OA.D (Work with addition and subtraction equations) by using the graph to answer questions requiring addition. Session 3 Develop, states, “Find how many children have dogs or cats. Each picture shows 1 child. Count the pictures for dogs. Count the pictures for cats. Then add.” The data indicates 2 birds, 7 dogs, and 4 cats. The students are then provided with the equation, “7 + 4 = ____ “ to complete the work.
• In Lesson 18, Session 4, Refine, the Problem 3 directions state, “Children count their blocks. How many blocks do they count in all?” Students are provided with a graph showing three different shapes and the total number of those shapes (9,4,6). They are then given a blank equation to fill in, “____+____+____=____”  and an answer line “____ blocks.” This provides a connection between the major cluster, 1.OA.D (Work with addition and subtraction equations) and the supporting cluster 1.MD.C (Represent and interpret data) 
• In Lesson 18, Session 4 Refine, Apply, states, “The tally charts show Ms. Lee’s markers. How many more yellow than red? How many fewer red than blue?” which is supporting work shaped by 1.MD.4 (Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another) and is used to enhance the major work of 1.OA.1 (Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem). 
• Lesson 23, Session 3, Develop, Apply It, connects supporting standard 1.MD.3 (Tell and write time) with 1.NBT.1 (Count to 120...In this range, read and write numerals) by having students write the time shown. For example, Problem 6 states, “It is half past 12. Show the time on both clocks.” Both an analog and digital clock are present.
• Lesson 33, Session 3, Develop, connects supporting standard 1.G.1 (Distinguish between defining attributes…) and major standard 1.NBT.1 (Count to 120…) by having students count the number of faces and straight edges on three dimensional shapes.

The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 1 meet expectations that the amount of content designated for one grade-level is viable for one year. 

As designed, the instructional materials can be completed in 180 days. The suggested amount of time and expectations for teachers and students of the materials are viable for one school year as written and would not require significant modifications. 

i-Ready Teach and Assess is the portal through which teachers access the Ready Classroom Mathematics Teacher Toolbox. Pacing information from the publisher regarding viability for one school year can be found in the document titled “Yearly Pacing” found in the Program Implementation tab on the home page for each grade level. Yearly Pacing includes a list of units, lessons within each unit, and the number of days each lesson encompasses, a note that sessions are 45-60 minutes in length and number of days for assessments. The Grade 1 Yearly Pacing document shows 154 days of instruction, 9 days for assessment, and 6 days for i-Ready diagnostic assessments. In addition to the days of math instruction, “Lesson 0” is included with 5 days of instruction at the beginning of the year to teach and establish instructional routines. Review days are also provided at the end of each unit for a total of 6 review days. This brings the total number of instructional days to 180.

Pacing information is also verified in the Classroom Resources tab in each unit for each lesson in Lesson Overview and Family Connection which includes a Lesson Pacing Guide with more detailed information that lists sessions and minutes for each lesson.

The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 1 meet expectations for the materials being consistent with the progressions in the Standards. The instructional materials clearly identify content from prior and future grade levels and use it to support the progressions of the grade-level standards.  

In i-Ready, Ready Classroom Mathematics, Classroom Resources, the materials clearly identify connections to prior and future grade-level work and progressions across grade levels. For example:

• In the beginning of each unit there is a Learning Progression Teacher flowchart which clearly identifies and connects the standards that are taught in the unit with information on “What lessons are children preparing for?” In Unit 1, the Learning Progression charts from Kindergarten through grade 2 state,  “Kindergarten Lesson 24, Addition and Subtraction Word Problems to 10 (K.OA.2) links to Grade 1, Lesson 7, Add and Subtract in Word Problems (1.OA.1), which links to Grade 1, Lesson 8 Subtract to Compare in Word Problems (1.OA.1) which then links to Grade 2, Lesson 3, Solve One Step Word Problems (2.OA.1) and Grade 2, Lesson 5, Solve Two Step Word Problems (2.OA.1).” 
• In each lesson, there is a section that identifies the Learning Progression content from prior grades or prior units within the grade, to the current lesson, and to content in future grades. For example, the Learning Progression section for Lesson 19 states, “In Kindergarten children count by tens to 100 and write numbers to 20 observing place value. They compose and decompose numbers 11 to 19 into 10 ones and more ones. In Grade 1 children explore tens by making a ten to add and subtract and by recognizing teen numbers as a composition of a ten and some ones. In this lesson children explore the concept of ten as 10 ones by composing and decomposing, counting, recording, and comparing multiple groups of ten. They reason that 10 can be shown as one group of 10 or as 10 individual ones and compare numbers expressed in the two forms. Concepts in this lesson lay the groundwork for counting up to 120, understanding that the two digits in two-digit numbers represent a number of tens and a number of ones, and understanding adding and subtracting multiples of ten. In Grade 2 children continue to develop an understanding of the structure of two-digit numbers and extend these concepts to three-digit numbers.”

The materials attend to the full intent of the grade-level standards by giving all students extensive work with grade-level problems such as with addition and subtraction. For example:

• Lessons include between four and five sessions focused on grade level tasks. During Develop, students explore ways to solve problems using multiple representations, digital tools, and prompts to reason and explain their thinking. In addition, the Develop and Refine sections of the lessons allow students to solve problems and discuss their solution methods.
• Lessons 25-28 address 1.NBT.4 (Add within 100, including adding a two-digit number and a one-digit number, and adding a two-digit number and a multiple of 10, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used. Understand that in adding two-digit numbers, one adds tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose a ten), which supports the unit’s progression. 
• In Lesson 29, Session 2, Develop, students use base 10 blocks to model a marble problem, “How many marbles in all?” Shown are “35 or 27.” In Session 3, Develop, Add Two-Digit Numbers, the Try It section states, “How many shells in all?” Shown are “24 shells or 58 shells.” It also has “Math Toolkit- base ten blocks, hundreds chart, number bonds, connecting cubes.” In Model It, students solve “Find 24 + 58. Add the tens. Then add the ones.” 1.NBT.4  (Add within 100, including adding a two-digit number and a one-digit number, and adding a two-digit number and a multiple of 10, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used. Understand that in adding two-digit numbers, one adds tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose a ten.)
• Additional components of the materials include math centers and enrichment activities which provide students with more time to work on grade level concepts. 

The materials provide explicit guidance for teachers and/or students that makes connection to prior knowledge in the Lesson Overview: Prerequisite Skills and at the beginning of some sessions with “Connect to prior knowledge” in Classroom Resources. For example:

• In Lesson 1, Session 1, Explore, the Teacher page contains a “Connect to Prior Knowledge” starter. The teacher's directions state, “Why- Strengthen skills in counting and cardinality. How- Count to 10 starting at any number, with and without the use of a number path. Practice counting to 10 orally with the whole class, selected groups, or individual children. Then begin with different numbers and continue the count up to 10. Repeat without the number path.”
• In Lesson 7, Lesson Overview, Prerequisite Skills, “Count to add,” “Count on to subtract,” and “Solve missing addend equations” are listed. 
• In Lesson 22, Lesson Overview, Prerequisite Skills, the materials state, “Understand concepts of less than, more than, and the same as;” “Understand the equal sign;” “Understand two-digit numbers as tens and ones;” and “Know the count sequence to 100.” 
• In Lesson 23, Lesson Overview, Prerequisite Skills, the materials list, “Count from 1-20,” “Identify and name circles,” “Count from 1-20.” These have been previously taught in Kindergarten (K.CC.1 Count to 100 by ones and tens) and in Grade 1, Unit 3 (1.NBT.1 Count to 120, starting at any number less than 120. In this range, read and write numerals and represent a number of objects with a written numeral). “Identify and name circles” has been taught in Kindergarten (K.G.A Identify and describe shapes [squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, bylinders, and spheres].)

The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 1 meets expectations that materials foster coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the Standards. 

In i-Ready, Ready Classroom Mathematics, Program Implementation, there is a Correlations Guide. The guide lists each Cluster Heading and the standards for the grade, the Emphasis (Major, Supporting or Additional), and the Lessons that Focus, Develop, or Apply the standard. In Classroom Resources, each lesson includes a learning target that is visibly shaped by the CCSS Mathematics cluster headings.

Materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by CCSSM cluster headings. For example:

• Lesson 11 connects with 1.NBT.B (Understand place value). Session 1 Explore lists the Learning Target: “Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represent amounts of tens and ones. Understand the following as special cases: 10 can be thought of as a bundle of ten ones - called a ‘ten.’ The numbers from 11 to 10 are composed of a ten and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.” 
• In Lesson 17, Lesson Overview, the Content Objective states, “Solve addition and subtraction word problems within 20 with unknowns in all positions.” This connects to cluster heading 1.OA.A (Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction). 
• Lesson 21 is shaped by 1.NBT.2 (Understand that the two digits of a two-digit number represent amounts of tens and ones. Understand the following as special cases: 1.NBT.2a  10 can be thought of as a bundle of ten ones - called a “ten.” 1.NBT.2b The numbers from 11 to 19 are composed of a ten and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones. 1.NBT.2c.  The numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine tens [and 0 ones]) to support the cluster heading (Understand place value). The Learning Target states, “10 can be thought of as a bundle of ten ones - called a ‘ten.’ The numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine tens (and 0 ones).”
• Lesson 30, Order Objects by Length is shaped by 1.MD.1 (Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object) to support the cluster heading (Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units). The Learning Target states, “Order three objects by length.” 

Materials include problems and activities that connect two or more clusters in a domain, or two or more domains in a grade, in cases where these connections are natural and important. For example:

• In Lesson 9, Session 1, Explore, the Learning Target states, “Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false.” 1.OA.D (Work with addition and subtraction equations) connects with 1.OA.C (Add and subtract within 20), as students add and/or subtract to determine if an equation is true/false. In student materials, Item 2, students are asked, “Jun says the equation 4+5=8 is true. Do you agree? Explain.”
• Lesson 14 connects the major clusters 1.OA.A (Represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction) and 1.OA.B (Understand and apply the properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction). The Content Objectives state, “Write addition expressions with three addends to represent word problems” and “Use the associative and commutative properties to group addends strategically in order to use known facts.” In Session 4, students encounter problems such as: “Ann has 9 red balls and 1 green ball. She has 2 blue balls. How many balls does she have?”
• A connection between the major clusters 1.OA.C (Add and subtract within 20) and 1.NBT.B (Understand place value) is made in Lesson 15, Make a 10 to Subtract, Session 1, Explore. Located on the Session 1, Teacher Page is a “Connect to Prior Knowledge” section. The “Why” of the prior knowledge lesson states, “Review understanding of teen numbers by decomposing into 10 and some ones.” The “How” to the Session states, “Point to a teen number and say (Teen number) is 10 and __. Have children call out in unison the single-digit number needed to make the designated teen number.” 
• In Lesson 20, Session 1, lists  the Learning Target as 1.NBT.A.1 (Count to 120, starting at any number less than 120. In this range, read and write numerals and represent a number of objects with a written numeral). This connects to cluster 1.NBT.A (Extend the counting sequence). Students count on from any number on the 120 chart, identify missing numbers in a sequence within 120, and count by 10s within 120. In the “Connect It” portion of the session, students are given partial 120 charts and asked to “Write the missing number.” Students must identify the missing number and write it in the blank spaces in the chart.
• In Lesson 32, Session 1, Explore, the Learning Target states, “Express the length of an object as a whole number of length units, by laying multiple copies of a shorter object (the length unit) end to end; understand that the length measurement of an object is the number of same-size length units that span it with no gaps or overlaps.” 1.MD.A (Measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units) connects with 1.NBT.A (Extend the counting sequence) as students count to determine how long an object is. Students “find the length of a book using toothpicks.” Students use lay toothpicks end to end as a non-standard unit of measure and count toothpicks to determine the length of two books and compare to determine which is longer.
• In Lesson 35, Session 3, Develop provides a connection between the two additional clusters, 1.MD.B (Tell and write time) and 1.G.A. (Reason with shapes and their attributes). Session 3, Student Page, Question 2 states, “You can think of a clock as 2 equal parts. The clock shows 8:30 or ________ past 8. Every half hour the minute hand travels _________ of the circle.” The students are provided with an analytical clock reading 8:30 to help them complete the work.