1st Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2a.

The materials  provide a Teacher Guide that includes a Scope and Sequence and Lesson Pacing Guide, along with instructional routines and lesson targets. The program offers two flexible pathways to support teaching and learning. The materials offer two flexible pathways to support teaching and learning. The Sequential Pathway is designed so teachers can use it systematically and sequentially to teach all foundational reading skills. The Differentiated Pathway is designed for teachers to reinforce specific strands as needed to support and extend core literacy instruction. Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, including Interactive Play, Game on!, and an open response template in Practice Generator. 

Materials provide a well-defined, teacher resource (teacher edition, manual) for content presentation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The materials provide a well-defined Teacher Guide with detailed instructions for 10 modules/50 lessons for content presentation. Every module contains five lessons. The first four lessons within a module include a tear-out foldable decodable reader in the consumable Student Worktext. The fifth lesson in every module is a Review and Assess lesson, which provides a spiral, cumulative review of the foundational reading skills that students learned in that module. 

• The Teacher Resources tab includes a resource page for every module and lesson. Once the module and lesson are selected, there is another menu of resources based on skill. The platform includes a Teacher Resource page for Phonological Awareness, Phonics, High-Frequency Words, and Foldable Decodables. 

• The Teacher Guide is available in print and digital form and the Planning and Pacing Guide provides a daily breakdown of instruction for each module.  Lesson Pacing shows the differentiated pathway and sequential pathway with suggested times allocated for each component of the program.

The teacher resource contains detailed information and instructional routines that help the teacher to effectively implement all foundational skills content (i.e. phonological awareness, print concepts, letters, phonics, HFW, word analysis, decoding). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Guide, Front Matter notes that each Minilesson contains explicit instruction, modeling, and guided practice for the targeted skill. A More section provides additional opportunities for students to practice a skill, and lessons end in a culminating assessment through pre-made Exit Tickets that provide information on students’ progress.

• The Teacher Resources feature High-Frequency Word Routine, Blend and Read Routine to decode words, and articulation videos that model sound articulation and build understanding. Instructional routines provide detailed information for teachers to implement content and provide remediation for students who need additional support. 

• The Teacher Landing page has quick options on the right hand side: Assignments, Students and Groups, Data, and Programs. The teacher can view upcoming assignments with the option to click on the assignment or View All. The teacher is able to monitor data to enhance student learning.

Any technology pieces included provide support and guidance for the teacher and do not create an additional layer of complication around the materials. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The technology included supports teacher access using folders and clickable photos. Teachers can click Activities, Assessment, Books/Readers, Games, Practice, Presentations, Program Resources, Teacher Support, or Video/Audio to quickly locate materials. Within each of those tabs, the teacher can search for resources using the search bar, filters, or standards, or they can scroll through the list. The Table of Contents menu is listed on the left-hand side for immediate access.

• The technology supports include quick links to materials that can be navigated by grade or Teaching by Strand. Each strand (Concepts of Print, Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, High-Frequency Words, and Handwriting) has its own tab, which is broken down further into individual skills and a culminating Exit Ticket. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2b.

The materials provide adult-level explanations for each of the foundational skills in the Research Base Guide, Articulation Guide, the Detailed Guidance for Delivery of Instruction document, and the Savvas realize teacher training platform. Lessons offer models for teachers to use during lessons and provide detailed learning targets for each lesson.

Complete, detailed adult-level explanations are provided for each foundational skill taught at the grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Detailed Guidance for Delivery of Instruction states, “Phonological awareness is a broad term that means the awareness of sounds in spoken language. It includes the ability to recognize and manipulate words, syllables, onsets and rimes, and phonemes. Phonemic awareness is a subset of phonological awareness, and it is the ability to identify and manipulate phonemes in oral language. Phonemes are the smallest meaningful units of sound in English, the smallest sounds that make a difference in the meaning of a word. For example, the word pin can be changed to a different word, tin, by changing one phoneme, /p/ to /t/. 

• The Detailed Guidance for Delivery of Instruction includes information that each learning target introduces the phonics generalization that will be the focus of the lesson. Lessons intentionally teach sound-spellings and generalizations clearly and generalization is explicitly taught and modeled in the Minilesson. An appropriate student-facing generalization is provided, for example, “The letter b usually spells the sound /b/.” The intent is to introduce common patterns so that learners can decode words. The aim is to help learners use their knowledge of common patterns to self-correct if they produce a nonword as they are blending sounds to decode a word.

• The Teacher Guide explains that phonics lessons include explicit instruction for letter-sound correspondences (sound-spellings) that are taught systematically and sequentially and the Research base supports teachers understanding of Phonics instruction by explaining the focus on connecting each sound to one or more letters and guiding students to decode words with the target sound-spelling.

Detailed examples of the grade level foundational skill concepts are provided for the teacher. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 2, Lesson 6, the Learning Target is decoding and encoding closed one-syllable CVC words. The Articulation Support Guide  informs teachers that current research supports combining seeing, hearing, and saying to help children master sound-spellings and sound articulation. The lesson includes seeing, hearing and saying. In the Display and Say Routine, the teacher displays the Sound-Spelling Card for volcano. The teacher says, “Volcano begins with the sound /v/ and is spelled using the letter v. We spell the sound /v/ with the letter v; say the sound with me.” In the Blend and Read routine, the teacher writes the word van, underlines the letter v, says this is the letter v, and asks, “What sound does v spell?” The teacher points to the letter v and students repeat the sound /v/ several times and then slide a finger under the sound-spellings and say /v/ /a/ /n/, van. 

• In Module 10, Lesson 46, the Learning Target is to segment phonemes. The Research Base informs teachers of the features of systematic, explicit phonological awareness instruction, including specific opportunities to acquire phonemic awareness (e.g., segmenting, deleting, and manipulating sounds in words). The lesson includes a sample script to read from: “This is a picture of an insect. Listen to the word: insect. We can hear and say each sound in the word insect. Listen as I segment, or take apart, the sounds: /i//n//s//e//c//t/, insect. Say the sounds with me.” There is another example script in the Model section.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2d.i. 

The materials contain a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy for teaching phonological awareness skills. The materials cite research based on the Science of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope. The materials contain a more detailed explanation of the research base for phonological awareness by stating the research, then comparing it to the components present in the materials. The materials follow the expected hierarchy of phonological awareness skills, starting with rhyme, then progressing to sound comparison tasks, blending, segmenting, adding, deleting, and manipulating phonemes. The materials provide a Scope and Sequence checklist of phonological awareness skills, and the Planning and Pacing Guide clearly lays out the sequence in which phonological skills are to be taught by day and week

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

• The Detailed Guidance for the Delivery of Instruction document states,  features systematic, explicit phonological awareness instruction, including specific opportunities to acquire phonemic awareness (eg. segmenting, deleting, and manipulating sounds in words).” The materials are sequenced in a systematic order, stating, “Sequential, systematic progression of skills includes larger units of phonological awareness- syllable work, rhyme, alliteration, onset-rime-as well as the smaller units -phonemes. Instruction is direct, explicitly, and systematic. Instruction is included for all phoneme tasks (isolation, blending, segmenting, deletion, substitution, manipulation) and phoneme proficiency is included in all three grades: K, 1, and 2.”

• The Detailed Guidance for Delivery of Instruction states, “Phonological awareness is critical for learning to read any alphabetic writing system” (Ehri, 2004; Rath, 2001; Troia, 2004). The Detailed Guidance for Delivery of Instruction also states, “Many studies have shown that phonemic awareness can be taught and that when it is taught to young students, their later reading ability improves.” The National Reading Panel (2000) conducted a meta-analysis of 52 research studies on phonemic awareness and concluded, “Overall, the findings showed that teaching students to manipulate phonemes in words was highly effective under a variety of teaching conditions with a variety of learners across a range of grade and age levels and that teaching phonemic awareness to students significantly improves their reading more than instruction that lacks any attention to PA” (p. 7).

Materials contain a phonemic awareness sequence of instruction and practice based on the expected hierarchy. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Planning and Pacing Guide indicates the order in which phonemic awareness skills are taught. Phonemic Awareness is taught in all 10 modules. There is a clear order in the strand: recognize and produce rhyming words, identifying and using alliteration, deleting syllables in words, blend and segment onset and rime, create new words, isolate and pronounce initial sounds, isolate and pronounce medial sounds, isolate and pronounce final sounds, isolate and pronounce sounds, blend and segment phonemes, blend phonemes in multisyllabic words, and segment phonemes in multisyllabic words.

• In Module 1, Lesson 2, the teacher follows the Teach, Model, Practice lesson designed to explain how to recognize and produce spoken rhyming words.

• In Module 3, Lesson 13, the teacher follows the Teach, Model, Practice lesson designed to explain how to isolate and pronounce final phonemes. 

• In Module 7, Lesson 31, the teacher follows the Teach, Model, Practice lesson designed to explain how to substitute initial phonemes in words.

• In Module 9, Lesson 42, the teacher follows the Teach, Model, Practice lesson designed to explain how to substitute phonemes in words. 

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

• In the Grade 1 Planning and Pacing Guide, phonemic awareness instruction is organized as follows:

  • Module 1: Recognize Rhyming Words, Produce Rhyming Words, Identify and Use Alliteration, Rhyming and Alliteration

  • Module 2: Delete Syllables in Words, Blend Onset and Rime, Segment Onset and Rime, Create New Words, Onset and Rime

  • Module 3: Isolate and Pronounce Initial Sounds, Isolate and Pronounce Medial Sounds, Isolate and Pronounce Final Sounds

  • Module 4: Blend Phonemes, Segment Phonemes, Blend and Segment Phonemes

  • Module 5: Blend and Segment Phonemes, Blend and Segment Identify Long and Short Vowel Sounds, Blend and Segment Phonemes: Vowel Sounds

  • Module 6: Add Initial Phonemes, Delete Initial Phonemes, Initial Phonemes

  • Module 7: Substitute Initial Phonemes, Add Final Phonemes, Initial and Final Phonemes

  • Module 8: Delete Final Phonemes, Substitute Final Phonemes, Substitute Final Phonemes, Final Phonemes

  • Module 9: Substitute Medial Phonemes, Blend Phonemes in Multisyllabic Words, Final Phonemes

  • Module 10: Segment Phonemes in Multisyllabic Words, Blend and Segment Phonemes in Multisyllabic Words, Manipulate Phonemes in Base Words, Medial Phonemes, Multisyllabic Words

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2d.ii. 

The materials delineate a scope and sequence with a cohesive, intentional sequence of phonics instruction and practice to build toward application of skills. The materials provide a clear research-based explanation for the order of phonics instruction. The Module at a Glance shows the phonics topics that are covered in each Module and the research base shows the rationale behind the Phonics program. 

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

• In Getting Started With Foundational Reading, the Grade 1 Planning and Pacing Guide outlines the following instruction for each Module:

  • Module 1: Consonants, Short Vowels a, i, o, u

  • Module 2: Consonants, Short e; Initial Blends

  • Module 3: Final Blends, Digraphs

  • Module 4: Consonant Patterns; Long a, i, o VCe

  • Module 5: Long u, e: VCe; Vowel Teams

  • Module 6: Vowel Teams, r-Controlled Vowels

  • Module 7: Vowel Sounds, Blends, Diphthongs

  • Module 8: Contractions, Vowel Digraph oo, Endings

  • Module 9: Vowel Sounds, Consonants, VC/CV, Compounds

  • Module 10: V/CV, VC/V, Pattern -le

Materials have a clear research-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Research Phonics Research Base states, “The aim of phonics instruction is to help children acquire alphabetic knowledge and use it to read and spell words (Ehri et al., 2001). Systematic phonics instruction produces significant benefits for students. The ability to read and spell words was enhanced in kindergartners who received systematic beginning phonics instruction. First graders who were taught phonics systematically were better able to decode and spell, and they showed significant improvement in their ability to comprehend text. Older children receiving phonics instruction were better able to decode and spell words and to read text orally (NICHD, 2000). Phonics instruction also serves as a memory aid to support students in their efforts to recall and apply rules and generalizations for matching sounds and letters (Rupley et al., 2009)”

• The Research Base states, “Phonics instruction focuses on connecting each sound to one or more letters and guiding students to decode words with the target sound-spelling. Phonics instruction also serves as a memory aid to support students in their efforts to recall and apply rules and generalizations for matching sounds and letters (Rupley et al., 2009).” Complexity increases across the grades, moving students to more advanced phonics concepts, including morphology and the decoding of multisyllabic words.The clearly defined scope and sequence ensures that students engage with words that include only sound-spellings they have learned.”

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

• In the Teacher Guide, the Grade 1 Scope and Sequence states students are introduced to Phonics in Module 1: Consonants, Short Vowels a, i, o, u; Module 2: Consonants, Short e, Initial Blends; Module 3: Final Blends, Digraphs; Module 4: Consonant Patterns; Long a, i, o VCe; Module 5: Long u, e: VCe, Vowel Teams; Module 6: Vowel Teams, r-Controlled Vowels; Module 7: Vowel Sounds, Blends, Diphthongs; Module 8: Contractions, Vowel Digraph oo, Endings; Module 9: Vowel Sounds, Consonants, VC/CV, Compounds; Module 10: V/CV, VC/V, Pattern -le.

Patterns and generalizations are carefully selected to provide a meaningful and manageable number of phonics patterns and common generalizations for students to learn deeply. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Phonics Scope and Sequence states that materials provide systematic and explicit alphabet knowledge and phonics instruction, including opportunities to practice phonics skills with words in isolation and with words in connected text (sentences and longer texts). Phonics instruction focuses on connecting each sound to one or more letters and guiding students to decode words with the target sound-spelling. Complexity increases across the grades, moving students to more advanced phonics concepts, including morphology and the decoding of multisyllabic words. Guided practice provides additional support in decoding words and dictation, which solidifies mastery by having students encode words. For each lesson, there are independent practice activities plus a Foldable Decodable text. The clearly defined scope and sequence ensures that students engage with words that include only sound-spellings they have learned.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2f.i.

The materials contain 40 Foldable Decodables aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. The Module at a Glance notes the phonics lessons within the module and the alignment to the Foldable Decodable. Each Foldable Decodable lesson is structured systematically for explicit instruction in decoding and fluency and includes repeated readings to secure phonics skills.

Materials include decodable texts to address securing phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 13, the Foldable Decodable, Emma and Dad Can Fish, is connected to the Phonics lesson focus on Consonant Digraphs sh, th. The words include fish, ship, thick, bath, thin, with, that, then, and them. 

• In Module 7, Lesson 32, the Foldable Decodable, Luna’s White Shirt, is connected to the Phonics lesson focus on Trigraphs. The words include punch, splat, straw, splash, scrapes, spray, scrub, and sprints.

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

• The Planning and Pacing Guide indicates the phonics skills for each lesson align with the Foldable Decodable lessons. The first Foldable Decodable is introduced in Module 1, Lesson 1, which aligns with the first Phonics lesson.

• In Module 9, Lesson 42, the teacher introduces the consonant sounds c as /s/ and g as /j/. In the same lesson, students read the words space, raced, ice, pages, huge, cages.

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

• In Module 5, Lesson 22, the Foldable Decodable lesson plan includes the Engage, Practice, First Read, Second Read, and Additional Read lesson structure. The plan includes a teacher model read, student echo read, partner read, independent read, and home read.

• In Module 6, Lesson 26, the Foldable Decodable lesson plan includes the Engage, Practice, First Read, Second Read, and Additional Read lesson structure. The plan includes a teacher model read, student echo read, partner read, independent read, and home read.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2f.ii.

The materials contain 40 Foldable Decodable Readers that utilize high-frequency and irregularly spelled words that are aligned to the scope and sequence. All Phonics lessons include a Foldable Decodable that aligns with the Phonics focus lesson and incorporates the week’s high-frequency words with detailed lesson plans that include multiple readings.

Materials include decodable texts that utilize high-frequency/irregularly spelled words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 4, the Foldable Decodable, Read In the Sun, includes the high-frequency words where, of, the, is, and a. 

• In Module 7. Lesson 31, the Foldable Decodable, Pets on a Walk, includes the high-frequency Words want, do, you, to, a, they, was, the, and said.

Decodable texts contain grade-level high-frequency/irregularly spelled words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 1, students read the Foldable Decodable, A Mat, which includes the high-frequency/irregularly spelled words are and said  which align to the scope and sequence. 

• In Module 5, Lesson 21, students read the Foldable Decodable, Get the Grapes, which includes the high-frequency/irregularly spelled words a, the, said, and you, which align to the scope and sequence. 

Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing reading high-frequency words/irregularly spelled words in context. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 18, the lesson plan includes the Engage, Practice, First Read, Second Read, and Additional read routine. During the First Read of the Foldable Decodable, Time for Lunch, the teacher models fluent reading as students follow along with their fingers and echo read. Students engage in word analysis of the phonics pattern and highlight or underline high-frequency words. During the Second Read, students read the text aloud one page at a time with a partner, and the teacher listens and provides corrective feedback regarding their fluency and decoding. During Additional Reads, students read the Foldable Decodable orally and independently to further develop automaticity. Students then take the book home to practice

• In Module 6, Lesson 29, the lesson plan includes the Engage, Practice, First Read, Second Read, and Additional read routine. During the First Read of the Foldable Decodable, Burt and Purr, the teacher reads the text aloud one page at a time, and students echo-read. The teacher goes back and points out the high-frequency words that students read, and students may be asked to highlight or underline them. During the Second Read, students read the Foldable Decodable with a partner, taking turns in reading each page. For Additional Reads, students read the Foldable Decodable orally and independently. Students then take the book home to practice.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2g.i. (K-1)

The materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery of print concepts. Teachers assess print concepts and letter formation formatively through exit tickets, worktext pages, weekly reviews, and weekly assessments provided in the materials. The digital Data Tracker tracks assignments, tasks, teacher observational data notations and provides cumulative data concerning students’ skills/levels over the course of the year. 

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

• In Module 2, Lesson 10, the assessment includes dictation of words with Short e and initial blends. Teacher guidance includes, “Have the students write the following words so you can assess their Letter Formations and encoding of sound-spellings.” The digital tracker provides the teacher with a means to track students’ progress toward mastery and independence of Letter Formation. 

• In Module 7, Lesson 31, the teacher distributes copies of the little book I Am a Book and observes as students identify the beginning and end of sentences and point out end marks. The Exit Ticket formatively assesses the student’s ability to identify if the words in the boxes make a sentence by circling yes or no. The digital tracker provides the teacher with a means to track students’ progress toward mastery and independence in Print Concepts.

• In Module 8, Lesson 40, the assessment includes the dictation of words with Contractions and Vowel Digraph oo endings. Teacher guidance includes, “Have the students write the following words so you can assess their Letter Formations and encoding of sound-spellings.” The digital tracker provides the teacher with a means to track students’ progress toward mastery and independence of Letter Formation. 

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of print concepts, Letter Recognition, and letter formation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 2, Lesson 6, the teacher distributes copies of the little book I Am a Book and observes as students identify the book’s title, front cover, back cover, author’s name, illustrator’s name, and title page. The Exit Ticket formatively assesses students’ ability to identify and circle the title of a book. The digital tracker provides information about students current skill/level of understanding.

• In Module 9, Lesson 45, the assessment includes the dictation of words with Vowel Sounds and Consonants VC/CV and Compound words. Teacher guidance includes, “Have the students write the following three sentences so you can assess their Letter Formations and encoding of sound-spellings. The digital tracker provides information about students' current skill/level of understanding.

Materials support teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in print concepts, Letter Recognition, and letter formation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Handwriting Letter Formation Descriptions includes instructional suggestions for letter formation.

• In Module 1, Lesson 1, the teacher distributes copies of the little book I Am a Book and observes as students identify uppercase letters on the page and count the number of words in the second sentence and the number of sentences on the page. Guidance directs the teacher to provide extra support as necessary.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2g.ii.

The materials contain a summative assessment for every module, formative daily assessments for phonological awareness in the form of Exit Tickets, and cumulative reviews. The digital tracker system supports all areas of the curriculum. Teachers assign assessments and activities to students, and results can be uploaded into the student and class recording portal. Each Module assessment contains an Item Analysis Chart with “If/Then” statements for corrective feedback that teachers can use to reteach specific phonological awareness skills. 

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

• In Getting Started with Foundational Reading, Module Assessment, Grade 1 Item Analysis Chart, the fifth lesson in each module includes an assessment. Assessments are as follows: Module 1 Assessment: Recognizing and Producing Rhyming Words, Identifying and Using Alliteration; Module 2: Delete Syllables in Words, Blend/Segment Onset and Rime, Create New Words; Module 3: Isolate and Pronounce Initial, Medial, Final Phonemes; Module 4: Blend/Segment Phonemes; Module 5: Blend/Segment Phonemes, Distinguish Long and Short Vowel Sounds; Module 6: Add/Delete Initial Phonemes; Module 7: Substitute Initial Phonemes, Add Final Phonemes; Module 8: Delete/Substitute Final Phonemes; Module 9: Substitute Medial Phonemes, Blend Phonemes in Multisyllabic Words; Module 10: Blend/Segment Phonemes in MUltisyllabic Words.

• In Module 3, Lesson 10, materials include an assessment for students to Isolate and Pronounce Initial, Medial, and Final Sounds. 

• In Module 6, Lesson 30,materials include an assessment for students to Add Initial Phonemes, Delete Initial Phonemes. 

• In Module 9, Lesson 45, materials include an assessment for students to Substitute Medial Phonemes; Blend Phonemes in Multisyllabic Words. 

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

• The Digital Data tracker tracks assessments, assignments, and tasks and provides cumulative data over the course of the year. The assessments and assignments can be viewed for the entire class or for a specific student. The Student View provides scores and levels, and teachers may add narrative notes in the comments area. The Data tab populates from the assignment tab and provides assignment results and mastery by the standard.

• In Module 8, Lesson 40, the Assessment includes a What Do I Do With This Information guide. Assessment guidance states, “Total the items that each student got correct. A score of 80% (i.e., 15 out of 19) is usually considered mastery. If you notice that a group of students had errors on a certain section, meet with them to reteach the skill. If there is a particular skill that seems difficult for many students, reteach the skill to the class.”

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

• In Module 5, Lesson 25, the materials state, “If…a student gets two or fewer items correct in the Phonological Awareness section, then…go back to the original instruction in Lessons 21–24 and have the student practice isolating phonemes and identifying short and long vowel sounds.”

• In Module 10, Lesson 50, the materials state,”If…a student makes mistakes in the Phonological Awareness skill area of the assessment, then…provide counters to help the student visualize. Slide a finger under the counters to model blending, tap each counter to model segmenting, and transpose counters to model manipulating.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2g.iii.

Materials include weekly Module Assessments and daily checks for understanding. The materials instruct teachers in scoring assessment results and provide teachers with instructional next steps to help students progress toward mastery in phonics. The Getting Started With Foundational Reading Module Assessment Item Analysis Chart lists the phonics strand skills in the order in which they are assessed. A Cumulative Review Document provides a detailed overview of the assessment of previously taught skills. 

Materials provide resources and tools to collect ongoing data about students’ progress in phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Digital Data tracker tracks assessments, assignments, and tasks and provides cumulative data over the course of the year. The assessments and assignments can be viewed for the entire class or for a specific student. The Student View provides scores and levels, and teachers may add narrative notes in the comments area. The Data tab populates from the assignment tab and provides assignment results and mastery by the standard.

Materials offer assessment opportunities to determine students’ progress in phonics that are implemented systematically. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Grade 1 Item Analysis Chart, the fifth lesson in each module includes a phonics assessment. Assessments are as follows: Module 1 Assessment: Consonants Mm /m/, Tt /t/, Ss /s/, Cc /k/, Pp /p/, Nn /n/, Ff /f/,Bb /b/, Gg /g/, Dd /d/, Ll /l/, Hh /h/, Rr /r/,Vowel Aa /a/; Module 2: Consonants Vv /v/, Ww /w/, Jj /j/, Kk /k/, Yy /y/, Zz /z/, Qu, qu /kw/, Final Xx /x/, Ss /s/ /z/, Vowel Ee /e/, Initial Consonant Blends; Module 3: Consonant Pattern -ck, Final Consonant Blends, Digraphs sh, th, ch, wg, Trigraph -tch; Module 4: Consonant Patterns ng, nk, VCe Long a, i, o; Module 5: VCe Long u, e Long a: ai, ay, Long e: e, ea, ee,  Long o: o, oa, ow, oe; Module 6: Vowel Teams  ue, ew, ui, r-Controlled Vowels: or, ore, ar, er, ir, ur; Module 7: Contractions, Vowel Digraph oo, Words Ending in:  -s, -es, -ing, -ed;  Module 8: Consonants Yy /y/, Jj /j/, Vv /v/, Zz /z/, Qu, qu /kw/, Final Xx /x/; Module 9: Vowel Sound in foot: oo, u, Consonants  Cc /s/, Gg /j/, Syllable Pattern VC/CV, Compound Words; Module 10:Open Syllable Pattern V/CV, Closed Syllable Pattern VC/V, Syllable Pattern -le.

Multiple assessment opportunities are provided regularly for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence with phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 17, during the Exit Ticket, students read three sentences and circle each word that has a long a. The sentences are Kate made a cake for Dad, What is the name of the pet snake?, and Chad will take the late bus. The data is uploaded into the digital tracker and provides information about students’ progress toward mastery in phonics.

• In Module 5, Lesson 25, during Review and Assess, students complete Worktext pages 97 and 98. On Worktext page 97, students read six sentences one at a time. They look at the pictures and fill in the blank with the correct word. Words featured on the page are block, toad, pail, beans, jeans, and chain. On worktext page 98, students say the picture name, write e, o, ay, oe, or ow to complete the word, and read the word. Words featured on the page are go, we, toe, hay, bow, pay, doe, me, no, crow, tray, and snow. The data is uploaded into the digital tracker and provides information about students’ progress toward mastery in phonics.

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, during Review and Assess, students read six sentences, one at a time. The words printed in bold represent a targeted phonics skill for the lesson. The targeted skills are Vowel Sounds, Blends, Diphthongs. The teacher puts a slash through any word read incorrectly.

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

• The Digital Data tracker tracks any assignments or tasks and provides cumulative data over the course of the year. The assignments can be viewed for the entire class or for a specific student. The Student View provides scores and levels, and the teacher comments area is available for entering narrative notes. The Data tab populates from the assignment tab and provides assignment results and mastery by standard data.

• In Module 3, Lesson 15, in alignment with the phonics scope and sequence, the Item Analysis Chart provides data to inform instruction. Students are assessed on Consonants Mm /m/, Tt, /t/, Ss /s/, Bb /b/, and Vowel Aa /a/. The data tracker provides teachers and students with information on current skills/level of understanding in phonics.

Materials genuinely measure students’ progress to support teachers with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery in phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 14, materials state, “If a student has difficulty reading words with consonant digraphs ch, wh, and trigraph -tch, then have them focus on one digraph at a time until students are successfully reading words with that digraph on their own. Add more digraphs and trigraph -tch gradually.”

• In Module 6, Lesson 29, materials state, “If a student has difficulty reading words with the r-controlled vowels er, ir, and ur, then use manipulatives for a blending activity. Tape the letters together to indicate that r “controls” the vowel. Have students form and blend words such as sir, fur, and her. Then move on to perk, dirt, and turn.”

• In Module 9, Lesson 43, materials state, “If a student cannot divide VC/CV words into syllables, then help them label the letters with C and V and then divide between the consonants. Write VC/CV words from the Quick List on the board and have students draw a line between the syllables and blend and read the words chorally.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2g.iv.

The materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to assess students’ progress toward mastery and independence of word recognition (high-frequency words or irregularly spelled words) and analysis for each module. The assessment materials provide teachers with information concerning students’ level of understanding of word recognition and word analysis, and the materials give some general instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in word recognition and word analysis.

Materials regularly and systematically provide a variety of assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of word recognition (high-frequency words or irregularly spelled words) and analysis. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 2, Lesson 6, during the Exit Ticket, students read and circle the high-frequency words does, what, and look to demonstrate mastery of these words.

• In Module 3, Assessment, students are assessed on high-frequency words when, wish, been, best, hit, then, and which. The teacher shows students a series of sentences. Students read them aloud to the teacher as the teacher makes notations.

• In Module 10, Lesson 50, during the assessment, students independently read six sentences to the teacher. The italicized words in the sentences are the high-frequency words taught in the module. Students read each sentence, and the teacher puts a slash through any word read incorrectly. The module high-frequency words in the sentence are know, going, over, again, and goes. Previously-learned high-frequency words are do, you, the, of, and, we, are, to, she, saw, did, put, on, I, am, a, that, see, and around. 

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

• In Module 3, Lesson 15, Assessment, assesses a student’s ability to read nine high-frequency words in the context of a sentence. The teacher documents the number of words read correctly. 

• In Module 6, Lesson 30, students are assessed on high-frequency words new, her, fly, by, why. There are five points possible for high-frequency words. The bottom of the teacher assessment page includes a caption entitled “What do I do with this information?” The caption includes the following guidance, “Total the items that each child got correct. A score of 80% (i.e., 14 out of 17) is usually considered mastery. If you notice that a group of students had errors on a certain part or skill, meet with them to reteach the skill. If a particular skill seem[s] difficult for many students, reteach the skill to the class.” 

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

• In Module 1, Lesson 1, corrective feedback for the Exit Ticket includes, “If… students have difficulty identifying the words are, said, [and] the, then… display the word are and say, ‘This is the word are. It has three letters. The letters are a, r, e.’” The teacher guides students to repeat the word, the letters of the word, and the number of letters in the word. Then the teacher instructs students to do the routine on their own. The teacher repeats the process for the words said and the.

• In Module 4, Lesson 20, the Corrective Feedback assessment guidance states, “If… a child doesn’t read all of the high-frequency words correctly, then… go back and have the student write the words correctly on a sheet of paper before having the student read the word.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2g.v.

The materials include multiple benchmark and formative fluency assessment and practice resources to build students' skills in rate, expression, phrasing, and intonation/inflection. Modules include Decodable Fluency Passages and Foldable Decodables, Fluency and Oral Reading Records, and a fluency analysis rubric. The Support for Assessing Fluency guide provides teachers with additional information about tracking student progress to inform classroom instruction.

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

• In Module 2, Lesson 10, the Fluency Tests and Running Records guidance includes a Support for Assessing Fluency document. This document provides additional information about administering oral fluency tests and completing running records. Oral fluency assessments should be given in the winter and spring to track progress and inform classroom instruction. The What is a Fluency Assessment section explains that a fluency assessment measures the number of words correct per minute (WCPM) that a child reads, usually using grade-level text the child has not seen before. 

• In Module 4, Lesson 20, students individually read the Decodable Passage,  Lots of Hats, from their Student Worktext while the teacher completes the Running Record and calculates the WCPM (Words Correct Per MInute). 

• In Module 9, Lesson 45, students individually read the Decodable Passage,  The Good Wolf, from their Student Worktext while the teacher completes the Running Record and calculates the WCPM (Words Correct Per Minute). 

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

• In Module 5, Lesson 25, during the assessment, students read the Decodable Passage, My Instrument. The teacher uses the Fluency and Oral Reading Record to document the number of mistakes, time taken to read the passage, words correct per minute, and a fluency analysis chart documenting emerging, developing, proficient, or exceeding in attention to punctuation, phrasing, and expression. The Interpreting Fluency Assessment Results guidance includes published norms for reading fluency.

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, students read the Decodable Passage, My Instrument. The teacher uses the Fluency and Oral Reading Record to document the number of mistakes, time taken to read the passage, and words correct per minute and to complete a fluency analysis chart documenting emerging, developing, proficient, or exceeding in attention to punctuation, phrasing, and expression. 

• In Module 9, Lesson 45, students read the Decodable Passage, The Good Wolf. The teacher uses the Fluency and Oral Reading Record to document the number of mistakes, time taken to read the passage, and words correct per minute and to complete a fluency analysis chart documenting emerging, developing, proficient, or exceeding in attention to punctuation, phrasing, and expression. 

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

• The Support for Assessing Fluency guide explains how to measure oral reading accuracy and provides the following criteria: 

  • A child who reads 98%–100% of the words correctly is reading at an independent level and may need more challenging texts. 

  • A child who reads 91%–97% of the words correctly is reading at an instructional level and will likely benefit from guided on-level instruction in similarly leveled texts. 

  • A child who reads with an accuracy of 90% or less is reading at a frustration level and may benefit from a comprehensive plan that includes targeted instruction at a lower reading level and scaffolding of grade-level text.

• The Support for Assessing Fluency guide explains information on interpreting fluency assessment results. The guidance states, “If a child’s reading rate is low, your notes on the child’s miscues may help you determine why. Does the child make errors that indicate his or her decoding skills are lacking? If so, further instruction in phonics may be needed. Do the errors reflect a lack of comprehension or limited vocabulary? If so, instruction in comprehension strategies and exposure to additional vocabulary words may help.”

• The How to Identify Miscues and Errors document includes a chart that indicates the type of miscues and errors, along with examples, for the teacher to note when taking a running record. 

• The How to Measure Oral Reading Accuracy guidance states that a student may need “more challenging texts,” may “benefit from guided on-level instruction,” or may require “a comprehensive plan that includes targeted instruction at a lower reading level,” according to the percent of words the student read correctly. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2h.

The materials include an Item Analysis Chart that provides alignment documentation for each module and references the Strand, Skill, and Item Numbers. The Common Core State Standards for each Lesson, summative Module Assessments, and formative assessment Exit tickets are noted in the Standards box on the digital platform. Using the Digital Data Tracker, teachers can sort class assignments by standard. 

Materials include denotations of the standards being assessed in the formative assessments. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 4, the Exit Ticket assesses Consonants Dd /d/, Ll /l/, Hh /h/, Rr /r/, and the vowel Uu /u/. The digital Teacher Guide lists the standards for the lesson as RF.1.3.b—Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words; L.1.1.a—Print all upper- and lowercase letters; L.1.2.d—Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words. 

• In Module 4, Lesson 16, the Exit Ticket assesses the skill of Consonant Patterns -ng, -nk. The Digital Teacher Guide Lists the standards for the lesson as: RF.1.3.a—Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs; RF.1.3.b—Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words; L.1.2.d—Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words; L.1.2.e—Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions. Students write the letters that spell the ending sound for pictures of the words lips, ring, and bank. 

Materials include denotations of standards being assessed in the summative assessments. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Modules 1–10, the Grade 1 Item Analysis Chart provides the Strand, Skill, Item Numbers, and the Common Core State Standards are noted for each summative assessment in the Module Assessment Item Analysis Guide on the digital platform. For example, Module 2 Assessment, Phonological Awareness, Use Alliteration, item 4, page 33, RF.1.2

• In Module 1, Assess, the assessment evaluates students’ mastery of Consonants Mm /m/, Ss /s/, Tt /t/, Ff /f/, Bb /b/, Gg /g/, Aa /a/, Ii /i/, Oo /o/, Uu /u/. The digital Teacher Guide lists the standards for the lesson as RF.1.3.a—Know the spelling-sound correspondences for common consonant digraphs; RF.1.3.b—Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words; L.1.2.d—Use conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words; L.1.2.e—Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on phonemic awareness and spelling conventions. 

Alignment documentation is provided for all tasks, questions, and assessment items. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Modules 1–10, the digital platform provides a drop-down menu of the Grade 1 standards. After clicking on the standard, the teacher can find a link to an assessment.

• In Module 1–10, the Item Analysis Chart indicates the standards being assessed in each module assessment and the online platform includes strands and skills for each assessment item. 

Alignment documentation contains specific standards correlated to specific lessons. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Modules 1–10 the Item Analysis Chart correlates with lessons and each lesson on the platform includes the Standards pop-out box. 

• The online access Standards feature allows teachers to search the materials via grade level and standard to find tasks, lessons, materials, and assessments for a specific standard.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2i.i.

The materials provide support for English Language Learners and Multilingual students. The Articulation Support Guide and Articulation Videos can be used for teaching sound articulation or for reteaching students who need additional support. Multilingual Learner Support statements are included within the Mini Lessons. All information about strategies for ELL students or Multilingual Learners are located at the point of use in Phonics lessons and in the the Support for Multilingual Students guide. 

Materials provide support for English Language Learner (ELL) students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Support for Multilingual Learners Guide provides resources for teachers including English Language Proficiency Level and guidance for modifying instruction based on the language proficiency level of the learner. The Introduction to LInguistics provides information about learning languages. The Common First Languages guide provides details about learning English based on the students' home language. The Linguistic Contrastive Analysis Chart provides a quick reference for comparing English sounds to those of other languages.

• In Module 2, Lesson 8, Phonics, Differentiated Instruction, the Multilingual Learner Support teacher guidance states, “Initial blends with s do not appear in Spanish, Cantonese, Hmong, Khmer, Korean, or Vietnamese. In addition, speakers of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese may need help with initial blends with l and r. Have students look for words with initial s, l, r blends in magazines or newspapers. After reviewing word meanings, have students use the words in sentences.”

• In Module 3, Lesson 11, the Multilingual Learner Support teacher guidance states, “Children whose home language does not track from left to right (such as Arabic or Hebrew, for example) may need reminders or additional support. Expand your demonstration by reading aloud as you track text, left to right, with your finger. Emphasize the point when you get to the end of text on a right-hand page and then turn the page and begin again at the top left of the next page. Point out that there are arrows in I Am a Book to help children remember.”

• In Module 6, Lesson 28, the Multilingual Learner Support teacher guidance states, “The sound /ar/ does not occur in many languages and may be difficult for multilingual learners to produce. Preview words with the ar  spelling and have children pronounce the sound in isolation before blending sounds in a word. Then use gestures, facial expressions, or props to illustrate the words’ meaning.”

General statements about ELL students or strategies are noted at the beginning of a unit or at one place in the Teacher Edition are then implemented by the materials throughout the lessons. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Guide, Front Matter, the Differentiated Instruction guidance states, “Lessons include differentiated support that takes into account the diverse needs of your students. You will have the tools you need to provide tailored instruction for Multilingual Learner Support…”

• In the Teacher Guide, Foundational Reading Overview, the Program Overview states, “Suggestions, including support for multilingual learners, are provided at point of use.”

• Information about strategies for ELL students or Multilingual Learners are located at the point of use in the Differentiated Instruction portion of the Phonics minilessons.  

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2i.ii.

The materials include two pathways called Sequential Pathway and Differentiated Pathway. The Sequential Pathway provides daily instruction in foundational skills that also includes a More section that provides students with opportunities for additional practice of the focus skills being taught. The More section also includes opportunities for Differentiation with an Extra Support Option. The teacher can use information from the daily Exit TIcket to guide reteaching opportunities in small group instruction or individual instruction. The Differentiated Pathway is designed to enhance core instruction and includes targeted reteaching opportunities for students who need additional practice on a skill, which can be used for one-on-one reteaching or small group instruction. 

Materials provide opportunities for small group reteaching. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher Guide, Front Matter, the Lesson Pacing section provides a chart that suggests that the daily lesson schedule for the Sequential Pathway should include the Minilesson, More activity (differentiated as needed), and Assess activity. The time allotted for More activities, including options for Differentiated Instruction, which could be used for small group instruction, ranges from 5-15 minutes for each lesson strand.

• In Module 3, Lesson 14, during Extra Support, the teacher continues the blending routine with additional words chat, chop, itch, ditch, whim, and whiz for students who need additional support.

• In Module 4, Lesson 16, during Extra Support, the teacher guides students to blend and read words with patterns -ng, -nk.

Materials provide guidance to teachers for scaffolding and adapting lessons and activities to support students who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level in extensive opportunities to learn foundational skills at the grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 18 , during Extra Support, the teacher provides more word pairs to help students recognize how the vowel sound changes with the final e. Words include pin/pine, fin/fine, reip/ripe, and dim/dime.

• In Module 6, Lesson 26 , during Extra Support, the teacher integrates Letter Cards into the blending routine and works with students to form a word. The teacher spaces the cards so that the vowel team is distinctly placed together to help students blend appropriately.

• In Module 8, Lesson 37, the Extra Support guidance directs the teacher to continue the blending routine with additional words boom, hoot, cool,  and pool for students who need additional support. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria for 2i.iii.

The materials provide opportunities for advanced students to investigate grade-level foundational skills at a greater depth. Most phonics lessons have suggestions for advanced students to complete more rigorous assignments, such as completing a letter-locating activity using environmental print instead of the Student Worktext. There are no instances of advanced students simply doing more assignments than their classmates in the Extra Support group. 

Materials provide multiple opportunities for advanced students to investigate grade-level foundational skills at a greater depth. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher’s Guide, Differentiated Instruction, 21 Extend activities are provided in Phonics and one Extend activity for Print Concepts. 

• In Module 3, Lesson 13, during Extend, students use their knowledge of the digraph sh to read words such as wishing, washable, shopper, and usher.

• In Module 7, Lesson 34, during Extend, students work in pairs to write words with ow and ou spellings of the sound /ou/ in two columns on a piece of paper.

• In Module 8, Lesson 37, during Extend, students read vowel digraph words noodle, cartoon, balloon, doodle.

There are no instances of advanced students simply doing more assignments than their classmates. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 8, Lesson 36, during Extend, students write sentences using contractions and read them to a partner. In the Extra Support activity, students practice reading the nondecodable words associated with contractions. The nondecodable words are you, have, and they.

• In Module 9, Lesson 42, during Extend, students create flash cards with soft and hard sounds for letters c and g.