1st Grade - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics to build students knowledge and vocabulary which will over time support and help grow students’ ability to comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.

Each unit is organized around a central theme with a theme introduction entitled Build Theme Connections provided at the beginning rather than around topics. This section introduces the big idea or theme, and includes a poem and brief discussion. Unit themes are broad and do not focus on specific vocabulary or knowledge across daily lessons. Students are not supported in accessing texts and build conceptual knowledge throughout the five-week theme. The series of texts in each lesson are sometimes cohesive and related to the central theme, but there are limited opportunities embedded for students to build expertise on specific topics so that they can increase their knowledge and vocabulary.

Materials do not provide teachers with guidance to help connect the texts to broader concepts. Sufficient time is not always allotted for students to refine their knowledge in order to access and comprehend future complex texts proficiently.

Each Teacher’s Edition is divided into Themes, such as “Follow Me,” “One for All,” “Turning Corners,” “Wild and Wonderful,” “Where We Live,” and “New Places, New Faces.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language (words/phrases), key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts in order to make meaning and build understanding of texts and topics.

exts contain some questions requiring students to analyze key ideas and details, but do not provide students with frequent opportunity to study craft, structure and language. Students are asked questions during whole group instruction as the teacher monitors comprehension. Throughout the materials, students independently and as a whole group complete questions and tasks that require analysis of individual texts. Grade 1 comprehension skills and strategies include, but are not limited to, cause and effect, story structure, using graphic organizers, problems and solutions, drawing conclusions, and making inferences. Though the questions are presented that ask students about language, key ideas, details, craft and structure, questions are not presented in a coherent sequence that would require students to analzye to make meaning and build understanding of texts and topics.

• In Theme 1, page T9, teachers are directed to “Have partners ask questions about other key details in the selections and work together to find the answers in the text” during the after reading component of the Lesson.
• In Theme 3, Lesson 7, page T45, students retell “Ten Eggs.” The students and teacher complete a graphic organizer by telling the order in which things occur within the story. The teacher works with the students to complete the flowchart.
• In Theme 3, Lesson 9, page T286, the teacher creates a chart with the following story titles as headings: “A Nut Falls,” “Whose Garden Is it,” “Plants Can’t Jump,” and “Ugh! A Bug!” The students write several details from each story under the correct heading.
• In Theme 5, Lesson 22, page T356, students recall the story “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” from the Read-Aloud Anthology. Students apply their knowledge of problem/solution by completing page 27 of the Practice Book.
• In Theme 5, Lesson 24, page T508, students make inferences. The teacher reads aloud the paragraph under Comprehension Strategy on page 232. The students work together to fill in the clues chart as they read “Mystery of the Night Song.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the criteria that materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

Although text based questions do appear in the materials throughout the themes and lessons, there is lack of evidence that supports text-dependent questions systematically guiding students in extracting key meanings or ideas in the texts. The sequence of questions is sporadic and does not build towards a more coherent understanding and analysis.

Questions do not require the students to interact with the text supporting the student’s analysis of knowledge and ideas. Materials do not consistently guide teachers to support students’ literacy skills through complex text and building knowledge. There is a lack of text dependent questions as the questions require generalizations, predictions, and checks for comprehension.

The following questions do not require an analysis of ideas to complete:

• In Theme 3, Comprehension, Day 1, p. T142, the teacher is directed to “Ask children how they think Squeak and Pepper helped the other animals.”
• In Theme 5, Comprehension, Lesson 24, Day 1, p. T496, the teacher is directed to, “have children draw a picture that illustrates the part of the story that shows how thankful the shoemaker and his wife were to the elves.”
• In Theme 5, Comprehension, Lesson 24, Day 4, p. T542, the teacher is directed to “Guide children to describe how the illustrations contribute to the text.
• In Theme 4, Lesson 15, Page T226: Monitor Comprehension questions, the students answer the following questions: “What is the red bucket on? Do you have a quilt on your bed? What does it look like?”
• In Theme 6, Lesson 30, Page T482: Read Aloud, the teacher is directed to invite pairs of students to try reciting their favorite page of the story and to encourage them to substitute their own words for words that they can’t recall.
• In Theme 2, Lesson 6, Page T504, After Reading, The teacher talks about the humor in “The Trial of the Stone.” Then, he or she asks students if they have heard similar stories.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the criteria that the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated skills (e.g. combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

Each Theme has a big idea that aims to tie the unit together. Texts and discussions, directly or loosely, connect to the big idea. Each Theme also includes a Theme Project. Theme Projects do not consistently integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening, nor do they require close reading and comprehension of the texts read. Question sets that accompany texts within the Theme do not support students in integrating skills required for the Theme Project. For example:

• In Theme 3, Theme Wrap-up and Review, Page T558, students add facts such as, that fact that plants need water to grow. Students recall that a plant begins as a seed, and it must grow new parts such as leaves and stems to become a plant. This task does not require an integration or building of skills.
• In Theme 2, Teacher’s Edition, Page T568, Theme Wrap Up and Review, students make connections by identifying characters and story events. The teacher leads a discussion on which story best shows characters that work together and in what way is that shown. Students share and compare ideas.
• In Theme 6, Teacher’s Edition, Page T560, Theme Wrap Up and Review, students make connections by identifying characters and story events. The teacher leads a discussion on which character a student would want to meet in the story and why.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts.

Some vocabulary is repeated in various contexts (before texts, in texts, etc.) and across multiple texts. Some attention is paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and to high value academic words, but the teacher will need to rework some lessons to assure this happening over the school year. Materials do not provide teacher guidance outlining a cohesive, year-long vocabulary development component. Some examples of vocabulary work in the materials include:

• In Theme 4, Lesson 14, page T213, the teacher monitors progress of Robust Vocabulary on pages 528 – 529. The teacher is not provided with direct instructions on a task to build students’ word development.
• In Theme 4, Lesson 17, Page T 393, teachers use photo cards to support word meanings.
• In Theme 6, Lesson 27, Page T257, teachers use the Robust Vocabulary words in student – friendly explanations, and the review the words through discussing ideas.
• In Theme 6, Lesson 28, Build Robust Vocabulary, Listening/Speaking, Review, Reinforce Meanings, the teacher is provided with the following questions to ask students: If you are properly coloring a picture of the sun, are you using vibrant colors or dull colors? If you arrived at school and found out that you had numerous tests to take, would you be excited? Why or why not? If a familiar movie star were planning a visit to your house, would you anticipate his or her arrival? Why?”
• In Theme 6, Lesson 29, Page T431, Build Robust Vocabulary, Listening/Speaking: Words from the Read-Aloud, Review Robust Vocabulary, Use Vocabulary In Different Contexts, the teacher reminds students of the Student-Friendly Explanations of “wriggle,” “prickly,” and “interested.” The teacher guides students to develop their vocabulary by discussing the meanings of these words. Then, the teacher asks students the following questions to engage them in these concrete experiences regarding the word “wriggle”: “How would you wriggle out of a shirt that is too small for you? Beside worms, what else might wriggle in the dirt? What animal might be able to wriggle out of your hand?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the criteria that materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Opportunities for independent reading exist, but they are minimal and do not build students’ reading abilities or their knowledge base and vocabulary. Throughout the lessons, there is evidence of students reading with recordings and reading and responding in literacy centers. Students are expected to develop fluency by listening to familiar stories and reading them aloud. Documentation of student reading is not evident.

• In Theme 3, the At-a-Glance fold out in the front of the book for each week provides three books for each week: Get Started Story, Main Selection, and Paired Selection. These books align with the Theme. There is no specific instruction for students to interact with the texts independently.
• There is no plan for accountability for students’ independent reading.
• Each Theme contains suggested titles for additional related reading by “Easy, Average, Challenge”; however, teachers are not given suggestions on how to set up the classroom library or how to help students select an independent reading book in the teacher edition.
• Each anchor text has “Options for Reading” suggesting that below-level students read in small group, on-level students read in whole group or with a partner, and advanced students read independently.