Kindergarten - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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 front material of the Teacher’s Edition Level K contains an overview and scope and sequence of the program, an implementation guide, and guidance on assessment, intervention and pacing. The Teacher’s Edition Level K contains six units, and each unit provides a Unit Planner with an overview of each lesson. The instructional routines are incorporated into each lesson. The instructional routines address phonemic awareness, high-frequency words, connected text for decoding practice, word analysis skills, and spelling-sound/blending exercises. With each of these instructional routines, teachers are explicitly instructed on how to present the skill. The routines are used consistently throughout the program. Online resources are matched to print resources.

Materials provide a well-defined, teacher resource with Teacher's Edition for content presentation. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, the front matter contains a scope and sequence for all concepts taught, and denotes the level where individual skills are taught. The categories of Main Skill, Word Study or Extra Focus, and Phonemic Awareness Skills repeat across all thirty lessons.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, the front matter provides an overview of each unit and how each lesson within a unit is structured for the ease of presentation.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, the front matter provides overall lesson pacing recommendations for each component of the daily lesson, as well as unit planning charts that indicate the print and instructional resources that correlate with the units.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, the front matter contains an implementation guide explaining the recurring instructional sequence of Days 1-5 of each Lesson.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, a consistent color-coded tab system identifies the lesson and day number on each page. These colors match the color-coded tabs in the Student Book.

The teacher resource contains detailed information and instructional routines that help the teacher to effectively implement all foundational skills content: phonological awareness, print concepts, letters, phonics, high frequency words, word analysis, and decoding. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, the front matter contains a high-frequency words routine explanation that tells the teacher they should implement the routine for five minutes. It states that students are introduced to the skill through Read-Spell-Write routine. The Teacher’s Edition explains how this looks throughout each day for students.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 1,Lesson 12, Day 1, Sound-Spelling routine, the teacher does the Learn and Blend, Blend it, and Corrective Feedback routine.
• In Learn and Blend, the teacher reads the action rhyme. Students repeat.
• In Blend It, the teacher guides students in saying each sound for each letter. The teacher blends the word lines and sentences. The teacher models blending the first word. Students chorally blend the remaining words.
• In Corrective Feedback, when a student makes an error, the teacher states, “My turn.” The teacher models the sound correctly. The students repeat the sound. The teacher taps under the letter and states, “What’s the sound?” Students chorally respond. The teacher goes back to the beginning of the word and states, “Let’s start over.” The teacher blends the word with the students.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 1, the Unit 1 Planner outlines the five lessons contained in the Unit and when each of the instructional routines: phonemic awareness, high-frequency words, connected text for decoding practice, dictation, word building and word study is used for instruction. For example:
• The phonemic awareness instructional routine is taught on Lessons 1-5, while high-frequency words are introduced in Lessons 2-5. A planner is provided at the beginning of each Unit to provide a broad overview of each skill that is taught within each lesson in the unit.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, lessons are divided into six units:
• Short /a/.
• Short /i/.
• Short /o/.
• Short /e/.
• Short /u/.
• Introduction to Long Vowels.

Each unit begins with a unit planner that outlines the instructional routines for skills in the following areas: phonemic awareness, high-frequency words, connected text, dictation, word building, and word study.

Technology pieces included provide support and guidance for the teacher and do not create an additional layer of complication around the materials. The online Teacher’s Edition Level K mirrors the printed Teacher's Edition. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

In Online Teacher’s Edition Level K, Lesson 3, Day 2, teachers can view an online version of the Teacher’s Edition .All parts are outlined with the same formatting as the manual.

• In Online Teacher’s Edition Level K, a stand-alone e-book can be used to teach the lesson using a tablet or iPad. This is designed to take the place of the printed Teacher’s Edition.
• In Online Teacher’s Edition Level K, the blue SadlierConnect.com symbol identifies opportunities for online instructional resources and interactive student activities.
• In Online Teacher’s Edition Level K , users access one page at a time. Lesson plans do not allow the user to move forward or backwards. Online materials do not contain a search option.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 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.

From Phonics to Reading provides brief descriptions of the foundational skills that are incorporated into the daily program instruction. There are adult level explanations for foundational skills, high-frequency words, and blending. There are detailed explanations for print concepts and alphabetic knowledge in the Teacher’s Guide to Print Concepts. There are examples of foundational skills embedded within the lesson plans and in the Wiley Blevins professional development videos. The front material of the Teacher's Edition Level K features an overview of the “Seven Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction” and of the Daily Instructional Routines. These two resources provide some adult-level explanations of the foundational skills concepts.

Examples of some detailed adult-level explanations that are provided for each foundational skill taught at the grade level include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher's Edition Level K, introductory material provides a brief description of phonemic awareness but does not provide a description of phonological awareness. The material states that a “range of subskills is taught to develop [it] with oral blending and oral segmentation having the most positive impact on reading and writing development.” No explanation of oral blending or segmentation is provided.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, the implementation guide states, “Alphabet recognition, knowing the names of the letters and sounds they represent, is an essential prerequisite for early reading success. Without a thorough knowledge of letters and an understanding that words are made up of sounds, children cannot learn to read.”
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, “Seven Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction,” it states, “The two best predictors of early reading success are phonemic awareness and alphabet recognition. Phonemic awareness is the understanding that words are made up of a series of discrete sounds (phonemes). A range of subskills is taught to develop phonemic awareness with oral blending and oral segmentation having the most positive impact on reading and writing development.”
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Alphabet Recognition, students understand the letters of the alphabet have specific shapes, orientations, names, and sounds that they represent.” The text explains that teachers need to work to ensure students understand both upper and lower case letters as well as ensuring that students can match a letter to its sound, as well as match the sound to the correct letter.

Examples of the grade level foundational skill concepts that are provided for the teacher include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Day 2, Print Concepts, students hold up their words in the sentences as the teacher says it and they repeat it, holding up a finger for each word. Then the teacher writes the sentences on the board and children count the number of words.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Lesson 6, Day 1, Oral Blending, the materials state, “Tell children they will be blending, or putting together, sounds to make words. Say the following sound sequences. Ask children to blend the sounds together to make a word: /n/ /ap/;/n/ /od/; /r/ /un/; /f/ /an/; /m/ /an/; and /p/ /en/.”
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Lesson 15, Day 2, Word Study, Double Final Consonants, the materials state, “Say the word hill and have children segment the word into individual sounds. Ask: How many sounds do you hear in word hill? That’s right, three: /h/ /i/ /l/, hill. Write the word hill. Have children chorally read the word and count the number of letters. Underline the letters ll. Say: The word hill has four letters but only three sounds. The double final consonants ll together stands for one sound, /l/. Repeat the routine with the following words: Bill, fill, miss, pass, toss.”
• In Teacher’s Guide to High Frequency Words, it explains what high frequency words are, what teachers can do in order to support the routine for students, and activities that the teacher can do to support students understanding of high frequency words, including: flashcards, build a log of cumulative sentences, play What’s Missing, and play Mix and Fix it.
• In Wiley Blevins Video, "High-Impact Routine: High-Frequency Words," examples of high-frequency words provided include: a, and, for, he, is, in, it, of, that, the, to, was, and you.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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.

From Phonics to Reading Level K materials include one hundred-fifty days of lessons to be taught over the course of the year. These lessons are arranged around thirty topics and organized into six units. The materials can adequately be taught during the course of the school year, leaving additional days for repeated lessons or missed instructional days. Lesson formats present objectives to be taught in the day’s lesson and are consistently structured for both teachers and students. Pacing guides are provided for routines used in each lesson, as well as day-to-day lesson requirements. There is research-based information supplied to users that supports the literacy instruction that was conducted by Wiley Blevins and other research that supports the scope and sequence of the lessons. There are whole-group and small-group activities, and a planning sheet is provided to assist teachers in planning activities for teacher-table interventions.

Lesson plans utilize effective, research-based lesson plan design for early literacy instruction. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher's Edition Level K, a pacing guide maps out the increments of each instructional routine based on a five-day plan.
• Day 1 is phonemic awareness, sound-spelling and high-frequency words.
• Day 2 is phonemic awareness, sound-spelling/blending, high-frequency words, read-connected text, print concepts, word study, and handwriting.
• Day 3 adds on dictation and word-building to phonemic awareness, sound spelling/blending, and high-frequency words.
• Day 4 focuses on a sound sort, independent practice, dictation, reading connected text, and cumulative review.
• Day 5 is phonemic awareness, sound-spelling, high-frequency words, writing extension, and cumulative assessment.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, consistent structure provides for daily sequencing of skills within the lessons, with examples specified for teacher use and a brief description of how the teacher should present the skill information. In addition, there is an estimation of how much time should be spent on that portion of the lesson.

The effective lesson design structure includes both whole group and small group instruction. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher's Edition Level K Online Resource, the online small group planner states that new teacher-table intervention groups are formed based on the fluency assessment, the letter name assessment, the letter-sound assessment, and informal assessments. The materials supply a list of skills that students are expected to learn.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 10, Day 2, it provides opportunities for both whole and small group instruction throughout the lesson. The Phonemic Awareness routine provides group instruction on segmenting words. The Sound-Spelling/Blending routine calls for peer partner practice. The Intervention Section recommends that teachers meet daily with children who are not at mastery and repeat the blending, dictation, and connected text reading pages.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Instructional Routines for Days One through Five, there are a variety of recurring whole-group instructional elements including: instruction in phonemic awareness, sound-spelling/blending, high-frequency words, reading connected text, print concepts, word study, dictation, word building, and writing.
• In Unit 4, Lesson 17, Day 5, Sound-Spelling/Blending, as part of whole group instruction, the teacher is to “Display sound-spelling cards for all the previously taught phonics skills, one at a time. Have children chorally say the sound. Mix the card set, then repeat.”
• In Teacher's Edition Level K , the “Teacher Table” boxes provide guidance for teacher-led small groups to support English learners and intervention groups.
• In Unit 6, Lesson 30, Day 1, the “Teacher Table: English Learners” instructs teachers in the area of Vocabulary, “Each day, select several words from the Blend It line in Student Book. Focus on words whose meanings can be explained or demonstrated in a concrete way. For example, show a picture of a bike and a home. Hold up five fingers then hold your hands far apart to show the meaning of wide.”

The pacing of each component of daily lesson plans is clear and appropriate. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher's Edition Level K, the Pacing Guide delineates pacing per day as well as per component. Suggested pacing for Day One routines includes:
• Phonemic Awareness (five minutes).
• Sound Spelling (ten minutes).
• High-Frequency Words (five minutes).
• In Unit 2, Lesson 6, Day 5, students work on the following:
• phonemic awareness activity (five minutes).
• sound-spelling/blending activity (ten minutes).
• high-frequency words activity( ten minutes).
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, the Pacing Guide provides guidance for lessons taught over a five-day period for Units 2-5:
• Day 1 (twenty minutes).
• Day 2 (forty minutes).
• Day 3 (thirty minutes).
• Day 4 ( forty minutes).
• Day 5 (thirty minutes).
• In Online Teacher’s Edition Level K, an alternative pacing guide for shorter work blocks is provided.

The suggested amount of time and expectations for maximum student understanding of all foundational skill content (i.e. phonological awareness, print concepts, letters, phonics, high frequency words, word analysis, and decoding) can reasonably be completed in one school year and should not require modifications. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

In Teacher's Edition Level K, one hundred-fifty lessons are provided, varying in length from twenty to forty minutes daily, and taught within the one hundred-eighty day school year. The Scope and Sequence and Implementation Guide outlines thirty lessons, consisting of five instructional days per lesson, for a total of one hundred-fifty days of instruction.

• In Teacher's Edition Level K, a "Scope and Sequence Chart" indicates that the program is made up of thirty lessons. Materials illustrate how these lessons are each taught over a five day period.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, high-frequency activities occur every day in each lesson. The high-frequency lessons happen throughout Days 1, 2, 3 and 5. There are sound-spelling and blending routine activities that students complete throughout the lessons. On Day 1, the activity is ten minutes long. On Days 2-5, the activity is five minutes long.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for scope and sequence clearly delineate the sequence in which phonological awareness skills are to be taught, with a clear, evidence-based explanation for the expected hierarchy of phonemic awareness competence.

From Phonics to Reading Level K materials feature a scope and sequence that delineates the sequence of phonological awareness skills. Within these phonological awareness skills are following phonemic awareness skills: identifying, blending, segmenting, and manipulating phonemes. Teachers are provided with regular exercises of increasing complexity that help children learn, practice, and apply phonemic awareness skills. There is a clear hierarchical sequence that is delineated and supported by an evidence-based explanation in an Instructional Guide: Phonological Awareness Scope and Sequence Rationale..

Materials contain an explanation for the expected hierarchy for teaching phonological awareness skills. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, page x, program overview, the materials state that the program and the scope and sequence for skills is designed to promote early reading and writing, based on foundational skills research and practice.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, in the author’s notes on the Seven Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction, phonemic awareness is highlighted as a critical skill for developing early literacy skills.

• In Instructional Guides, Level K, page 5, there is an explanation of, “The Simple View of Reading,” and “Scarborough’s Reading Rope,” which explains that phonics teaching alone is not enough to have students reading at grade level text.

• In Instructional Guide: Phonological Awareness Scope and Sequence Rationale, it explains “There is a progression from easier to more complex across phonological awareness task types within each grade”, and “There is a progression from larger word parts to smaller words parts within each phonological awareness task type through the grade.”

Materials contain a phonemic awareness sequence of instruction and practice based on the expected hierarchy. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, as part of the Program Overview, a Scope and Sequence Chart is provided on page xii. This chart delineates the order in which phonemic awareness skills are introduced throughout the 30 lessons, which are designed to provide instruction over the course of a 150-day program.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, page xii, there is a phonemic awareness overall category of whether during the lesson students are completing oral blending, oral segmentation activity, or rhyme and alliteration.

• In Instructional Guide: Phonological Awareness Scope and Sequence Rationale, there are five activity types listed in a progression from easiest to most complex. It lists Activity Type 1: Rhyme and Alliteration, Activity Type 2: Oddity Tasks (phoneme categorization), Activity Type 3: Oral Blending, Activity Type 4: Oral Segmentation (including counting sounds), and Activity Type 5: Phoneme Manipulation (substitution, deletion, addition).

Materials have a cohesive sequence of phonemic awareness instruction based on the expected hierarchy to build toward students’ application of the skills. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, a phonological awareness skill is introduced on one day and not practiced again until approximately five instructional days later. This pattern is repeated frequently with different skills introduced on each day of the five-day lesson and then not practiced until the following lesson. Such activities include:

  • In Teacher Edition, Level K, Unit 1, Lesson 1, students practice the following phonemic awareness skills: oral blending, clapping syllables, identifying words in a spoken sentence, and recognizing rhymes. Each one of these skills is practiced on a different day within the five day lesson.

  • In Teacher Edition, Level K, Unit 1, Lesson 2, students practice the following skills: recognizing rhyme, clapping and counting syllables, oral blending, and identifying words in a spoken sentence, according to the scope and sequence chart. Each one of these skills is practiced on a different day within the five-day lesson.

  • In Teacher Edition, Level K, Unit 1, Lesson 5, students practice the following skills: oral blending, clapping and counting syllables, isolating beginning and ending sounds, and identifying words in a spoken sentence. Each one of these skills is practiced on a different day within the five day lesson.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for 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.

From Phonics to Reading Level K materials are organized to introduce one letter and sound per lesson with some recurring instructional routines for each new letter/sound. Short vowels are introduced one at a time, one in each of the first five units. Some long vowel sounds are introduced at the end of the sixth and final unit. Students spend several weeks in each unit on some of the phonics patterns in order to ensure mastery. The scope and sequence of phonics instruction is arranged with an overview of the benefits of explicit instruction in phonics. The "From Phonics to Reading Scope and Sequence Rationale" explains why the skills are taught in the way that they are.

Materials clearly delineate a scope and sequence with a cohesive, intentional sequence of phonics instruction and practice to build toward application of skills. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, the "Scope and Sequence Chart" delineates the sequence of phonics instruction. The Scope and Sequence begins with alphabet recognition, progressing to blending words with plural nouns with -s, and double final consonants.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, the contents page informs the teacher where instruction in vowel sounds can be found:
• Short /a/ is taught in Unit 1.
• Short /i / is taught in Unit 2.
• Short /o/ is taught in Unit 3.
• Short /e/ is taught in Unit 4.
• Short /u/ is taught in Unit 5.
• Introduction to Long Vowels is taught in Unit 6.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, the program separates the introduction of sounds/letters that are potentially confusing (e.g., short /i/ and short /e/; /b/, /d/, and /p/), but there is no indication as to the rationale of sequencing these sounds/letters based on frequency of use in one and two syllable words.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, the materials contain a scope and sequence that consists of a main skill, learning the letter and sound for all twenty-six letters, including short vowel sounds.

Materials have a limited research-based explanation for the order of the phonics sequence. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, introductory overview says that From Phonics to Reading incorporates explicit, researched-based phonics instruction with lessons that embody the "Seven Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction." In the introduction to the "Seven Characteristics of Strong Phonics Instruction," the author, Blevins, refers to his work with schools, districts and publishers as general support for what he identifies as important to phonics instruction. However, the program does not provide research-based explanations that support the inclusion or order of the skills taught in the program.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, the Assessing Phonics Instruction explanation provides an overview of how phonics instruction develops strong reading skills, tracing the development from sound-symbol correspondence to automaticity.
• In "From Phonics to Reading Scope and Sequence Rationale," guiding principles are outlined. The rationale states that the principals are based on the ideas of moving from the simplest to the more complex. For example, progress from simple to more complex sounds.

Phonics instruction is based in high utility patterns and/or common phonics generalizations. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 9, Day 1, students are introduced to decoding one-syllable words by blending /f/ sound words.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 8, Day 2, the material introduces the letter c and teaches students to write upper and lower case forms, read c words in context, and reviews the -ck ending in words.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 4, Lesson 17, Day 3,students work on building and writing short /e/ words.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 5, Lesson 24, Day 4, Sound Sort, students sort words with /w/ and /kw/.

Patterns and generalizations are carefully selected to provide a meaningful and manageable number of phonics patterns and common generalizations for students to learn deeply. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 6, the unit planner states that students are introduced to and work with plural nouns with -s. In Lesson 7, students work with inflectional ending -s for verbs.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 4, the following skills are taught:
• Lesson 16, students work on blending and reading words with ending -ck.
• Lesson 17, students work on the skill of distinguishing initial and medial vowel sounds.
• Lesson 18, students are taught the phonics skill of inflectional endings -s for verbs.
• Lesson 19, students are taught about plural nouns with -s,
• Lesson 20, students work on plural nouns with -es.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 5,the following skills are taught:
• Lesson 21, students work on consonant blends.
• Lesson 22, students learn to distinguish between initial and medial vowel sounds.
• Lesson 23, students work on plural nouns with -s,
• Lesson 24, students learn inflectional ending -s for verbs.
• Lesson 25, students learn about double final consonants.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for materials include decodable texts with phonics aligned to the program’s scope and sequence.

From Phonics to Reading Level K materials include a decodable Take Home Book in each lesson. The Take Home Book begins in Lesson 2. The decodable book features words with the lesson’s targeted sound-spelling. Recurring Read Connected Text instructional routines provide the teacher with detailed lesson plans that call for repeated readings of the decodable book. Students interact with this text on Day 2, Day 4, and Day 5 of each lesson. There are multiple readings included in the lesson plans including during the week and in the Write About It section of the lesson plans. Students read decodable text that is aligned to the scope and sequence as well as to detailed lesson plans that have repeated readings of decodable texts.

Materials include decodable texts to address securing phonics. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 1, Lesson 5, Day 2, students read the connected text, "I Like," which contains decodable words such as tap, Sam, Pam.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 3, Lesson 12, Day 2, students read the connected text, "What is This?". Students read decodable words such as hop, pop, frog, mom, hot, log.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 5, Lesson 23, Day 2, students read the connected text, "What Will Jan Do?". Students read decodable words such as Jan, jog, jump.

Decodable texts contain grade-level phonics skills aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Level K Student Book, each lesson’s Take Home Book includes words that introduce practice with the lesson’s targeted sound-spelling.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 3, Lesson 11,Day 2, the Unit Planner states that the target objective of lesson is /h/. Students read the decodable text "Hat."
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 4, Lesson 19, Day 2, the target skill is /w/. Students read the text, "We Will Win!"
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 6, Lesson 26, Day 2, the target objective is short vowel sounds, students read the book, "Zig, Zag, Buzz."

Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing phonics skills. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, each lesson contains three days of practice reading the lesson’s decodable text:
• Day 2, the teacher guides students through a first read of the story .
• Day 4, the teacher guides students through a second read.
• Day 5, students read the book independently.

For the first and second read, the materials provide detailed lesson plans that guide the teacher through the process.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Day 4, students read the decodable text, "Big and Little." The teacher guides students through a second read of the text. Students whisper-read the text to a partner, and the teacher circulates and provides corrective feedback.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 3, Lesson 15, Day 4, students read the decodable text, "Up and Down." Students whisper-read it for a second read. The teacher circulates, listens and gives feedback.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 5, Lesson 24, Day 5, Write About It directions tell students to read the text again, draw a picture, and then write about the text.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for materials include decodable texts with high-frequency words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence.

From Phonics to Reading Level K materials include a decodable Take Home Book in each lesson, beginning in Lesson 2 that includes each lesson’s targeted high-frequency words. Recurring Read Connected Text instructional routines provides the teacher with detailed lesson plans that call for repeated readings of the decodable book. Students interact with this text on Days 2, 4, and 5 of each lesson. There are opportunities for the students to re-read the text, and the text aligns with the scope and sequence that is on the planner pages.

Materials include decodable texts that utilize high-frequency/irregularly spelled words. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 2, students read the text "I Can," which includes I and can, the high-frequency words for that lesson.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 3, Lesson 13, Day 2, the students learn the high-frequency words are, and, and under. Students read the decodable text "Uh-Oh!", which contains the high-frequency words and and under.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 5, Lesson 17, Day 2, students learn the high-frequency words they and make. Students read the decodable text "Ten Little Men," which contains the high-frequency words make and they.

Decodable texts contain grade-level high-frequency/irregularly spelled words aligned to the program’s scope and sequence. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Student Book Level K, each lesson’s decodable Take Home book contains the lesson’s newly-taught high-frequency words.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 6, students learn the high-frequency words is and it. The students read the text, "What is it?" which contains the words is and it.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 4, Lesson 19, students learn the high-frequency words we and play. On Day 2, students read the text, "We Will Win," which has high-frequency words we and play.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 5 planner, Lesson 25, it states that students should learn the high-frequency words all and read. On Day 2, students read the decodable text "Yes!", which has decodable text with the high-frequency words read and all.

Materials include detailed lesson plans for repeated readings of decodable texts to address securing high-frequency words/irregularly spelled words in context. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, each lesson contains three days of practice reading the lesson’s decodable text.
• Day 2, the teacher guides students through a first read of the story.
• Day 4, teachers guide students through a second read.
• Day 5, students read the book independently.

For the first and second read, the materials provide detailed lesson plans that guide the teacher through the process.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Day 4, in each lesson the Independent/Partner Work box instructs teacher to have students reread the lesson’s decodable book and to list any words with which they struggle. The materials instruct teachers to review these words with children.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 1, Lesson 3, Day 4, students re-read the text "Sam" . The text contains the high-frequency words I and see.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 8, Day 4, students reread the text "Good Cat," which contains the high-frequency words is and good.
• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 4, Lesson 16, Day 5, Write About It activity, students reread the text "Kim," which contains the high-frequency words she and her.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten meet the criteria for materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that measure student progress through mastery of print concepts (Kindergarten-Grade 1), letter recognition (Kindergarten only), and printing letters (as indicated by the program scope and sequence) (Kindergarten-Grade 1).

From Phonics to Reading Assessments occur on Day 5 of each of the thirty lessons within the program. The program recommends that, due to time constraints, teachers only assess a small group of students with the goal of cycling through all the students every three to four weeks. Students are assessed on both accuracy and fluency related to letter/sound identification, as well as word reading tasks related to sound-spelling/blending exercises. However, these regular assessments do not address the mastery of print concepts that are taught throughout the program. Assessments include a writing assessment that is given three times a year, beginning, middle, and end. The guidance is given to teachers that if students miss three or more letters when writing based on writing samples that the teacher should pull a small group, model, and reteach. There is a systems routine in place to reteach writing.

Materials provide some assessment opportunities over the course of the year to demonstrate students’ progress toward mastery and independence of print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Unit 1, Lesson 2, Day 1, the teacher sings the “Alphabet Song,” pointing to each letter on an alphabet strip, chart, or wall frieze. The teacher repeats with students singing along. The teacher randomly points to letters for students to name.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Units 3-6, teachers use the Letter-Name and Letter-Sound Assessments to assess mastery of letter recognition.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Unit 1, the “Teacher Table: Assessment” box states, “You may want to also check on children’s growing ability to name and write letters of the alphabet,” and provides instructions.
• In Letter Formation Assessment there is a writing assessment that is given to students three times a year to students, and addresses the student's ability to write upper and lower case letters. The teacher circles on the chart which the student writes inconsistently. The teacher uses three writing samples from the student in order to assess this component. It is recommended to do this assessment at the beginning, middle and end of the school year. The next steps pull students into a small group, model how to write each letter the students missed, trace the letter, and then have students practice writing it on paper. Then they recommend students copy and write five to seven words containing the letters.

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with some information concerning students’ current skills/level of understanding of print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher's Edition Level K, page xxiv, introductory materials provide a sample of the letter name and letter sound assessment. “When assessing children’s knowledge of the alphabet, you need to assess both the letter names and letter sounds. In addition, you also need to assess both accuracy and speed. The Letter-Name Assessment is for monitoring children’s mastery of uppercase and lowercase letters.”
• In Instructional Guides Level K, Phonics Assessment, an explanation of why concepts of print, and phonological awareness are important to assess is provided. Under the heading Concept of Print, the importance of students being able to read from left to right, and top-to-bottom is stated.
• In Assessment, Level K, Letter Name Assessments recommends that the teacher assess students three times a year. It is suggested when scoring the assessment, to focus on those letter name/sounds where student made three or more errors.

Materials provide limited support to teachers with instructional suggestions for assessment-based steps to help students to progress toward mastery in print concepts, letter recognition, and letter formation. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 9, Day 5, Cumulative Assessment recommends that teachers “use the Small Group Planners to modify the Teacher Table small group instruction and practice in the upcoming weeks.” These small group instruction interventions are recommendations that are included at the end of several lessons each week.
• In Teacher's Edition Level K, Unit 1 , "Intervention” boxes address letter formation but are not assessment-based.
• In Letter Name/Letter Sound Assessments, Level K, recommends that the teacher provide future instruction on those letters where students made three or more errors.

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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.

From Phonics to Reading Level K materials include a vocabulary acquisition routine at the beginning of each lesson that is aimed at English Learners. The strategy focuses on concrete demonstrations of vocabulary words. Opportunities for reteaching are limited. There is an explanation of the skills that the teacher should address with these students. In each of the thirty lessons, on Day 1 there are suggestions for English Learners in the areas of Sound Transfer and Vocabulary. There is an additional instructional guide about English Learner Supports. It includes information about routines, English Learner Support, and examples. It also provides EL supports in each lesson for Vocabulary Focus and Writing Extension.

Materials provide support for ELL students. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 6, Day 1, page 79, there is a section called Teacher’s Table - English Learners. The Teacher’s Edition describes how the /n/ sound and spelling transfers in Spanish, Vietnamese, and Hmong. The teacher is told to focus on articulation by modeling the correct position of the mouth to say the letter n. The students are encouraged to practice pressing their tongues against the upper gums and feel the vibration of the nasal sound.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 2, Lesson 7, Day 1, page 91, the Teacher Table - English Learners box instructs the teacher to focus on words whose meanings can be demonstrated concretely. The teacher is instructed to show a picture of a pin and a pit and to have students act out the word sit.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 3, Lesson 15, Day 1, page 189, in Teacher Table - English Learners, the Teacher’s Edition suggests to pick Blend It lines on page 189 of the Student Book and to focus on words whose meanings can be explained or demonstrated in a concrete way. The examples are hill and lid.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 5, Lesson 22, Day 1, page 277, in the Sound Transfer section, the Teacher’s Edition states that the sound /u/ transfers in Vietnamese and Tagalog and has an approximate transfer in Cantonese and Mandarin. The teacher is prompted to focus on articulation and mouth position.

General statements about ELL students or few strategies note at the beginning of a unit or at one place in the teacher edition are then implemented by the materials throughout the curriculum. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, page x, there is a general statement that there is support in all 30 lessons for English Language Learners.

  • “provides teachers with thirty weeks of instruction, lesson support for English Learners, homework suggestions, and learning center activities.”

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, xv, there is an example of the Teacher’s Table - English Learners section on Day 1 of all 30 lessons with two sections, Sound Transfer and Vocabulary.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, page xxii, in Teacher’s Table - English Learners, the Teacher’s Edition explains that some children may have trouble pronouncing some sounds in English and understanding their meanings. It says that some languages do not have words with consonant blends. “Time must also be spent discussing the meanings of the lesson’s words through simple definitions (including in both languages), actions, pantomiming, and so on.”

  • In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 5, Lesson 22, Day 1, page 277, the Teacher Table - English Learners box instructs the teacher to focus on words whose meanings can be demonstrated concretely. The teacher is instructed to show a picture of a bus and the sun to act out the words run and cut.

• In the Instructional Guides: English Learner Supports, Level K English Learner Supports, for Lesson 6, it includes for Vocabulary Focus: “Preteach the name of the picture cards for the Sound Sort. Preteach the names for the pictured items on the Trace and Write page. Other pie, pan, shadow, guess.

• In the Instructional Guides: English Learner Supports, Level K English Learner Supports, for Lesson 24, it includes Sentence Starters: “The ____ runs in the maze. The ____ runs _____.”

The materials reviewed for Kindergarten 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.

From Phonics to Reading Level K materials include opportunities for small group reteaching of foundational skills. Three exercises in each lesson call for reteaching of specific exercises for students who are struggling with foundational skills; the materials provide explicit instruction for reteaching steps in the two reteaching exercises that occur with pages within the same lesson. There are lessons for the teacher to use when reteaching students who are struggling or reteaching students who did not master the content the previous day.

Materials provide opportunities for small group reteaching. Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Day 2 of each lesson includes Teacher Table - Intervention instructions to Address Learning Gaps. The teacher is instructed to meet with students each day to repeat blending, dictation and connected text pages from previously-taught lessons based on weekly assessment data.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 3, Lesson 15, Day 3, page 195, the Teacher Table - Intervention box instructs the teacher to repeat the Think and Write activity with children who struggle. The teacher is provided explicit instructions to use sound boxes and counters to model stretching the word, then model connecting each sound with a spelling. The teacher guides children to orally segment the words and replace each counter with a spelling.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 4, Lesson 17, Day 2, page 219, in the Teacher Table - Intervention, the teacher says the word. Children repeat the word and say the beginning vowel sound. The teacher has the children repeat the word as they write it. The teacher connects the beginning vowel sound to the letter i. The teacher repeats with the beginning, or middle vowel sound: pin, am, rap, Ed, met.

• In Teacher’s Edition Level K, Unit 5, Lesson 23, Day 4, page 297, the teacher repeats the Listen and Spell activity on the Student Book page 294 with students who struggled.

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.

• In the Phonics Instructional Guide: Multiple Tiers for Success, it states that students who are a Tier 3 student may need a specially designed intervention program to meet their needs.

• In the Phonics Instructional Guide: Multiple Tiers for Success: Tier 2, subheading it says to provide the instruction from the small-group instruction suggested activity that is in each week’s lesson.

• In the Phonics Instructional Guide: Multiple Tiers for Success: Tier 2 and 3 heading it suggests having students use online stories for students to listen to, during the blending exercises have students only be accountable for a couple of the blending lines instead of all. Then it further suggests to have students work on blending lines, dictation, word building, and reading of the decodable stories and writing about them.

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

From Phonics to Reading Level K materials offer opportunities for students with above grade level skills to engage with grade-level foundational skills at a greater level of depth or challenge. In the Instructional Guide: Above Level Student Supports, a table lists per lesson ways to challenge above level students. The teacher is prompted in the Multiple Tiers for Success document to have students above level read the challenge lines. The program does mention that the teacher should teach according to the students’ needs in the classroom, and in the Instructional Guides: Multiple Tiers for Success, it suggests that the teacher assess students using the Comprehensive phonics screener, and the Phonemic Awareness assessment in order to determine where to place students on the phonics continuum and do those lessons during small group.

Materials provide opportunities for advanced students to investigate grade-level foundational skills at a greater depth.

• In the Multiple Tiers for Success, page 6 it says that students who are above - level should be presented with the challenge lines on the learn and blend activity.

• In the Multiple Tiers for Success, page 8, it says to be sure to assess students using the Comprehensive phonics survey, and the Phonemic Awareness Assessment in order to determine if students should be moved ahead. It says for above level students place them further along the scope and sequence and begin instruction there during small-group time. Then it suggests, to only have students read the decodable on the first day, but not reread text and instead have them work on more complex skills.

• In the “Instructional Guide: Above Level Student Supports”, in Lesson 10, for Word Building, it recommends, “Add the following words to TRACE, WRITE, AND BUILD: mad, dog.”

• In the “Instructional Guide: Above Level Student Supports”, in Lesson 21, for Word Sort, it recommends, “Conduct a Word Sort with these words: van, pan, ran, vet, wet, get.”