2nd Grade - Gateway 2
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Usability
Implementation, Support Materials & AssessmentGateway 2 - Partially Meets Expectations | 70% |
|---|---|
Criterion 2.1: Guidance for Implementation, Including Scope and Sequence | 16 / 16 |
Criterion 2.2: Decodable Texts | 4 / 8 |
Criterion 2.3: Assessment and Differentiation | 11 / 20 |
Criterion 2.4: Effective Technology Use and Visual Design |
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 provide a teacher edition with strong supports, clearly structured lessons, and appropriate pacing to achieve maximum student understanding within the space of a school year. Materials include a scope and sequence that clearly delineates an intentional sequence in which phonics skills are to be taught, with a clear explanation for the order of the sequence. The materials also include strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the Foundational Skills program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement. The program partially meets the criteria for the inclusion of decodable texts that include phonics and high-frequency words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence and opportunities for students to use decodables for multiple readings. The instructional materials do not provide consistent opportunities to measure student progress in phonics, word recognition, and word analysis. Materials do not include opportunities to assess fluency. Teacher supports for reteaching are not consistently available throughout the program. No standards alignments are present for the assessments in the program, though instructional materials do include standards alignment. Supports are regularly provided for students performing below grade level, though supports for English language learners and students performing above grade level are limited. All digital materials are for teacher use only and can be used across multiple devices and platforms. The design of the materials is clear and easy to read and do not provide unnecessary visual distraction.
Criterion 2.1: Guidance for Implementation, Including Scope and Sequence
Materials are accompanied by a systematic, explicit, and research-based scope and sequence outlining the essential knowledge and skills that are taught in the program and the order in which they are presented. Scope and sequence should include phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, and print concepts.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for materials contain a teacher edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student materials. Materials contain full, adult-level explanations and examples of the foundational skills concepts included in the program so teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary. Foundational skills lessons are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. Content can reasonably be completed within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding. Materials include a scope and sequence that clearly delineates an intentional sequence in which phonics skills are to be taught, with a clear explanation for the order of the sequence. Materials meet the criteria for materials contain strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the Foundational Skills program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.
Indicator 2a
Materials contain a teacher edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for materials contain a teacher edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.
The Level 2 Fundations materials have annotations and suggestions in the Fundations Teacher's Manual on how to present the content in the student materials. Routines are presented in detail at the beginning of the Teacher's Manual including what the teacher does and states. The program includes a comprehensive Learning Activities Overview that provides teachers with explicit directions for each learning activity and differentiation suggestions. Throughout the Teacher's Manual, a computer icon indicates where items can be found on the companion website, the PLC. There is an online resource called the Prevention/Early Intervention Learning Community (PLC) that includes teacher guidance for use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning. The PLC provides how-to videos for classroom routines and lesson plan templates.
Materials provide a well-defined, teacher resource (teacher edition manual) for content presentation.
- The Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual provides implementation information, principles of instruction, Learning Activity overviews, and unit lesson plans with unit resources.
- The Fundations Companion Website includes resources for instruction.
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 the following:
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, page 9, there is a section titled Principles of Instruction. This section includes types of instruction used in the program such as explicit instruction and multi-sensory instruction.
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, Orientation, plans are included showing the teacher how to teach each routine including: Review Echo, Drill Sounds/Warm Up, distributing student materials, alphabetical order, Echo/find letters, review the Large Letter Formation Guide, review pencil grip, Echo/Letter Formation, and Echo Sounds.
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, Learning Activity Overview section, pages 28-60, instructions are provided on how to complete different activities in the Fundations lessons which address phonics (Dictation/Sounds, Dictation/Words, Drill Sounds/Warm-Up, Echo/Find Letters, irregularly spelled words (Dictation/Trick Words, teach Trick Words-reading, teach Trick Words-spelling), word analysis (Dictation/Words), and fluency (Fundations Fluency Kit 2 Second Edition). For each activity, a synopsis, procedure, and differentiation options are included. A table is included listing a brief summary of the activity, the teacher materials needed, location of the activity in the PLC, and an estimated activity time. Additionally, the manual details the teacher's words and actions.
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, each unit of instruction is divided into varying number of weeks. Each week is broken down into days. Each day has a guided plan. For example:
- In Unit 9, Week 1, Day 1 on pages 290-291, there is a Student Learning Plan and Teacher & Student Materials list. The lesson begins with Drill Sounds/Warm-Up, followed by Teaching Trick Words, Introduce New Concepts for r-controlled sounds, and Dictation.
- The Fundations Level 2 Activity Cue Cards Second Edition are supplied in the teacher kit. Each activity card provides an activity synopsis, teacher materials, student materials, estimated time on activity, at a glance information, and learning plan notes. Some cue cards, such as Echo/Find Words (Multisyllabic Words) include sections for Teacher Does, Teacher Says, and Response.
Technology pieces included provide support and guidance for the teacher and do not create an additional layer of complication around the materials.
- The Prevention/Early Learning Community (PLC) provides documents to download, videos to watch, animations to understand word structure and analysis, and a discussion board.
- In the PLC, Demonstrations, Level 2, videos are included that model how some activities should look and sound in the classroom.
Indicator 2b
Materials contain full, adult-level explanations and examples of the foundational skills concepts included in the program so teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for the expectation that materials contain full, adult-level explanations and examples of the foundational skills concepts included in the program so teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.
The Fundations Level 2 program and materials include information, explanations, and examples for the teacher to improve their own knowledge of foundational skills. Overview information is detailed in the Teacher's Manual and through the online companion, the Prevention/Early Intervention Learning Community (PLC). Foundational skills are summarized and a description of the reasons students need the various skills for learning to read are included.
Examples of adult-level explanations and examples includes:
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, Skills Taught in Fundations, pages 2-8, an overview of the various skills covered in the program are listed with a detailed description of the term and its impact on learning to read is provided for teachers. Skills listed include, but are not limited to:
- Phonics
- Sound mastery is a key component of phonics.
- High-Frequency “Trick” Words
- High-frequency words are the words that appear most often in print.
- Fluency
- Automaticity is a term that refers to quick and automatic recognition of words in isolation.
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, Unit 7, Introduction:
- In Unit 7, you will introduce the open syllable.
- This syllable has only one vowel which is the last letter in the syllable.
- The vowel sound is long. To indicate the long sound, the vowel is marked with a macron.
- This syllable can be combined with other syllables to make multisyllabic words.
- In PLC, Printable Resources, Getting Started, materials are included detailing information about the various foundational skills covered in the Fundations curriculum.
- In PLC, Collaboration, several resources to further explain foundational skills concepts and Common Core Language are included.
Examples of detailed examples of the grade-level foundational skill concepts are provided for the teacher include:
- In Level 1 Teacher's Manual, Skills Taught in Fundations, pages 2-8, an overview of the various skills covered in the program are listed with detailed examples.
- Phonics
- For example, to blend the sounds /m/ /a/ /t/ into a word, students are taught how to say each sound as they tap a finger to their thumb.
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, Learning Activity Overview, In a Nutshell, page 202, includes a description of the vowel-consonant-e syllable. “This syllable has a vowel, then a consonant, then an e (v-e).
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, Unit 11, Introduction, examples of ee, ea, ey words are: steam, sheep, hockey, indeed.
Indicator 2c
Foundational skills lessons are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. Content can reasonably be completed within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for foundational skills lessons are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. Content can reasonably be completed within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.
The Level 2 Fundations curriculum is designed to be implemented to a whole group of students according to a clear structure. The program requires 155 school days or 31 weeks. As most schools are in session for more than 31 weeks, this instructional plan is reasonable and allows for appropriate pacing of teaching, reteaching, or review as needed for maximum student understanding. Whole group instruction is planned for 30-35 minute daily lessons. This instructional plan and pacing guide leaves time for schedule changes and reteaching, as needed. Weeks per unit vary according to content taught during the unit. Lesson times are provided for the learning activities, which become routine. Units are designed to be covered within a given amount of time and each lesson should take one day. The week-to-week instruction is consistent and the skills taught within each lesson build on each other. This format demonstrates a structure which controls the day-to-day pacing. Whole group instruction utilizes the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model, which is used within lessons and the learning activities. Plans are included for changing pacing for students needing additional support and those that are able to accelerate through units. Small group instruction lesson planning for Tier 2 (intervention) is in the Professional Learning Community under Intervention Guidelines.
The pacing of each component of daily lesson plans is clear and appropriate.
- Each Learning Activity includes estimated activity times. For example:
- Drill Sounds/Warm-Up is 2-5 minutes.
- Echo/Find Words (Single Syllable Words) is 5 minutes.
- Trick Words is 5-10 minutes.
Examples of lesson plans utilize effective, research-based lesson plan design for early literacy instruction include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Student Success section, page 10, the manual details how the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model is used in the learning activity sequence on a given day or within a week moving students from
- 1.) “I Do It” - Teacher Demonstration
- 2.) “We Do It” - Guided instruction/practice
- 3.) “You Do It Together” - Collaborative Learning
- 4.) “You Do It Alone” - Independent Success
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Scope and Sequence, pages 24-26, the manual details the 15 units with the number of weeks needed and content covered during each unit.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Orientation Guide, pages 61-68, the manual takes the teacher through Fundations concepts and materials as well as a sample lesson.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, the scope and sequence for each lesson is very similar. For example:
- In Unit 6, Week 2, Day 1, pages 216-217, there are the following activities: Drill/Warm-Up, Introduce New Concepts, Teach Trick Words, Storytime. These same activities and others are cycled through every lesson throughout the year.
- In the Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, the daily lesson plans and unit plans give quick overviews of the skills taught each day. Each day’s activities are clearly explained in a two-to-three page layout. Skills are built upon in the lesson progression. For example, suffixes are reviewed in Unit 4 and new suffixes are added on in Units 5, 6, and 7.
The effective lesson design structure includes both whole group and small group instruction.
- According to Level K Fundations Teacher's Manual, Implementing Fundations, “Fundations provides all students with a foundation for reading and spelling. It is part of the CORE language arts instruction, delivered to all students in general education classrooms 30-35 minutes per day as a supplemental program. Fundations instruction emphasizes phonemic awareness, phonics-word study, high-frequency word study, fluency, vocabulary, handwriting and spelling.
- Through the online companion, the Prevention/Early Intervention Learning Community (PLC), Getting Started Section, lesson plan templates are included for accelerated lesson planning and reteach learning plans.
- In PLC, General Guidelines, Fundations Level 1 & 2 Intervention, there is an explanation and details of small group Tier 2 instruction lesson planning. Level 1 & 2 intervention lessons are recommended to occur 3 to 5 days per week with a minimum of 30+ minutes of additional instructional support. The lesson plan guidelines for Mid to End-Year are as follows:
- Day 1 Activities include Warm-Up, Build Words, Echo/Find Letters & Words, Dictation (Dry Erase)
- Day 2 Activities include Warm-Up, Fundations Fluency Drills (from Fundations Teacher’s Kit)
- Day 3 Activities include Warm-Up, Build Words, Depending on students’ greatest needs: Fundations Fluency Drills or Dictation (Dry Erase)
The suggested amount of time and expectations for maximum student understanding of all foundational skill content (i.e. phonological awareness, print concepts, letters, phonics, HFW, word analysis, decoding) can reasonably be completed in one school year and should not require modifications. Examples include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Scope and Sequence, pages 25-26, the teacher is provided an overview of the amount of time needed to complete each unit:
- Unit 1 (2 weeks)
- Unit 2 (2 weeks)
- Unit 3 (1 week)
- Unit 4 (2 weeks)
- Unit 5 (2 weeks)
- Unit 6 (2 weeks)
- Unit 7 (3 weeks)
- Unit 8 (1 week)
- Unit 9 (2 weeks)
- Unit 10 (2 weeks)
- Unit 11 (2 weeks)
- Unit 12 (1 week)
- Unit 13 (2 weeks)
- Unit 14 (2 weeks)
- Unit 15 (2 weeks)
- Unit 16 (1 week)
- Unit 17 (2 weeks)
- 31 weeks to complete the program.
- Through the online companion, Prevention/Early Intervention Learning Community (PLC), lesson plan templates are included for any units that need to be retaught. Teachers are directed to use the reteaching lesson plans if students score less than 80% on the unit assessment.
- In PLC, a Tier 1 pacing guide is included listing dates and units to begin by a particular date/week.
Indicator 2d
Order of Skills
Indicator 2d.ii
Scope and sequence clearly delineate an intentional sequence in which phonics skills are to be taught, with a clear explanation for the order of the sequence.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for the expectation that scope and sequence clearly delineate an intentional sequence in which phonics skills are to be taught, with a clear explanation for the order of the sequence.
The Level 2 Fundations materials include a general scope and sequence. The scope and sequence outlines how phonics will be taught and the progression beginning with closed syllable words from the Level K materials, glued sounds from Level 1 materials, and move in future levels to words with more complex patterns including glued sound exceptions, long vowels, vowel teams, suffixes, and multisyllabic words. Explanation of the material’s phonics layout is provided on the online companion, the Prevention/ Early Intervention Learning Community (PLC).
Materials clearly delineate a scope and sequence with a cohesive, intentional sequence of phonics instruction and practice to build toward application of skills. For example:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Skills Taught in Fundations, Phonics, pages 4-5, phonics instruction is explained to the teacher. A routine is established for learning letter names and sounds. The sequence used is to say the letter, keyword, and sound (k-kite-/k/). Fundations teaches sounds in two directions - letter to sound (see letter and identify sound) and sound to letter (hear sound and identify the letter). In addition to sound-symbol instruction, Level 1 Fundations curriculum teaches students how to blend sounds into words. The Level 1 materials progress from the Level K materials that begin with blending CVC words with continuous consonant sounds. Additional levels progress from CVC words to words with 4 then 5 sounds to words with more complex patterns including multisyllabic words and all vowel patterns. Nonsense words are also used. Vowel-consonant-e syllable is introduced in Unit 6.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Fundations Scope and Sequence, page 25, the text details the topics covered in each of the 17 units. Phonics included:
- Unit 1: Consonant digraphs, consonant blends, digraph blends, closed syllable type
- Unit 2: Glued sounds, blending and reading words with glued sounds, segmenting and spelling words with bonus letters and glued sounds
- Unit 3: Closed syllable exceptions, glued sounds
- Unit 4: Suffixes
- Unit 5: Reading and spelling two syllable words, syllable division
- Unit 6: Vowel consonant e syllables, two syllable words with closed and vowel consonant e syllables, compound words
- Unit 7: Open syllable type, y as vowel
- Unit 8: R controlled syllables
- Unit 9: R controlled syllables
- Unit 10: Double vowel syllable type
- Unit 11: Vowel teams of ee, ea, ey
- Unit 12: Vowel teams of oi, oy
- Unit 13: Long o vowel teams
- Unit 14: The /ou/ sound of ou and ow
- Unit 15: The /u/ sound of oo, ou, ue, ew & the /u/ sound of ue
- Unit 16: The sounds of au and aw
- Unit 17: Consonant-le syllable type
- The PLC contains a description of the syllable types taught in the program. Six syllable types are taught in Fundations.
Materials have a clear research-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence. Examples include:
- According to the Teacher's Manual, page 3, “Students learn the letter name, its formation, and its sound simultaneously. This creates an important link and uses motor memory learning to associate letters with their sounds. This multi-sensory approach helps to form a tight association with the letter, its sound, and how it is formed. When a student learns how to write a letter, and simultaneously names the letter and says the sound, it helps them to ‘bind the visual, motor, and phonological images of the letter together at once’ (Adams, 1990, p. 355).”
- According to the Teacher's Manual, page 3, “In Fundations, the sequence of letters presented is based upon these principles (ease of production of the letter, continuity of stroke, similarity of strokes to those letters previously taught, ease of perception and production of the sound associated with the letter) for an integrated and multisensory approach. (Wolf, 2011, p. 191)”
Phonics instruction is based in high utility patterns and/or common phonics generalizations. Examples include:
- In Level 2 Fundations, the materials include glued sounds.
- In Unit 2, students learn all - ball - /all/, am - ham - /an/, an - fan - /an/, ang - fang - /ang/, ing - ring - /ing/, ong - song - /ong/, ung - lung - /ung/, ank - bank - /ank/, ink - pink - /ink/, onk - honk - /onk/, unk - junk - /unk/.
- In Unit 3, students learn ild - wild - /ild/, ind - find - /ind/, old - cold - /old/, olt - colt - /olt/, ost - post - /ost/.
- In Level 2, Unit 8, students learn ar - car - /ar/ and or - horn - /or/.
- In Level 2, Unit 9, students learn er - her - /er/, ir - bird - /ir/, ur - burn - /ur/.
- In Level 2, Unit 10, students learn ai - bait - long/a/ and ay - play - long/a/.
- In Level 2, Unit 11, students learn ee - jeep - long/e/, ea - eat - long/e/, ey - key - long/e/.
- In Level 2, Unit 12, students learn oi - coin - /oy/ and oy - boy - /oy/.
- In Level 2, Unit 13, students learn oa - boat - long/o/, oe - toe - long/o/, ow - tow - long/o/.
- In Level 2, Unit 14, students learn ou - trout - /ou/ and ow - snow - /ow/.
- In Level 2, Unit 15, students learn ou - soup - /ou/, oo - book - /oo/, oo - school - /oo/, ue - blue - /ue/, ue - rescue - long/u/, ew - chew - /ew/
- In Level 2, Unit 16, students learn au - August - /au/, aw - saw - /au/.
Phonics instruction is based in high utility patterns and/or common phonics generalizations and provides a meaningful and manageable number of phonics patterns and common generalizations for students to learn deeply.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 2, Week 2, Day 1, Introduce New Concepts, Review Other Glued Sounds, page 112, students make the /m/ sound. Students are asked to pinch their nose. The teacher explains that the sound cannot be made with the nose blocked. This process repeats with the /n/ sound. This means the sound comes out of your nose. Because the sounds are nasal sounds, they sometimes distort a vowel sound. Using the Standard Sound Card, the teacher builds the word pat. Students tap out each sound and read the word. The teacher changes t to n. Students tap and read. The teacher tells students it is easier to read and spell words with some combinations if we glue them together and uses the am and an sounds to model. The teacher builds words and practice tapping and blending with students. Students mark words with glued sounds.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 4, Week 2, Day 1, Introduce New Concepts, pages 158-159, additional sounds for -ed are taught. Instruction includes emphasizing /t/ and /d/ as sounds for -ed.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 5, Week 1, Day 1, Introduce New Concepts, pages 176-178, syllable division is taught by using Standard Sound Cards and instruction explaining where to divide words.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 5, Week 1, Day 3, Introduce New Concepts, Teach Spelling, page 183, the teacher builds the word lick using the standard sound cards. The teacher asks why ck is used for the /k/ sound. The teacher builds the word public and explains that multisyllabic words ending in ic are spelled with ic and ick. Students add the spelling of ic to their spelling rules section in their notebook.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 8, Week 1, Day 2, Word of the Day, page 274, the teacher builds the word, harm. The teacher reteaches the r-controlled syllable using the Word of the Day. The student marks up the word by scooping syllables and marking the syllable type. The teacher uses Standard Sound Cards and Syllable Frames to make unit words. Students tap and read one-syllable words. The student or teacher scoops multisyllabic words into syllables for students to read. Students add the word of the day to their notebook.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, diphthongs are introduced in groups by their common sound:
- Unit 10 - long a sound - ai (bait), ay (play)
- Unit 11 - long e sound - ee (jeep), ea (eat), ey (key)
- Unit 12 - /oi/ - oi (coin), oy (boy)
- Unit 13 - long o - oa (boat), oe (toe)
- Unit 14 - /ou/ - ou (trout), ow (plow) and ow (snow)
- Unit 15 - /ü/, ou (soup), ue (blue), ew (chew), oo (as in book), ue (rescue)
- Unit 16 - au (August) and aw (saw) and spelling generalizations for /ö/
Indicator 2e
Materials contain strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the Foundational Skills program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.
Criterion 2.2: Decodable Texts
Program includes work with decodables in K and Grade 1, and as needed in Grade 2, following the grade-level scope and sequence to address both securing phonics.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for materials include decodable texts with phonics aligned to the program’s scope and sequence and opportunities for students to use decodables for multiple readings. Materials partially meet the criteria for materials include decodable texts with high-frequency words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence and opportunities for students to use decodables for multiple readings.
Indicator 2f
Aligned Decodable Texts
Indicator 2f.i
Materials include decodable texts with phonics aligned to the program’s scope and sequence and opportunities for students to use decodables for multiple readings.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for materials include decodable texts with phonics aligned to the program’s scope and sequence.
The Level 2 Fundations Storytime activities are usually provided once or twice per week beginning in Week 2 of Unit 2. Storytime stories are mainly decodable. Storytime projectable stories are read by the teacher during the first lesson with students following along with their own copy. Each Storytime activity concludes with the students reading the story silently and then orally with phrasing and fluency. Students do not have the opportunity to practice decoding in context because the teacher reads the story to them several times before they read it on their own. Some of the passages contain several words aligned to the unit’s phonics skills, yet some stories do not contain alignment to the unit’s phonics skills.
Examples of materials include decodable texts to address securing phonics include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 3, Week 1, Day 4, Storytime, page 137, the teacher projects “The Lost Colt” and distributes copies to students. Students read the title and discuss. The teacher reads the story followed with students reading it chorally, or teachers can choose students to read and alternate readers by paragraph. Students find and mark closed syllable words.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 6, Week 1, Day 3, Storytime, page 211, the teacher projects the story “Babe Ruth” on the whiteboard and distributes copies to students. The students read the title of the story. The teacher reads the story to students.
Decodable texts contain grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s scope and sequence.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 13, Week 1, Day 1, Storytime, page 393, the teacher projects the story “Kelly’s Speed Quiz” and distributes copies to students. In Unit 13, the long o sound of oa, oe, and ow are taught. In the story, there are multiple words with ow, two words with oa, and no words with oe.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 14, Week 1, Day 1 page 420, the /ou/ sound of /ow/ are introduced. The decodable story, “Ross Gets Help” is introduced on Day 3, page 425, and includes 3 words using one of the new sound patterns: could, would, and frown.
Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing phonics skills.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 2, Week 1, Day 2, Storytime, page 105, the teacher is to find the passage “Skip is Sick” on the PLC. The teacher projects the passage. The teacher has a student read the title. The teacher reads the passage to the students. The teacher stops at the end of each paragraph and has students share what happened. The teacher asks comprehension questions such as "What is this story about?" It is recommended that students practice reading the phrased story with fluency as homework, guided reading, or during intervention groups.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 10, Week 1, Day 5, Storytime, page 327, the teacher gives students a copy of “Cursive Letters.” The teacher reads the title. The teacher asks students what they remember about the passage. The teacher selects a student to read a paragraph. The teacher rereads the paragraph. Students picture the passage in their heads. The teacher asks text-dependent questions. The teacher draws sketches to represent the main events in the story.
Indicator 2f.ii
Materials include decodable texts with high-frequency words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence and opportunities for students to use decodables for multiple readings.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for materials include decodable texts with high-frequency words/irregularly spelled words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence.
The Level 2 Fundations Storytime activities are usually provided once or twice per week beginning in Week 2 of Unit 2. There are opportunities to practice Trick Words during Storytime activities, but the opportunities do not align to the Fundations Level 2 high-frequency/irregularly spelled words (Trick Words) Scope and Sequence. Storytime stories are read by the teacher during the first lesson with students following along with their own copy. Each Storytime activity concludes with the students reading the story silently and then orally with phrasing and fluency. Students do not have the opportunity to practice decoding in context and reading high-frequency/irregularly-spelled words independently because the teacher reads the story to them several times before they read it on their own.
Materials include decodable texts that utilize some irregularly spelled words. For example:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 3, Week 1, Day 4, Storytime, page 137, the projected story “The Lost Colt” does not include Trick Words from Unit 2 or Unit 3. Irregularly spelled words include: their, know, stay, each, day.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 15, Week 1, Day 5, Storytime, page 457, the story “The Rescue Team” does not include the newly introduced Trick Words: January, February, July, December, enough, and special. Irregularly spelled words include: years, knows.
Decodable texts contain some grade-level irregularly spelled words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. For example:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 17, Week 1, Day 4, Storytime, page 500, the projected story “Aunts & Uncles” includes three review Trick Words, special, family, and world and one current Trick Word, young.
Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing reading irregularly spelled words in context. For example:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 16, Week 1, Day 1, Storytime, page 477, the decodable passage, “The Sock Mystery” is read silently by students. The passage includes the following irregularly spelled words: wonder.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 16, Week 1, Day 3, Storytime, page 481, the teacher has a student retell, “The Sock Mystery.” The teacher asks comprehension questions.
Criterion 2.3: Assessment and Differentiation
Materials provide teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards. Materials also provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so that students demonstrate independence with grade-level standards.
The instructional materials do not provide consistent opportunities to measure student progress in phonics, word recognition, and word analysis. Materials do not include opportunities to assess fluency. Teacher supports for reteaching are not consistently available throughout the program. The instructional materials contain notations about standards alignment, however the individual assessments are not labeled with those alignments. Supports are regularly provided for students performing below grade level, though supports for English language learners and students performing above grade level are limited.
Indicator 2g
Regular and Systematic Opportunities for Assessment
Indicator 2g.iii
Materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress of phonics in- and out-of-context (as indicated by the program scope and sequence). (K-2)
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress of phonics (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).
The Level 2 Fundations materials include assessments to measure student progress of some phonics skills. Assessment questions for students to write dictated sounds and words are included on the unit tests. Students are asked to identify various sounds or combinations of letters, write words, and identify various phonics patterns. Unit tests do not require students to read (decode) words or sounds to the teacher. The Level 2 Teacher's Manual indicates that any student scoring below 80% on a given skill should meet with the teacher individually for additional support, but the materials do not detail what support should be provided. Each unit test includes the phonics components: dictating sounds, dictating words, marking and scooping, and sentence dictation. Additional Support Activities are located on the Prevention/Early Intervention Learning Community (PLC). Through the online companion, the (PLC), progress monitoring probes are included to address decoding of words
Materials provide resources and tools to collect ongoing data about students’ progress in phonics. Examples include:
- In the Teacher's Manual, there are Unit Tests, Unit Test Answer Keys, and student testing paper.
- In PLC, the Fundations Progress Monitoring Tool for Level 2 includes the following components:
- Teacher Guide: Directions for Progress Monitoring and Guidelines for Instruction (one per teacher)
- Teacher Record (one per student is needed)
- Student Probes (one copy re-used for all students)
- In PLC, Unit Test Assessments, there are Test Recording Forms, Whole Class Test Trackers, and Individual Test Trackers.
Materials offer assessment opportunities to determine students’ progress in phonics that are implemented systematically. Examples include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 1 Test, page 93, the teacher dictates sounds and students write the letters making those sounds in their composition books (/k/, /w/, /e/, /ch/, /kw/). The teacher dictates words which students write (cloth, bunch, skim, strap, quilt). Students record the dictated sentences (Ken had milk with his snack; They said to pack one bag).
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 4 Test, page 167, the teacher dictates sounds and students write the letters making those sounds in their composition books (/d/, /t/, /ing/, /s/, /z/). The teacher dictates words that students write (bunches, swishing, coldest, spelled, dusted). Students record dictated sentences.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 11 Test, page 365, students are assessed on Sound Dictation (long /e/, long /a/, /or/, /ch/, /y/) Word Dictation (chimney, completely, cheap, speeches, teacher), Sentence Dictation (The hockey team won thirteen games.; The breakfast feast is ready!)
Multiple assessment opportunities are provided regularly for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence with phonics. There are 17 Unit assessments with opportunities for students to write letter sounds and phonetically based words.
Assessment materials provide teachers and students with some information about students’ current skills/level of understanding of phonics. Examples include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 3 Test, the teacher learns if a student knows the following letter and glued sounds: d, t, ung, s, z.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 8 Test, the teacher learns if a student can encode the following words: reported, explore, scar, garlic, porches.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 17 Test, the teacher learns if a student can encode the following words: stumble, marbles, snuggle, sparkles, cable.
Materials support teachers with limited instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in phonics. Examples include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 4, Unit Test, page 167, TIP, teachers are instructed to extend instruction time in this unit if 80% of the class does not demonstrate (80%) mastery on the unit test. The teacher is instructed to meet with struggling students to discuss errors and explain areas that need to be further practiced.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 9, Unit Test, page 309, TIP, teachers are instructed to extend instruction time in this unit if 80% of the class does not demonstrate (80%) mastery on the unit test. The teacher is instructed to meet with struggling students to discuss errors and explain areas that need to be further practiced.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 12, Unit Test, page 383, TIP, teachers are instructed to extend instruction time in this unit if 80% of the class does not demonstrate (80%) mastery on the unit test. The teacher is instructed to meet with struggling students to discuss errors and explain areas that need to be further practiced.
Indicator 2g.iv
Materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress of word recognition and analysis (as indicated by the program scope and sequence). (K-2)
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress of word recognition and analysis (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).
The Level 2 Fundations materials include assessments to measure student progress of word recognition and analysis. Students are asked to write Trick Words in isolation as well as write dictated sentences that include Trick Words. During the unit assessment, the students can reference Student Notebooks for the spelling of Trick Words. For word analysis, students are asked to identify and mark specific aspects of the five dictated words. There are no unit assessments that include students reading irregularly spelled words and applying word analysis skills to decode words. Assessments require students to encode sounds, words, and sentences. Progress monitoring probes are included to address sight word knowledge in the Prevention/Early Intervention Learning Community (PLC) for students needing intervention. Materials offer limited explicit support to teachers in regards to instructional adjustments to help students make progress.
Examples of 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 include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 1 Test, page 93, students mark the following in previously written words (cloth, bunch, skim, strap, quilt): closed syllables, circle the buddy letter and his best buddy, underline blends and digraph blends with two separate lines, and underline digraphs with one line.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 8, Unit Test, page 28, the teacher dictates five sounds, five words, two Trick Words, and two sentences. Students record the letters, words, and sentences. Students are asked to scoop and mark syllable types and vowel sounds and circle suffixes.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 14, Unit Test, page 439, the teacher dictates five sounds and five phonetic words and two Trick Words to students. Students are asked to scoop and mark syllable types and vowel sounds. Students circle the suffixes. Students are then asked to write two dictated sentences, which contain Trick Words (piece, brought, Wednesday, on, the, a, to, he).
Examples of assessment materials provide teachers and students with information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of word recognition and word analysis include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 3, Unit Test, page 139, the teacher dictates five sounds, five words, two Trick Words, and two sentences. Students record the sounds, words, and sentences. Students box glued sounds, mark closed syllables, and closed syllable exceptions, and mark vowel sounds.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 4 Test, page 167, students mark the previously written words: (bunches, swishing, coldest, spelled, dusted): closed syllables and closed syllable expectations, scoop or underline base words and circle suffixes, and indicate the sound of the suffix -ed with /id/, /d/, or /t/.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 12, Unit Test, page 382, the teacher dictates five sounds, five words, two Trick Words and three sentences. Students record the letters, words, and sentences. Students scoop and mark syllable types and vowel sounds, and circle suffixes.
Materials support teachers with limited instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in word recognition and word analysis.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 5, Unit Test, page 197, TIP, teachers are instructed to extend instruction time in this unit if 80% of the class does not demonstrate (80%) mastery on the unit test. The teacher is instructed to meet with struggling students to discuss errors and explain areas that need to be further practiced.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 10, Unit Test, page 337, TIP, teachers are instructed to extend instruction time in this unit if 80% of the class does not demonstrate (80%) mastery on the unit test. The teacher is instructed to meet with struggling students to discuss errors and explain areas that need to be further practiced.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 15, Unit Test, page 467, TIP, teachers are instructed to extend instruction time in this unit if 80% of the class does not demonstrate (80%) mastery on the Unit test. The teacher is instructed to meet with struggling students to discuss errors and explain areas that need to be further practiced.
Indicator 2g.v
Materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress in fluency (as indicated by the program scope and sequence). (1-2)
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 do not meet the criteria for materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress in fluency (as indicated by the program scope and sequence).
The Level 2 Fundations materials include limited opportunities to measure student progress in fluency. The available fluency assessment is in the materials designated for the progress monitoring which is included as part of the online companion, the Prevention/Early Learning Community (PLC) for students receiving intervention. The Level 2 Teacher's Manual does not direct teachers to use the progress monitoring with all students. These materials would provide the only opportunity for teachers to individually measure the students’ ability to read fluently. The Level 2 unit tests do not include opportunities for students to be assessed for oral reading fluency. After teachers are directed to move outside of the whole group materials and use the Fluency Kit as an intervention for students in Tier 2. Fluency progress monitoring is built in when recording real words, nonsense words (to measure decoding skill fluency), and phrase drills. Students’ fluency progress is otherwise not assessed (including rate).
Examples of intervention assessment opportunities provided over the course of the year in materials for students to demonstrate progress toward mastery and independence of fluency include:
- In PLC, Level 2, Intervention tab, progress monitoring materials related to fluency are included with Word Identification, Nonsense words, and oral reading passages. The student is timed for one minute while reading the word list or story. Materials include a student tracking sheet.
- In the Fundations Fluency Kit 2, it states the kit is to be used with students who need additional practice. Fluency Drills in the kit include phrases and stories. Word drills are 15 seconds and phrase drills are 60 seconds. Fun Stories are not timed. The stories are to emphasize reading with ease and expression for understanding.
Examples of intervention assessment materials provide teachers and students with information about students in Tier 2 for current skills/level of understanding of fluency include:
- In the Fundations Fluency Kit 2, timed drill cards for high-frequency/irregular words, nonsense words (to measure decoding skill fluency), and phrases are included. There is one phrase card per unit, two high-frequency/irregular words per unit, and one nonsense word per unit. The kit includes graphs for students to chart their progress.
- In the Fundations Fluency Kit 2, it suggests a teacher tape record students’ first oral reading and then re-record after practice. The teacher is to have the students listen to both and discuss accuracy and prosody improvement.
Materials support teachers with instructional adjustments to help students in intervention make progress toward mastery in fluency.
- In the Fundations Fluency Kit 2, it suggests to teach students with reversals hints when they are practicing drills. For example, students can highlight all the b's or all of the d's before reading.
- In the Fundations Fluency Kit 2, it suggests to pair students up to practice drills. The teacher is to remind students that the goal is to improve both speed and accuracy. “However, most important, remind them to read with expression and meaning so that the listener will understand.”
Indicator 2h
Materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment and assessment materials clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for assessment materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment and assessment materials clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.
The Level 2 Fundations curriculum and materials include a publisher-produced alignment document that states the standards and the location of the standards in the materials, including material/unit/page number through the online companion, Prevention/Early Intervention Learning Community (PLC). Standards are not listed in the daily lesson plans or teacher materials. Beyond reference in the Preface, the standards are not identified throughout the Teacher's Manual. The Level 2 Fundations materials do not provide a clear identification of the foundational skills standards featured within the program provided assessments. The unit tests list general topics as part of the assessment with no standards denoted. The teacher must determine which part of each assessment relates to a standard. There is a Common Core Alignment Guide provided with the Publisher’s documents, but the alignment document does not include the assessments. The Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, where the program’s assessments are found, does not include an alignment to the standards.
Materials do not include denotations of the standards being assessed in the formative assessments.
Materials do not include denotations of standards being assessed in the summative assessments.
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, pages 122-123, the Unit 2 assessment does not contain alignment to the Common Core State Standards.
- In PLC, Level 2 Unit Test Trackers (Class) do not contain alignment documentation to CCSS.
An alignment documentation is provided for some tasks, questions, and assessment items. For example:
- In Level 2 Teacher's Manual, Preface, page VI, “Fundations provides specific measurable learning objectives which are aligned to the College and Career Ready Standards (Common Core State Standards CCSS).”
Alignment documentation contains specific standards correlated to specific lessons. For example:
- In PLC, Printable Resources, Getting Started, there is a Common Core Standards for English Language Arts Correlations for Levels K-3 document. The document reviews how Fundations addresses Common Core State Standards and Foundational Skills. Standards are listed, per grade level, with material/unit/page number where the standard is addressed in the program.
Indicator 2i
Differentiation for Instruction: Materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.
Indicator 2i.i
Materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen in a language other than English with extensive opportunities for reteaching to meet or exceed grade-level standards.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen in a language other than English with extensive opportunities for reteaching meet or exceed grade-level standards.
The Level 2 Fundations materials provide some differentiated instructional guidance for teaching students who are English Learners (EL). The introductory Student Success section of the Teacher's Manual provides research, a rationale, and principles appropriate to teaching EL students. Materials provide limited differentiated instruction suggestions described for EL students and less additional materials provided for EL students to be successful. The Teacher's Manual suggests that teachers provide additional supports in vocabulary and background knowledge by showing students pictures or using props and gestures. It also suggests to create opportunities for students to practice new vocabulary as well as use open-ended questions which will allow students to recognize instead of having to retrieve. These suggestions are unmet with examples and therefore cannot be guaranteed for consistency nor quality. The text states that EL students benefit from principles of instruction built into Fundations including the teacher modeling and multi-sensory approach. There are missed opportunities for daily plans to identify specific suggestions for English Learners.
Materials provide limited support for ELL students. For example:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Student Success, Differentiated Instruction, page 12, “ELs, as well as students with language-based learning disabilities, may have more difficulty retrieving the words to express concepts during the lesson. They may need to be given a choice of responses (such as ‘Is this a digraph or a blend?’) instead of asking open-ended questions (such as ‘What is this called?’).
General statements about ELL students or few strategies note at the beginning of a unit or at one place in the Teacher's Edition are then implemented by the materials throughout the curriculum.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Student Success, Differentiated Instruction, page 12, states that the key principles in Fundations critical for EL students are:
- Integration of listening, speaking, reading and writing
- Explicitly modeled skill and strategy instruction
- Verbal explanation for concepts enhanced by visual, physical and kinesthetic involvement
- Opportunities for student interaction in supportive groups
- Procedures that ensure student engagement with hands-on activities
- Clear and consistent directions and cueing systems
- Ample opportunities to reinforce skills
- Scaffolded instruction
- Repetition of vocabulary, including vocabulary of word structure(such as digraph, short vowel)
- Assessment of current knowledge that is performance rather than language-based
Indicator 2i.ii
Materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade-level with extensive opportunities for reteaching to meet or exceed grade-level standards.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the criteria for materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level with extensive opportunities for reteaching to meet or exceed grade-level standards.
The Level 2 Fundations materials provide some differentiated instructional principles for students who are below grade level using this program. The Teacher's Manual suggests how Learning Activities can be differentiated to support struggling students at the introduction of each unit. Differentiation ideas are not included in daily lesson plans. The Fluency Kit is provided for students below grade level and provides additional instruction in fluency outside of the core program. Materials from the online companion, the Prevention/Early Intervention Learning Community (PLC), provide additional lesson support activities to be used as interventions or in a small group setting for students identified below grade level outside of the core program. The Teacher's Manual, the PLC, and the Fluency Kit provide instructional scaffolding techniques and additional opportunities for additional practice and/or to reteach below grade-level students to meet or exceed grade-level standards.
Materials provide opportunities for small group reteaching. Examples include:
- In the PLC, Intervention, Intervention Resources, resources are included to support the instruction of students below grade level including:
- A list of activities/supports is included indicating additional activities a teacher can do with a struggling student. Activities can be done in a smaller group or one-on-one to work on specific skills. Teachers can look at errors on probes to determine what instruction is needed.
- Intervention Weekly Planners, a weekly planner for K through Level 3 is included. The weekly planner is blank, and teachers can fill in based on student needs.
- Intervention Learning Plan Template, a template is included for teachers to plan daily intervention lessons. The template is blank for teachers to fill in based on student need. There is a completed learning plan for teachers to view.
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:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Learning Activity Overview, Dictation/ Sentences, Differentiation, page 38, teachers are directed to allow struggling students use of their Student Notebooks. Teachers are directed to check-in with these students to be sure they recall the sentence correctly and provide reinforcement as needed.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Learning Activity Overview, Word of Day, page 56, teachers are directed to give additional decoding cues for struggling learners, such as giving them the keyword or tap the word out with them.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 7 Introduction, page 230, teachers are directed to encourage struggling students to use their Student Notebooks to assist with spelling. The Vowels page lists all three syllable types with keywords and can aid students in determining which syllable pattern is needed for long and short vowels.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 9, Introduction, Differentiation, page 286, teachers are directed to guide students to the correct answer with a decoding or encoding task. This is followed by a scaffolded question example for a student who reads “frist” for “first”.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 14, Introduction, Differentiation, it directs teachers to have students repeat the sentences in phrases before writing. If they have difficulty recalling the whole sentence, have them repeat and write one phrase at a time.
- In the PLC, Intervention, Intervention Resources, resources are included to support the instruction of students below grade level including: An intervention inventory report, general lesson guidelines, additional lesson support activities, intervention learning plan template, completed intervention learning plan template, intervention weekly planners, intervention activity strips, and fluency videos/practice templates.
Indicator 2i.iii
Materials regularly provide extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade-level.
The materials reviewed for Grade 2 partially meet the criteria for materials regularly provide extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.
The Level 2 Fundations materials provide some opportunities for extensions and advanced opportunities for students who are working above grade level. The Fundations Teacher's Manual shares brief suggestions for how to differentiate learning activities used throughout the program materials as well as ideas for differentiating each unit. Specifically, differentiation for advanced students sometimes includes the utilization of nonsense words in connection with the foundational skills being taught. The use of three syllable words for reading and spelling instead of two syllable words also provides more depth of foundational skills. For sentence dictation, differentiation for advanced students sometimes includes the teacher instructing students to show “everything they know” by marking up all known concepts as well as dictating an additional sentence for them to write. The instructional suggestions shared are brief and do not involve the student going beyond the material presented. Opportunities are missed for advanced students to dive deeper into grade-level standards. Differentiation ideas for advanced students are not included in daily lesson plans.
Materials provide some opportunities for advanced students to investigate grade-level foundational skills at a greater depth. Examples include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Learning Activity Overview of Word of the Day-Differentiation, page 56, teachers are directed to challenge advanced students with nonsense words and more challenging vocabulary. The teacher calls on students to provide multiple meanings or give a word that means the opposite. Instruction is given to be sure the advanced students say a sentence for the Word of the Day, which clearly indicates the meaning of the word.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 5, Introduction, page 172, teachers are directed to encourage advanced students to “transfer the skills of syllable division to authentic reading and writing tasks across the curriculum.” Students look and listen for prefixes and suffixes that give cues to the meaning of words.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 7, Introduction-Differentiation, page 230, advanced students use the three syllable words from the unit resources in reading and spelling for open syllable type.
There are some instances of advanced students simply doing more assignments than their classmates. Examples include:
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 8, Overview, Differentiation, page 268, students should be challenged to increase the length of their writing samples, encouraged to use new vocabulary, and encouraged to apply other writing processes.
- In Level 2 Fundations Teacher's Manual, Unit 14, Introduction, Differentiation, page 416, students who finish writing more quickly, can proofread it carefully and then show “everything they know” by marking up all known concepts. The teacher also has the option to dictate an additional sentence for those students to write on a separate piece of paper.
Criterion 2.4: Effective Technology Use and Visual Design
Materials support effective use of technology and visual design to enhance student learning. Digital materials are accessible and available in multiple platforms.
The instructional materials reviewed include web-based resources, compatible with multiple Internet browsers, are platform neutral, follow universal programming style, and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices. All digital materials are for teacher use only. The design of the materials is clear and easy to read and do not provide unnecessary visual distraction.
Indicator 2j
Digital materials (either included as a supplement to a textbook or as part of a digital curriculum) are web-based, compatible with multiple Internet browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.), “platform neutral” (i.e., are compatible with multiple operating systems such as Windows and Apple and are not proprietary to any single platform), follow universal programming style, and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices.
Indicator 2k
Materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning.
Indicator 2l
Digital materials include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, using adaptive or other technological innovations.
Indicator 2m
Materials can be easily customized for local use.
Indicator 2n
The visual design (whether in print or digital) is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.