2nd Grade - Gateway 3

The materials include information about the program for students, parents, and caregivers. Weekly letters describe what students will experience at home and school. These letters have suggestions and activities on ways to support students at home as well. The program also includes a letter that explains how to support students in a remote setting. While the letters come in English, there is an ability to translate them into many languages, including Arabic, Russian, and Chinese. All the materials for the various shareholders can easily be found in the Student Center Dashboard, which provides resources for students, parents and/or caregivers. 

Materials contain strategies for informing students, parents, or caregivers about the ELA program. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Student Center Dashboard includes the school to home tab, which contains letters and messages from the teacher. 

• The Student Center Dashboard includes resources for students, such as the weekly vocabulary words and writing assignments. 

• The program includes a family letter for each week in each unit. The letter provides information about the genre students will read about, learning goals, word work, and comprehension standards each week. For example, in Unit 2, Week 4, the letter informs families that the “class will study the genre of fables. We will be focusing on what animals in stories can tell us. Your child will be meeting animal characters in many types of stories.” 

• In the Administrator Resources section, found in the Professional Development tab, there is a customizable letter that can be sent to families about the Wonders curriculum that can be sent at the beginning of the year. The letter contains information on what students will experience in class and what students will experience at home. 

• In the Administrator Resources section, there is a PowerPoint presentation that teachers can use to explain the curriculum to families on a Back to School or Curriculum night. 

Materials contain suggestions for how parents or caregivers can help support student progress and achievement. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Student Center Dashboard, there is a weekly letter that informs parents or caregivers on what the students are working on that week and ways to support them at home. For example, in Unit 6, Week 1, the letter suggests that families and children “make up sentences using the list words to tell about shopping for a gift for a friend’s birthday.” 

• The program provides parents with differentiated spelling lists for students approaching grade level, on-grade level, and beyond grade level. The spelling lists include activities that students can complete to practice the spelling words at home. 

The instructional materials provide multiple accommodations to ensure students can access assessments and demonstrate knowledge without changing assessment content. Teachers can find support in the Equitable Access to Instruction Handbook, the Assessment Handbook, and within daily lessons. The Assessment Handbook includes general accommodation information and suggestions for how much and what type of assistance to provide during assessments. The Equitable Access to Instruction guide contains information for ELL support and visual and audio enhancements for students who struggle or have learning disabilities and require alternative options to reflect understanding.

Materials offer accommodations that ensure all students can access the assessment (e.g., text to speech, increased font size) without changing the content of the assessment. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Digital assessments allow students to use an electronic highlighter, notepad, line reader, and text-to-speech features.

• The Resource Library contains both downloadable Unit Assessments and ELL Unit Assessments, allowing English Language Learners to demonstrate their knowledge without changing the content of the assessment. 

• Teachers can print assessments or have students view them digitally and use screen readers or increase the font size without changing the content.

• Digital assessments have an audio option for students to listen to the directions. For example, in the Student Edition, Reading/Writing Companion Unit 1, page 10, students can click the audio icon, and the directions will play. 

• Digital assessments have a zoom button on the top menu bar so students can increase or decrease the text size.

Materials include guidance for teachers on the use of provided accommodations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Professional Development Section, Equitable Access to Instruction Handbook, there is a section titled Multiple Methods of Demonstration. Here teachers can find various suggestions to accommodate students of different ability levels as they complete the curriculum.

• Teachers are provided with notes in the daily lessons which explain how to provide accommodations to students who are approaching the standard, on-grade level, beyond grade level, and English Language Learners. 

• The Assessment Handbook assists in managing multiple assessments in the classroom, interpreting results, and implementing classroom-based instruction in the areas of need. For example, on page 7, there is a definition of a diagnostic assessment and examples to support story sequencing when a student is having difficulty. 

• In the Resource Library, the English Language Learner Assessment Handbook contains performance indicators for three proficiency levels used in rubrics for assessing students at various levels.

Materials provide students with multiple opportunities to question, investigate, and problem-solve with various multi-modal opportunities. For example, students engage in discussions, complete writing assignments, read and act out plays, and share new ideas or thinking using the Build Knowledge anchor chart. Students can use checklists and peer reviews to self-reflect and improve their work, as well as engage in the Check-In Routine to monitor and reflect on their learning. 

Materials provide multi-modal opportunities for students to question, investigate, sense-make, and problem-solve using a variety of formats and methods. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, Text Set 3, Lesson 1, students build knowledge about the Essential Question, “How do you express yourself?” Students watch a video, talk about the video, write about the video in their reader’s notebooks, and add information related to the topic to an anchor chart.

Students have opportunities to share their thinking, to demonstrate changes in their thinking over time, and to apply their understanding in new contexts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, Week 3, Lesson 3, students read Mr. Putter and Tabby See the Stars by Cynthia Rylant. After reading Mr. Putter and Tabby See the Stars, students add new ideas to the Build Knowledge Anchor Chart. 

Materials leverage the use of a variety of formats and methods over time to deepen student understanding and ability to explain and apply literacy ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Week 4, Lesson 10, after reading several different fables, students show how they “built knowledge across the text set by creating a poster that shows what they learned from the animals in the fables.”

Materials provide for ongoing review, practice, self-reflection, and feedback. Materials provide multiple strategies, such as oral and/or written feedback, peer or teacher feedback, and self-reflection. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:  

• In Unit 3, Week 4, Lesson 9, students edit personal narratives using the Editing Checklist in the Reading/Writing Companion to identify mistakes in their drafts. Students work in pairs to continue editing using the Editing Checklist. 

Materials provide a clear path for students to monitor and move their own learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 1, students follow the Check-in Routine to reflect on their learning after reading Cesar Chavez (author not cited). According to the Teacher’s Edition, the Check-In Routine consists of the following steps: 

  • “Review the lesson learning goal.

  • Reflect on the activity.

  • Self-Assess by

    • circling the hands in the Reading/Writing Companion

    • showing thumbs up, sideways, or down.

  • Share with your teacher.”

Materials provide a variety of grouping strategies throughout each unit and lesson across the school year. Students can engage in pairs or small groups to discuss, read, write, present, peer evaluate, and play games. Specific teacher guidance is found in lesson segments and details how and when to use specific grouping strategies. The Instructional Routines Handbook provides guidance on grouping students in various formats during activities such as Collaborative Conversations, Shared Read Routine, Literature Circles, Peer Conferences, Author Study, and Book Club Chat. The “Managing Small Groups: A How-To Guide” handbook supports teachers by explaining how to group students using data. 

Materials provide grouping strategies for students. Materials provide for varied types of interaction among students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Week 6, Lesson 1, students work in pairs to “read their poems aloud to each other as they work on them. Children should check with each other about how the poems make them feel. If a poem does not create the desired feeling, they should decide on the types of changes that would help. Circulate and provide assistance, as needed.”

• In Unit 4, Week 5, Lesson 3, students work with a partner to discuss the Essential Question: What excites us about nature?

• In Unit 6, Week 2, Lesson 6, students work with a partner to compare the three sources. Students use their notes and their writer’s notebook to answer the question, “How did Tom develop his central idea by combining information from all three sources?”

Materials provide guidance for the teacher on grouping students in a variety of grouping formats. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Resources Section, there is a handbook titled “Managing Small Groups: A How-To Guide.: Teachers are provided with suggestions on how to form heterogenous and homogenous groups, group assignments, and group sizes. The guide states, “at the beginning of the academic year, it is often easier to assign group memberships that are more homogenous or similar in skill proficiency and needs.” The guide suggests that students can work in mixed-skills and flexible groups based on teacher observations.

• In the Instructional Routines Handbook, Peer Conferences section, teachers are instructed to pair two or three students. Materials suggest grouping students reading the same text(s) on the same topic or theme. 

Materials provide a balance of drawings and realistic images representing different demographic and physical characteristics of the characters. Across the year, positive representations of all individuals are found in the illustrations and avoid stereotypes and biases toward underrepresented groups or individuals. The content supports strengthening a student’s sense of identity and promoting equity and inclusion while engaging students in learning. Students have a variety of opportunities to demonstrate success and understanding. 

Materials and assessments depict different individuals of different genders, races, ethnicities, and other physical characteristics. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 1, students read My Puppy Poetry by Aileen Fisher. The poem includes an illustration of a girl in a wheelchair.

• In Unit 3, Week 5, Lesson 1, digital tools are available for the teacher to use with students, including an image and a video. Both the image and video depict students of varying skin tones expressing themselves differently, which is connected to the unit’s Essential Question.

Materials and assessments balance positive portrayals of demographics or physical characteristics. Materials avoid stereotypes or language that might be offensive to a particular group. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Weeks 3–4, Lessons 7–8, students read “Cinderella and Friends” and “A Tale from China” (authors not cited). Both stories present positive portrayals of the main characters from different cultures’ Cinderella-type stories.

• In Unit 5, Week 3, Lesson 3, students read Grace for President by Kelly Dipucchio. The story depicts various students running for class president, including girls and boys with various skin tones. 

Materials provide representations that show students that they can succeed in the subject, going beyond just showing photos of diverse students not engaged in work related to the context of the learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 0, Week 1, Lesson 1, students watch a video called We Belong Together, created by the Sesame Workshop. This music video depicts several girls and boys of different skin tones working together to build and support the community, school, Pet Planet Crew, and family.

• In Unit 4, Weeks 1-2, Lessons 3–6, students read Dear Primo: A Letter to My Cousin by Duncan Tonotiuh. The illustrations in the text depict a student of Mexican descent writing, studying, and participating in other activities found in daily life.

Materials guide teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning. The Language Transfers Handbook includes a sound transfer chart, a grammar transfer chart, and examples of cognates. This handbook also provides background knowledge and suggestions for teachers to help students as they learn another language. In addition, the program also includes a Bridge to English section, which connects students’ English skills with Spanish. Each section provides examples of transferable and non-transferable language skills students can use as they acquire English. It provides students of varying English proficiency levels opportunities to interact as they develop their English language skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Lastly, in the differentiated section of each lesson, teachers are provided with cognates of vocabulary words in the ELL Academic Lessons section to help students understand the pronunciation and meaning of new words.  

Materials provide suggestions and strategies to use the home language to support students in learning ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Resource Library, the Language Transfers Handbook provides teachers with a sample lesson on cognates to help students use their native language to identify words. 

• In the Resource Library, Bridge to English, Unit 1, Week 5, the Language Transfer section provides guidance to teachers about skills that are transferable and non-transferable between English and Spanish. The transferable skills include how to create compound sentences using conjunctions. The non-transferable skills relate to vowel sounds and how commas are used with conjunctions. 

• In the Resource Library, Bridge to English, Unit 6, Weeks 1–2, the Language Transfer section provides guidance to teachers about skills that are transferable and non-transferable between English and Spanish. The transferable skills include the sounds p, t, and k. The non-transferable skills include English modals and the subjunctive form in Spanish. 

• In Unit 3, Week 3, Day 1, during Differentiated Instruction, students are taught vocabulary words such as details, and the Spanish cognate detalles is provided. 

Materials present multilingualism as an asset in reading, but students are not explicitly encouraged to develop home language literacy and to use their home language strategically for learning how to negotiate texts in the target language. Teacher materials include guidance on how to garner information that will aid in learning, including the family’s preferred language of communication, schooling experiences in other languages, literacy abilities in other languages, and previous exposure to academic or everyday English. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Language Transfers Handbook provides teachers with strategies for supporting students as they learn English orthography. This handbook contains charts for phonemes that may cause a problem for speakers of specific languages. For example, the Sound Transfer Chart identifies the transferable and non-transferable sounds between English and Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Hmong, Korean, Tagalog, Arabic, Urdu, Russian, Hatian-Creole, and French. 

• The Language Transfers Handbook provides teachers with strategies for supporting students as they learn English syntax. The handbook suggests that teachers highlight the transferable skills if the group of students all speak the same native language. 

• In the Resource Library, there are a variety of videos that promote using the students’ home language, including “Bridging Lessons: Transferring Learning Between Languages” with Peggy Cerna and “Building First Language Proficiency” with Dr. Josefina Tinajero.

Materials provide guidance and support across the year to encourage teachers to draw upon student cultural and social backgrounds to facilitate learning. The Resource Library contains three resources, the Language Transfers Handbook, a Culturally Responsive Teacher Guidance document, and the Equitable Access to Instruction guide. The Language Transfers Handbook provides teachers with assistance to make linguistic connections that support students increasing their knowledge of English. The Culturally Responsive Teacher Guidance document cultivates critical thinking and problem- solving skills. Teachers are supported with equity guidance through the Equitable Access to Instruction guide which includes options for student choice during independent work time. Opportunities for students to share personal home experiences to enhance their understanding of various concepts are present in the materials.  

Materials make connections to the linguistic, cultural, and conventions used in learning ELA. Materials make connections to the linguistic and cultural diversity to facilitate learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Resources section, the Language Transfers Handbook includes information about sound transfers in a variety of languages including Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Hmong, Korean, Tagalog, Arabic, Urdu, Russian, Haitian-Creole, Portuguese, and French.

• In Unit 3, Week 5, Lesson 1, Differentiated Instruction, English Language Learner section, ELA Academic Language including central idea, relevant details, ask and answer questions, and prefix are present. The materials provide teachers with the cognates for some of the phrases, like idea central, detalles relevantes, and prefijo.

Materials include teacher guidance on how to engage culturally diverse students in the learning of ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Resources section, Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher  includes a selection of resources to help teachers achieve the goals listed in the document, including “respect my students’ preferences and honor their experiences, provide rigorous instruction that invites critical thinking, acknowledge bias and privilege, own my own learning, communicate positive intentions, avoid assumptions, reject color blindness, consider context, be open to being wrong, get comfortable with discomfort, and create a classroom that offers the opportunity to achieve academic excellence to all.” 

• In the Resources section, the Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher includes a model lesson section teachers can apply to lessons throughout. This scaffolded lesson plan includes suggestions regarding a culturally-responsive essential question, objectives, sensitivities, key vocabulary, building background knowledge, introducing the concept before reading, and optional activities extending the concept after reading. In addition, this lesson format includes teacher tips, extending your classroom library, and resources. The document also includes suggestions on how to use these model lessons, namely as supplements, to provide historical and cultural background, and to explore identity and social justice. 

Materials include equity guidance and opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Resources section, the Equitable Access to Instruction guide provides teachers information about creating an “equitable learning environment for all students.” This guide includes information about using audio and video in the classroom, peer tutor implementation, the use of graphic organizers, the use of multiple methods of demonstration, and the use of classroom routines.

Materials include opportunities for students to feel “acknowledged,” such as tasks based on customs of other cultures; sections provided in multiple languages such as the glossary, digital materials, family letters; etc. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Glossaries for students are provided in several languages, specifically an English-French glossary, an English-Hmong glossary, an English-Korean glossary, an English-Arabic glossary, an English-Portuguese glossary, an English-Spanish glossary, an English-Chinese glossary, an English-Urdu glossary, an English-Russian glossary, an English-Vietnamese glossary, an English-Tagalog glossary, and an English-Haitian Creole glossary.

Materials include prompts where students are encouraged to share how they (or their parents) do things at home or use information to create personal problems, etc. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, Week 5, Lesson 1, students build knowledge about the Essential Question, “What happens when families work together?” Students participate in a Collaborative Conversation where they discuss how families pay for the things they need and want and complete chores.

• In Unit 4, Weeks 1 and 2, Lesson 1, students build knowledge by watching a video related to the Essential Question, “How are kids around the world different?” With a partner, students then discuss how customs around the world are alike and different.

The program integrates technology in a variety of ways that provide opportunities for engagement, support, and customization. Interactive technology tools can be found that encourage a more engaging and supportive learning environment, such as the option for texts to be read aloud, games, and the ability to customize assignments. Age-appropriate digital tools are found throughout the materials to help students access the content and master the standards. 

Digital technology and interactive tools, such as data collection tools, simulations, and/or modeling tools are available to students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Reading/Writing Companion digital version, students can select a thumbs down, a sideways thumb, or a thumbs up for each check-in throughout the course.

• Students can learn the weekly vocabulary words in the “Words to Know” digital tool. The tool introduces the vocabulary word, provides a definition, gives an example, and asks a question with the word contained within the question. This tool allows students to listen to each of the components of the tool. 

• There are Build Knowledge videos provided to help students learn about the topic of the unit. 

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Lesson 6, students read Big Read Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan. Students can use the digital tool to listen to the story read aloud to them. There is also a bookmark feature that allows students to save a specific page in the story. 

Digital tools support student engagement in ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Resource Library, there are a variety of interactive graphic organizers. When the interactive version of the graphic organizer is selected, students can use the pencil tool to write on the graphic organizer.

• In the Resource Library, there is a Response Board/Sound Spelling Workboard where the top contains white space, and the bottom has lined rows for writing. Students can use the pencil icon to write on the board. 

• There are various digital games for students to engage in throughout the materials. For example, in Unit 5, Week 5, Lesson 4, students can complete a phonemic segmentation interactive activity. Students listen to the sounds in a word and move a red marker to represent each sound they hear. 

Digital materials can be customized for local use (i.e., student and/or community interests). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• By selecting “Manage and Assign” from the menu, teachers can select “Make an Assignment” to create a new assignment for a select group of students or an entire class. Teachers have the option to add a title, directions, and resources such as ebooks, interactive games, and graphic organizers.

• In the Online Assessment Center, teachers can either modify an existing assessment or create a new one. There are a variety of question types that teachers can choose from, including multiple-choice, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, and essay. 

The materials include digital opportunities for teachers and students to collaborate with each other. The materials allow the teacher to post assignments, projects, weekly learning goals, and messages. Students can view current and past messages posted by the teacher and respond to the teacher.

Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Student Dashboard provides students with the opportunity to collaborate with the teacher using the My Binder section. Here, students can view assignments and assessments that the teacher posts. 

• The Student Dashboard includes a “To Do” section, which lists specific tasks that students should practice and/or complete. There is a “Note to Teacher” box, which allows students to communicate directly with the teacher. 

• The Student Dashboard allows students to collaborate with the teacher in the Writing and Research section. Students can view topics and projects assigned by the teacher. The teacher can also pose questions, and students can respond to the question, see the responses of their classmates, and respond to their peers’ comments. 

• The Student Dashboard includes a Home to School Section where students and families can view messages, word activities, learning goals, and spelling lists the teacher posts. 

The instructional materials provide a visual design to support students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject. The teacher’s edition is organized the same way in each unit, week, and lesson. The student edition is easy to navigate and has titles to help students navigate the curriculum. The visual design is age-appropriate and includes both realistic photographs as well as illustrations to support student learning. Text boxes provide additional information for students to help them understand the topics, content, and texts. The table of contents, glossary, and table headers are all easy to understand and navigate. 

Images, graphics, and models support student learning and engagement without being visually distracting. Images, graphics, and models clearly communicate information or support student understanding of topics, texts, or concepts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Text Set 1, students read Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan. On the first page of the story, the Essential Question is located at the bottom of the page.

• In Unit 4, Week 2, students read Dear Primo: A Letter to my Cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh. Various illustrations are labeled with words in Spanish to show students the names of common items in Spanish.

Teacher and student materials are consistent in layout and structure across lessons/modules/units. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Resource Library, Teacher Resources are PDF copies of each unit for teachers divided by weeks. For example, there is a PDF file for Unit 5 Overview and Week 1, another file for Unit 5, Week 2, and another for Unit 5, Week 3, etc. The Table of Contents for each unit includes Unit Planning, Reading/Writing, and Program Information. Information about texts for each week and lessons is included within this document using different colors, text boxes, and other visual elements to make it not only consistent but also efficient in finding the necessary information.

• The Reading/Writing Companion for students follows this sequence: Build Knowledge, My Goals, Read and Respond to the Big Book, Topic and Details, Analyze the Text (e.g., shared reads and paired selections,) Research and Inquiry, Make Connections, and Show Your Knowledge.

Organizational features (Table of Contents, glossary, index, internal references, table headers, captions, etc.) in the materials are clear, accurate, and error-free. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Resources tab contains a glossary. The glossary includes words such as “celebrate,” where the word and definition are spoken when the video’s play button is clicked. In addition, there is a definition of the word along with a picture and a section entitled Routine that offers opportunities for students to use this word. 

• The Table of Contents in the student textbook includes images, text, and colors to help all students access the necessary materials. For example, “To Do” includes a paper with a checkmark and is contained within a green circle. The text is visible when a student hovers over the icon. 

The instructional materials provide teacher guidance for using embedded technology to support and enhance student learning. Technology is used in a variety of purposeful ways. The materials include guidance to integrate technology to increase engagement and maximize student learning. Technology resources to support student learning include but are not limited to presentations, games, and videos.

Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Teacher’s Online Dashboard includes daily presentations with resources that can be displayed on a whiteboard or other tool.

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 1, the Essential Question is, “How are families around the world the same and different?” Teacher guidance states, “Watch the Video, play the video without sound first. Have partners narrate what they see. Then replay the video with sound as children listen. Talk About the Video, have partners discuss how families around the world are the same and different. Write About the Video, have children add their ideas to their Build Knowledge pages of their reader’s notebooks.”

• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 1, the Essential Question is, “What do heroes do?” Teacher guidance states, “Watch the Video, play the video without sound first. Have partners narrate what they see. Then replay the video with sound as children listen. Talk About the Video, have partners discuss how heroes can be brave and make a difference through their actions and words. Write About the Video, have children add their ideas to the Build Knowledge pages of their reader’s notebooks.”