1st Grade - Gateway 3

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. 

Grade 1 materials are designed to immerse students in all areas of the standards and provide explicit lesson structure with embedded teacher direction, as well as recommendations for supporting all learners. There are six units in First Grade, and each unit contains a Unit Overview which supports the teacher in planning for instruction. Each unit instructs the teacher throughout each lesson on its implementation before, during, and after the readings and activities, as well as recommendations for scaffolded support. At the beginning of each unit there is a Unit Introduction followed by a weekly overview that maps out the daily content being covered. Pacing for each lesson is appropriately allocated. 

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• The materials contain daily opportunities for whole group and small group instruction. The materials for each week contain a daily routine consisting of a Unit Opener, which discusses the Big Idea for the Unit. A social-emotional skill is taught on Day 1; then the essential question is introduced. Small group learning takes place daily and includes a focus on skills within the leveled reader along with phonics instruction, phonemic awareness and high-frequency words. The materials contain a weekly planner which outlines the various skills for the week. Each day is clearly listed and contains lesson plans with directions and contain materials needed for the lesson within a Lesson Resource box. Routines are listed within the Instructional Routines Handbook and contain an explanation and recommendations for carrying out research-based practices. 
• In Unit 4, Week 3, In the Wild, the Essential Question is, “How do animals survive in nature?” A unit introduction is provided for students to develop an understanding of the content they will be learning. On T189, a Making Learning Visible page is provided where the texts students read are visible at a glance. There are subsections listed for Active Engagement and Student Outcomes that show what students will be learning in each area of focus. An explicit systematic instruction for word work is provided that includes a Daily Review to review prior sound-spellings to build fluency. After each day’s lessons, the teacher checks that students are on track and ready to move forward. Follow-up with either differentiated instruction to strengthen skills, provide targeted review and reteaching lessons to meet students' specific needs. ELL support is provided in all lessons. A suggested lesson plan is provided for a five-day span and includes small group instruction, Beyond level, English language learners, and social-emotional learning. In each lesson an objective is stated, academic language is listed, and digital tools are provided. Teacher modeling is evident throughout each lesson. A sample day for Unit 4, Week 3 is provided. Introduce the Concept In the Wild, T200–T201, Oral Vocabulary Words survive, provide, T200 Listening Comprehension “Animals in Winter,” T202–T203, Oral Vocabulary Words: communicate, superior, wilderness Word Work T204–T207, Phonemic Awareness: Phoneme Categorization, Phonics/Spelling: Introduce Long o: o, oa, ow, oe, High-Frequency Words: find, food, more, over, start, warm, Shared Read “Go Wild!,” T208–T209, Shared Writing T210, Grammar Go and Do, T211.

The pacing of individual lessons is appropriate. Each day has several parts to the lesson which also have approximate time indications. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 4, Week 3, 
• Introduce the Concept: Talk About It: 5 minutes
• Listening Comprehension: Read the Interactive Read-Aloud: 10 minutes
• Word Work: Phonemic Awareness: 5 minutes
• Phonics: 10 minutes
• Word Work: Spelling: 5 minutes
• High Frequency Words: 5 minutes
• Shared Read: 10 minutes
• Language Arts: Shared Writing: 5 minutes
• Grammar: 5 minutes within 60 minutes of literacy instruction. 
• In Unit 4, Week 4, Day 3,
• Build the Concept/Oral language: 5 minutes
• Comprehension/Reading & Writing Companion: 10 minutes
• Fluency/Reading & Writing Companion: 5 minutes
• Word Work/Phonemic Awareness: 5 minutes
• Word Work/Phonics: 5 minutes
• Word Work/Structural Analysis: 5 minutes
• Word Work/Spelling: 5 minutes
• Word Work/High-Frequency Words: 5 minutes
• Word Work/Reinforce Vocabulary: 5 minutes
• Anchor Text/Literature Anthology: No time indication
• Language Arts/Independent Writing: 5 minutes
• Language Arts/Grammar: 5 minutes
• Writing Process/Revise and Edit: 5 minutes

The s materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that the teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding. Review, Extend, and Assess are also included in these instructional days.

Grade 1 materials include six units in the First Grade resource. Units range from 25 to 40 instructional days, for a total of 200 instructional days. Review, Extend, and Assess are also included in these instructional days.

The suggested amount of time and expectations for teachers and students to complete the materials are viable for one school year as written and would not require significant modifications. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Unit 0 is designed to be a “Start Smart” unit to support teachers in building classroom routines. Review, Extend and Assess are also included in these instructional days.
• Each unit comes with the flexibility for the teacher to choose what they are teaching and when they are teaching. Teachers can adjust lessons as needed. These lessons are intended to be completed daily including reading, writing and small group instruction if the teacher chooses.
• The Wonders User Guide notes that “student and teacher choice are at the heart of Wonders. Wonders was designed to support you and your entire classroom as you teach your way—whether you follow our suggested pathway of instruction or create your own workshop lessons using our resources.”

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

 Grade 1 materials offer students opportunities to demonstrate thinking and learning through a variety of tasks such as graphic organizers, citing text evidence and interacting with the text, rereading various text selections, collaborating with partners and completing the research and inquiry process. Students demonstrate knowledge of content through writing, drawing, listening and speaking. The student materials for each unit are clearly labeled and provide clear directions for each activity. 

Student materials include ample review and practice resources. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Week 2, Reading/Writing Companion, the top of the page says, “Remember characters are the people or animals in a story. The setting is where the story takes place. The events are what happens in the story.” Students reread Cubs in a Hat and talk with a partner about the characters, settings, and events. Students  describe the characters, setting, and events and write the details on a graphic organizer, page 53. 
• In Unit 4, Week 4, Reading/Writing Companion, Creep Low, Fly High by Author Unknown, students listen, talk and write about two vocabulary words (beautiful, fancy). Students practice using context clues to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Students examine, reread, share, and write about the genre of Fantasy and the use of problems and solutions, while completing a graphic organizer. Students reread, talk and write about the point of view in the story. Using a graphic organizer, students list character, clue, and point of view.
• In Unit 6, Week 2, Reading/Writing Companion, the companion states, “The theme of the story is the big idea or message that an author wants to share.” Students reread the text, Super Tools and talk about the clues in the story that help them understand the author’s message. Students use the graphic organizer to write about the clues and theme of the story. 

Student materials include clear directions and explanations, and reference aids are correctly labeled. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 2, students complete the high-frequency word practice page. The directions are as follows: “Read and spell each word in the box. Complete each sentence. Use one of the words in the box. Use a word from the box to write your own sentence.”
• In Unit 3, Week 1, Reading/Writing Companion, students complete the Research and Inquiry, "Tell me about your day." Five-step directions are listed with ample space to write the responses. “Step 1: Pick a classmate to ask about his/her usual day. Step 2: Decide what you want to know about your classmates. Write your questions. Step 3: Ask your questions, Step 4: Write what you learned about each part of your classmates. Step 5: Choose how to present your work.”
• In Unit 4, Week 2, Reading/Writing Companion, students examine a paired text. The text, picture with caption, quick tip, and graphic organizer are used to support student understanding. Caption: “Worker bees make wax cups called honey combs.” The Quick Tip and Talk About It boxes direct students to areas of importance. Students are provided with a small space to write. 
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Reading/Writing Companion, students work with multiple meaning words. An example is provided for how to use text evidence to help decode multiple meaning words. The students then respond in writing to the question, “What words help you figure out the meaning of bright on page 17?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher 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.

Grade 1 materials provide detailed explanations for each instructional lesson for the teacher to explain to the student, including information on the lesson’s  purpose. Each unit of the Teacher Guide also contains alignments to the Common Core State Standards. The User Guide and Instructional Routines Handbook, which are separate items located in the Teacher Resource Library, are designed to provide guidance on the delivery of the reading curriculum and serve as a resource to build professional knowledge in the areas of research-based best practices.  Training videos for different instructional routines, including coaching conversations and examples from the classroom, are also included in the teacher materials. Teachers can access information on a variety of topics, such as writing, access to complex text, and foundational skills.

More advanced concepts are consistently explained and will improve a teacher’s deeper understanding of the content. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• The Research-Based Alignment explains text complexity. “Texts must have recognized value, be worth reading, and include the variations of form documented to enhance comprehension (e.g., lexical quality). Lexical quality refers to the “extent to which the reader’s knowledge of a given word represents the word’s form and meaning constituents and knowledge of word use that combines meaning with pragmatic features.”
• The curriculum offers the text, Managing Small Groups: A How to Guide by Vicki Gibson and Doug Fisher, that gives teachers background knowledge on how to implement small group differentiated instruction.
• Grade 1, Resources Tab, Professional Development link, tab: Author & Coach Videos, Filters provided: Foundational Skills, Close Reading, Access to Complex Text,
• Under the filtered options for Foundational Skills are videos such as “Long Vowel Awareness.” Through a coaching video, teachers learn how to teach students the difference between long and short vowels. 
• Under the filtered options for writing are videos such as “Writing Across Text Types and Genres with Dr. Doug Fisher.”
• In the User Guide, beginning on page 6, teachers are provided information on an instructional approach used within the program, Balanced Literacy Classroom: What Does It Look and Sound Like?  This information also includes 21st Century College- and Career-Ready Inspired Shifts in Balanced Literacy. 
• In the User Guide, on page 16, teachers are provided with guidance on Guided Reading Instruction. This information informs teachers as to what guided reading looks like and what happens before, during, and after reading.
• In the User Guide, on page 26, close reading information is provided.  Information detailing the importance of identifying a purpose for reading, determining the author’s purpose, and schema and considerations for developing a close reading program is provided. 
• In the User Guide, on page 37, the concept of rereading is explained, “When one’s schema on a topic has significant gaps, the reader must devote cognitive resources to constructing a mental model on which to attach this new information (Kintsch & van Dijk, 1978).“ “A chief way you accomplish this is by rereading. You slow down your pace, review a previous passage, and look back to the text in order to find information.”
• In the Instructional Routines Handbook, beginning on page 19, several routines, such as collaborative conversations, are explained and established.

Explanations are accessible to all educators. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• The Resource Library in each unit provides resources that explain more advanced concepts. For example, there are videos on setting up a balanced literacy classroom.
• Videos are available to all teachers who have access to online materials under the professional development tab. The videos are short and easily viewed, although the videos do not appear to have a closed captioned version. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that materials contain an explanation of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.

Grade 1 materials provide a User Guide that discusses the research behind a balanced literacy approach, guided reading instruction, vocabulary and foundational skills, social-emotional learning, and writing. The Instructional Routines Handbook explains more about the research behind the curriculum, as well as modeling routines, collaborative conversations, word work, reading, writing and grammar, and research and inquiry. This handbook also explains the educational approaches and routines for English Language Learners. 

Explanations of the instructional approaches and research-based strategies of the program are provided. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Instructional Routines Handbook, page 3, the I Do, We Do, You Do, Routine is shown. “I  Do: This is where you explain and model to your students what it is they are learning to do. We Do: In this step, you and your students work together and share the instruction. Students get to practice while you guide and teach. You Do I Watch: After students have had the chance to practice with you, it's time for them to practice on their own. This is where you observe and offer corrective feedback as students collaborate and practice. You Do It Alone: After modeling, showing, guiding, and allowing them to practice, it's time for your students to work independently.” 
• The Research-Based Alignment Handbook provides the key research findings that support the Wonders curriculum. For example, the research document states that when students engage in repeated readings it builds their fluency and comprehension. This is supported in the Wonders curriculum. “In grade 1 teachers read aloud and reread Literature and Informational big books and Interactive Read-Aloud Selections.”
• The User Guide, page 4, provides the research behind independent reading. “Providing students with the opportunity to choose their own books to read empowers and encourages them. It strengthens their self-confidence, rewards their interests, and promotes a positive attitude toward reading by valuing the reader and giving him or her a level of control. Readers without power to make their own choices are unmotivated.”
• The User Guide, “Guided Reading Instruction” by Kathy Rhea Bumgardner, M. Ed., discusses what guided reading is and how to prepare and teach guided reading.  Research-based approaches, such as scaffolding are referenced. “The term ‘scaffold,’ as applied to learning situations by Wood, Bruner, and Ross (1976), refers to a framework and process by which teachers use support strategies to help students complete tasks they are unable to do independently at their current stage of learning.”  References are listed at the close of this article.  
• Resources Tab, Professional Development link, Filter: Research Base and Link to Whitepapers, includes documents that provide an explanation of the link between research and the program.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.

Grade 1 materials provide multiple assessment opportunities. There is an online assessment center that links to all Unit and Benchmark Assessments. Unit Assessments are given at the end of each unit. Screening/Placement and Diagnostic Assessments, such as Phonological and Phonemic Awareness, Letter Naming and Sight Words, and Phonics and Decoding, serve as an initial screening that can be assigned throughout the year to monitor student progress and pinpoint students’ strengths and weaknesses. Checks for Success are provided throughout each unit regularly. Progress Monitoring Assessments are used to guide instruction and may be administered every week, every two weeks, or every six weeks, depending on the test selected. In the Benchmark Assessment Grade 1, students are given three benchmark assessments. The focus of the Benchmark Assessments is on key areas of English Language Arts: comprehension of literature and informational text, phonics and decoding skills, and recognition of high-frequency words. There are also Running Record Assessments that evaluate student’s oral reading and identify a student’s reading level, style, and strategy use.

Materials provide regular and systematic assessment opportunities for assessment. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Inventories of Developmental Spelling (K–6+), Assessment Handbook, “Part 1 Assessment Options,” page 21, This assessment can be administered any time of the year.  “Students’ skills can be classified as falling into particular developmental stages of spelling.”
• Comprehension Tests (K–6), Assessment Handbook, “Part 1 Assessment Options”, page 23, “Administer this test at any time of the year to provide a quick check or recheck of a student’s instructional reading level.”
• Unit Assessments (K–6), Assessment Handbook, “Part 1 Assessment Options”, page 27.  These assessments are completed after each unit of study.  “Unit Assessments include literary and informational texts with questions that focus on the main skills taught in each unit of Wonders. Test items cover reading comprehension skills, literary elements, text features, vocabulary strategies, and English language conventions.” Each unit includes a writing prompt that students use to showcase their understanding of a genre that has been previously taught.  These assessments provide information to make instructional decisions and to place students into small skill-based groups.
• Benchmark Assessments (K–6), Assessment Handbook, “Part 1 Assessment Options”, page 28. These assessments are completed “at discrete points throughout the year to gauge student progress through the curriculum and readiness for state-mandated end-of-year assessments.”
• Portfolio Assessments, Assessment Handbook, “Part 1 Assessment Options”, page 31. Portfolios  showcase a collection of the students work. A Reflection piece is included. Two portfolio options are presented: “a developmental portfolio and a best work portfolio. There is also a Portfolio Rubric to use when evaluating students’ portfolios.”
• Informal Assessments, Assessment Handbook, “Part 1 Assessment Options”, page 45. “In reading, you can do this in an informal way throughout instruction.”  Examples include teaching students to monitor their own comprehension by asking questions, and retelling and monitoring their own progress.

Materials genuinely measure student progress. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 4, Progress Monitoring Assessments, students read the story “Pals Have Fun.” Students answer comprehension questions based on the text.
• In Unit 4, Selection Tests are provided that assess students on their knowledge of weekly selections and concept vocabulary and their comprehension of the reading selections found in the literature anthology.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that assessments provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow up.

Grade 1 materials provide teachers with guidance for administering assessments, ways to scaffold assessments, and how to interpret student data. Teacher scripts are provided with answers for all Unit Assessments and Diagnostic Assessments.  The answer keys have the correct answer and content focus for each question and answer. Suggestions on how to reteach content is provided to teachers.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• On page x of the Placement and Diagnostic Assessment, First Grade, the materials state that placement decisions are provided after the Reading Comprehension Test, Phonemic Awareness Subtests. and Letter Naming Fluency are administered. Students who score 80% or higher are instructed to begin Wonders On Level or Beyond Level instruction. Students who score a 60-79% are instructed to begin with the Approaching Level materials. Students who score below a 60% are instructed to start in the Approaching Level and use intervention materials as needed.
• After each Unit assessment in the Teacher Edition, there is a Track for Success Progress Monitoring. For example, in Unit 6, Week 3, Making the Most of Assessment Results explains the assessed skills, how the teacher checks for success, and gives reteaching opportunities.   
• Grade 1, Teacher Edition, Assessment and Data Tab, Printable Assessments, Filter to Assessment Handbook, Assessment Handbook, page 32, The Assessment Process Guide to Using Multiple Measures to Assess Student Progress provides an overall graphic on how assessments could be used in a classroom.
• In Unit 3, Week 4, Day 5, Progress Monitoring, teachers are provided with a chart for interventions. “Reteaching Opportunities with Intervention Online PDFs.” If Children Answer 0-3 Comprehension items correctly: Then Assign Lessons 76–78 on Compare and Contrast and Lessons 88–90 on Text Connections from the Comprehension PDF. In Unit 5, Week 5, Formal Assessment, “Skills assessed in Progress Monitoring Assessment, Reteaching, “IF CHILDREN ANSWER 0–3 comprehension items correctly THEN ASSIGN Lessons 73–75 on Cause and Effect and Lessons 88–90 on Text Connections from the Comprehension PDF.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that materials should include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress.

Grade 1 materials provide routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress. There are informal Checks for Success that help collect evidence of student progress, as teachers observe students working and provide guidance for differentiation of instruction moving forward. Formative assessments are integrated within every unit by using end of unit assessments. Screening and Diagnostic Assessments, as well as Comprehension Assessments, offer guidance to inform instructional decisions.

Materials include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Decodable Reader tab, students read “Jill and Jim” to practice decoding in context. The resource states, “If students have difficulty with the text and need more support, the teacher can refer to T153 or T160.” The teacher is monitoring student progress while students are reading the decodable.
• In Unit 4, Week 4, Day 3, Teacher Edition, Check for Success, the resource states, “Use your online rubric to record children’s progress. Can children read and decode words with long i: i, y, igh, ie? Can children recognize and read high-frequency and vocabulary words?” The teacher is then able to differentiate instruction based on this Check for Success. Develop pages and Reteach page numbers are given for the teacher to provide further instruction. 
• Instructional Routines Handbook, Teacher-Student Conference Routine, page 119, states “Regularly conferring with students about their Independent Reading is a great way to informally assess their progress, model social-emotional learning skills, build your classroom culture, and instill habits of learning.”
• Instructional Routines Handbook, Retelling Routine, page 98, states, “Retelling allows you to monitor comprehension.”  Model, Guide, and Discuss Retelling are the three steps within the Retelling Routine.
• Instructional Routines Handbook, Students monitor their progress, page 173. Students monitor their progress through the following ways:
• Track Your Progress in the Reading Writing Companion asks students to evaluate their progress on key skills that they have learned.
• Writing Rubrics, Student Models, Listening and Speaking checklists offer help as students reflect on the quality and completeness of their work.
• Progress bars on online games help students track their progress.
• Opportunities to give feedback to students during weekly Teacher and Peer Conferences on their writing.

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

Grade 1 materials provide modeling, formative assessments, language and visual supports, and background knowledge in each lesson to ensure student understanding. Materials also provide differentiated instruction to strengthen skills, provide targeted review and reteaching lessons to meet student’s specific needs.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 1, Teacher Edition, Accessing Complex Texts are provided to the teacher to allow students to better comprehend unfamiliar vocabulary words. Students may be unfamiliar with the word dassie.  The teacher explains, “that a dassie is a small creature that lives in rocky regions in southern Africa. Dassies make their homes in nooks and crannies among large rocks. They enjoy sunning themselves on the rocks, but will run for shelter when they sense danger. They are often hunted by jackals, lions, and eagles.”
• In Unit 3 Week 2, Enrichment Opportunities for Gifted and Talented Students, Beyond Level, small group lessons include suggestions for additional activities to extend learning opportunities for gifted and talented students: Synthesize - “Challenge children to think about how trees are important to people and animals. Have them use the selections they read to support their responses.”  Extend - “Have children use facts they learned from the week or do additional research to find out more about trees.”
• In Unit 4, Week 4, Day 1, Whole Group, Writing Process: Revise and Edit, Teach in Small Groups (sidebar) - Recommendations to the teacher to address specific skills in a small group to students state, “You may choose to work with a small group of children who need support with the following: features of the genre, including key details; grammar skill; writing trait.” Students edit and proofread their work, and work in pairs to peer edit and use their Writer’s Checklist. The following scaffolds are provided for ELL students in each level, for example:
• "Beginning: Have children read the first sentence of their poems. Write the verbs on the board in two columns as present or past tense to create a verb word bank. For each sentence, ask: Is this sentence talking about past or present? Have children check if the verb matches the tense needed, using the word bank and your assistance as needed.
• Intermediate: Guide children to edit their poems for verb tense by asking: Did you use present tense verbs to talk about things that are happening now? Did you use past tense verbs to talk about things that have already happened? Have children review each sentence to find the verb and check the tense.
• Advanced/Advanced High: After children edit their poems for correct verb tense, work together to brainstorm a list of adverbs that tell when something happens."
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Day 2, Approaching Level students read the leveled reader, My Garden. The teacher also follows the routine, phoneme isolation for Tier 2 students, which is, I Do, We Do, You Do. The teacher displays the photo card and emphasizes the initial sound, then children repeat. The teacher gives other words for children to find the beginning sound. It states that teachers should also refer to the Language Transfers Handbook for the sounds that may not be present in the child’s native language. On Level students read My Garden, and the teacher demonstrates phoneme blending using the I Do, We Do, You Do method of instruction. The teacher models how to blend the word hat. Students practice blending other words using the given photo cards. Advanced students read The Mystery Seeds and respond to the text questions, “Who are the main characters in the story? What does the girl do to help her seeds grow?” Advanced students also practice the fluency skill of accuracy with the leveled reader.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria 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.

Grade 1 materials provide opportunities for all students to engage with grade-level text. Sidebar supports are provided to ensure that students are supported during lessons. ELL scaffolding and support is provided throughout all the units. Lessons also provide additional instruction on new skills at the end of each unit for small group work, reteaching, and differentiated instruction. 

Examples include, but are not limited to: 

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Literature Big Book, Cool Dog, School Dog by Deborah Heiligman, ELL Spotlight on Language, Strategy: Visualize, the teacher displays pages 4 and 5 of the story and reads the text aloud. The teacher slowly repeats the phrase, “a sun dog, a run-and-run-and-run dog.”  The children repeat the text. The teacher then explains “that the author uses the phrase “run-and-run-and-run” to show how much Tinka runs.”  The teacher then asks: “How do you feel when you are outside in the sun? How do you feel when you run around? (happy, excited) Let’s look for details in the picture that help us make a picture of Tinka in our minds. Read the Big Book in Small Group For specific comprehension support in reading Cool Dog, School Dog with your ELLs.”
• In Unit 2, Week 2, Day 1, Teacher Edition, High-Frequency Words, the teacher models the meanings of the words one and three by writing the numerals 1 and 3 on the board. The teacher writes the words beneath each numeral and reads each one with the children to help them connect the word with the numeral. The teacher then erases the board and holds up the High-Frequency Word Card for one. The teacher tells students to read it silently and then raise the correct number of fingers to show the word. This is repeated for the remaining words. 
• In Unit 3, Week 5, Day 4, ELL, Whole Group,  Literature Anthology, “A Food Chart” by Author Unknown, Lexile 420L, Spotlight on Language, to support ELL students with the acquisition of language, teachers are instructed to focus on a specific word, dairy. Directions on page 102 state, “Point to the word dairy. Read it aloud and have children repeat it. Explain that dairy foods are made from milk, which comes from cows. Have children look at the chart and find the word dairy there.” This is followed by a turn and talk.
• In Unit 5, Week 3, Anchor Text, Thomas Edison, Inventor by David Adler, ELL Spotlight on Idioms, Page 206, the teacher reads the sentence with “What if….” Then the teacher explains “that this phrase means the same as ‘What would happen if….’ Ask: ‘What if you ate worms? What if you could fly?’ Children can respond: I would _____ .”

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that materials regularly include extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

Grade 1 materials provide options for extensions and more advanced opportunities. The small group/differentiated instruction section provides lessons with a leveled reader appropriate for the group’s needs. Checks for Success are present throughout each unit. The teacher is then given guidance on extensions for students who are On Level or Beyond Level. Beyond level differentiated instruction is provided for small group instruction. Sidebars are provided for Gifted and Talented Learners to further advance instruction.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 5, Day 1, The teacher introduces multiple meaning words using the gradual release method of instruction. The vocabulary words are physical and exercise. Student partners use the words physical and exercise in a sentence and choose a different meaning for the word in each sentence. For Gifted and Talented, students develop a short commercial that tells about the ways people exercise; they use different meanings for the words physical and exercise. Students also act out their commercials for the class.
• In Unit 4, Week 4, Day 1, Small Group/Differentiated Instruction, Beyond Level, Genre Passage, The Tomato Adventure by Author Unknown, Differentiate and Collaborate, teachers are provided with two extension activities to build from the reading. “Ask: What do the texts inspire you to do?” Create a New Insect: Have children use their imaginations to invent a new insect. Remind them to name their insect, draw a picture of it, and write about some of its defining features. Write a Report: Research what insects are found in your region. Have children choose two or three insects and write a brief report telling facts about the insects in your area.”
• In Unit 6, Week 2, Day 1, Teacher Edition, Checks for Success are provided, “Can children isolate /k/ and match Kk and ck? Can children recognize and read the high-frequency words?” Differentiated small group guidance is provided. For On Level students, the teacher is instructed to review pages T462-464. For Beyond Level students, the teacher is provided an extension activity on page T468.
• In Unit 8, Week 3, Teacher Edition, Track Success, Progress Monitoring, Enrichment Opportunities for Gifted and Talented Children, Beyond Level, small group lessons include suggestions for additional activities to extend learning opportunities for gifted and talented students using Leveled Readers, Comprehension, Vocabulary, Workstation Activities, and Leveled Reader Library Online.

The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the criteria that materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

Grade 1 materials provide opportunities for students to collaborate and communicate about the topic and tasks at hand. There are a wide range of whole class tasks, and there are also many opportunities for small group and partner work to help students have collaborative conversations.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Week 1, Day 2, Language Arts, Shared Writing, the whole class participates in a writing prompt responding to the question, “Which job in Good Job, Ben! would you like to have? Why?”
• In Unit 4 Week 4, Whole Group, Literature Anthology, Anchor Text, Hi! Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold. Teachers are able to group students according to their reading levels for reading groups.  Differentiated Reading, Approaching Level: Students listen to the summary in English before reading. They use the Reread prompts during Small Group time. On Level and Beyond Level: Partners complete the Reread prompts on Reading/ Writing Companion pages 120-122. English Language Learners: Before reading, beginning and early-intermediate ELLs will listen to a summary of the selection. Students meet in their groups for small group instruction.    
• In Unit 5, Week 4, Day 3, students work with a partner to orally complete each sentence stem on the Day 3, Vocabulary Practice Activity using this week’s and last week’s vocabulary words. “Have children complete Practice Book page 396.”