Kindergarten - Gateway 2

The materials provide a Teacher Guide that includes a Scope and Sequence and Lesson Pacing Guide, along with instructional routines and lesson targets. 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 include 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 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 Kindergarten 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 for 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 1, Lesson 1, the teacher explains that, “the words bat and cat rhyme because they have the same ending sounds: /at/.” The teacher models recognizing and producing spoken rhyming words, and students apply the skills with nine word pairs. During the Spin and Rhyme game, students repeat the words and identify whether they rhyme. The teacher confirms that the words have the same ending sounds and continues the activity with words that rhyme and some that do not rhyme. The Detailed Guidance for Delivery of Instruction defines phonological awareness skills as word awareness, rhyme, alliteration, and syllable awareness.

• In Module 3, Lesson 11, the Learning Target is to Blend Syllables in Words. The teacher plan includes the guidance, “Words are made up of parts, or syllables. Listen to these  syllables: mit (clap) ten (clap). Now I’ll blend the syllables, or put them together, to say the word: (slowly) mit (pause) ten; (more quickly) mit-ten; (quickly) mitten.” 

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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, “the most basic phonological awareness skills are word awareness, rhyme, alliteration, and syllable awareness. In Foundational Reading, the Grade K sequence of phonological awareness skills reflects this. Rhyme and alliteration are the first skills taught because most students can learn and enjoy them at ages 4–5. Sentence, word, and syllable awareness are taught after. When sequencing phonological awareness skills, the next skill should be onset and rime. The most advanced phonological awareness skills start with identifying, isolating, producing, and matching initial, medial, and final sounds in words, followed by blending and segmenting of sounds, and ending with manipulating sounds: adding, removing, changing, substituting sounds.”

• 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).

• The Research base states that “Phonological awareness is a strong predictor of future reading achievement Instruction on phonological awareness and phonemic awareness helps ensure reading success” (Hiebert, Pearson, Taylor, Richardson & Paris, 2014).

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 Detailed Guidance for the Delivery of Instruction document states there is a clear order in the phonemic awareness strand: count and identify words in sentences, recognize and produce rhyming words, identifying and using alliteration, count and pronounce syllables in words, blend- segment- delete-manipulate syllables in words, blend and segment onset and rime, isolate and pronounce initial sounds, isolate and pronounce medial sounds, isolate and pronounce final sounds, isolate and pronounce sounds, blend and segment phonemes, add and delete initial phonemes, add and delete final phonemes, substitute initial-final-medial phonemes, and recognize long or short vowel sounds. 

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

• In Module 2, Lesson 8, the teacher follows the Teach, Model, Practice lesson designed to explain how to count and pronounce syllables in spoken words. 

• In Module 5, Lesson 24, the teacher follows the Teach, Model, Practice lesson designed to explain how to isolate and pronounce medial phonemes. 

• In Module 10, Lesson 48, the teacher follows the Teach, Model, Practice lesson designed to explain how to distinguish long from short vowel sounds in words. The teacher reviews the sounds for all short and long vowels. 

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 K 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: count and identify words in sentences, count and pronounce syllables in words

  • Module 3: blend syllables in words, segment syllables in words, delete syllables in words, manipulate syllables in words, syllables

  • Module 4: blend onset and rime, segment onset and rime, blend and segment onset and rime

  • Module 5: isolate and pronounce initial sounds, isolate and pronounce medial sounds

  • Module 6: isolate and pronounce final sounds, isolate and pronounce sounds

  • Module 7: blend phonemes, segment phonemes, blend and segment phonemes

  • Module 8: add initial phonemes, delete initial phonemes, add final phonemes, delete final phonemes, initial and final phonemes

  • Module 9: substitute initial phonemes, substitute final phonemes

  • Module 10: substitute medial phonemes, recognize long or short vowel sounds, substitute phonemes: vowel sounds

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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 the Getting Started With Foundational Reading Implementation Guide, the Kindergarten Planning and Pacing Guide outlines the following instruction for each Module:

  • Module 3: Consonants m, t, s, b; Short a

  • Module 4: Consonants p, n; Word Families

  • Module 5: Consonants c, r, d; Word Families

  • Module 6: Consonants k, f, g; Short e; Word Families

  • Module 7: Consonants h, l, w; Short u; Word Families

  • Module 8: Consonants y, j, v, z, qu; Final x

  • Module 9: Consonant Blends; CV Syllable Pattern

  • Module 10: VCe: Long a, e, i, o, u

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

• The 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. (NICHD, 2000). 

• 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:

• The Grade K Planning and Pacing Guide states students are introduced to Phonics in Module 3: Consonants m, t, s, b, Short a; Module 4: Consonants p, n, Word Families; Module 5: Consonants c, r, d, Word Families; Module 6: Consonants k, f, g, Short e, Word Families; Module 7: Consonants h, l, w, Short u, Word Families; Module 8: Consonants y, j, v, z, qu, Final x; Module 9: Consonant Blends, CV Syllable Pattern; Module 10: VCe: Long a, e, i, o, u. 

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 Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2f.i.

The materials contain 32 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 with 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 14, the Foldable Decodable Bam! Bam! is connected to the Phonics lesson focus on Consonant Bb /b/ and includes the decodable words bam, bat, and Tab. 

• In Module 6, Lesson 28, the Foldable Decodable A Kit for Kim is connected to the Phonics lesson focus on Consonant Kk /k/ and includes the decodable words Kit, kid, kit, and Kip. 

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 and alignment with the Foldable Decodable in the lessons. The first Foldable Decodable is introduced in Module 3, Lesson 11, which aligns with the first Phonics lesson.

• In Module 6, Lesson 27, the grade-level phonics skill addresses the sound of /f/. The Foldable Decodable Minilesson includes the words fat, fin, and fit. 

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 4, Lesson 16, 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 10, Lesson 47, 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 Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2f.ii.

The materials contain 32 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. Detailed lesson plans 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 5, Lesson 21, the Foldable Decodable, Come to the City, includes the high-frequency words come, you, and a. 

• In Module 7. Lesson 34, the Foldable Decodable, Ants, includes the high-frequency words look, little, a, is, and the. 

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

• In Module 3, Lesson 11, students read the Foldable Decodable, You and I, which includes the high-frequency words I and you, which align to the scope and sequence.

• In Module 8, Lesson 37, students read the Foldable Decodable, Fun Jobs, which includes the high-frequency/irregularly spelled words what, funny, the, have, and do, and is, 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 17, the lesson plan includes the Engage, Practice, First Read, Second Read, and Additional read routine. During the First Read of the Foldable Decodable, The Napkin, 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 the 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 9, Lesson 43, the lesson plan includes the Engage, Practice, First Read, Second Read, and Additional read routine. During the First Read of the Foldable Decodable, What Cats Can Do, 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.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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, letter identification,  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 Letter Recognition Aa, Bb, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Dd, Qq, Rr, Vv Ww, Xx, Zz. The digital tracker provides the teacher with a means to track students’ progress toward mastery and independence of Letter Recognition.

• In Module 5, Lesson 25, the assessment includes Dictation. 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 6, Lesson 26, the teacher distributes copies of the little book I Am a Book and observes as students demonstrate understanding that words are separated by spaces in print. Students identify words and the spaces between words. The Exit Ticket formatively assesses the student’s ability to identify words. The digital tracker provides the teacher with a means to track students’ progress toward mastery and independence in Print Concepts.

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 1, Lesson 5, the assessment provides information on students’ current skills and level of understanding in Letter Recognition of Cc, Oo, Ss, Ll, Mm, Pp, Ii, Jj, Kk, Nn, Tt, Uu, Yy. The digital tracker provides the teacher a means to track student levels of understanding of Letter Recognition.

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, the Review/Assess Phonics Lesson includes Dictation. Teacher guidance includes, “Have the students write the following words and sentences 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 9, Lesson 41, the teacher distributes copies of the little book I Am a Book. The teacher observes as students track print from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page, with return sweep. The Exit Ticket formatively assesses the student’s ability to track print. The digital tracker provides the teacher with a means to track students’ progress toward mastery and independence in Print Concepts.

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:

• In Module 1, Lesson 5, the Item Analysis Chart provides corrective feedback and Instructional Next Steps suggestions. If a student is unable to name more than half of the letters in Letter recognition, next steps include reviewing the missed letters by using Letter Cards and directing the student to point to, trace, and say the letter names after the teacher.

• In Module 2, Lesson 10, the Item Analysis Chart provides corrective feedback and Instructional Next Steps suggestions. If a student is unable to name more than half of the letters, guidance directs the teacher to give the student Letter Cards for the missed letters and work one-on-one with the child to trace each letter and say the letter name. 

• In Module 9, Lesson 41, the materials state that if students struggle to track print during the Practice activity, the teacher should review with cues in I Am a Book, pointing out green words to begin, direction arrows, and red words to stop.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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 K 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 Assessment: Count and Identify Words in a Sentence, Count and Pronounce Syllables in Words; Module 3 Assessment: Blend, Segment, Delete, Manipulate Syllables in Words; Module 4: Blend and Segment Onset and Rime; Module 5: Isolate and Pronounce Initial and Medial Sounds, Module 6:  Isolate and Pronounce Initial, MediaFinall Sounds; Module 7: Blend and Segment Phonemes;  Module 8: Add/Delete Initial and Final Phonemes; Module 9: Substitute Initial/Final Phonemes; Module 10: Substitute Medial Phonemes, Distinguish Long and Short Vowel Sounds.

• In Module 1, Lesson 5, materials include an assessment for students to Recognize and Produce Rhyming Words, Identify and Use Alliteration. 

• In Module 5, Lesson 22, during the phonological awareness Exit Ticket, students say the picture name (bag) and draw a picture of a word that begins with the same sound. This assessment addresses isolating and pronouncing initial sounds. 

• In Module 9, Lesson 45, materials include an assessment for students to Count Syllables in Words and Pronounce Syllables in 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 3, Lesson 15, 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., 13 out of 16) is usually considered mastery. If you notice that a group of students had errors in a certain section, meet with them to reteach the skill. If there is a particular skill that seem[ed] 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 2, Lesson 10, the assessment provides the teacher with instructional suggestions. Assessment guidance states, “If… a student gets two or fewer items correct in Phonological Awareness, then… go back to the original instruction in Lessons 6–9 and guide the student to identify and count words and syllables using counters and Printable Elkonin boxes.” 

• In Module 6, the assessment provides the teacher with instructional suggestions. Assessment guidance states, “If …a student gets one or more items incorrect in Phonological Awareness, then… go back to the original instruction in Lessons 26–29 and practice with the student individually using the Quick List words, focusing on initial phonemes only, and adding medial, and then final phonemes once the child develops mastery.”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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 K Item Analysis Chart, beginning with Module 3, the fifth lesson in each module includes a phonics assessment included. Assessments are as follows: Module 3 Assessment: Consonants Mm /m/, Tt /t/, Ss /s/, Bb /b/, Vowel Aa /a/;  Module 4: Consonants Pp /p/, Nn /n/, Vowel Ii /i/, Word Families -at, -an, -it, -in; Module 5: Consonants Cc /k/, Rr /r/, Dd /d/, Vowel Oo /o/, Word Families -op, -ip, -ot;  Module 6:  Consonants Kk /k/, Ff /f/, Gg /g/, Vowel Ee /e/, Word Families -en, -et; Module 7: Consonants Hh /h/, Ll /l/, Ww /w/, Vowel Uu /u/, Word Families -ug, -ig, -og;  Module 8: Consonants Yy /y/, Jj /j/, Vv /v/, Zz /z/, Qu, qu /kw/, Final Xx /x/; Module 9: Initial Consonant Blends, Final Consonant Blends, Similarly Spelled Words, CV Syllable Pattern; Module 10: VCe for Long a, i, o, u, e.

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, students complete a phonics lesson on Consonant Nn /n/, Vowel Ii /i/, and complete Exit Ticket 17. Students say the picture name for the words nose, igloo, nut, and nurse and choose the correct letter that spells the beginning sound in each picture name. Finally, students color the letter that they choose. The data provides information about students’ progress toward mastery and independence in phonics.

• In Module 5, Lesson 25, students complete a lesson Review and Assessment in Phonics on Consonants c, r, d; Short o; and Word Families. In the More, Practice section of the lesson, students complete Worktext page 91 and circle the letter that spells the sound at the beginning of each picture name (cow, ring, olive, desk, cake, dad, octopus, red). 

• In Module 7, Lesson 35, student data is collected from the Review and Assessment on Phonics and HIgh-Frequency Words. Students read five sentences, one at a time. The words printed in bold represent a targeted phonics skill for the lesson. The targeted skills are Consonants Hh /h/, Ll /l/, Ww /w/; Short Vowel Uu /u/; and Word Families -ug, -ig, -og. 

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 assignments or tasks and provides teachers and students 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. The data provides information about students’ current skills/level of understanding in phonics.

• In Module 3, Lesson 15, during the assessment, students read words independently to assess mastery of reading the sounds /m/, /t/, /s/, /b/, or /a/. The words are bat, tam, sat, tab, mat, and Sam. The teacher puts a check mark if the word is read correctly. The teacher may add comments in the data tracker concerning individual student progress. The data provides information about students’ current skills/level of understanding in phonics.

• In Module 9, Lesson 41, the teacher records student progress data from the phonics Exit Ticket that addresses initial consonant blends. 

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 12, materials state, “If a student has difficulty connecting the sound /t/ to letters T and t, then provide students with Letter Cards for T and t. Point to the cards as you say /t/. The sound /t/ is spelled t. Have students trace T and t on the cards as they repeat words that begin with /t/ spelled t: top, tan, tuck, ten.”

• In Module 4, Lesson 20, materials state, “If a student decodes the wrong sounds in the -at, -an, -in, -it word families, then focus on one sound-spelling or word family at a time to ensure understanding.”

• In Module 8, Lesson 38, materials state, “If a student decodes the wrong sounds in the one-syllable words using letter-sound correspondences with consonants Vv /v/, Zz /z/ then provide the student with Letter Card v. Together, say: v spells the sound /v/as the students traces the letter. Then display van, vet, and vat and have the student say with you: v spells /v/ in van, V_A_N, van. Repeat for vet and vat and continent the routine for letter z and zip, zap, zag.”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 2g.iv.

The materials include assessments for high-frequency words in each module through Exit Tickets and Module Assessments. 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 3 Assessment, Reading High-Frequency Words, students are assessed on their ability to read the words I, a, and, the, you, and was. The teacher says, “Start at the first word, number one, and read each word to me.” The teacher puts a check on the line of the recording sheet if the student reads the word correctly. There are a total of six points on this portion of the assessment.

• In Module 5, Lesson 22, during the Exit Ticket, students demonstrate knowledge of the high-frequency word ran by writing the word, completing a sentence with the word, then filling in missing letters to write the word.

• In Module 9, Lesson 45, during the Module assessment, students 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 sentences are three, he, be, go, me, this, so, must, there, and where. Previously-learned high-frequency words are said, to, is, the, I, see, a, and on. 

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 the Data Tracker, Digital Savvas Realize page, the teacher can record and view class assignment results by assignment and mastery by standard. Teachers can assign prompts to students.

• In Module 8 Assessment, Lesson 40, students are assessed on high-frequency words what, do, have, yellow, she, funny. There are eight points possible for phonics, six 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 18) 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 Teacher Guide, Module 4 Assessment, students are assessed on high-frequency words is, are, of, for, said, and to. There are six 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. 11 out of 14) 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.” 

• In Module, 5, Lesson 25, the Corrective Feedback assessment guidance includes, “If… a student doesn’t get all of the High-Frequency Words questions correct, then… work with the student individually with flashcards. Focus on a couple of decodable words at a time to develop confidence and mastery before adding more words, including nondecodable words. Connect with the student’s caregiver to increase practice at home, too.”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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 3, Lesson 12, the Phonics assessment indicates the standard is to “demonstrate knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences.” The Exit Ticket asks students to “write t if the picture name begins with the sound for t.” The pictures include rattle, tiger, towel. The materials list standard RF.K.3a next to all of the learning targets for phonics in the digital guide.

• In Module 6, Lesson 26, the Phonological Awareness assessment denotes the standard RF.K.2d “isolate and pronounce final phonemes.” The Exit Ticket asks students to circle yes/no “if the two picture names end with the same sound.” 

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 Kindergarten Item Analysis Chart provides the Common Core State Standards including the Strand, Skill, and Item Numbers, for each summative assessment in the Module Assessment. For example: Module 1 Assessment, Recognize Rhyming Words, Item 1, page 23, RF.K.2a

• In Module 9, Lesson 45, the Item Analysis Chart includes strands and skills for each assessment item. For this assessment, the Item Analysis Chart lists the following standards being addressed in this lesson: Phonemic Awareness—RF.K.2e, Phonics—RF.K.3d, RF.K.3b, RF.K.3, and High-Frequency Words—RF.K.3c.

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 Kindergarten 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 Kindergarten 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 3, Lesson 11, the Multilingual Learner Support teacher guidance states, “Speakers of other languages, such as Spanish, do not use the word name as a synonym for the title of a book. Point out that English uses both words, but that the vocabulary word title (Spanish cognate título) is the better word.”

• In Module 9, Lesson 43, the Multilingual Learner Support teacher guidance states, “For many speakers of other languages, the sound /th/ is unfamiliar.” The teacher demonstrates the sound /th/, noting that the tongue sticks out between the teeth. Students say the sound /th/ several times. The teacher displays the word three and has students read it with them.

• In Module 10, Lesson 49, as a multilingual learner support, the teacher displays the word pairs cute/tune and mule/flute, reads the words aloud, and has students repeat the word pairs. The teacher emphasizes the two different sounds of long u. The teacher clarifies meanings, as needed, with images, gestures, or short definitions. The teacher asks questions or gives directions to give students practice with 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.”

• All information about strategies for ELL students or Multilingual Learners are noted at the point of use in the lesson feed in the Differentiated Instruction portion of the Phonics and Letter Recognition Minilessons.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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 1, Lesson 4, during Extra Support, the teacher displays the Sound-Spelling Cards and reviews the names of the letters. Then the teacher says the name of the pictures on the card, and students repeat the word and letter as the teacher points to them. Example: Tomato, t, tomato, t.

• In Module 9, Lesson 41, during Extra Support, the teacher displays the letter cards c, l, a, and p, touches each letter, says each sound, blends each sound, and asks students to blend the sounds together and independently.

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 3, Lesson 11, the Extra Support teacher guidance states that the teacher should continue the Blend and Read routine in the lesson with four additional words for students who need additional support.

• In Module 6, Lesson 26, the Extra Support guidance directs the teacher to display and say each word while emphasizing the sound /k/. Students step forward if the word starts with the letter k and step back if it starts with a different letter. Words used in the activity are kid, got, kit, lid, gab, and bat.

• In Module 7, Lesson 33, the Extra Support guidance directs the teacher to display the word hug. The teacher points to each letter as they say the sound and read the word. The teacher asks students which letter spells the sound /u/. The teacher repeats the process using the words gum, cut, up, bud, and tug.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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. 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, 18 Extend activities are provided in Phonics, two Extend activities for Phonological Awareness, and eight activities for Letter Recognition.

• In Module 2, Lesson 6, during Extend, students write letters on blank sticky notes (A, a, B, b, E, e). Then students locate the letters on environmental print in the classroom and put their sticky notes on the letters that match.

•  In Module 8, Lesson 38, during Extend, the teacher asks students to name a color that begins with y (yellow). Students draw a picture of a word they know that begins with /y/ and label it.

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 3, Lesson 13, during Extend, the teacher writes An ant can ___ on the board. Students read the sentence and identify the sound /a/ in each word. Students then complete the sentence with a word or picture. In the Extra Support activity, students stand up when they hear the beginning sound /s/ as the teacher points to words and says them aloud. The words used in the activity are sack, pan, sap, pass, sad, and sag.

• In Module 4, Lesson 17, during Extend, students use their knowledge of n and i to read tongue twisters such as Nurse Ned is not napping. In the Extra Support activity, students stand when they hear /n/ as the teacher reads pairs of words with /n/. Words used in the activity are nip/pat, nod/cod, pin/pit, pot/not, and in/it.