Kindergarten - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1a.i. (K)

The materials contain isolated, systematic and explicit instruction for all 26 upper- and lowercase letters. Three or four uppercase and lowercase letters are introduced in the same lesson and reviewed in one follow-up lesson. The Pacing Guide indicates the order in which letters are introduced. The Display, Say, and Introduce routines is used to introduce letters and uppercase and lowercase letters are introduced within the first two modules of the materials. There is a defined sequence for letter instruction to be completed in a reasonable time frame over the school year.

Materials contain isolated, systematic and explicit instruction for all 26 letters (recognize and name uppercase and lowercase). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.

  • In Module 1, Lesson 3, the teacher uses the Display, Say, Introduce Routine. The teacher displays the Sound-Spelling Card for the letter I. The teacher says “this is the letter i, At the top of the card are two letters.” The teacher writes the letter Ii and says “this is the uppercase letter I and this is lowercase i.” The teacher explains that they look similar because they both have straight lines, but one is tall and has lines on top and bottom, formed. The teacher repeats this routine for the letters Jj, Kk, and Nn. For Guided practice the teacher displays letters and student identify them telling which are uppercase and which are lowercase. Students practice letter identification in their student worktexts and engage in Lesson 3 letter recognition interactive practice. Teacher use the More activities to differentiate instruction. 

  • In Module 2, Lesson 8, the teacher uses the Display, Say, Introduce Routine. The teacher displays the Sound-Spelling Card and explains that it shows a dime and has two letters on the top. The teacher says, “This is the letter d. At the top of the card are two letters.” The teacher writes the letter Dd and says, “This letter is uppercase letter d and this is lowercase d.” The teacher explains that they are both tall and have a straight line. The teacher displays the Sound-Spelling Cards Q (quilt) and R (rocket) and repeats this routine for the letters Qq, and Rr. Students point out the similarities and differences in the letters, such as in their names, shapes, and formation. For Guided Practice, the teacher displays the letters and student identify them telling which are uppercase and which are lowercase. Students practice letter identification in their student worktexts and engage in Lesson 8 letter recognition interactive practice. Teacher use the More activities to differentiate instruction. 

There is a defined sequence for letter instruction to be completed in a reasonable time frame over the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• According to the Table of Contents, letters are introduced in the following order: Cc, Oo, Ss, Ll, Mm, Pp, Ii, Jj, Kk, Nn, Tt, Uu, Yy, Aa, Bb, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Dd, Qq, Rr, Vv, Ww, Xx, Zz, spanning eight lessons.

• In Module 1: students learn letters: Cc, Oo, Ss, Ll, Mm, Pp, Ii, Jj, Kk, Nn, Tt, Uu, Yy.

• In Module 2: students learn letters: Aa, Bb, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Dd Qq, Rr V,v Ww, Xx, Zx.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1a.ii. 

The materials provide students with frequent opportunities to identify, locate, and name all 26 upper- and lowercase letters. 

Materials provide students with frequent opportunities to engage in practice identifying all 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 3, students look through the displayed letter cards I, i, J, j, K, k, N, and n. Students say the letter name, identify uppercase and lower case, and pracitce identifying the letters in the Quick List words and in the “Iggy Inchworm” poem on page 14. The Exit Ticket has students identify the the letters Ii, Jj, Kk, Nn.

• In Module 2, Lesson 8, students play the digital game Spelling Voyage. A letter name is spoken, and the students click on the appropriate bubble. Students unlock levels to move through all 26 upper- and lowercase letters.

Materials provide opportunities to engage in practice locating all 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 5, students complete an activity in which there are four target letters (Vv, Ww, Xx, Zz) and two rows of mixed up letters in circles for each target letter. Students locate the target letter among the two rows of circles by coloring them. Students repeat the process for each of the four target letters.

• In Module 2, Lesson 10, students use the Sound-Spelling Cards for the target letters Dd, Aa, Zz, Bb, Xx, Ee, Ww, Ff,Vv, Gg, Qq, Hh, Rr and locate the uppercase and lowercase letters in classroom books.

Materials provide opportunities to engage in naming all 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 5, the teacher displays letters and asks students to name the letter and tell whether it is uppercase or lowercase. (T, S, u, P, C, n, l, O, J, M, y, L, k). The teacher displays the following words: cup, mop, lip, jot, cook, sit, sick, nut, pool, toy. Partners point to and say the letters for each word.

In Module 2, Lesson 5, the teacher displays letters and has students identify them, telling whether they are upper- or lowercase. The teacher then displays words (cup, mop, lip, jot, cook, sit, sick, nut, pool, toy)and has students work in pairs to point and say the letters for each word.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1a.iii. 

The materials provide a variety of activities that embed letter identification practice in meaningful print, such as identifying letters in poems, students’ names, printed rhymes, book titles, and classroom books. Although the materials include activities for all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters, one activity may include up to eight uppercase and lowercase letters combined and may be the sole lesson for those letters. 

Materials contain a variety of tasks/activities that apply letter identification and naming of all 26 uppercase letters to meaningful print use (e.g. initial letter of a child’s name, environmental print, letter assortments, alphabet books, shared writing). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 3, the teacher displays the Letter Cards I, i, J, j, K, and k and names the letters with students. The teacher writes a student’s name and asks if there are any target letters in the name. Students circle the letters in their names and tell whether they are upper- or lowercase. 

• In Module 2, Lesson 8, the teacher displays the rhyme “Damselfly Dance” on page 9 of the ABC Rhyme Time book and points to the uppercase D in the title. The teacher reads the rhyme aloud. Students identify uppercase D’s and lowercase d’s in the rhyme.

Materials contain a variety of tasks/activities that apply letter identification and naming of all 26 lowercase letters to meaningful print use (e.g., initial letter of a child’s name, environmental print, letter assortments, alphabet books, shared writing). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 3, the teacher displays “Iggy Inchworm” on page 14 of the ABC Rhyme Time book and points to the uppercase I’s in the title. The teacher reads the rhyme aloud and has students identify uppercase I’s and lowercase i’s in the rhyme. The teacher and students repeat the process with letters Jj, Kk, and Nn.

In Module 2, Lesson 7, the teacher displays “Fionna Fish” on page 11 of the ABC Rhyme Time book and asks the students to identify the uppercase and lowercase Ff in the text. The teacher repeats with the poem “Go Get the Goat” on page 12 for the letters Gg and “Hamster in My House” on page 13 for the letters Hh.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1a.iv. (K-1)

The Teacher Resources section of the materials include clear guidance to support teachers with explaining and modeling the correct formation of all 26 upper- and lowercase letters in Ball and Stick, D’Nealian, and Cursive styles. As students learn a new letter, the teacher models the formation of each letter. Each time a letter is introduced in Letter Recognition, students trace and write the letter on a lined worksheet. Students skywrite letters each time sound/symbol recognition is introduced. Students who need extra practice connecting a sound to a letter may trace the letter on the Letter Card while making the appropriate sound.

Materials include clear directions for the teacher concerning how to explain and model how to correctly form each of the 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Print many upper- and lowercase letters.

  • The Handwriting Guide includes the letter formation descriptions and detailed verbal descriptions that teachers will use when teaching letter formation. Descriptions are provided for Ball and Stick, D’Nealian, and Cursive style letter formation. For example: “Capital B—Start at top, straight to bottom line. Back to top, curve right around, to middle line, touch. Then right around to bottom line, touch.”

  • In Module 1, Lesson 4, the teacher writes the letters Tt and points to the letter T and says, “This is an uppercase, or capital, T.” The teacher then points to the letter t and says, “This letter is lowercase t. These two letters look similar and different! Both are tall and have straight lines with a shorter line across. But one has a shorter line at the very top, and one has a shorter line in the middle.”

Materials include frequent opportunities for students to practice forming all of the 26 letters (uppercase and lowercase). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 3, students practice letter formation of lowercase and uppercase letters Ii, Jj, Kk, and Nn on the handwriting printable. 

• In Module 2, Lesson 6, students practice letter formation of Aa, Bb, Ee on the lined handwriting printables. Materials include an additional student practice worksheet for students to locate the hidden upper- and lowercase letters. Then students trace the upper- and lowercase letters.

Materials include frequent opportunities for students to practice forming letters using multimodal and/or multisensory methods. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 11, students practice and repeat /m/ several times as the teacher points to the m written on the board. Students practice skywriting m with their fingers as they say /m/.

• Module 4, Lesson 16, students connect the sound /p/ to the letter p, using the Letter Card p. The teacher points and says, “/p/, /p/, /p/. The sound /p/ is spelled p.” Students trace p on the card as they repeat words that begin with /p/.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1b. (K-early Grade 1).

The materials provide explicit instruction and practice for all students regarding the organization of print concepts. The materials feature classroom books, including the book  I Am a Book by Jessica White, student editions of the book, Foldable Decodables, Decodable Passages, and Student Worktexts, as well as multimedia materials to practice print concepts, letter identification, and letter formation.

Materials include sufficient and explicit instruction for all students about the organization of print concepts (e.g. follow words left to right, spoken words correlate sequences of letters, letter spacing).  

• Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Module 3, Lesson 11, the teacher displays the book I Am a Book by Jessica White and models how to turn the pages gently, starting at the beginning and slowly turning from left to right. The See and Sing Video: What Is a Book? gives details about the front cover, back cover, title page, title, author, and illustrator. The video also includes information about how to turn pages carefully to read.

  • In Module 9, Lesson 41, the teacher displays the book, I Am a Book by Jessica White and says, “When we read a book, we start at the top of the page” and points to the word Oh. The teacher states, “This is where I start reading. Watch how I move my finger from left to right as I read.” The teacher points to each word as the first sentence is read aloud and states, “When I point to a word, I read a word.” The teacher then models reading and pointing to each word. “I start reading at the top and finish at the bottom. Now let’s see what happens when I get to the end of a line.” The lesson continues with how to read from left to right, return sweep, and across, repeating until the page is completely read, then moving over to the next page to repeat the process.

• Recognize that spoken words are represented in written language by specific sequences of letters. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Module 5, Lesson 21, the teacher reads the book,  I Am a Book by Jessica White, pausing on pages 24-25 to say, “Look at the letters on this page. They are out of order! I can’t read these words because the letters are out of order… When we read a book, we look at the words and the pictures to find out the meaning.”

  • In Module 6, Lesson 26, the teacher uses the book,  I Am a Book by Jessica White, to point out the difference between letters and words and the spaces between the words. The teacher turns to page 29 and points to the letter W and the word wait. The teacher states, “This is uppercase W. The next three letters are lowercase. Together, these four letters form the word Wait.” Next, the teacher circles the word there and has students tell whether it is a letter or word. 

• Understand that words are separated by spaces in print. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Module 7, Lesson 40, the teacher displays page 4 of the book  I Am a Book, by Jessica White and reads the first sentence aloud. The teacher then says, “The word Thank is the first word in this sentence. See the space between Thank and you? We see spaces between all the words in the sentence. This makes it easier to read and understand.” During Guided Practice students work in pairs to draw a small, blue square between each word of a sentence.

  • In Module 8, Lesson 36, the teacher displays the first sentence on page 23 of the book,  I Am a Book, by Jessica White and reads it aloud. Students tell where the sentence begins and ends and how they know. The teacher reminds students that spaces separate words and points out the three words in the sentence. The teacher repeats with the second sentence on the page.

Materials include frequent and adequate lessons, tasks, and questions for all students about the organization of print concepts (e.g., follow words left to right, spoken words correlate sequences of letters, letter spacing). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 15, students use the book,  I Am a Book by Jessica White, and model holding the book correctly. Students point to the front and back covers to demonstrate how to turn pages gently from left to right. Students answer questions such as: Is this the front cover or the back cover? Where is the title? Where else can we find the title? What does the title tell us? Students practice with classroom books as the teacher circulates to confirm understanding.

• In Module 6, Lesson 26, students use the book, I Am a Book by Jessica White, and identify uppercase W and the three lowercase letters a, i, t. Students point to each leter as they say it. The students circle the word There with their fingers and answer if it is a letter or a word and explain how they know. Students continue identifying the letters and the spaces that separate the words in the book. Partners take turns choosing a word and identifying the letters in the word.

• In Module 9, Lesson 41, students turn to pages 12–13 in  I Am a Book by Jessica White and point to where to start reading and then point to each word from left to right and top to bottom. Students demonstrate what to do when they reach the bottom of the page.

Materials include a variety of physical books (teacher-guided, such as big books) that are suitable for the teaching of print concepts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 15,  the materials include the teacher Big book I Am a Book, by Jessica White. The teacher displays the book and asks, “How do we hold books when we read? Show me.” The teacher confirms that students are holding the book correctly. 

• In Module 10, Lesson 46, the materials include the projectable book  I Am a Book by Jessica White. The teacher displays the book and asks students to identify distinguishing characteristics of a sentence such as a period, question mark, or an exclamation mark.

Materials include sufficient and explicit instruction about the organization of print concepts (e.g., follow words left to right, spoken words correlate sequences of letters, letter spacing) in the context of a book. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 1, the teacher holds up a trade book and explains that the alphabet has two forms of letters, uppercase and lowercase. The teacher explains that Uppercase letters are always tall letters and that some lowercase letters are tall too. The teacher models identifying uppercase letters in the titles of classroom nooks. 

• In Module 7, Lesson 31, the teacher points to the book and says, “This word, When, begins with an uppercase letter. It begins the sentence. I see words and space between the words.”

Materials consistently include opportunities for students to engage in authentic practice using print concepts in the context of student books. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, students work in pairs practicing identifying the first word and ending punctuation of sentences in the student books,  I Am a Book by Jessica White.

• In Module 9, Lesson 41, students use the I Am a Book little books by Jessica White to model tracking print from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page, with return sweep. The teacher circulates the room to confirm  understanding or provide extra support.

Materials contain periodic cumulative review opportunities during which the teacher reminds students about previously learned grade-level print concepts and letter identification. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 1, Lesson 5, students review the 13 letters introduced in the module. Then in Module 2, Lesson 10, students review the additional 13 letters taught in the module. 

• In Module 3, Lesson 15, the Learning Targets for this review and assessment lesson are (1) Hold a book right side up and turn the pages correctly, (2) Understand how to take care of books, and (3) Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book. These concepts were previously introduced in Lesson 11.

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, the teacher uses the book I Am a Book by Jessica White to review print concepts. The teacher asks students, “How does a sentence begin? How does a sentence end?” The teacher then gives copies of the student version of the book to have partners take turns opening the book to a new page, choosing a sentence, and identifying the first word and end punctuation. 

Materials include students’ practice of previously learned print concepts, letter identification, and letter formation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, when engaging in a reteach of the book  I Am a Book by Jessica White, students respond to the questions, “How does a sentence begin? How does a sentence end?” In partner groups, students take turns opening the student version of the book to a new page, choosing a sentence, and identifying the first word and end punctuation. 

• In Module 7, Lesson 40, students review and practice letter identification of y, j, v, z, qu, and x. Students line up facing the teacher and the first student on Team 1 identifies the letter name, pronounces the sound and says a word beginning with that sound-spelling. The student goes to the end of the line, and the process repeats with the first student from Team 2, and so on.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1c. 

The materials provide students with daily opportunities for students to engage in phonological awareness. The materials follow a Module, Lesson, and Day format, and each Module is broken down into five days. Each day contains at least one phonological awareness activity. Most days include a Daily Phonological Awareness Review and/or a Review and Reinforce Activity providing students opportunities to practice phonological awareness in cumulative review. The materials include a variety of types of activities for phonological awareness, including Activity Breaks, Interactive Play, and Picture Cards. 

Materials include a variety of activities for phonological awareness. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 2, Lesson 6, students play the interactive game Javi’s Make and Takeaway Words. The game can be used to practice the blending and segmenting of syllables and onset and rime.

• In Module 4, Lesson 16, students chop as they blend onset and rime for the following sounds: /j/ -et, jet; /l/ -ake, lake; /r/ -ug, rug. For more practice students chop the words pen, tot, jam, duck, pot, fan, pail, ran.  Students bring their hands together to say the word. 

• In Module 5, Lesson 22, students listen to the word map and isolate and pronounce the initial phonemes. Students use Picture Cards to isolate and pronounce the initial sound of net, mop, and hen. Students stand in a circle and listen to a CVC word beginning with m, t, s, b, p, n, or c. Students repeat the word, say the initial sound, and pass the beanbag to the next student. 

There are frequent opportunities for students to practice phonological awareness. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 12, students practice in pairs with Picture Cards with two-syllable words. The first student chooses a card and says the word. The partner segments the syllables. Then students switch roles and continue. 

• In Module 6, Lesson 27, students repeat words, saying the sounds in each word and isolate the final sound. The students clap as they isolate and pronounce the final sounds for man, red, and leaf. A student volunteer repeats for the word fig. 

• In Module 9, Lesson 44, students use a pushing motion to symbolize getting rid of the final sound and then change the ending sound sounds in the words: cap:can, fit:fix, yes:yet, fun:fuss, hi:he. Students play Spin for Sounds and provide a new final sound to make new words.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1d.

The materials provide the teacher with systematic, explicit modeling for instruction in syllables, sounds (phonemes), and spoken words during Minilessons using the Teach, Model, Guide Practice Routine. The materials include routines and hand motions for the teacher to model phonological awareness concepts. Teacher resources contain examples for teacher modeling. The More section of each Minilesson provides teachers with a Quick List to use as examples and to provide additional practice for students. 

Materials provide the teacher with systematic, explicit modeling for instruction in syllables, sounds (phonemes), and spoken words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Recognize and produce rhyming words.

  • In Module 1, Lesson 1, the teacher displays Picture Cards for the words cat and bat, and students listen as the teacher says the words. The teacher tells the students that cat and bat rhyme and have the same ending sound. Students listen again as the words are repeated, and mat, pat, fat, sat, and hat are added. During Model, Picture Cards for the words fan and man are used, and students tell whether or not they rhyme. The teacher replies with, “Yes, they both end with /an/.” The lesson continues with fan and bat. 

  • In Module 1, Lesson 2, the teacher displays the Picture Cards for hen and pen. Students say the words with the teacher. The teacher reminds students that the words rhyme because they have the same ending sound, /en/. The teacher says more rhyming words and holds a finger up for each word (men, ten). The students mimic putting fingers up. During Model, a picture card for the word pail is displayed. The teacher says several rhyming words and reminds students that they rhyme because they all have the same ending sound. 

• Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

  • In Module 2, Lesson 8, the teacher displays a picture card for the word doll and says, “This word has one part.” The teacher models by placing fingers on their chin and says the word. The teacher states, “My chin moves once when I say the word doll. The word has one part, or syllable.” The teacher continues modeling with the two-syllable words rabbit, robin, and starfish. The teacher guides students to hold their chins and say zebra, noting how the chin moves for each part while confirming that the word has two parts, or syllables.

  • In Module 3, Lesson 11, the teacher tells students that words are made up of parts or syllables and that blending syllables means putting them together. This is demonstrated with clapping as the teacher says and blends syllables for the words mit-ten, mitten, el-bow, elbow. During Model, the teacher claps hands as each syllable is said for sidewalk. The teacher claps faster to blend to syllables. During Guide Practice, the teacher and students use the clapping motion as they blend the syllables for the words monkey, paper, and pencil.

• In Module 3, Lesson 12, the teacher tells students that words are made up of parts, or syllables. The teacher states, “Listen to this word: tiger. I can segment, or break apart, the word into syllables. I’ll say each part: (slowly) ti (pause) ger. What is the first syllable of this word? What is the second syllable? Now listen as I say another word: carpet…” The teacher continues instruction then models segmenting syllables in words while tapping their index fingers together as they say each syllable. 

• Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.

  • In Module 4, Lesson 18, the teacher blends onset and rime by saying, “Listen to the first sound in a word: /m/. Now listen to the second part of the word: -an. I’ll say the sounds together: /m/ (pause) -an. Does that sound like a word? Let’s blend the sounds to say a word: /m/, -an; (faster) man.” The teacher models again using the word tap. The teacher states,“The first sound in this word is /t/. The rest of the word is -ap. I’ll say each part: /t/ (pause) -ap; (more quickly) tap.” The teacher models holding out two hands, thumbs up, saying the onset /b/ as they chop with their right hand, the rime -at with their left hand, then bringing the hands together as they say the word bat. The teacher models again, then guides students to practice blending onset and rime using the chopping motion. 

  • In Module 4, Lesson 19, the teacher begins the lesson by blending onset and rime using the word pin. The teacher then demonstrates segmenting onset and rime using the word map. The teacher states, “Say this word after me: map. The first sound in this word is /m/. The rest of the word is -ap. I’ll say each part: /m/ (pause) -ap; (more quickly) map.” The teacher models holding out both hands with thumbs up. The teacher says the onset /p/ as they chop with the right hand, chopping with the left hand as they say at, then blends the word as they bring the hands together: pat. The teacher keeps their hands together and says, “nap” while bringing hands apart and chop as they segment: /n/ -ap. The teacher models again then guides students to practice the chopping motion as they blend and segment onset and rime for the words: tab, tin, bat, lit.

• Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words. (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)

  • In Module 4, Lesson 22, the teacher displays a picture card for the word cap and says, “Listen to this word: cap.” The teacher tells students the sounds in the word by saying them slowly. The teacher states, “Listen to the sounds in the word cap: (slowly) /k/ (emphasize) /aaa//p/. The middle sound in cap is /a/. Now listen for the middle sound in this word: dip.” The teacher continues modeling using provided examples. The teacher guides students to practice by touching their heads as they isolate and pronounce medial sounds for the words bat, map, and top.

  • In Module 5, Lesson 21, the teacher displays a picture card for the word pan and says, “The first sound in the word pan is /p/. Now say the first sound with me: /p/.” The teacher displays a picture card for the word man and says, “Listen as I say the sounds in another word: /m//a//n/. The first sound in man is /m/.” The teacher models with additional words then guides students to use the megaphone motion to isolate and pronounce the initial sound in words.

  • In Module 6, Lesson 26, the teacher displays a picture card for the word duck and says, “Let’s say it together: duck. Listen to the sounds in duck: (slowly) /d/ /u/ /k/. The last sound in duck is /k/. Now say it with me: duck. The last sound is /k/. I’ll say just the last sound: /k/.” The teacher continues modeling, then guides student practice.

• Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.

  • In Module 8, Lesson 36, the teacher says, “Listen to this word: lip. The sounds are /l//i//p/, lip. Now I’ll add /s/ to the beginning of the word. The sounds are /s//l//i//p/, slip. The new word is slip.” The teacher continues instruction and models using hand motions for adding initial phonemes. The teacher opens their palms as they say the word low, saying, “Let’s add /f/ at the beginning.” The teacher claps as they say the sounds /f//l//o/, then opens their palms saying the word flow. The teacher models again, then guides students to practice using the hand motion.

  • In Module 10, Lesson 46, the teacher says, “Listen as I say the sounds in pat: /p/ (emphasize) /a//t/, pat. The sound in the middle of pat is /a/. If I change the middle sound from /a/ to /o/, I can make a new word: /p//o//t/, pot. The new word is pot.” The teacher continues instruction and modeling, then guides students to practice using a hand motion.

Materials provide the teacher with examples for instruction in syllables, sounds (phonemes), and spoken words called for in grade level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 2, Lesson 11, the teacher says the word, and students tap fingers for each syllable and count the syllables in the words apple, jam, bedroom, pencil, picnic, sunset, window, and duck.

• In Module 7, Lesson 31, the teacher uses the Picture Card cat and says the sounds: /k/ /a/ /t/. The teacher blends the sounds to say the word cat. The teacher repeats the routine using the Picture Cards clock and drum to model blending phonemes. The teacher displays the Picture Cards flag, lamp, dress, and mask and children tap their palms as they say each sound and then clap after they blend the word.

• In Module 8, Lesson 39, the teacher has students play the Spin and Move game. The teacher says a word from the Quick Lit and spins the spinner. The teacher models clapping hands to the right, to the center, and to the left to take away the final phoneme. Words include lake, gasp, seem, pant.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1e.

The materials provide ample opportunities for students to practice each new sound and sound pattern. Lessons include Phonological Awareness Minilessons with student practice as well as Daily Phonological Awareness Review opportunities for students. The materials contain multisensory and multimodal learning opportunities for students to practice each newly taught skill as called for in the grade-level standards. The More section of each lesson includes Interactive Game links and Activity Breaks. 

Materials provide ample opportunities for students to practice each new sound and sound pattern. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Recognize and produce rhyming words.

  • In Module 1, Lesson 1, students play Spin and Rhyme. They spin the digital spinner, say the name of the picture, and say a rhyming word.

  • In Module 2, Lesson 11, students listen to a word pair and produce one more word that rhymes with the words. The words used in this activity are cat/mat, frog/log, hen/pen, bee/tree, fish/dish, and whale/pail. 

• Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in spoken words.

  • In Module 2, Lesson 8, students listen to a word then tap and count each syllable. Students practice four words with one syllable, four words with two syllables, and one word with three syllables.

  • In Module 5, Lesson 21, students listen to two- and three-syllable words. Students repeat the word and segment the syllables, clapping for each syllable. The words used in the exercise are: disappoint, person, enter, Sunday, hiccup, sidewalk, understand, and surface.

  • In Module 7, Lesson 31, students say the sounds in clock slowly /k/ /l/ /o/ /k/, tap their palms as they say each sound, and then blend the sounds to say the word clock. Students repeat the routine to blend phonemes and say the words flag, lamp, dress, mask

• Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words.

  • In Module 4, Lesson 16, students work with a partner to practice segmenting onset and rime using six to eight Picture Cards of one-syllable words. The students take turns drawing a card, saying the word, then segmenting the word into onset and rime.

  • In Module 4, Lesson 18, students listen to words, hold out their two hands thumbs up and chop with their right hand when they say the onset and chop with their left hand as they say the rime. Students bring their hands together to blend the parts together. Students practice with tab, mat, fat. Students play Spin and Move. They say the word from the Quick List and spin the spinner. If the student segments the onset and rime correctly, the class performs the movement indicated on the spinner.

  • In Module 7, Lesson 32, students look at the Picture Card lake, listen to the sounds: /l/ /a/ /k/ /e/ (slowly) and blend the sounds (faster) to say lake. Students repeat the routine with the Picture Cards blue, duck, frog, and nest. For each card the students chop as they say each phoneme and clap after they blend the word. The words are: blast, clap, mend, lag, sock, desk, jump, fill, club.

• Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words. (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)

  • In Module 5, Lesson 21, students say the initial sound for each word. The words used in the exercise are pit, bat, mom, nod, bed, mug, met, nip, boat, and fin.

  • In Module 5, Lesson 24, students use five Picture Cards for the words box, fan, gum, net, and wig. A student says the word and then stands next to the displayed Picture Card with the same medial sound. The activity is continued for all students and medial sounds.

  • In Module 6, Lesson 27, students use Picture Cards for the words man, red, and leaf. The students repeat saying the sounds in each word and isolating the final sound. The students clap as they isolate and pronounce final sounds for man, red, and leaf. A student volunteer repeats the routine for the word fig. 

• Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.

  • In Module 8, Lesson 36, students add initial phonemes to make new words using the Blend Sounds instructional routine. Students listen to words and clap as they segment the sounds. Students then open their palms and use the motion to add initial phonemes /s/ and /b/ to the word, low. Students continue the motions as they add initial phonemes to the word am to make the words: bam, Tam, ram, lamb, yam.

  • In Module 10, Lesson 46, students practice substituting medial sounds in spoken words. Students touch their index finger to their thumb for /s/, clap for /e/, and touch their index finger to their thumb again for /t/. Students use the same motions for each sound they substitute in the words wig:wag, hot:hat, bad:bed, fun:fin. 

Materials include a variety of multimodal/multisensory activities for student practice of phonological awareness. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 2, Lesson 10, students hold their chin and count each time it moves for each syllable or word part in the words: mailbox, baseball, sunlight, yesterday. Students form a circle, listen to words with two to three syllables, and stamp a foot for each word parth they hear and say the words airplane, sidewalk, basketball.

• In Module 6, Lesson 28, the teacher says the word gum and then says each sound in gum and touches shoulder (/g/), head (/u/), and then opposite shoulder (/m/). This is repeated and then also done for the word tack. During Guide Practice, students make the same motion as they isolate and pronounce initial, medial, and final sounds for the words get and win.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1f.

The materials provide the explicit phonics instruction through systematic and repeated modeling for all grade level standards. The lessons provide teachers with systematic and repeated instruction for students to hear, say, encode, and read each newly taught grade level phonics pattern. 

Materials contain explicit instructions for systematic and repeated teacher modeling of all grade level phonics standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

  • In Module 3, Lesson 12, the teacher says, “This is a picture of a tomato. The word tomato begins with the letter t. The letter t spells the sound /t/. Say the sound with me: /t/.” The teacher continues instruction by writing the letter t on the board, pointing to it and saying, “The sound /t/ is spelled t.” The teacher asks students to say /t/ several times as they point to it, then skywrite it.

  • In Module 4, Lesson 16, the teacher displays the Sound-Spelling Card 18 for the word pilot. The teacher says, “This is a picture of a pilot. The letter p spells the consonant sound /p/. Say the sound with me: /p/, /p/, /p/.” The teacher writes the word pat on the board and underlines the p. The teacher points to the p and says, “What sound does the letter p spell?” If the teacher sees a need, the letter is pointed to several times for the students to repeat the /p/ sound. The teacher says, “We already learned that a spells the sound /a/ and t spells the sound /t/. I can blend sounds to read a word.” The teacher slides a finger under the sound-spellings and says /p/ /a/ /t/, pat.

• Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.

  • In Module 7, Lesson 33, after teaching the letter/sound for Ww, the teacher displays the Sound-Spelling Card 24 for the word umbrella, and says, “This is a picture of an umbrella. The word umbrella begins with the sound /u/. The letter u spells the sound /u/. Say the sound with me.” The teacher writes the word us on the board and underlines the letter u and asks, “What sound does the letter u spell? I can blend sounds to read a word.” The teacher slides a finger under the sound-spellings and says: /u/ /s/, us. 

  • In Module 9, Lesson 44, the teacher displays Sound-Spelling Card 82 for the word no and says, “This is a picture that shows no. The word no ends with the sound /long o/. The sound /long o/ can be spelled o at the end of a word. Say the sound with me: /long o/.”

  • In Module 10, Lesson 46, the teacher displays Sound-Spelling Card 74 for the word rake and says, “This is a picture of a rake. The word rake has the sound /long a/ in it. The word rake has the pattern VCe. The letter a is a vowel (points to the a), and the e at the end is silent (points to the e). A vowel- consonant-silent e pattern usually means the vowel sound is long, not short.”

• Distinguish between similarly spelled words by identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.

  • In Module 9, Lesson 43, the teacher writes and reads the words sad and mad and says, “Some words look almost the same because they have some of the same letters. Sad and mad have the letter a in the middle. They both have the letter d at the end.” The teacher underlines the s and m and says, “But sad begins with the letter s, and mad begins with the letter m. When you see two or more words that look alike, look at the letters carefully and say the sounds to read the words.” In Blend and Read, using the words hit and hot, the teacher asks, “Which letters are different in these words? Which sounds are different?” The teacher underlines the letters i and o and says, “I can blend sounds to read words.” The teacher slides a finger under the sound-spellings and says, “/h/(emphasized) /i/ /t/, hit; /h/ (emphasized) /o/ /t/, hot.”

  • In Module 9, Lesson 45, the teacher writes and reads the words pet and met and says “Which letters are different? Which sounds are different?” The teacher displays the word pairs sit/sip, nap/tap and students identify which letters and sounds are different and then read the words.

Lessons provide teachers with systematic and repeated instruction for students to hear, say, encode, and read each newly taught grade level phonics pattern. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 18, the teacher displays the Picture Card bat and explains that the first sound in the word bat is /b/ spelled b and explains that the word bat ends with the sounds /a/ /t/. The teacher writes the word bat and underlines the letters a, t and slides a finger under the sound-spellings explaining that it is called the -at family. The teacher repeats the routine for pan and tan in the an word family and models reading and writing the words.

• In Module 5, Lesson 21, the teacher displays Sound-Spelling Card 3 for the word carrot and says, “This is a picture of a carrot. The letter c spells the consonant sound /k/. Say the sound with me: /k/.” The teacher writes the word cat and underlines the letter c and says, “What sound does the letter c spell? We already learn the sounds /a/ spelled a and /t/ spelled t. I can blend sounds to read a word.” The teacher slides a finger under the sound-spellings and says /k/ /a/ /t/, cat. The teacher models how to blend sounds to read words and how to use sound spellings to write the word cap.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1g.

The materials contain lessons that provide students with frequent opportunities to decode phonetically spelled words through phonics activity practice and decodables. Students practice previously learned phonics skills by reading decodable books, playing interactive games such as Concentration and Go Fish!, participating in partner work, and completing worksheets. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to decode (phonemes, onset and rime, and/or syllables) phonetically spelled words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 13, students decode the words sat, Sam, at, am, mat, and tam.

• In Module 4, Lesson 19, the teacher models, then guides students to read words from the -it and -in families, such as pin, in, it, sit, bin, tin, pit, bit, Sit in it. It is a pin. It is in the bin. I was at the pit. 

• In Module 8, Lesson 39, students decode the words box, fox, Lex, Jax and read the words in the Foldable Decodable The Boy Who Cried Fox.

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read complete words by saying the entire word as a unit using newly taught phonics skills. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 14, the students sit in a circle and review the newly taught sound spelling pattern to read the words bat, sat, tab, mat, bam, and tam. Students pass a ball around until the music stops. The student holding the ball reads.

• In Module 5, Lesson 24, students review the newly taught sound spelling pattern and read the words top, Bip, tip, dip, dot, not, and Bot. Students practice reading words in the decodable reader “Bip and Bot.”

• In Module 6, Lesson 30, students work in pairs to take turns reading newly taught words aloud to each other. Students read words such as kit, fan, get, ten, kid, Ben, den, met, gas, and fit.

Materials contain opportunities for students to review previously learned grade-level phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, students form two groups and review the Sound-Spelling Cards for h, l, w, and short u. Students from one group stand up and say the letter, pronounce the sound, and say a word with that sound-spelling. Students from the other group write the word on the board. Groups alternate speaking and writing.

• In Module 8, Lesson 40, students review the Sound-Spelling Cards and blend sounds to say the words yam, yes, jam, van, zip, quit, and wax.

• In Module 10, Lesson 50, students  review and practice the previously learned sound spelling pattern for final e. Students work in pairs to create a T-Chart and add an e at the end of each word, read the new word, and write it in the second column. The words in the first column are cap, bit, hop, not, cut, and mad.

Materials contain a variety of methods to promote students’ practice of previously taught grade level phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 20, students review previously taught word families and work in pairs to complete two T-Charts with columns labeled -an, -at, -in, and -it. Students create and read words for each word family.

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, the students use game templates and the previously taught words from the Quick List to practice h, l, w, and short vowel u. Students choose a game from Spin and Spell, Spin and Read, Rhyme It, Concentration, Go Fish!, and Match It, Read It.

• In Module 10, Lesson 50, students review and practice decoding words with the previously taught VCe pattern. Students work in pairs to add an e to short vowel words. Students read words, then add an e to each word, and read the new word with the VCe pattern. 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1h.

The materials provide explicit, systematic practice for decoding phonetically regular words in a sentence through the use of Foldable Decodable Readers, Quick Lists, and student worktext pages. Each lesson features a Foldable Decodable. Materials provide Quick Lists that include words and sentences which address phonetic target skills in that lesson. 

Materials provide explicit, systematic practice for decoding phonetically regular words in a sentence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 16, the teacher introduces the decodable story Tap the Map. The teacher displays the words pat, tap, and map and guides students in reading them. The teacher follows the instructional routine by reading the book aloud to students as they follow along with their fingers under each word. Then the teacher goes back and points out phonics target words and instructs students to highlight or underline them. For the second read, students echo-read as the teacher reads each sentence. The teacher provides additional reads by having students read two or three times orally.

• In Module 7, Lesson 31, the teacher reads the Foldable Decodable, Hippity Hop! aloud one page at a time, and students echo-read. The teacher goes back and points out the phonics target words and high-frequency words. Students underline or highlight them. During the second read, students read with a partner, taking turns in reading each page. The teacher listens as students read and provides corrective feedback. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to decode words in a sentence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 16, students read 10 sentences in a decodable book. Sentences utilize decodable words and Rebus Pictures for spelling patterns that students have not yet learned.

• In Module 6, Lesson 30, students read the Foldable Decodable, Get Set! Go! with the teacher, with a partner, and independently. The decodable features CVC words with short vowel e, as well as Consonant Gg /g/. Students also read 11 decodable sentences.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1i.

The materials provide daily opportunities for students to build, manipulate, spell, and encode words using common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns. The Sequential and Differentiated learning pathways include teacher-level instruction and modeling in a Minilesson and the More section of each lesson includes additional practice opportunities to differentiate learning. 

The materials contain teacher-level instruction/modeling for building/ manipulating/spelling and encoding words using common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns of phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 18, the teacher reviews the Picture Card for the word bat and uses the Display and Say routine to explain that the first sound in the word bat is /b/ spelled b and the word bat ends with sounds /a/ /t/. The teacher uses the Blend Sounds Routine and models writing the word bat and explains the ending sounds /a/ /t/. The teacher models blending the sounds to read the word bat. In Guided Practice, the teacher tells students that they will blend sounds to read words, The teacher models writing the words pat and ban. For Dictation, the teacher reminds students to use their sound-spelling to write the words mat, sat man, ban as the teacher says each word slowly.

• In Module 6, Lesson 26, the teacher displays the Sound-Spelling Card 13 for the word kite and uses the Display and Say Routine to explain that the letter k spells the sound /k/. The teacher uses the Blend and Read Routine to model writing the word kit and underlines the letter k and asks, “What sound does the letter k spell.?” The teacher points out that both c and k can spell the sound /k/. The teacher models blending the sounds to read the word kite. In Guided Practice, the teacher tells students that they will blend sounds to read words, the teacher models writing the word kid and slides a finger under the sound-spelling as students blend to read the word. For Dictation, the teacher reminds students to use their sound-spelling to write the words kit, kid, Kip, and Kim as the teacher says each word slowly.

• In Module 9, Lesson 44, the teacher display Sound-Spelling Card 82 for the word no and uses the Display and Say Routine to explain that the word no ends with the sound /o/ and that the sound /o/ can be spelled o at the end of a word. The teacher uses the Blend and Read Routine to model writing the word go and underlines the o at the end and says, “What sound can o spell?” The teacher models blending the sounds to read a word by sliding a finger under the sound-spellings and saying /g/ /o/, go. The teacher uses the Display, Say, and Blend Routine for the sounds /i/ and /e/ in CV words using Sound-Spelling Cards 78 for the word hi and 75 for the word we. In Guided Practice, the teacher tells students they are going to blend sounds to read words. The teacher writes the word so and slides a finger under the sound-spellings as students blend to read the word. For Dictation, the teacher reminds students to use their sound-spelling to write the words we, go, hi, and me as the teacher says each word slowly.

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to build/manipulate/spell and encode words using common and newly-taught sound and spelling patterns phonics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 18, students practice building, manipulation, spelling, and encoding words using the practice generator. The practice page provides the word ending for the newly taught word families, -at, -an. Students fill in the first letter to spell different words. Student practice in the individually played interactive game Spelling Voyage Lesson 18. Spelling Voyage ties decoding and encoding practice together and students select or type letters to spell words in the word families -at, -an.

• In Module 6, Lesson 28, students practice blending words with the newly taught sound spelling pattern consonant g and vowel e. Students use their sound spelling knowledge to read the words peg, beg, gab, sag. Students use the Picture Cards: bag, egg, flag, frog, goat, gum, jug to sort the sound-spellings. Students practice building, manipulating, spelling, and encoding in the individually played interactive game Spelling Voyage Lesson 28.

• In Module 10, Lesson 49, students practice changing the words cub, cut, hug, tub, and pet on the board by applying an e to the end of the word. Students use their knowledge of sound-spellings to write each word as they say each word slowly. One student reads the word, and the partner adds an e at the end of the word in a different color and reads the new word. Partners continue practicing reading and writing the remaining words. Students practice writing final e words in the student worktext and in Phonics Lesson 49 Interactive Practice.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1k. 

The materials contain systematic and explicit instruction of high-frequency words. The teacher uses the Sight Word Routines when new non-decodable, high-frequency words are introduced which include See and Say, Spell and Write, Read with Automaticity. The spelling of high-frequency words is often accompanied by a chant. Students practice identifying and reading high-frequency words in isolation, in context in Foldable Decodables, and during Interactive Play, Activity Breaks, and Partner Practice. The materials include 75 high-frequency words that are covered throughout the curriculum, divided between the 10 modules. 

Materials include systematic and explicit instruction of high-frequency words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g., the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does).

  • In Module 3, Lesson 12, the teacher uses the See and Say Routine and displays the high-frequency Word Cards a and the. The teacher uses the Spell and Write Routine to teach the spelling chants for a and the. The teacher points to the word and guides students to say it and chant it : “A can be a letter, and a can be a word. When a is a word, I will spell it a.” The teacher repeats the routine with the word the.

  • In Module 8, Lesson 39, the teacher uses the See and Say Routine and displays the high-frequency Word Cards have and do. The teacher reminds students that they already know the sound /h/ spelled h. In Spell and Write, students learn the chant, “I have friends, H-A-V-E. You have friends, H-A-V-E. H-A-V-E spells have, you see!” Once students know the chant, they spell the word and write it on a sheet of paper. The routine is repeated for do. 

Materials include frequent opportunities for the teacher to model the spelling and reading of high-frequency words in isolation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 16, in the Spell and Write Routine the teacher models the chant to learn to spell the word to: ”I can spell to: T-o, to. It has an o, but its sound is /ü/.” The teacher repeats the routine with the word of.

• In Module 6, Lesson 26, in the Spell and Write Routine, the teacher models the chant to learn to spell the word does: “D-O-E-S spells does-it does! D-O-E-S-it does?” The teacher repeats the routine with the word play.

• In Module 7, Lesson 32, the teacher models spelling the high-frequency words here and eat by displaying the High-Frequency Word Card for each word and following the Sight Words: See and Say, Spell and Write Routines.

Students practice identifying and reading high-frequency words in isolation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 11, students practice reading words I and you using gestures to indicate I or you. Using the Read with Automaticity Routine students, continue reading the words until they can read the words with automaticity.

• In Module 4, Lesson 18, students practice reading words said and is. Using  the Read with Automaticity Routine, students continue reading the words said and is until they can read the words with automaticity.

• In Module 8, Lesson 39, students practice reading words have and do. Using  the Read with Automaticity Routine, students continue reading the words until they can read the words with automaticity.

Materials include a sufficient quantity of grade-appropriate high-frequency words for students to make reading progress. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• According to the Kindergarten Planning and Pacing Chart, 75 high-frequency words are included in Kindergarten instruction. Usually two new words are introduced each week. There are two weeks where one word is introduced, three weeks where three words are introduced, one week where four words are introduced, one week where five words are introduced, and one week where seven two-letter decodable words are introduced. 

• According to the Table of Contents, High-Frequency Words are listed in order of instruction: I, you, a, the, at, am, and, was, to, of, it, in, said, is, for, are, can, come, ran, not, on, did, away, down, play, does, see, they, big, red, get, my, find, one, two,here, eat, up, run, but, will, well, look, little, yes, yellow, what, funny, she, have, do, there, this, jump, help, must, went, three, where, he, be, we, go, so, no, me, came, make, ate, like, ride, blue, that, out, with.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1l.

The lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read grade-level high-frequency words in sentences in the Foldable Decodables and on worktext pages. Students also read high-frequency words in weekly decodable books and decodable passages. Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to write grade level high-frequency words in tasks, in order to promote automaticity in writing grade appropriate high-frequency words. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to read grade-level high-frequency words in a sentence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 12, students echo read the Foldable Decodable Who Eats two or three times with a partner. Sentences from the decodable text include the high-frequency words a and the. 

• In Module, 5, Lesson 24, students echo read the Foldable Decodable Bip and Bot two or three times with a partner. Sentences from the decodable text include the high-frequency words away, down, a, is, for, and the.

• In Module 10, Lesson 46, students echo read aloud the Foldable Decodable A Cake for Nate two or three times with a partner. Sentences from the decodable text include the high-frequency words to, the, can, I, help, said, it, did, he and am. 

Lessons provide students with frequent opportunities to write grade level high-frequency words in tasks (such as sentences) in order to promote automaticity in writing grade appropriate high-frequency words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 12, students engage in the Read and Write Routine with the High-Frequency Word Cards a and the. The Exit Ticket provides students the opportunity to write each high frequency word.

• In Module 4, Lesson 18, students complete a worksheet focused on the high-frequency words said and is. First, students read each word. Then students find and circle the word in sentences and a box of random words. Next, students add a missing letter to complete the word said. In the next box, students color the letters to spell said. Then the students practice writing said on handwriting lines and in Elkonin boxes. Last, students write a sentence using one or both words.

• In Module 6, Lesson 26, students engage in the Read and Write Routine with the High-Frequency Words play and does. Students practice writing the words, write the words in a sentence, and illustrate a picture to go with the sentence on page 96 in the Student Worktext.

Materials provide repeated, explicit instruction in how to use student-friendly reference materials and resources and reading high-frequency words (e.g., word cards, word lists, word ladders, student dictionaries). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, the teacher displays 11 High-Frequency Word Cards: one, two, here, eat, up, run, but, will, well, look, little. The teacher reminds students that for some words, they can blend the sounds using the sound-spellings they have learned and that there are some words they read that don’t have the sound-spellings they know, such as one. During Guided Practice, the teacher displays High-Frequency Word Cards as a resource, and pairs take turns reading the words aloud to each other. 

• In Module 9, Lesson 50, the teacher reviews the HIgh-Frequency Word Cards came, make, ate, like, ride, blue, that, out, and with. The teacher reminds students they have learned sound-spellings for many words, but there will be words that they do not have sound-spellings they have learned. Students work with a partner and use the high-frequency words as a resource for completing a T-chart on the board, sorting the words they can blend and the words they need to memorize.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1m.

The materials contain frequent explicit instruction of word analysis strategies. Materials provide students with multiple and varied opportunities over the course of the year to learn, practice, and apply word analysis strategies through interactive activities, See and Sing videos, partner practice, and Student Worktexts. 

Materials contain frequent explicit instruction of word analysis strategies (e.g. phoneme/grapheme recognition, syllabication, morpheme analysis). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 3, Lesson 13, the teacher uses the Display and Say Routine and displays the Sound-Spelling Card 1 for the word apple. The teacher explains that apple starts with the sound /ă/ spelled a. The teacher uses the Blend and Read Routine to write the word sat, underlines the letters s and a, and models blending the sounds to read a word. The teacher slides a finger under the sound-spellings and says, /s//ă//t/, sat.

• In Module 5, Lesson 21, the teacher uses the Display and Say Routine and displays the Sound-Spelling Card 3 for the word carrot and explains that  carrot starts with the sound /k/. The teacher asks, “What sound does the letter c spell?” The teacher reminds students they have learned the sounds /ă/ spelled a and /t/ spelled t. The teacher uses the Blend and Read Routine, writes the word cat, underlines the c, and slides a finger under the sound-spellings and says, /c/ /ă/ /t/.

Materials contain frequent explicit instruction of word solving strategies to decode unfamiliar words. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 19, the teacher writes and says the word pin and says, “The first sound in the word pin is spelled /p/. The word pin ends with sounds /ĭ/ /n/. The letters i, n spell the ending sounds /ĭ/ /n/.”  The teacher uses the Blend and Read Routine to underline the letters i, n and says, “What sounds do the letters i, n spell when they are together?” The teacher points to the letters and slides a finger under the sound-spellings and says, “/p /ĭ/ /n/, pin.

• In Module 7, Lesson 32, the teacher uses the Display and Say and the Blend and Read Routines to explicitly instruct students to decode words by phoneme. The teacher displays Sound-Spelling Card 14 for the word ladder and says, “This is a picture of a ladder. The word ladder begins with the sound /l/. When the letter l is in a word, it spells the sound /l/. Say the sound with me: /l/.” The teacher writes the word let on the board, underlines the letter l, and points under each sound-spelling, saying, “What sound does the letter l spell? I can blend sounds together to read a word: /l//ĕ//t/, let.” The teacher guides students to blend sounds to read words lip, lap, lag, let, lot, lid, fill, sell, fell, tell, led, and log.

Multiple and varied opportunities are provided over the course of the year for students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis strategies. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 17, students use the Blend and Read Routine to identify and read words on the board that have the letters N and I. Students use Letter Cards m, t, s, b, p, n, and i to build and read words.

• In Module 6, Lesson 26, students practice word analysis in the Foldable Decodable, A Kit for Kim. Students identify, highlight, and underline words with consonant Kk /k/ and the high-frequency words play, does, is, a, for, and and. 

• In Module 9, Lesson 42, students say each picture name and sort pictures to the correct ending consonant blend column. The columns are entitled -st, -mp, -sk, and -nd. Pictures to be sorted include vest, chimp, sand, and jump.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1n. (K-1)

The materials provide systematic, explicit instruction and practice in fluency by focusing on accuracy and automaticity in decoding. Explicit instruction and teacher modeling of fluent reading focus on accuracy, rate, and expression. Fluency lessons contain explicit fluency instruction using the instructional routine Teach/Model/Read the Text in Decodable Passages. The teacher models fluent reading with each  Decodable Reader and students echo-read the text one page at a time. Additionally, students reread Foldable Decodable Books multiple times within each lesson as part of recurring instructional routines. 

Materials provide systematic and explicit instruction and practice in fluency by focusing on accuracy and automaticity in decoding. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 6, Lesson 30, the teacher reminds students, “We can read some words because we know the sound-spellings and we blend the sounds together.” The teacher explains that some words don’t have sound- spellings that the students have learned so they must practice so that when we see them, we can read them quickly, with automaticity. The teacher displays the High-Frequency Word Card, reads the word, and uses it in a simple sentence. The teacher and student choral read the words play, does, see, they, big, red, get my, find. Students choral read and then work in pairs to read the high-frequency word flash cards.

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, the teacher explains that it is important to read each and every word accurately, or correctly. The teacher chooses a classroom library book and models reading orally with accuracy and automaticity. The teacher says, “As I read, I made sure that I read each word. I didn’t change any words or leave out any words. I didn’t add any extra words.” The teacher listens as students read the Decodable Passage on page 134 of the Student Worktext and provides corrective feedback about their fluency. The teacher pairs students for additional reads to increase their accuracy and fluency. 

• In Module 8, Lesson 40, the teacher explains ,”When you read, it is important to read at a rate, or speed, that is not too fast or too slow. You should read at the same rate that you use when you talk.” The teacher explains that when people read too quickly or too slowly, it can be hard to understand what they are saying. The teacher models reading using a classroom library book to demonstrate reading at an appropriate rate. The teacher listens to the students orally read Student Worktext, page 154, Decodable Passage and provides corrective feedback about their reading rate and decoding. The teacher pairs students for additional reads to increase their accuracy and fluency.

Materials provide opportunities for students in Kindergarten and Grade 1 to engage in decoding practice focused on accuracy and automaticity. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 6, Lesson 28, students review the phonics focus pattern Consonant Kk and decode the words Kim, kid, kit, Kip. Students review the High-Frequency Words play, does, is, a for, and. Students read the Foldable Decodable A Kit for Kim to further develop automaticity. Students receive corrective feedback on accuracy and automaticity.

The teacher reviews the phonics focus sound-spellings and makes sure the students can identify the letters k, f, g and e in print and correctly pronounce the sounds. Students review the High-Frequency Word Cards until they can quickly read the words.

• In Module 9, Lesson 45, students read At the Pond on page 174 of the Student Worktext to practice decoding words with learned phonics patterns. Students receive corrective feedback on accuracy and automaticity. Teacher guidance for providing students with corrective feedback includes: “If students make mistakes with specific Phonics skill, then review the sound-spellings and guid in the blending of the sounds to read the word. If a student doesn't read the high-frequency words correctly, then work individually using the High-Frequency Word Cards to read the word, spell the word, and then read it again.”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 1q.

The materials provide multiple opportunities over the course of the year for students to read emergent-reader texts for purpose and understanding. The materials contain explicit directions and/or think-alouds for the teacher to use when modeling how to engage with a text and how to emphasize reading for purpose and understanding. Each Foldable Decodable Minilesson begins with a teacher think-aloud and/or discussion to engage students with text prior to reading. 

Multiple opportunities are provided over the course of the year for students to read emergent-reader texts (K) for purpose and understanding. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and understanding.

  • In Module 3, Lesson 12, the teacher tells students that the text is an informational text about animals who are hungry and want to eat. The teacher explains that it includes photographs and is about real animals. Students read the Foldable Decodable Who Eats? to discover how hungry animals eat. 

  • In Module 5, Lesson 24, the teacher asks students if they’ve ever been sad and what they can do to help someone who is sad. Students offer ideas, and the teacher explains that they will read a story about alien friends. Students read the text to find out how one friend helps another friend who is sad. 

  • In Module 10, Lesson 47, the teacher tells students that in today’s story, they will read informational text about some of the fun things people can do outdoors when the weather is sunny. The teacher asks, “What do you like to do outside on a sunny day?” Students read the Foldable Decodable Quite Fine to learn about things people can do when the weather is nice. 

Materials contain explicit directions and/or think-alouds for the teacher to model how to engage with a text to emphasize reading for purpose and understanding. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Module 4, Lesson 16, the teacher engages students in a think-aloud by explaining that the Foldable Decodable Tap the Map is about a boy and his dad. The teacher engages students in a discussion and asks, “How do you think they will figure out how to get to the places the boys want to go?” 

• In Module 5, Lesson 21, the teacher engages students in a think-aloud by explaining that the Foldable Decodable Come to the City is about what to do in a city. The teacher engages students with the text prior to reading and facilitates a discussion about living in a city. The teacher points out that the text has real or true information, then guides students to talk about the cities they live in, know of, or have visited.