1st Grade - Gateway 3

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations that materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. Each lesson is designed for a 90-minute block. Each module contains from 32-36 lessons. Materials also contain a Module 0 for teachers to begin the school year with an introduction to the format of the daily lessons. 

A module overview is found at the beginning of each module which includes: Module Summary, Essential Questions, Suggested Student Understandings, Texts, Module Learning Goals, Module in Context, Standards, Major Assessments, and Module Map. 

Materials include detailed lessons plans with supporting materials.  The structure within each daily lesson includes the Welcome, Launch, Learn, Land, Wrap, and a Vocabulary Deep Dive or a Style and Convention Deep Dive. Each section has hyperlinks included for materials needed, such as graphic organizers or articles.

The instructional materials reviewed Grade 1 meet the expectations that the teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.

Each module provides 32-36 lessons and each lesson is designed for a 90-minute block. Each of the four modules can be completed within a nine-week grading period. Teachers and students can reasonably complete the content within a 36-week school year as long as their schedule provides a 90-minute block of time for English Language Arts.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that the student resources include ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanation, and correct labeling of reference aids (e.g., visuals, maps, etc.).

Students have access to an array of materials that provide ample review and practice resources, such as graphic organizers, sentence frames, reference charts, anchor charts, Word Wall, new-read assessments, supporting excerpts or texts, rubrics, and speaking and listening checklists.

Student resources include clear explanations and directions. Activities that are completed with teacher guidance have directions included in the teacher lesson plan notes. Resources that are completed independently or in small groups without direct teacher guidance include clear directions and explanations so that the task can be completed. 

Examples include:

• Module 1, Lesson 18 includes a Story Map resource for the students. The directions for the teacher and students are clear and provide guidance on how to complete the Story Map for the text, That Book Woman. 

• Module 3, Lesson 6 includes a Feel the Wind  Main Topics Chart for the students. Guidance for the teacher and directions on the handout for students are clear and detailed.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for materials including publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items.

Alignment to the CCSS is documented in multiple places in the curriculum including the following sections:  Module Map, Module Learning Goals, Standards, Major Assessments, and Lesson Agenda (section-”Standards Addressed”).  

 For example, in the overview of each module there is a Module Map that includes learning goals and standards addressed in these goals as well as a “Standards” section which includes all Reading (Informational and Literary), Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language standards addressed in each module.  In the Major Assessments section of the Module Overview, each standard is listed for each Focusing Task Question Activity and each End-of-Module Task.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectation for materials containing a teacher's edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. 

The materials contain a Teacher Edition that provides a Module Summary at the beginning of each module, as well as a Focusing Question and Content Framing Question to guide each lesson and module. The lesson overviews also include an At A Glance outline of each lesson as well as Learning Goals and Standards Addressed. The Land/Wrap section has teachers analyze, look at context and alignment, and provide next steps. 

The following are examples which demonstrate how the materials are useful and offer guidance for teachers:

• Module 1, Lesson 12, Land:

  • Answer the Content Framing Question

  • Knowledge: How does Waiting for the Biblioburro build our knowledge of how books change lives? Possible student answer: "I learned that you can write your own book and share it with others. Ana did this at the end of the story and gave her book to the Biblioburro to share with other kids."

  • Choral Read the Content Framing Question.

  • Students Mix and Mingle: “What did we learn about how books change lives from reading Waiting for the Biblioburro?” Remind students to consider the question, “What part of the text helped you learn that?” Possible student answers: "Books can connect you to the rest of the world. In the text, Ana dreams of the outside world. Then at the end, she writes her book and another kid in a different place in the world gets to read it."

  • Use Equity Sticks to call on students.

• Module 1, Lesson 12, Teacher Wrap:

  • Context and Alignment: "Students contribute to the Knowledge Journal by discussing how Waiting for the Biblioburro adds to their knowledge of how books change lives. Check students’ oral responses for the following success criteria:

    • Responds accurately to selected questions.

    • Uses relevant text evidence in their responses.

  • Next Steps: "If students had difficulty making connections between the text and how books change peoples’ lives, consider working with small groups and asking specific questions related to the Content Framing Question. For example, read pages 5 and 9–11. Stop at the end of each page and ask: 'What is happening now?' Make connections between why Ana doesn’t have books, how she gets them, and what happens as a result."

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

The Implementation Guide provides multiple explanations and charts regarding curriculum terminology. The Implementation Guide also explains at length the research behind each approach in the curriculum. There are also Appendixes that include adult level explanations as well as sample student answers and annotated responses teachers can use to improve their knowledge of what standards being met would look like in a response.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations for materials containing a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum.

Materials include an Implementation Guide located within each Module under Wit and Wisdom Resources.  The Implementation Guide provides information on how the curriculum addresses all of the ELA/Literacy standards. Additionally, a Module in Context and a Module Learning Goals document are provided in the Module Overview of each unit. The Module in Context includes an overview of how the materials address the Common Core shifts as well as a detailed account of how the CCSS standards have a role in the curriculum. The Module Learning Goals articulate specific standards as they are addressed in each individual module.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for materials containing explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identifying research-based strategies.

Materials include resources found primarily in the Implementation Guide that provide explanations of the instructional approaches and identify research-based strategies. The Implementation Guide lists what research says, what students need, and how Wit and Wisdom materials provide what students need within the curriculum. Explanations provided include:

• Research Says: “Performance on complex texts is the clearest differentiator in reading between students who are likely to be ready for college and those who are not.” (ACT 16-17) “But as expectations of college and career reading have held steady or increased, the complexity of Grades K-12 texts have held steady or increased, the complexity of Grades K-12 texts has declined (Adams 4-5; NGA Center and CCSS) 3). Students need to be able to unlock meaning from complex texts.”

• Wit & Wisdom Responds: “Instead of basals, Wit & Wisdom students read complex, grade-level books they love from classics such as The Story of Ferdinand and Animal Farm, to new favorites such as Last Stop on Market Street and The Crossover, to captivating nonfiction such as I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban and An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Students use these texts at every turn-to learn, and eventually master, essential reading, writing, speaking, listening, grammar, and vocabulary skills.”

Some Core Practice examples include:

• Vocabulary: “The Wit & Wisdom approach to teaching vocabulary thorough knowledge of word meanings is key to understanding any complex text and to learning as a whole (Chall and Jacobs; Anderson and Freebody 77). Vocabulary instruction in Wit & Wisdom is accordingly designed to achieve three key student outcomes: better comprehension of complex texts, broader and deeper knowledge of words and word parts (including affixes and roots), increased ability to determine the meanings of unknown words As a text-based curriculum. Wit & Wisdom teaches vocabulary both implicitly and explicitly, using words in the core and supplementary texts. Through repeated readings of complex, knowledge-building texts, students implicitly learn many new words (Feitelson, Kita, and Goldstein 340; Miller and Gildea 96; Nagy and Scott 273). Explicit vocabulary instruction focused on the three student outcomes emphasizes three categories of high-leverage vocabulary words and phrases.”

• Questioning: “Students monitor their understanding of the text by recording questions they have about it. During their first encounter of the text, students record questions they have about it. When students return to the text, they continue to monitor their understanding, recording any additional questions that arise while also looking for answers to their original questions. After the first stage of reading, students share, and when possible, answer these text based questions, or problem solve about how to answer the questions. For example, students may return to the text, consult a reference source, or conduct research. This helps students maintain engagement with and focus on the text while reading and monitor their comprehension of what they are reading. This helps teachers formatively assess students to indicate their understanding of the text and learning from previous modules.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for materials regularly and systematically offering assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.

Each lesson includes a check for understanding question. Throughout the modules there are Focusing Questions and Content Framing Questions that the teachers use to help students maintain focus during the reads and to assure they are working toward the lesson’s objectives. There are also New-Read Assessments where students independently do a cold read of an informational or literary text and then complete various question (multiple choice, open-ended, short response, multi-select, etc). After answering questions, students also complete a short writing task accompanied by a graphic organizer to capture their thinking. Students also participate in two Socratic Seminars per module, and each of these tasks builds to the End-of-Module Task.

Instructional materials reviewed clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.

Standards are found in multiple places and times during the module. Each lesson includes Learning Goals which are connected to and labeled with a standard. In each module, there is a tab labeled Module Overview. A chart is provided that lists all of the standards for New Read Assessments, Socratic Seminar, and End-of-Module Tasks. All standards assessed are labeled clearly.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations of assessments providing sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

Appendixes include Answer Keys, Rubrics, and Sample Responses, as well as rubrics for all writing tasks. Materials regularly provide:

• Sample answers and recommended scripts to share with students

• Suggestions for differentiation

• Next steps, if students had difficulty: "Consider reviewing handout…. and re-watching ……”

• Rubrics for scoring student tasks

• Guidance for Interpreting Student Performance and suggestions for follow up can be found in the teacher’s notes and in the wrap section of each lesson.

For example in Module 2, Lesson 11 in the Land and Wrap section, the teacher guide suggests: "If a student has difficulty identifying key details and the main topic of a section of the text, break this task down by first identifying key details for her so that she can focus solely on identifying the main topic."

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectation for including routines and guidance that provide opportunities to monitor student progress.

All modules follow the same format and elements for student performance. The New Read Assessments are routine and help teachers monitor students progress towards standards mastery. The Focus Questioning Tasks routinely and regularly build to the End-of-Module (EOM) Task and monitors student progress. Checklists are provided with tasks so that students are prepared for the EOM Task. A variety of resources are available in Appendix C to assist teachers in monitoring progress. Some examples include:

• Self, peer and teacher evaluations

• Checklists for poetry performances and Socratic Seminars

• Speaking and Listening Rubrics

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for providing teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so that the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards.

Examples of strategies listed in the Implementation Guide and found throughout the program include:

• Deliberate sequencing: Students build knowledge of each module topic by reading texts in a purposeful sequence. Students complete each module study with knowledge and skills that they can use to access grade level text.

• Predictability of structures: The predictability of the recurring Content Stages helps students develop habits of mind and provides a scaffold for reading challenging texts. Students use the Content Framing Question as an entry point to difficult texts.

• Reading scaffolds: Organizing ideas from informational and literary texts establishes student understanding of the main ideas and plot points prior to the consideration of deeper ideas.

• Focus on vocabulary and syntax: Students learn to read closely and discuss important passages, with particular emphasis on learning the meanings of essential content words and academic vocabulary, studying roots and affixes to grow capacity to discern word meaning independently, and dissecting phrases to reveal how syntax conveys meaning.

• Exploration of content in multiple forms: Students explore print texts, visual art, videos, audio recordings, photographs, and maps to access module concepts and information.

• Reliance on strong models: Students examine models of strong writing to understand how to craft effective sentences, paragraphs, and essays.

• Frequent feedback: Students receive ongoing and explicit feedback from peers and teachers.

• Scaffolds: At key moments, lessons include specific suggestions for how to scaffold instruction. These scaffolds empower teachers to seamlessly integrate remediation suggestions into instruction. For students who may be challenged by the lesson’s rigor, scaffolds provide another path to the learning goal, rather than minimize or change the learning goal.

• Extensions and differentiation suggestions: Lessons often offer suggestions for how to vary learning tasks for those who already have well-developed skills, or to extend learning for students who seek an additional challenge.

The instructional materials reviewed meet the expectations that materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level or in a language other than English, with extensive opportunities to work with grade level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.

Materials include explicit vocabulary and grammar instruction, text-dependent questions that focus all students on key terms, phrases, and passages for rereading and repeated exploration, partner work that includes oral practice of written responses, and multiple authentic opportunities to use academic language with support, such as explicit teaching about speaking and listening, sentence frames, and vocabulary support.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet requirements for regularly including extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

Extension activities are provided throughout materials. These are included in boxes in the Teacher Edition lesson plans. Extension activities include:

• In Module 2, Lesson 28, students are working with the teacher to gather and record evidence from close reading. As an extension activity, the students learn about the section of the book referred to as “back matter.” The teacher demonstrates how additional information can sometimes be obtained from this section and demonstrates by reading information and having students use nonverbal signals to indicate when to share information they heard.

• In Module 4, Lesson 11, after reading Rough Face Girl and discussing details in the story, an option extension is to have student pairs “analyze the illustrations on pages 23 and 24–25 and discuss the questions: ‘What elements of nature do you see?’ and ‘What do you think the Rough-Face Girl sees?’”

The instructional materials reviewed meet the expectations of providing ample opportunities for teachers to use grouping strategies during lessons.

Lessons indicate where pairs, whole group, small group, or individual groupings are utilized for instruction. Each lesson provides students opportunities to work through more than one type of grouping. Teachers are also provided suggestions for how to assign roles or divide groups. For example, Socratic Seminars are used frequently, and teachers are given detailed instructions on how to model the strategy and assign groups and responsibilities. Other routines that provide opportunities for grouping include anchor charts, boxes and buttons, categorization, chalk talk, choral reading, echo reading, fishbowl, gallery walk, give one-get one-move on, graffiti wall, grammar safari, graphic organizers, jigsaw, link up, literary dominoes, mix and mingle, outside-in, partner reading, praise/question/suggestion, question corners, quick write, quiz-quiz-trade, reader’s theater, and response techniques.