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Report Overview
Summary of Alignment & Usability: i-Ready Classroom Mathematics | Math
Math K-2
Note: The product name of this title was updated from “Ready Classroom Mathematics” to “i-Ready Classroom Mathematics” in January 2021. The name change has not impacted the EdReports review of the product.
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics K-2 series meet expectations for Alignment to the CCSSM. The materials meet the expectations for Focus and Coherence by assessing grade-level content, spending the large majority of instructional time on major work of the grade, and they are coherent with the progressions of the standards, making meaningful connections between supporting and major work of the grade, are viable for a school year, and present all students with opportunities to engage in extensive work with grade level problems to meet the full intent of grade level standards. The materials meet the expectations for Rigor and Mathematical Practices as they meet the expectations for Rigor and Balance and meet the expectations for Practice-Content Connections. The materials balance the rigorous expectations of the Standards, and they attend to Practice-Content Connections, addressing all of the Mathematical Practice Standards; however, there are instances where these are over-identified.
Kindergarten
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
1st Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
2nd Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
Math 3-5
Note: The product name of this title was updated from “Ready Classroom Mathematics” to “i-Ready Classroom Mathematics” in January 2021. The name change has not impacted the EdReports review of the product.
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics 3-5 series meet expectations for Alignment to the CCSSM. The materials meet the expectations for Focus and Coherence by assessing grade-level content, spending the large majority of instructional time on major work of the grade, and they are coherent with the progressions of the standards, making meaningful connections between supporting and major work of the grade, are viable for a school year, and present all students with opportunities to engage in extensive work with grade level problems to meet the full intent of grade level standards. The materials meet the expectations for Rigor and Mathematical Practices as they meet the expectations for Rigor and Balance and meet the expectations for Practice-Content Connections. The materials balance the rigorous expectations of the Standards, and they attend to Practice-Content Connections, addressing all of the Mathematical Practice Standards, however, there are instances where these are over-identified.
3rd Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
4th Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
5th Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
Report for Kindergarten
Alignment Summary
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for Alignment to the CCSSM. The materials meet the expectations for Focus and Coherence by assessing grade-level content, spending the large majority of instructional time on major work of the grade, and they are coherent with the progressions of the standards, making meaningful connections between supporting and major work of the grade, are viable for a school year, and present all students with opportunities to engage in extensive work with grade-level problems to meet the full intent of grade-level standards. The materials meet the expectations for Rigor and Mathematical Practices as they meet the expectations for Rigor and Balance and meet the expectations for Practice-Content Connections. The materials balance the rigorous expectations of the Standards, and they attend to Practice-Content Connections, addressing all of the Mathematical Practice Standards; however, there are instances where these are over-identified.
Kindergarten
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Usability (Gateway 3)
Overview of Gateway 1
Focus & Coherence
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for focusing on the major work of the grade and are coherent with the Standards. The materials do not assess topics before the grade-level, spend at least 65% of class time on the major clusters of the grade, and are coherent and consistent with the Standards.
Gateway 1
v1.0
Criterion 1.1: Focus
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for not assessing topics before the grade level in which the topic should be introduced. Overall, the materials assess grade-level content and, if applicable, content from earlier grades.
Indicator 1A
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten 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 aligned to Kindergarten CCSS include:
- In Unit 6, Assess, End of Unit, Unit Assessment - Form A Teacher, Items 1 and 2 state, “Have children compare lengths and weights of objects. For the first Item, have children circle the longer pencil. For the second Item, have children circle the heavier object. Ask students to describe how they chose each item.” In 1, students circle the longer pencil. In 2, students circle a gallon of milk rather than a box of cereal. (K.MD.2)
- In Unit 2, Assess, End of Unit, Unit Assessment - Form A Teacher, Item 2 states, “For the bottom problem, have children look at the number on the balloon and find the number that is 1 more. Have children circle that number.” The number choices are 4, 5, or 6. (K.CC.4.c.)
Examples of assessment items in the Assess and Teach tab aligned to Kindergarten CCSS include:
- In Comprehension Checks, Comprehension Checks Details, Kindergarten Unit 1 (Lessons 1-5), Preview, Item number 4 states, “Use the frames (5 frames pictured) to help compare numbers. Which is greater? Tap the number. (3 and 5 shown as options)” (K.CC.6)
- In Comprehension Checks, Comprehension Checks Details, Kindergarten Unit 4, (Lessons 20-25), Preview, Item 5 states, “Count the shapes. (A 10-frame with 3 green dots is shown.) How many more shapes make 10? Complete the equation. Put your answers in the boxes. Use the number bar. 10 = ? + ?.” (K.OA.4).
- In Comprehension Checks, Comprehension Checks Details, Kindergarten Unit 5 (Lessons 26-30) Preview, Item 1 states, “What teen number do the cubes show?” Students have to count to tell “how many” for teen numbers. (K.NBT.1)
Criterion 1.2: Coherence
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet the expectations for students and teachers using the materials as designed and devoting the majority of class time to the major work of the grade. Overall, instructional materials spend at least 65% of class time on the major clusters of the grade.
Indicator 1B
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten 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 K.CC, K.OA, and K.NBT 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 of 6, which is approximately 67%.
- The number of lessons devoted to major work of the grade (including review days, assessments, and supporting work connected to the major work) is 26 of 32, which is approximately 81%. (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 140 of 174, which is approximately 78%.
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 78% of the instructional materials focus on the major work of the grade.
Criterion 1.3: Coherence
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet the expectations for being coherent and consistent with the Standards. Overall, the instructional materials connect supporting content to enhance focus and coherence, are consistent with the progressions of the standards, foster connections at a single grade, where appropriate, and include extensive work with grade level problems to meet the full intent of grade-level standards.
Indicator 1C
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten 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. Example of when supporting standards and clusters are connected to major standards and clusters found from the Classroom Resource tab include:
- Lesson 9, Student Worktext, Session 1, Explore, connects supporting cluster K.MD.B (Classify objects and count the number of objects in each category) with major cluster K.CC.C (Compare numbers) as students count and compute. It states, “Ask children to sort themselves. Have them count and compare the numbers in each group… Write the totals on the board and have children write them. As a class, compare the numbers using language such as more than, fewer than, the same as, and equal. Repeat, having the class sort themselves by hair color and by shoe type.”
- Lesson 12, Session 5, Refine, Apply It, connects supporting standard K.G.2 (Correctly name shapes) with K.CC.5 (Counts to answer how many?) when students pull a shape from the teacher’s bag of shapes and have to describe the shape without saying its name so other students can circle the correct shape on the worksheet.
- Lesson 14, Session 3, Develop, Connect It, connects supporting cluster K.G.B (Analyze, compare, create, and compose shapes) with major cluster K.CC.B (Count to tell the number of objects) when students have to count the number of sides, corners, or the length of sides to determine which of the three shapes are alike. It states, “For each problem, have children ring (circle) the two shapes that are most alike. Have them focus attention on the number of sides, type of corners, or sides that are the same length.”
Indicator 1D
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten 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 179 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 can be found in Program Implementation in Yearly Pacing. 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 the number of days for assessments. The Kindergarten Yearly Pacing document shows 155 days of instruction, 7 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 179.
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.
Indicator 1E
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten 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.
The materials clearly identify connections to prior and future grade-level work and progressions across grade levels. For example, in i-Ready, Ready Classroom Mathematics, Classroom Resources. For example:
- Beginning of Unit includes a Learning Progression Teacher page which clearly identifies the standards that are taught in the unit and information on: “What lessons are children preparing for?” in a chart that shows the current Kindergarten lesson connected to future lessons in the next grade. For instance, Kindergarten, Lesson 12, Naming Shapes, (K.G.2 and K.G.3) links to Grade 1, Lesson 33, Shapes (1.G.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 28, states “In Kindergarten, children learn to decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in different ways. They relate the number pairs to an equation. Children then explore and count with teen numbers. In this lesson, they express teen numbers as ‘10 and some more’ using pictures, number bonds, and equations. In previous lessons on composing numbers within 10, children examined the different number pairs that can be used to make a total. In this lesson children examine the ‘10 and some more’ number pairs for the teen numbers 11-19. Children also develop a sense of the relative size of teen numbers compared to each other and compared to 10. In Grade 1 children continue to work with teen numbers, learning to see 10 ones as a single unit and use that concept to develop the ‘make a ten’ strategy for addition and subtraction.”
The materials attend to the full intent of the grade-level standards by giving all students extensive work with grade-level problems. Lessons include between four and five sessions (days) 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. For example:
- Lesson 4, Session 1, Explore, is one of many opportunities students have to attend to the full intent of K.CC.6, which states, “Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.” Students match the number of snacks to see who has more. The materials state, “Invite two children to come to the front. Give one child 3 snacks and the other child 2 snacks. Have the class count how many snacks each child has.” In Session 2 Develop, students learn about “the same as” when they study a party scene. Students assign numerals to items. In Session 3, Develop, Connect It, students circle the number that is greater: “For each problem, children compare the two groups of objects and circle the greater number, or circle both numbers if the groups are equal. When all 3 problems have been completed, have several children share their answers and thinking.”
- In Student Edition, Lesson 14, Session 3, Develop, the materials state, “Have children make and draw triangles. Give children cut straws of different lengths and small clay balls. Have children use three straws joined by clay to make a triangle. Have children make two more triangles and then draw them all on the page.” This lesson meets the full intent of K.G.5, which states, “Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components.”
- Lesson 30, Session 3 is one of many opportunities that students have to meet the full intent of K.CC.1 (“Count to 100 by ones and tens”). The materials state, “Have children review counting to 31 using a calendar. Say: A calendar is a chart that shows numbers in order. We use the calendar to count the days in each month. Have children point to the dates in order, and lead the class in saying each number aloud together.” K.CC.1 (Count to 100 by ones and tens.) Lesson 29 addressed counting by tens.
- 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:
- Lesson 21, Session 1, Explore, “Connect to Prior Knowledge,” notes “Have children work in pairs and sit back to back. One partner chooses an equation from the slide, claps the first addend in the equation, and taps the second addend. The other partner uses his or her fingers to find the total number of sounds and then completes the equation. Repeat, switching roles, until all equations have been completed.” Equations listed are “3+1, 1+3, 4+1, 2+1.” These equations are aligned to K.OA.5 (Fluently add and subtract within 5) and continue the work that was taught in Lesson 17. The content of Lesson 21 aligns with K.OA.2.
- In Lesson 9, Lesson Overview, Prerequisite Skills, the materials state, “Compare up to 10 objects; Compare numbers to 10.”
- In Lesson 24, Lesson Overview, Prerequisite Skills, the materials state, “Solve addition word problems with sums to 5, using pictures and objects; Solve take-away subtraction word problems within 5 using pictures or objects; Count up to 10 objects; Read addition and subtraction equations.” These prerequisite skills have been taught earlier in the grade/unit.
Indicator 1F
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet 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:
- In Lesson 4, Lesson Overview, the Content Objective states, “Compare two numbers, presented as written numbers between 0 and 5, without objects.” (K.CC.C.)
- In Lesson 26, the Learning Target states, “Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing; understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.” (K.NBT.A)
- In Lesson 28, Session 1, Explore, the Learning Target states, “Compose and decompose numbers from 11-19 into ten ones and some further ones, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation; understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine ones.” (K.NBT.A)
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:
- Lesson 28, Session 1, Explore connects clusters K.CC.A (Know number names and the count sequence) and K.NBT.A (Work with numbers 11-19 to gain foundations for place value), as students solve: “Then write 11 in a number bond as 10 and 1 on the board. Have children complete the number bond for 11. Then write 11=10+1 on the board and relate it to the number bond.” Students must be able to know, identify, and write numbers up to 19 in order to complete this student page of the unit.
- Lesson 9, Session 1, Explore connects K.MD.B (Classify objects and count the number of objects in categories) with K.CC.A (Know number names and the count sequence.) and K.CC.B. (Count to tell the number of objects), as students “Classify objects into given categories; count the number of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.”
- Lesson 16, Session 3, Develop, Fluency and Skills Practice connects clusters K.CC.B (Count to tell the number of objects) and K.OA.A (Understand addition as putting together and adding to and understand subtraction as taking apart and taking from), as teachers “Have children match pictures to addition equations. Have children describe how many cubes are being added in each picture. Read each equation aloud together and discuss the meaning of each. Then have children draw lines to match each picture with its equation.” Students must count the cubes in order to be able to “describe how many cubes are being added in each picture.”
- Unit 1 connects domains K.CC (Counting and Cardinality) and K.OA (Operations & Algebraic Thinking) as students “use what they know about counting as they build sets from smaller sets.”
- Unit 5 connects domains K.CC (Counting and Cardinality) and K.NBT (Numbers & Operations in Base Ten) as students count beyond 10 to 100 using “what they know about counting by tens to help them learn the counting sequence all the way to 100.”
Overview of Gateway 2
Rigor & Mathematical Practices
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet the expectations for alignment with the Standards’ expectations for rigor and the mathematical practices. The instructional materials attend to each of the three aspects of rigor individually, and also attend to balance among the three aspects. The instructional emphasize mathematical reasoning, attend to the full intent of each practice standard; however, there are instances where the practice standards are overidentified.
Gateway 2
v1.0
Criterion 2.1: Rigor
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet the expectations for reflecting the balances in the Standards, and helping students to meet the Standards’ rigorous expectations by helping students develop and demonstrate conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application. The instructional materials develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, give attention throughout the year to procedural skill and fluency, spend sufficient time working with engaging applications, and do not always treat the three aspects of rigor together or separately.
Indicator 2A
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meets expectations that the materials develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific standards or cluster headings.
In i-Ready, Assess & Teach, Ready Classroom Mathematics, Classroom Resources students develop conceptual understanding. For example:
- Lesson 5, Session 3, Develop, Try It supports students in developing conceptual understanding of K.OA.3 by decomposing numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more than one way by using objects. The materials state, “Have children use cubes to make a 2-color train of 3, 4, or 5.”
- In Lesson 18, Session 2, Develop states, “Say: There are 4 markers and 2 of them are taken to be used. Write 4-2 on the board, saying 4 markers minus 2 markers as you write. *Have children model the expression using their own markers. Have them count a group of 4 and then show what the minus sign means by taking 2 of the markers away. *Ask: How many markers are left? 4 minus 2 is how many: 2 * Repeat with other number pairs and familiar classroom objects. Have children tell how many are left, but do not write the complete equation using the equal sign at this time.” (K.OA.1)
- In Lesson 28, Session 5, Refine, in the student Worktext, students use counters to model teen numbers in different ways by placing counters on the 10 frames and then completing a number bond and equation. (K.NBT.1) Students also complete 10 frames, a number bond and an equation to model teen numbers with counters. On the last problem, they draw the counters to match the equation and then write a total.
Examples of students independently demonstrating conceptual understanding include:
- In Lesson 8, Session 1 Explore, Additional Practice states, “Have children show the meaning of the word less. Have children fill in each of the boxes to show the meaning of the word less. Tell children that they can use words, numbers, and pictures. Encourage them to show as many ideas as they can.” (K.CC.6)
- In Lesson 19, Session 5, Refine, Apply It states, “There are 4 apples, Max eats 1. How many apples are left?” Students use a five frame and counters to conceptually understand and solve the problem.
- In Lesson 24, Session 3, Develop provides opportunities for students to independently demonstrate conceptual understanding of K.OA.2. The materials state, “Have children use drawings to solve word problems. Say: Ellen uses 6 star beads and 3 heart beads to make her necklace. How many beads does she use in all? Have children use drawings and write an equation to match. Repeat with two more addition word problems.”
- In Interactive Practice, Make 10, students make ten by using ten frames, finding the missing addend, and matching ten frames which together make ten. (K.OA.3)
- In Interactive Practice, Make Teen Numbers, students make teen numbers by using ten frames, finding the missing addend, and matching sums and equations. (K.NBT.1)
Indicator 2B
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations that they attend to those standards that set an expectation of procedural skill and fluency.
The materials include problems and questions, interactive games, and math center activities that develop procedural skill and fluency and provide opportunities for students to independently demonstrate procedural skill and fluency throughout the grade.
In i-Ready, Assess & Teach, Ready Classroom Mathematics, Classroom Resources students develop procedural skill and fluency throughout the grade level. For example:
- In Lesson 11, Session 2, Develop, Connect It, students match groups of objects to number statements. Students are shown pictures of objects to add such as three green apples and four red apples. Students then match the pictures with the matching number statement.
- In Lesson 11, Session 5, students are asked to make numbers by drawing counters in two colors on a 10 frame. Then, they are asked to write the number of counters for each color. For instance, the first problem asks students to “Make 6.” Students then draw some red and some yellow counters and write the number of each color they used to make six.
- Games provide practice with fluency. In Hungry Fish, students combine the numbers in the bubble together until they equal the amount shown on the fish. Levels Addition to 3-5 and 6-10 and Subtraction 3-5 and 6-10 are appropriate for Kindergarten. In Hungry Guppy, students combine the dots to equal the picture of the dots shown on the guppy with numbers up to 6.
K.OA.5 (Fluently add and subtract within 5) requires students to develop grade level fluency. This standard is addressed in several lessons, including:
- In Lesson 16, Fluency and Skills Practice states, “Have children match pictures to the addition equations.” Students are given six problems with pictures of linking cubes trains using two colors on the left and addition sentences on the right (ex. 4+1=5 to match with a picture of 4 black cubes and 1 white cube).
- In Lesson 17, Session 1 Explore, Develop Fluency states, “Materials: None, children use their fingers. Why: A quantity (4) may be seen as 4, or as composed of two parts, preparing children for work with addition. How: Ask children to first show with their fingers how many red counters there are, then say the number aloud together. Repeat for the yellow counters and for the total.”
- In Lesson 20, Student Worktext, Session 3, Develop, Practice Facts to 5, students see 3 red dots and 1 blue dot and are presented with the problem 3+1=___. In another problem, they see 4 green dots with an X over one and the problem, 4-1=___.
The instructional materials provide opportunities for students to independently demonstrate procedural skill and fluency throughout the grade level. Within each lesson, there are Fluency and Skills Practice pages that students complete on their own. In addition, there are Learning Games and Math Center Activities that engage students with fluency practice. Examples of when students get opportunities to independently demonstrate procedural skill and fluency include:
- In Lesson 19, Session 3, Develop, Practice Subtracting within 5, students see a group of 5 balloons where 2 are floating away. They are given 5 -___=___ and are expected to fill in the blanks with the correct numbers. (K.OA.5 Fluently add and subtract within 5.)
- Learning Games which provide independent practice include:
- In Match, students match the card that has two numbers or a number and dots that are being added/subtracted to the other card that shows the correct answer. Levels Intro to Add, Addition to 3-5 and 6-10 and Subtraction 3-5 and 6-10 are appropriate for Kindergarten.
- In Hungry Fish, students combine the numbers in the bubble together until they equal the amount shown on the fish. Levels Intro to Add, Addition to 3-5 and 6-10 and Subtraction 3-5 and 6-10 are appropriate for Kindergarten.
- In Hungry Guppy, students combine the dots to equal the picture of the dots shown on the guppy with numbers up to 6.
- In the Math Center Activities, there are games provided to work on facts to 5, including:
- In the Lesson 16 activity Addition Vocabulary, students read an equation, draw it, and then a partner checks their work.
- In the Lesson 17 game Add and Move, students use addition equations and counters for partners to move around a game board based on the number in the total of their equation.
- In the Lesson 18 activity Subtraction Vocabulary, students read an equation, draw it, and then a partner checks their work.
- In the Lesson 20 game 5 Beans, students use equations and counters to check their partner.
Indicator 2C
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations that the materials are designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of the mathematics. Engaging applications include single and multi-step problems, routine and non-routine, presented in a context in which the mathematics is applied.
Opportunities for students to independently demonstrate the use of mathematics flexibly are present in a variety of contexts. The instructional materials include multiple opportunities for students to engage in routine application of mathematical skills and knowledge of the grade level, including:
- In Lesson 17, Session 1, Explore, students solve “1 girl and 2 boys get on the bus. How many children are on the bus?”
- In Lesson 23, Session 3, Develop, Try It provides opportunities for students to engage in routine applications of grade level mathematics. The materials state, “Directions- Explain to students that they are going to use cubes to act out a subtraction story. Say: There were 10 balloons. 2 balloons popped. How many balloons are left? Have children use their cubes to solve the subtraction problem and then write the equation.”
- In Lesson 24, Session 3, Develop, Connect It provides opportunities for students to engage in routine applications of grade level mathematics. The materials state, “Directions: For each problem, tell an addition story and have children use drawings to model it and solve it and then write the equation to match. When all three problems have been completed, have several children share their answers and thinking. Say: Mercer eats 4 crackers. She eats 6 more. How many crackers has she eaten in all. Have children draw the crackers to solve the problem and then write an equation to match. Repeat with each other word problem.”
- In Lesson 24, Session 5, Extend, students solve the routine change unknown problem using counters to represent the story: “I had 10 crackers. I ate some, and now I have 8. How many crackers did I eat?”
- In Lesson 25, Session 1, Explore, students solve a routine problem: “Mateo has 6 apples. He has two plates. How many apples can he put on each plate?” (K.OA.3)
The instructional materials include multiple opportunities for students to engage in non- routine application of mathematical skills and knowledge of the grade level.
For example, in i-Ready, Assess & Teach, Classroom Resources:
- In Lesson 4, Session 2, Develop shows a picture of a table set up for a party with presents, plates, spoons, cups, cake, etc. Students solve “Do you think there are more than 3 people coming to this party? Why or why not?”
- In Lesson 17, Student Worktext, Session 4, Refine, students are given pictures to create story problems that represent the picture, and then they solve the problems. For example: 2 red apples, 1 yellow apple (2+1=?), 3 blue butterflies, 1 yellow butterfly (3+1=?). Twelve total problems are provided in this session.
- In Lesson 19, Student Worktext, Session 4, Refine, students are given nine pictures for subtraction problems within 5 and create a story problem that goes along with each picture.
- In Lesson 25, Session 4 Refine, Additional Practice, the directions state, “For the second problem, have children choose a total, tell another story, and find two ways to solve.” (K.OA.3)
Indicator 2D
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations that the three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately.
All three aspects of rigor are present independently throughout the program materials. The instructional materials attend to conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application independently throughout the grade level.
Students engage in instruction to develop conceptual understanding:
- In Lesson 28, Student Worktext, Session 1, Explore, Student Worktext, students demonstrate their understanding of teen numbers by providing four examples of the number 17 in four different boxes. The directions state, “Have children show the meaning of 17. Have children fill in each of the boxes to show the meaning of 17. Tell children that they can use words, numbers, and pictures. Encourage them to show as many ideas as they can.”
Students engage in instruction to develop procedural skills and fluency:
- In Lesson 20, Student Worktext, Session 1, Explore, students solve addition and subtraction problems. The directions state, “Have children solve addition and subtraction problems. Review the plus, minus, and equal signs. Ask children to model addition and subtraction facts within 5 with fingers and write the total or difference.”
Students engage in application of mathematical knowledge and skill:
- Lesson 19, Student Worktext, Session 4, Refine, students apply their skills by completing the subtraction problem using counters and an equation. The directions state, “Have children act out a subtraction story problem using counters. Give each child 5 counters. Say: 5 cups are to be filled with juice. You pour juice in 3 cups. How many are left to fill? Have children act out the story and write an equation to solve.”
Students have opportunities to engage in multiple aspects of rigor simultaneously:
- Lesson 8, Student Worktext, Session 1, Explore, students show their understanding of the word less by creating examples using a variety of methods. They can use application techniques in their examples. The materials state, “Have children show the meaning of the word less. Have children fill in each of the boxes to show the meaning of the word less. Tell children that they can use words, numbers, and pictures. Encourage them to show as many ideas as they can.” Students are demonstrating understanding with visual and numerical representations as well as words and engaging in application of the mathematics through the creation of examples using words and pictures.
- In Lesson 16, Session 2, Develop, Connect It states, “For each picture, have children count and tell the number of red apples and the number of yellow apples. Then have them find the box with the addition expression that matches those numbers. Have them draw a line to connect the picture to the matching expression. Ask children to show the addition with their fingers and tell how many apples in all.” This connects the conceptual understanding that adding is joining together and the procedural fluency of using expressions to denote the symbolic representation.
- In Lesson 26, Session 3, Develop, students develop conceptual understanding of teen numbers by using linking cubes and making a train of ten cubes with single cubes and connecting their understanding of physical representations of teen numbers to the procedural skill of counting.
Criterion 2.2: Math Practices
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for Practice-Content connections. Overall, the materials attend to the full meaning of the mathematical practices; however, there are instances where the practice standards are over-identified.
Indicator 2E
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten partially meet expectations that the Standards for Mathematical Practice are identified and used to enrich mathematics content within and throughout the grade level.
In i-Ready, Assess & Teach, Ready Classroom Mathematics, Program Implementation, Correlations, Correlations by Standards for Mathematical Practices (MPs) identifies the eight Mathematical Practices, their corresponding descriptors, and the lessons where they can be found. MPs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are listed as being connected to all 32 lessons. MP7 is embedded in 17 of the lessons, and MP8 is embedded in 9 of the lessons according to the correlation chart. This structure lends itself to an overidentification of the standards for mathematical practices.
In Program Implementation, “Standards for Mathematical Practices in Every Lesson” states that the Deepen Understanding part of lessons describes that the Student Worktext learning targets are linked to the MPs. Each lesson routine is outlined with the specific MPs that are addressed. Try It focuses on MPs 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6; Discuss It focuses on MPs 2, 3, and 6; and Connect It focuses on MPs 2, 4, and 5. These routines are present in each lesson, however teachers are not provided with specific guidance or direction as to how each routine in each lesson is engaging students with the practices. For example, in Unit 4, Lesson 16, the Correlation document indicates that MP 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are emphasized in the lesson. The CCSS Focus in the Lesson Overview indicates that MP2, MP5, and MP6 are emphasized in the lesson.
Mathematical Practices are explicitly connected to the mathematical content. Examples of connections include:
- In Lesson 2, Session 2, Develop, Teacher pages, the Deepen Understanding section provides guidance for MP1 to help them make sense of the problem. The materials state, “As children work on the Connect it problem, allow them sufficient time to make sense of the problem. This time encourages them to try different approaches. Children build confidence by using what they have learned to persevere in finding different approaches. Finding different approaches also allows children to revise their thinking on subsequent problems.”
- In Lesson 3, Session 2, Develop, Teacher pages, the Deepen Understanding section provides guidance for MP6 to help them attend to precision. The materials state, “When discussing the groups in Connect it, prompt children to recognize the importance of precision in counting. Demonstrate by counting the 4 flowers three times and getting a different number each time: counting a flower more than once, skipping a flower, and counting accurately. Ask: How can you make sure you have counted the correct number of objects in a group? Listen for: I can count each object only once. I can be careful not to miss any objects. I can move each object as I count it. I can mark each object as I count it.”
- In Lesson 9, Session 2, Develop, the Deepen Understanding section states, “Ask- What could you look for to figure out what the category of the group is?” Students are looking for and making use of structure by identifying the category the objects should be grouped within.
Indicator 2F
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for carefully attending to the full meaning of each practice standard.
The instructional materials attend to the full meaning of each mathematical practice in i-Ready, Assess & Teach, Ready Classroom Mathematics, Classroom Resources.
Math Practice 1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
- In Lesson 2, Session 2, Deepen Understanding states, “As children work on the Connect It problem, allow them sufficient time to make sense of the problem. This time encourages them to try different approaches. Children build confidence by using what they have learned to persevere in finding different approaches. Finding different approaches also allows children to revise their thinking on subsequent problems. Ask: How can you match groups? Listen for: I counted. I drew lines between pairs of objects. I used counters and rearranged them.”
- In Lesson 5, Session 3, Develop, Deepen Understanding states, “MP1 Make sense of problems. When children have finished the problems, challenge them to think more broadly about their process. As children decide how many of each color to use to make each total, they are making sense of the problem.” Students break numbers apart using two cube colors to show the number pairs.
- In Lesson 29, Session 2, Develop, Deepen Understanding states, “MP1 Make sense of problems. As children figure out how many more vases of flowers are needed to have 100 flowers, listen to and look for different strategies.” MP1 is about making sense of problems but it also has a second part to persevere in solving them.
Math Practice 2: Reason mathematically and quantitatively.
- In Lesson 23, Session 2, Deepen Understanding states,”After all of the pictures and equations have been matched, have children describe each of the quantities and situations in each picture. Through telling about the subtraction situations in the pictures, children are making sense of quantities and their relationships.”
- In Lesson 25, Session 2, Develop, Deepen Understanding states, “MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively. After the problems have been completed, have children describe how each number relates to the parts of the story. This lets children practice reasoning abstractly and quantitatively.”
- In Lesson 32, Session 3, Develop, Deepen Understanding states, “MP2 Reason quantitatively. Generalize: Ask: Will more than 1 item always be heavier than 1 of the same item? Listen for children to reason quantitatively and explain that if all the items were the same, then each one will weigh the same, so if the items are put together, then there will always be more weight than just 1.”
Math Practice 4: Model with mathematics.
- In Lesson 7, Session 1, Connect It, Prepare to find 1 more states, “Have children fill in each of the boxes to show the meaning of 1. Tell children that they can use words, numbers, and pictures. Encourage them to show as many ideas as they can.”
- In Lesson 19, Session 1, Explore, Student Worktext pages, the directions for these problems state, “Have children act out subtraction word problems. Pose the problem: In a parking lot, there are 5 cars parked in a row. 1 car leaves. How many cars are still in the row? Act out the subtraction. Model the subtraction. Solve another problem. There are 4 cars in a row. 2 cars leave the row. How many cars are still in the row?”
- In Lesson 24, Session 2, Develop states, “Kai buys 3 pink flowers and 4 yellow flowers. How many flowers does Kai buy in all? Have children circle the flowers Kai buts to solve.”
- In Lesson 32, Session 3, Develop, Discuss It states, “Is a bigger object always heavier than a smaller object? Why or why not? Show children a basketball and larger beach ball. Which is bigger? Have children draw an object that is similar in size to a basketball and another that is similar in weight to a basketball.”
Math Practice 5: Use appropriate tools strategically.
- In Lesson 10, Student Worktext, Refine, the student toolkit gives students the options of using two-color counters, cups, and crayons to help solve finding pairs to make ten.
- In Lesson 24, Student Worktext, Explore, the student toolkit gives students the options of using connecting cubes or counters to create an equation with a sum of 9.
Math Practice 6: Attend to Precision
- In Lesson 7, Session 1, Explore, Try It, students attend to precision when they are counting out counters and saying the number as they place each counter on a balloon. Teachers are instructed to ask, “How many counters did you put down each time as you counted? Why?” and to listen for “1 counter. Each time I counted another number. Each number is 1 bigger (or greater), so it needs another counter each time.”
- In Lesson 28, Session 3, Develop, Try It, students attend to precision when filling their ten frames by filling the first ten frame before moving onto the second ten frame.
Math Practice 7: Look for and make use of structure.
- In Lesson 5, Session 2, Develop, students make use of structure as they work on problems where single objects are comprised of smaller units. The materials state: “After discussing all problems, ask children to make observations about how the cars are the same. These observations help them see single objects as being composed of smaller units. Encourage children to make similar observations about different number pairs throughout this lesson to focus on the structure of composed numbers. Ask: How many yellow cars and how many blue cars are in the second and third trains? How many cars in all for each train? What can you tell me about these numbers?”
- In Lesson 15, Session 2, Develop states, “When discussing the shapes in Connect It, prompt children to think about the shapes that can be made by putting two smaller shapes together. This helps children make use of structure.” Ask: “Where in the classroom can you see where shapes have been put together to make a larger shape? Can all shapes be used to make the same shape?”
- In Lesson 27, Session 2, Develop states, “When discussing number pairs that make teen numbers, prompt children to think about all the teen numbers as 10 and some extras. These discussions lay the groundwork for children to recognize patterns in writing teen numbers. Later, they will apply the patterns to all two-digit numbers.” Ask: “How are teen numbers the same? How are they different? Say: There are 18 balls. Sarah counts 10 balls and puts them in a bag. She knows she has 8 balls left. How does Sarah know how many balls are left to put in the bag?”
Math Practice 8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
- In Lesson 30, Session 2, Develop, Deepen Understanding states, “MP8 Use repeated reasoning. Generalize: Listen for the mistake 31, 32, 33, 34, 45, 36, 37, 38 39. When children identify 45 as the mistake, ask them how they know. Listen for children who talk about the number that is 1 more, or following the ones or tens pattern.”
- In Lesson 31, Session 2, Develop, Deepen Understanding states, “MP8 Use repeated reasoning. Generalize: Can I use the same steps to compare the length of two sticks and to compare the height of two towers? Listen for children who are able to apply the same steps to compare in both situations. First, they must align the two objects, and then they can see which goes farther.”
Indicator 2G
Indicator 2G.i
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations that the instructional materials prompt students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics.
Student materials consistently prompt students to construct viable arguments and to analyze the arguments of others. Features of the instructional materials that engage students in constructing viable arguments and/or analyzing the mathematical reasoning of others are Discuss It-Support Partner Discussion and Support Whole Class Discussion-Compare and Connect. In the Program Implementation tab, Implementation Support, Try-Discuss-Connect Routine Resources, teachers find different ways to encourage Math Practice 3 in their math classrooms. Try It provides Three Reads routine, Co-Craft Questions and Problems, and Turn and Talk routine. Discuss It provides the Turn and Talk, Collect and Display, Say It Another Way, and Compare and Connect routines. Connect It provides Collect and Display, Turn and Talk, and Say It Another Way routines.
These routines provide students with opportunities to construct viable arguments. Examples include:
- In Lesson 5, Session 3, Develop, Try It, students make cube trains of two different colors. Students explain to their partner how they made their train. Students look to see if they made the same trains or different colored trains. In Discuss It, students realize that it does not matter the arrangement of the colors, they had the same total.
- In Lesson 17, Student Worktext, Session 1, Explore, students justify that they understand the meaning of addition with three different examples. The directions state, “Have children show what it means to add. Have children fill in each of the boxes to show the meaning of addition (joining). Encourage them to use pictures, words, and numbers. Tell children to think of as many different ways as they can.”
- In Lesson 14, Session 1, Explore states, “Support Whole Class Discussion: Have children share how they decided which shape to hold up. Why did you hold up your shape? Why can more than one different shape be held up? Repeat several times, each time saying a different attribute. Give attributes that fit multiple shapes that fit only one shape.”
Students also have opportunities to analyze the mathematical arguments of others. Examples include:
- In Lesson 3, Session 2, Develop, students talk in pairs about the groups they see. The materials state, “Did your partner notice something that you did not see?”
- In Lesson 12, Sections 1-5 allow students to identify shapes by circling and placing an X on them. This is an opportunity to see claims of other students and where they place their circles or Xs, and if they are correct and why. In Session 3, Develop, students tell a partner how they will identify each of the shapes. The materials state, “What do you know? What did you notice about your partner’s approach?”
- In Lesson 32, Session 2, Develop, students talk in pairs about how they know which objects to mark with an X. The materials state, “Did your partner choose the same object as you? If not, is your partner still correct? Do you agree with your partner’s explanation?”
Indicator 2G.ii
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations that the instructional materials assist teachers in engaging students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics.
Teacher materials assist teachers in engaging students in both constructing viable arguments and analyzing the arguments of others, frequently throughout the program. In the i-Ready, Teach and Assess, Ready Classroom Mathematics, Program Implementation, Teaching and Learning Resources, there are Discourse Cards. The cards assist teachers with talking points such as: “Do you agree with the strategy, answer, or explanation? Do you disagree with the strategy, answer, or explanation? What do you think about what another student said?” In the Program Implementation tab, Implementation Support, the Student Handbook lists the eight Mathematical Practices in student-friendly language. Listed for MP3 is a strategy for teachers to scaffold students with the practice: “Show and explain. Share your math ideas to help others understand you.” Also, Discuss It supports teachers with another student routine: “Ask your partner: Do you agree with me? Why or why not? Tell your partner: The strategy I used to find the answer was ...” The instructional materials support teachers to engage students in constructing viable arguments. Examples include:
- In Lesson 4, Session 3, Develop, Deepen Understanding, MP3 Construct Arguments states, “After they complete Connect It, have children work in pairs and listen to each other explain how they found whether a number is greater or less. Explaining how they decided which groups have a number that is greater helps children construct viable arguments about quantities. Generalize: Prompt children to identify that there are different ways to compare numbers and quantities.”
- In Lesson 12, Session 3, Develop, Deepen Understanding, MP3 Construct Arguments states, “When children are completing the page, they should be able to communicate their reasoning for coloring shapes a certain color, ringing some and not others, and crossing shapes out as well as leaving some shapes untouched. Generalize: Prompt children to recognize that there are many ways to describe and sort shapes.”
- In Lesson 23, Session 3, Develop, guides partnerships in how to lead partner discussions. The materials state, “Have children tell a partner how they solved the subtraction problem and wrote the equation. Support as needed with questions such as: How did you start? Why did you solve the problem that way?”
Ready Classroom Mathematics materials support teachers to engage students in analyzing the arguments of others. Examples include:
- In Lesson 17, Session 1, Explore, guides partnerships in how to lead partner discussions. The materials state, “Have children tell a partner a story for each equation. Then have them use counters to show their own story in the space above each equation. Support as needed with questions such as: How did you decide which numbers to use in your addition story? How were your stories alike? How were they different?”
- In Lesson 23, Session 3, Develop, Deepen Understanding, MP3 Construct Arguments and Critique Reasoning states, “When children have completed the page, say: A class is given a subtraction story to solve: ‘There are 10 balloons and 3 float away. How many are left?’ Ellen, Mack and Jess have solved the problem. Ellen used pictures of balloons and crossed out the ones that floated away, Mack used her fingers. and Jess used a cube train. Ask: How can the girls get the correct solution when they are not solving the problem in the same way? Generalize: Encourage children to think of different ways they could solve the same problem, and then discuss whether they feel that one way is better for them to use than another.”
- In Lesson 31, Student Worktext, Session 2, Develop, students compare length and height of objects in a picture. The materials state, “Support Partner Discussion: Have children talk in pairs about the comparisons they made. Have them compare the boats, flowers, bats, benches and trees. Make sure they understand that taller refers to height and longer refers to length. Have children circle the longer or taller object for comparison. Support as needed with questions such as: Did you and your partner say the same comparison statement for the same set of objects, or did you say different statements? Did your partner find any objects to compare that you did not? Do you agree with all your partners statements?”
Indicator 2G.iii
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations that materials explicitly attend to the specialized language of mathematics.
The materials provide explicit instruction in how to communicate mathematical thinking using words, diagrams, and symbols. In the Program Implementation tab, an Academic Vocabulary Glossary is provided. This is set up with the vocabulary explicit to each unit. There is a “Build Your Vocabulary” Sheet that goes along with each unit to help develop the vocabulary within the unit. This page can be found in the Beginning of the Unit link for each unit. There is also a “Connect Language Development to Mathematics” that helps to develop language routines with students.
The Ready Classroom Mathematics materials provide explicit instruction on the use of mathematical language. Examples include:
- In Unit 1, Beginning of Unit Tab, there is a Build Your Vocabulary page and a Connect Language Development to Mathematics page. The Build Your Vocabulary page is a student work page designed to introduce the vocabulary for the unit. The Connect Language Development to Mathematics page provides information on how to use the student vocabulary page. This page has a vocabulary routine that extends to other units. The routine calls for the following to be done with each vocabulary word: Assess prior knowledge, Say (pronounce) the word, Define the word, and Use the word. This routine is defined only in the Connect Language Development in Unit 1 but is referenced in later units.
- On the Build Your Vocabulary page, students are given two different sets of words, “My Math Words” and “My Academic Words.” The guidance provided to the teacher under the Connect Language Development to Mathematics page states, “My Math Words in all units, My Math Words provides access to prior knowledge and understanding of critical math words and phrases through teacher-guided activities. My Academic Words in Units 4-6, My Academic Words provides an early entry point to those all-purpose academic words students will engage with throughout their study of mathematics. Use the Academic Vocabulary Routine to provide explicit instruction and active engagement.” The Academic Vocabulary Routine directions are then provided and broken up into four parts. The four parts listed are, “Assess Prior Knowledge, Pronounce the Words, Define the Words, Use the Words.”
- In Lesson 12, Session 3, Develop, the materials provide explicit instruction on the use of mathematical language. Teachers support students with the Latin roots tri- and hex-. “Draw a triangle and a hexagon. Ask children to count the sides of each shape. Tell children that tri- means three and hex- means six. Guide children to complete these sentences: A triangle has ___ sides. A hexagon has ___ sides.”
- In Lesson 21, Session 2, Develop, Develop Language states, “Why: Introduce children to the term categories. How: Explain that it helps to group related objects together when thinking of ideas for math stories. For example, in the pet store scene there are 8 dogs. The dogs can be divided into two groups, or categories, based on their patterns. One category is spotted and the other is solid. Ask: How many dogs are in the spotted category? How many are in the solid category? How can we combine these two groups into a larger category for a number story?”
- In Lesson 32 Compare Weight, Session 1, Explore, Describe Measurable Attributes of Objects states, “Hold up the jug of water. Ask: How can you describe the size of this object? Listen for: How tall. How long. How heavy. How much it holds. Explain that weight is the word for how heavy or light something is. If it is hard to lift, it has a lot of weight and we say it is heavy. If it is very easy to lift, it does not have much weight and we say it is light.”
Ready Classroom Mathematics materials use precise and accurate terminology and definitions when describing mathematics.
Lesson Vocabulary is listed on every Lesson Overview page for each section. For example, Lesson 6, Lesson Overview, the following Lesson Vocabulary is listed:
- five: the counting number after 4
- six: the counting number after 5
- seven: the counting number after 6
- eight: the counting number after 7
- nine: the counting number after 8
- ten: the counting number after 9
Overview of Gateway 3
Usability
Criterion 3.1: Use & Design
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet the expectations for being well designed and taking into account effective lesson structure and pacing. The instructional materials distinguish between problems and exercises, have exercised that given in intentional sequences, have a variety in what students are asked to produce, and include manipulatives that are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent.
Indicator 3A
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for distinguishing between problems and exercises.
There are several practice pages provided with each lesson. After receiving guidance from the teacher in the Try It section of each lesson, students can demonstrate their understanding in a variety of ways. Students solve problems to learn new mathematics in the Explore sessions of each lesson. These ideas are further developed in Develop sessions, where students solve problems in the Try It and Connect It sections. In the Refine session, students complete exercises where they apply their learning. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 16, Session 1, Explore, students explore the meaning of addition using the word “and” as a word for joining numbers in the problem, “Have 3 children come to the front of the classroom. How many children are at the front of the classroom? What can I do to make 5?” In Session 2, students practice the skill by finding things they can add together to represent 2 + 1. In Sessions 3 and 4, students use connecting cubes to find various addition equations.
Indicator 3B
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for designing assignments not being haphazard and exercises given in intentional sequences.
The sequence of lessons in each topic is designed to move from concrete and pictorial representation toward abstract work with numbers. Each unit has a Unit Flow and Progressions Video that highlights the work of the unit and how it fits in the progression of mathematics across grade levels.
Each unit also has a Learning Progression Chart that shows which lessons are building upon and which lessons students are preparing for within the unit. Each lesson has learning progression information which highlights work done in previous grade levels, as well as the work to be done in this lesson and subsequent lessons.
Each lesson has a consistent structure that builds towards independence. For example,
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 26, Session 1 Explore, Try It, the teacher is provided with guiding questions to develop understanding that correspond to the first page of the Student Worktext. Some of these questions state, “Explore the numbers on the page. What do you see? What do you already know?” The following Teacher Page provides guidance to the partner section (Connect it). Partners are working together in the following way: “Give each pair of children some number of counters between 11 and 19. Have children fill the 10-frame on the Student Worktext page and place the leftover counters below the 10-frame.” Lastly, children complete solution and practice pages followed by an Exit Ticket to independently show their understanding.
Lessons within units build upon each other. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Unit 3 includes the following lessons and topics: Lesson 12: Name Shapes, Lesson 13: See Position and Shape, Lesson 14: Compare Shapes, and Lesson 15: Build Shapes
Indicator 3C
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for having a variety in what students are asked to produce.
Students are expected to respond to problems in a variety of ways, including produce answers, use models, drawings, and equations to support their explanations. Students are asked to justify their solutions with a partner and participate in discussions with Discuss It and Pair/Share prompts. Students respond to different problem types in the Refine section of the lessons, including short answer explanations, multiple choice, fill in the blank, and drawings. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 18, Session 2, Develop, students demonstrate their understanding of subtraction by drawing, sharing, discussing, marking, and giving examples. Directions on the Student Worktext pages state, “Ask children to draw a picture that could show 3 take away 1. For example, they might draw 3 books with 1 book crossed out. Have children share and discuss their drawings, using the terms take away, minus, and subtract. Have children describe each set of pictures. Remind children that the apples marked with an X are being taken away. Have children draw lines from the pictures to match the expressions.”
Indicator 3D
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for manipulatives being faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent.
There are a variety of manipulatives in the Math Tool Kit available during lessons, and students are introduced to these in appropriate contexts for the concept being developed.
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 10, Session 1, Explore, students use two different color connecting cubes to make 10.
Indicator 3E
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet the expectations for the visual design not being distracting or chaotic.
The student pages provide ample space for students to show work and write explanations. The layout of the lessons is consistent throughout all of the lessons and the student materials are present in the teacher edition. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 16, Student Worktext, Session 2, Develop, Try It, the expression 2+1 is shown with a green monster on the side who asks: “What can you add?” The rest of the student page contains white space which provides adequate space for the student to draw without distractions.
Criterion 3.2: Teacher Planning
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet the expectations for supporting teacher learning and understanding of the Standards. The instructional materials support: planning and providing learning experiences with quality questions; contain ample and useful notations and suggestions on how to present the content; and contain explanations of the grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum.
Indicator 3F
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for providing teachers with questions that are designed to elicit students’ mathematical understanding and thinking.
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 1, Session 1, Explore, questions are posed for the teacher to ask the students. Under the Try It and Connect It sections of the sessions, the questions are in italics and easy for the teacher to see. The materials state, “In this session, children explore why people might count and identify items to count in pictures.” While children are looking at page 5 of their Student Worktext, teachers are prompted, “Ask: What are some objects in the picture that you might count?” “Did anyone circle the pencil? Can you count the pencil? Why or Why not? Tell children that they are going to be explorers and explore things that people count. Lead the class on a walk around the classroom. Encourage children to think about what happens in each area and what people might count. Ask: When might you or an adult need to count in this area? Why might it be important to count?”
Indicator 3G
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meets expectations for including ample notes and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition.
The Program Implementation tab includes a “Digital Math Tools - Support Videos” section. This section includes support videos for counters and connecting cubes, base ten introduction, base ten: add and subtract, number line, multiplication models, perimeter and area, fraction models: add and subtract, and fraction models: compare and multiply.
In Classroom Resources, guidance for teachers supports the delivery of the content, as well as information on student responses for each section of the lesson. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 4, Session 3, Develop, a common misconception is available for teachers to review. The materials state, “Common Misconception If the children correctly count the dots but cannot determine a group of counters that is more or a group of counters that is fewer, then have them think about the next numbers in the counting sequence and the numbers that come before.” This session also includes Deepen Understanding notes, additional common misconception notes, and notes for a hands-on activity if students are struggling.
Indicator 3H
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for containing a teacher’s edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced mathematics concepts in the lessons so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject as necessary.
In Classroom Resources at the beginning of each unit, Learning Progressions, Math Background, and Unit Flow and Progression Videos provide information for teachers on mathematics and models. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 10, the Learning Progression deepens teachers' understanding of how content progresses within and across grades.
Indicator 3I
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for containing a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 12.
The Ready Classroom Mathematics materials include a “Learning Progression,” section in the teacher edition for each lesson that describes how the grade-level appropriate standard is developed in previous grades as well as how it will extend in the next grade. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 4, Standards K.CC.3 and K.CC.6 are listed and defined. Under the Learning Progression section on the same page, which describes the progression students will learn about counting and cardinality, it starts with In Kindergarten and moves to In This Lesson, In Later Lessons, and In Grade 1.
Indicator 3J
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten contain an online portal that cross-references standards and provides a pacing guide for each lesson. Specifically, under the Program Implementation tab there are Teacher’s Guide, Table of Contents, Program Overview, Correlations, and Yearly Pacing resources to assist the teacher. Moreover, under the correlation resource there are correlations by state standard, correlations by ready classroom mathematics lessons, math in action correlations, standards for mathematical practices correlations, unit review correlations, and ELA standard correlations.
Indicator 3K
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten contain strategies for informing parents or caregivers about the mathematics program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement. Family Letters for each lesson are found in the “Lesson Overview and Family Letter” tab at the beginning of each lesson. These letters explain the learning target and include an activity they can do at home. In the teacher edition, there is a “Connect to Family” section. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 1, the materials state, “Use the Family Letter - which provides background information, math vocabulary, and an activity - to keep families apprised of what their child is learning and to encourage family involvement.”
Indicator 3L
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies. Under the Program Implementation Tab, there is a Supporting Research tab. Here, teachers can find supporting research charts including: “Ready Classroom Mathematics is built on research from a variety of federal initiatives, national mathematics organizations, and experts in mathematics.” The chart lists instructional routines, mathematical practices, collaborative learning, and mathematical discourse. For each one of those items, the publishers have listed examples and corresponding research.
Criterion 3.3: Assessment
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for offering teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards. The instructional materials provide opportunities for addressing common student errors and misconceptions, ongoing review and practice with feedback, clearly denote the standards being assessed, and provide rubrics and guidance for teachers to interpret student performance and suggestions for follow-up. The instructional materials provide some opportunities to gather information on students’ prior knowledge.
Indicator 3M
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for providing strategies for gathering information about students’ prior knowledge within and across grade levels.
The materials in Ready Classroom Mathematics list prerequisite skills for each lesson in the Lesson overview. Prerequisite Lessons are provided with each lesson to review concepts or to provide students with instruction in areas that may be gaps in their learning. For example:
- In Kindergarten, there are activities at the beginning of each session to activate prior knowledge and review content from earlier in the grade. For example, Lesson 28, Prerequisite Skills include “Understand teen numbers as 10 and some more. Count 11-19 objects. Match a teen number to a quantity.”
In addition to identifying prerequisite skills for each lesson, Explore, at the beginning of each lesson, connects students’ prior knowledge with the content of the lesson. In some Warm-up questions there is a tag “Prerequisite” noting that the question is assessing prior knowledge.
The instructional materials include adaptive Diagnostic Assessments with Prerequisite Reports found in i-Ready, Reports.
Indicator 3N
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for providing strategies for teachers to identify and address common student errors and misconceptions.
The Ready Classroom Mathematics materials provide strategies for teachers to identify and address common student errors and misconceptions. For example,
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 19, Session 3, Develop, the Common Misconception states, “If children are unable to create a story about a subtraction situation, then give them a context to work with, such as giving away crayons or markers.”
Indicator 3O
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for providing opportunities for ongoing review and practice, with feedback, for students in learning both concepts and skills.
Over the course of a lesson, which includes multiple sessions, materials engage students with multiple activities to review, practice, and independently demonstrate the grade-level mathematical concepts and skills.
Feedback is provided to students as they progress through the Sessions. Frequent feedback opportunities to address skills and concepts are provided in the Classroom Resources tab, within each lesson and its sessions. The Reteach - Tools for Instruction within each lesson provides teachers with sample errors and remediation strategies to address those errors. In addition, throughout the lesson sessions, potential misconceptions are highlighted with guidance for teachers to provide feedback and new opportunities for practice. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 23, Reteach - Tools for Instruction, Subtract Within 10, Check for Understanding states, “If you observe, that the student identifies an incorrect difference; the student may, be miscounting while subtracting; then try, asking the student to move the counters away from the group while saying the numbers aloud.”
Indicator 3P
Indicator 3P.i
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for offering ongoing formative and summative assessments that clearly denote which standard is being emphasized.
- Standards are clearly noted within the assessments found at the end of each lesson. Standards are provided alongside the questions as well as the Depth of Knowledge level. Unit Assessment Correlations are available with the question number, DOK, Standard, and Lesson.
- A Mid-Unit Assessment is provided for longer units. Mid-Unit Assessments also provide standards correlations for each item. These can be found in the Classroom Resources tab, End of Unit, Assess, Lesson Quizzes, and Unit Assessments.
- Formative assessments are also available:
- Lesson quizzes, exit tickets, and quick checks are provided for most lessons. These quizzes assess the specific standard(s) being taught in the lesson.
- Within the sessions are Check For Understanding supports that include a statement as to why the check is being done. The why relates back to the standard being taught in the activities for that session.
Indicator 3P.ii
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for including aligned rubrics and scoring guidelines to support teachers in interpreting student performance and sometimes provide for follow-up instruction.
Rubrics are provided for Mid-Unit Assessments, Unit Assessments, Unit Performance Tasks, Lesson Quizzes, and Math in Action. (grade 2 and above) The rubrics and scoring guidelines support teachers to interpret student performance. Assessment answer keys are provided alongside the questions along with the DOK level for the item. For multiple choice answers, the correct answer and explanations for incorrect choices are given, including the most common misconceptions.
Reports from i-Ready diagnostic assessments and comprehension checks assist teachers in providing follow-up instruction for misconceptions and mathematical errors. The electronic reports also include links to assist in reteaching items missed. Within lessons, rubrics and scoring guidelines provide guidance for teachers to follow-up and, throughout Ready Classroom Mathematics, there is guidance for teachers on behaviors to look for, error alerts, and Common Misconceptions.
- Unit Assessments include a Unit Assessment Teacher Guide that provides instructors with solutions, points possible, the exact standard covered, and the depth of knowledge (DOK) level for each item.
- The Scoring Guide for the problems in the scoring table include: DOK, points of scoring, standard addressed, and lesson assessed by each problem.
- The Scoring Rubrics includes points and expectations for short response, multiple select, choice matrix, extended response, and fill-in-the-blank items.
- Assessment Practice provides some support for follow-up by identifying standards that need further study and reinforcement. Assessment Practice Answer Key and Correlations identify the standard which each question has been designed to evaluate.
Indicator 3Q
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten encourage students to monitor their own progress.
Each Unit Opener has a Self-Check page for students to select the skills/concepts they think they already know and understand. End of Unit opportunities for self-reflection are provided at each grade level for all units. Assessments can be completed using an answer form that allows for students to correct the assessment orally after completion, review answers, and explain concepts students may not fully understand. Dialogue is fully supported inside the classroom to address student misconceptions and give students opportunities for both self- and peer assessment.
Criterion 3.4: Differentiation
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet the expectations for supporting teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades. The instructional materials consistently provide: strategies to help teachers sequence and scaffold lessons; to meet the needs of a range of learners; tasks with multiple entry points; supports and accommodations for English Language Learners and special populations; and opportunities for advanced students to investigate mathematics content at a deeper level. The instructional materials provide a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics, and include suggestions for grouping strategies.
Indicator 3R
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for providing strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons so that the content is accessible to all learners.
The sessions within a lesson follow the sequence of Explore, Develop, and Refine. Within a session, there is a sequence of Start, followed by Try It, Model It, or Apply It; Discuss; Connect; and Close.
- Start is designed to build fluency or connect to prior knowledge.
- Try It is designed to give students an opportunity to explore the concept on their own.
- Model It is designed to allow students the opportunity to explore the concept through manipulatives or drawings.
- Apply It is designed to give students an opportunity to practice the skill on their own.
- Discuss is designed to allow students to talk to other students about the concept and compare what they did with each other.
- Connect It is designed to help students connect the concept to real-life.
- Close is designed to solidify the learning for the day and to check for understanding through the use of an exit ticket.
Each lesson includes a Differentiated Instruction Teacher Toolbox that includes Reteach (Tools for Instruction), Reinforce (Math Center Activities), and Extend (Enrichment Activities). For example, the Lesson 1 Overview states:
- Reteach- “Children who require additional support for prerequisite or on-level skills will benefit from activities that provide targeted skills instruction.”
- Reinforce- “Children who require additional practice to reinforce concepts and skills and deepen understanding will benefit from small group collaborative games and activities.” This is available in three versions: on-level, below-level, and above-level.
- Extend- “Children who have achieved proficiency with concepts and skills are ready for additional challenges will benefit from group collaborative games and activities to extend understanding.”
Indicator 3S
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for providing teachers with strategies to meet the needs of a range of learners.
Each lesson provides opportunity for differentiation in small group lessons, interactive digital tutorials, support for teachers to address common misconceptions at different points throughout lessons. For example:
- The Differentiated Instruction opportunities provide support to reteach students who need additional support, reinforce learning for students who need additional practice, and extend learning for students who have achieved proficiency and are ready for further challenges.
- The Language Development sections for English Language Learners provides even more differentiated support for students who are at different levels of English proficiency.
- Community and Cultural Responsiveness activities build bridges between the mathematics students are learning to investigations of authentic contexts and issues. For example, students apply mathematics they have learned to objects and activities found in parks.
The materials also support learning with a variety of different experiences to develop connections in each lesson. For example:
- Lessons use manipulative objects such as counters and connecting cubes for hands-on experiences where students are actively applying and representing mathematics with hands-on objects.
- Partner and Whole group discussion are incorporated in all sessions to provide dialogue surrounding the mathematics being done.
- Visual representations and physical representations using mathematics manipulatives are used throughout each session.
Indicator 3T
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Grade 1 meet expectations for embedding tasks with multiple entry points that can be solved using a variety of solution strategies or representations.
The materials present word problems at the beginning of most lessons in the Try It part of the session, which provides multiple points of entry for students. During Model It, students can model the problem in whichever way they like. Examples of problems that provide multiple entry points, different representations, and/or solution pathways include:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 7, Student Worktext, Session 2, Explore, Model It states, “How can you show 1 more than 5?”
Indicator 3U
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for suggesting support, accommodations, and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations to engage students in regular and active participation in learning mathematics.
In Program Implementation, Implementation Support there are resources, including:
- A Multilingual Glossary
- A Bilingual Glossary
- An Academic Vocabulary Glossary
- WIDA PRIME V2 Correlation
- Try-Discuss-Connect Routine Resources
In Classroom Resources, Teachers Edition, Language Development is identified for each lesson. This differentiated instruction chart provides guidance for teachers at three levels of differentiation that identifies specific strategies (e.g., Speaking/Writing, Reading/Writing) directly connected to lesson sessions and activities. During sessions, specific strategies target additional supports for students to support engagement in lesson activities. For example:
- Prerequisite lessons are identified for most lessons and include specific supports for ELLs.
- Develop Language includes Why (rationale for the suggestions) and How (strategies and guidance on how to engage students) sections, along with explanations as needed.
- Discuss It provides supports for all students to engage in mathematical discourse.
- Differentiated Instruction is included for most lessons and includes activities for intervention, on-level, and challenge.
- Math Center activities provide multiple levels of content.
- Math in Action lessons in Grade 2 and higher build background in a variety of contexts to ensure access for all.
Indicator 3V
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for providing opportunities for proficient and advanced students to participate in enrichment activities for a deeper challenge.
In i-Ready, Teach and Assess, Ready Classroom Mathematics, Classroom Resources, Teacher, Lesson Pacing Guide includes Small Group Differentiation Activities, and highlights Extend, Enrichment Activity. These Enrichment Activities can be found during the Refine session in the lesson, and include a Challenge Activity related to the content of the lesson. For example:
- In Kindergarten, Lesson 16, Extend states, “Invite children to put together tangram shapes on paper to make a picture. You may also wish to show a tangram puzzle. Encourage children to use all 7 tangram shapes to make their picture.”
Indicator 3W
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten meet expectations for providing a balanced portrayal of demographic and personal characteristics representing a variety of backgrounds.
In the Program Implementation tab, a multilingual, bilingual, and academic glossary are provided. Throughout the materials there are examples of animated pictures of children that have varied skin tone, features, hair color, and hair types such as pictures of children with brown skin and black hair, light skin and blond hair, and brown skin and brown hair. Pictures with more than one child show interactions between children with varied skin and hair colors such as one with light brown skin and black hair and the other with dark brown skin and black hair. The pictures of objects included are pencils, cars, soccer balls, footballs, apples, bananas, crayons, goldfish, rocks, flowers and other objects commonly known to most students. A variety of names representing different ethnic and cultural backgrounds are used, including: Rosa and Ryan, Nick and Nora, Dave and Ari, Roberto and Rena, Fran and Pete, Gabe and Rose, Darious, Sam, Lexi, Paco, Julija, Lana, and Kyle.
Indicator 3X
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten provide a variety of opportunities for different grouping strategies.
Each lesson session includes supports for partner discussion and whole class discussion. Some examples of discussions throughout the materials include: “Have pairs explain how they modeled and solved the problems. Compare and Connect the different representations and have children identify how they are related. Ask your partner: Do you agree with me? Why or why not? Tell your partner: I started by…” These discussion starters are used throughout the materials in all grades. Opportunities for grouping are also supported in the differentiated instruction and language development activities. The teacher materials offer support for whole class discussions and independent activities throughout the instruction.
Indicator 3Y
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten provide support to draw upon home language and culture to facilitate learning. The materials offer a multilingual mathematics glossary that defines common mathematical terms in ten different languages. There are student discourse tools in both English and Spanish to support those two most common languages. There are family letters in Spanish, as well as in English, that support parents in learning mathematics at home.
Interactive Learning Games are available in English and Spanish.
Criterion 3.5: Technology
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten integrate technology in ways that engage students in the Mathematical Practices. The digital materials are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers, and include opportunities to assess students’ mathematical knowledge and procedural skill. The digital materials do not include opportunities to personalize learning for students, but do present some opportunities for customization for local use. The instructional materials do not include opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other.
Indicator 3AA
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten digital materials are web-based and compatible with multiple Internet browsers and operating systems. These materials also allow for the use of handheld and mobile devices. System requirements can be accessed by clicking the question mark at the top right-hand corner when signed in to the teacher website and clicking on the link to the system requirements PDF.
According to the PDF provided by the publisher, the materials are compatible with Windows 7 SP!, Windows 10 1802 (April 2018 update) or higher, MacOS X 10.11, MacOS 10.12-10.14, Google Chrome OS. Supported browsers include Internet Explorer on Mac and Google Chrome operating systems, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Safari, Firefox, and Google Chrome. The publisher recommends Google Chrome with auto-updates enabled for the best experience. In addition, there is an app for iPads titled “i-Ready for Students.” The app is not supported for iPad minis. The app is not available for other tablets or the iPhone. However, when attempted, many of the tools can be viewed on other mobile devices through the website accessed through the browsers listed.
Indicator 3AB
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten materials include online comprehension checks for each lesson. Comprehension checks have five problems and are a mixture of problem types, including multiple-choice, multiple select, fill in the blank, and drag and drop. Middle and End of Unit Assessments are also available for each unit in a digital version with similar formatting. Those assessments are customizable and allow teachers to eliminate or combine assessment items. The learning games offer teachers reports on three types of data that include time spent on activities, student performance on math skills, and other qualitative data such as student perseverance through difficult tasks. Reports for comprehension checks are available for individual students and at the class level.
Indicator 3AC
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten can be customized for individual learners or users through the digital platform using adaptive or innovative technologies.
In i-Ready, Assess and Teach, Assessment, teachers can customize Interactive Practice assignments. In i-Ready, Reports, Learning Games can also be customized. i-Ready Instruction, available for an additional purchase, includes additional opportunities to customize content. In i-Ready, Assess and Teach, Classroom Resources, Lesson Quizzes, Fluency and Skills activities, and powerpoint slides for each lesson are customizable.
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten materials provide limited opportunities for teachers to customize lessons for local use. Ready Classroom Mathematics Teacher Resources include Small Group Differentiation using Prerequisite Lessons, Tools for Instruction, Math Center Activities, and Enrichment Activities. These are teacher-led activities for use with small groups requiring additional instruction and/or review prerequisite concepts. Middle and End of Unit Assessments have one editable form, digital assessments are customizable, and fluency pages have an editable form as well.
Indicator 3AD
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten provide no explicit guidance for opportunities for collaboration using technology. No opportunities are provided for teacher-to-student collaboration or student-to-student collaboration. There are no technical features that allow collaboration between teacher and student or between students.
Indicator 3Z
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Classroom Mathematics Kindergarten integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the Mathematical Practices.
The materials include Interactive Tutorials with most lessons that are animated interactive lessons assigned to students in their personalized instructional plan. These tutorials include integrative technology such as interactive tools and digital math manipulatives to engage students in the Mathematical Practices.
Some lessons include multiple interactive tutorials related to the content of the lesson. Students work through the videos and answer questions. Students can use the lesson view to skip to different parts of the lesson. There is a pen for student use, as well as a notepad and a dictionary.
Digital Math Tools are provided to be used throughout the program. Tools available in the grades K-5 program include Counters, Connecting Cubes, Base Ten Blocks Tool, Number Line Tool, Multiplication Models Tool, Perimeter and Area Tool, and Fraction Models Tool. In general, tools are representative of concrete manipulatives.
Seven learning games are provided for student practice of concepts and skills. There is a document called “Learning Games Lessons Correlations” in the Program Implementation Guide, in the Digital Resource Correlations section, that provides information for teachers about which games support which lesson content.
Interactive Practice is provided for student practice of concepts. The practice is provided for some lessons but not all. In each Interactive Practice, students are given problems to solve which build on their conceptual understanding and help consolidate their knowledge.