Program Information
- ISBN
- 9798902051275
- Technical Specifications: Checklist
- Tech Specs: Checklist (pdf 528.62 KB)
- Technical Specifications: Professional Development
- Tech Specs: Professional Development (pdf 201.28 KB)
Amplify Texas ELAR 2nd Edition, Grade 3
ELAR Grade 3
IMRA 2026
Publisher: Amplify Education, Inc.
Copyright: 2027
Series includes:
Rubric: ELAR K–3 | 2025 (Download Not Available)
* Some programs submit evidence for only part of a standard, while others submit all sections. A 100% score means this program met all the expectations it submitted.
Quality Review
Standards Alignment
Rubric Section
| Grade | TEKS % | ELPS % |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 100% | 100% |
Criteria for Quality
Rubric Section 1
Intentional Instructional Design
Total
100% (24 out of 24 points)
Evaluation for 1.1a
The materials include a comprehensive Scope and Sequence through the Grade 3 Curriculum Map, which organizes instruction across units 1–10 and identifies instructional pacing, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS), and learning outcomes for each unit. Sections labeled “TEKS Instructed,” “ELPS,” and “Learning Outcomes” identify the standards and concepts taught throughout the course. For example, unit 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows,” includes TEKS 3.1A, 3.1B, 3.1C, and 3.1D alongside ELPS 1.B, 2.B, and 3.A with learning outcomes focused on character development, themes, and narrative perspectives.
The materials also include a Scope and Sequence outlining the TEKS and concepts taught throughout the course. For example, the Grade 3 Curriculum Map identifies instructional pacing, learning objectives, unit lessons, and pausing points for each unit. In unit 3, students study the human body through activities such as completing a Know–Wonder–Learn (KWL) chart, developing content vocabulary, and demonstrating understanding of body systems and related concepts.
Evaluation for 1.1b
The materials suggest pacing guidance through the grade 3 Pacing Guide, which sequences instructional units, pausing points, and assessment windows across the instructional year. The pacing materials identify instructional lesson days, assessment opportunities, and unit pacing throughout the course. For example, unit 2, “Animal Classification,” includes instructional lesson days for core instruction; pausing-point days that provide opportunities for review, remediation, or enrichment; and assessment days used to gather information about student performance.
The “Pacing for Alternate-Year Calendars” section of the K–5 User Guide provides guidance and recommendations for both 165-day and 215-day instructional calendars. Recommendations include condensing pausing points, modifying assessments, and extending instructional opportunities while maintaining alignment with the course Scope and Sequence.
Evaluation for 1.1c
The K–5 Program Overview explains the rationale behind the unit order for grade 3. The overview states that units are “purposefully sequenced to build on students’ knowledge of both the TEKS and the content.” The overview also clarifies that each unit introduction identifies connections to past and future units to support coherent instructional progression across the course. For example, the “Making Connections Year by Year” section illustrates how concepts develop across grade levels, progressing from “Stories” in kindergarten to “Fables and Stories” in grade 1, “Stories from Mount Olympus” in grade 2, and “Classic Tales” in grade 3.
The K–5 Program Overview includes the subsection “Making Connections Year by Year,” which identifies instructional topics across grade levels and explains how concepts build throughout the course. Unit introductions also identify connections to previously taught content and upcoming units. For example, students move from studying classic tales in unit 1 to informational texts in unit 2 and content-based topics such as the human body in unit 3, expanding literacy skills across multiple genres and content areas.
Evaluation for 1.1d
The K–5 Unit and Domain Internalization Tool provides protocols with corresponding guidance for internalizing units for grade 3. This resource includes structured planning questions related to foundational skills, instructional considerations, misconceptions, resources, and connections across units. For example, this resource contains guiding questions such as “What additional materials are needed for the implementation of this domain/unit?” The materials direct educators to review additional resources and pausing-point activities (including opportunities for remediation, additional practice, and enrichment) prior to implementation.
The K–5 Lesson Internalization Tool also helps educators review lesson objectives, formative assessments, lesson segments, engagement strategies, and possible misconceptions before starting instruction. For example, the tool prompts educators to consider potential student misconceptions and review instructional supports and lesson resources before implementation.
Evaluation for 1.1e
The K–5 Program Overview for Leaders provides implementation planning tools, leadership guidance, and resources related to instructional delivery, pacing, coherence, and adapting instruction for grade 3. For example, the “Implementation Matrix” directs leaders to “Explain the importance of teaching lessons in order” and “Monitor yearlong plans to ensure proper pacing.” The “Implementation Matrix” identifies stages of implementation (including the Foundation, Initial Implementation, Full Operation, and Innovation) and provides guidance related to integrating literacy instruction with other content areas.
The materials also offer guidance for instructional leaders in the K–5 Observation Tracker. This resource provides implementation look-fors related to instructional delivery, engagement, pacing, and classroom procedures. For example, instructional leaders may use the tracker to monitor implementation of lesson routines, pacing expectations, and student engagement during instruction.
Evaluation for 1.2a
The grade 3 materials provide a Teacher Guide for each unit that includes comprehensive unit overviews, background content knowledge, and academic vocabulary related to unit concepts. For example, in unit 2, “Animal Classification,” the introduction to the Teacher Guide contains sections titled “What Students Have Already Learned,” “What Students Will Learn,” “Core Vocabulary,” and “Instructional Resources.” The introduction explains that students study the characteristics of living things, classification systems, and scientific vocabulary through read-alouds, discussions, and related activities.
The materials also provide academic vocabulary through the K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide. For example, unit 4, “Ancient Rome” identifies tier-two vocabulary such as complex and army, tier-three vocabulary related to Roman civilization such as aqueduct, and expressions including “all roads lead to Rome” and “cross the Rubicon.” The guide categorizes vocabulary by type and connects terms to the content taught within the unit.
Evaluation for 1.2b
The materials provide families with support in both English and Spanish through the Caregiver Support Letter set. These resources offer information about unit content and suggest ways to enable student learning at home. For example, the unit 4 caregiver letter explains that students will learn about Roman geography, government, monuments, leaders, and historical events while participating in discussions, reading activities, and writing tasks connected to the unit. The letter also offers suggestions that families can use to reinforce learning outside of school.
The materials also include family supports in both English and Spanish through “Take-Home” letters included in the Skills Activity Books. For example, skills units contain “Take-Home Activity” pages that reinforce spelling patterns, vocabulary development, reading fluency, grammar, and writing skills taught during instruction. Printed Activity Books include English versions, while Spanish versions are available digitally within each skills unit folder.
Evaluation for 1.3a
The materials provide comprehensive, structured, and detailed lesson plans, as demonstrated in unit 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows,” lesson 1. The lesson covers TEKS and ELPS alignment, the lesson objectives, required materials, “Lesson at a Glance,” “Introducing the Read-Aloud,” “Discussing the Read-Aloud,” and opportunities for formative assessment. Students listen to and discuss selections from The Wind in the Willows, respond to text-dependent questions, and participate in activities aligned with the lesson objectives.
The materials also provide comprehensive lesson plans aligned with the TEKS and the ELPS. For example, the Teacher Guide for unit 4, “Ancient Rome,” lesson 1 contains lesson objectives, discussion prompts, read-aloud activities, vocabulary instruction, collaborative learning opportunities, and writing tasks aligned with lesson expectations. Students engage in speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities connected to the lesson focus and the standards identified within the lesson.
Evaluation for 1.3b
The materials contain lesson overviews that identify educator as well as student materials and suggest timing for lesson components. For example, the “Lesson at a Glance” section in the skills lessons identifies required materials, including “Activity Pages,” Digital Components, and instructional resources associated with lesson activities. The overview suggests timing for lesson components and outlines the sequence of instruction across the lesson.
The materials suggest timing for lesson components through the “Lesson at a Glance” section. For example, in grade 2, unit 5, lesson 7, “What Is Color?”, the lesson overview identifies the required educator and student materials and allocates instructional time across the literacy block, including a 45-minute reading block, 20 minutes of writing, 30 minutes of speaking and listening, and 25 minutes of language instruction. The overview also identifies the materials needed for each component, supporting educators in organizing instruction, managing pacing, and effectively implementing all aspects of the lesson.
Evaluation for 1.3c
The materials provide guidance for extended practice activities through the “Pausing Point” and “Culminating Activities” sections embedded within units. For example, in unit 2, “Pausing Point 1” contains activities such as creating a bulletin board for animal groups, reviewing content vocabulary, revisiting key concepts, and participating in additional discussions connected to the unit. These activities give students opportunities to extend and apply learning related to unit content.
The materials also provide guidance for extended practice through “Take-Home” activities and “Additional Support” sections included in skills lessons. For example, skills lessons provide activities focused on spelling patterns, r-controlled syllables, reading fluency, and writing practice. The Teacher Guide directs educators to assign these activities following instruction to reinforce literacy skills taught during the lessons.
1.1 Course-Level Design
1.1a
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining the TEKS, ELPS, and concepts taught in the course.
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining the TEKS, ELPS, and concepts taught in the course.
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 1.1a
Evaluation for 1.1a
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining the TEKS, ELPS, and concepts taught in the course.
3 out of 3 points
The materials also include a Scope and Sequence outlining the TEKS and concepts taught throughout the course. For example, the Grade 3 Curriculum Map identifies instructional pacing, learning objectives, unit lessons, and pausing points for each unit. In unit 3, students study the human body through activities such as completing a Know–Wonder–Learn (KWL) chart, developing content vocabulary, and demonstrating understanding of body systems and related concepts.
1.1b
Materials include suggested pacing (pacing guide/calendar) to support effective implementation for various instructional calendars (e.g., varying numbers of instructional days-165, 180, 210)
Materials include suggested pacing (pacing guide/calendar) to support effective implementation for various instructional calendars (e.g., varying numbers of instructional days-165, 180, 210)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 1.1b
Evaluation for 1.1b
Materials include suggested pacing (pacing guide/calendar) to support effective implementation for various instructional calendars (e.g., varying numbers of instructional days-165, 180, 210)
2 out of 2 points
The “Pacing for Alternate-Year Calendars” section of the K–5 User Guide provides guidance and recommendations for both 165-day and 215-day instructional calendars. Recommendations include condensing pausing points, modifying assessments, and extending instructional opportunities while maintaining alignment with the course Scope and Sequence.
1.1c
Materials include an explanation for the rationale of unit order as well as how concepts to be learned connect throughout the course.
Materials include an explanation for the rationale of unit order as well as how concepts to be learned connect throughout the course.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 1.1c
Evaluation for 1.1c
Materials include an explanation for the rationale of unit order as well as how concepts to be learned connect throughout the course.
2 out of 2 points
The K–5 Program Overview includes the subsection “Making Connections Year by Year,” which identifies instructional topics across grade levels and explains how concepts build throughout the course. Unit introductions also identify connections to previously taught content and upcoming units. For example, students move from studying classic tales in unit 1 to informational texts in unit 2 and content-based topics such as the human body in unit 3, expanding literacy skills across multiple genres and content areas.
1.1d
Materials include protocols with corresponding guidance for unit and lesson internalization.
Materials include protocols with corresponding guidance for unit and lesson internalization.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 1.1d
Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include protocols with corresponding guidance for unit and lesson internalization.
2 out of 2 points
The K–5 Lesson Internalization Tool also helps educators review lesson objectives, formative assessments, lesson segments, engagement strategies, and possible misconceptions before starting instruction. For example, the tool prompts educators to consider potential student misconceptions and review instructional supports and lesson resources before implementation.
1.1e
Materials include resources and guidance for instructional leaders to support teachers with implementing the materials as designed.
Materials include resources and guidance for instructional leaders to support teachers with implementing the materials as designed.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 1.1e
Evaluation for 1.1e
Materials include resources and guidance for instructional leaders to support teachers with implementing the materials as designed.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also offer guidance for instructional leaders in the K–5 Observation Tracker. This resource provides implementation look-fors related to instructional delivery, engagement, pacing, and classroom procedures. For example, instructional leaders may use the tracker to monitor implementation of lesson routines, pacing expectations, and student engagement during instruction.
1.2 Unit-Level Design
1.2a
Materials include comprehensive unit overviews that provide the background content knowledge and academic vocabulary necessary to effectively teach the concepts in the unit.
Materials include comprehensive unit overviews that provide the background content knowledge and academic vocabulary necessary to effectively teach the concepts in the unit.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 1.2a
Evaluation for 1.2a
Materials include comprehensive unit overviews that provide the background content knowledge and academic vocabulary necessary to effectively teach the concepts in the unit.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide academic vocabulary through the K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide. For example, unit 4, “Ancient Rome” identifies tier-two vocabulary such as complex and army, tier-three vocabulary related to Roman civilization such as aqueduct, and expressions including “all roads lead to Rome” and “cross the Rubicon.” The guide categorizes vocabulary by type and connects terms to the content taught within the unit.
1.2b
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English for each unit with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English for each unit with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 1.2b
Evaluation for 1.2b
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English for each unit with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also include family supports in both English and Spanish through “Take-Home” letters included in the Skills Activity Books. For example, skills units contain “Take-Home Activity” pages that reinforce spelling patterns, vocabulary development, reading fluency, grammar, and writing skills taught during instruction. Printed Activity Books include English versions, while Spanish versions are available digitally within each skills unit folder.
1.3 Lesson-Level Design
1.3a
Materials include comprehensive, structured, detailed lesson plans that include daily objectives, questions, tasks, materials, and instructional assessments required to meet the content and language standards of the lesson (aligned with the TEKS and the ELPS).
Materials include comprehensive, structured, detailed lesson plans that include daily objectives, questions, tasks, materials, and instructional assessments required to meet the content and language standards of the lesson (aligned with the TEKS and the ELPS).
5 out of 5 points
Evaluation for 1.3a
Evaluation for 1.3a
Materials include comprehensive, structured, detailed lesson plans that include daily objectives, questions, tasks, materials, and instructional assessments required to meet the content and language standards of the lesson (aligned with the TEKS and the ELPS).
5 out of 5 points
The materials also provide comprehensive lesson plans aligned with the TEKS and the ELPS. For example, the Teacher Guide for unit 4, “Ancient Rome,” lesson 1 contains lesson objectives, discussion prompts, read-aloud activities, vocabulary instruction, collaborative learning opportunities, and writing tasks aligned with lesson expectations. Students engage in speaking, listening, reading, and writing activities connected to the lesson focus and the standards identified within the lesson.
1.3b
Materials include a lesson overview listing the teacher and student materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson, and the suggested timing for each lesson component.
Materials include a lesson overview listing the teacher and student materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson, and the suggested timing for each lesson component.
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 1.3b
Evaluation for 1.3b
Materials include a lesson overview listing the teacher and student materials necessary to effectively deliver the lesson, and the suggested timing for each lesson component.
3 out of 3 points
The materials suggest timing for lesson components through the “Lesson at a Glance” section. For example, in grade 2, unit 5, lesson 7, “What Is Color?”, the lesson overview identifies the required educator and student materials and allocates instructional time across the literacy block, including a 45-minute reading block, 20 minutes of writing, 30 minutes of speaking and listening, and 25 minutes of language instruction. The overview also identifies the materials needed for each component, supporting educators in organizing instruction, managing pacing, and effectively implementing all aspects of the lesson.
1.3c
Materials include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice (e.g., homework, extension, enrichment).
Materials include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice (e.g., homework, extension, enrichment).
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 1.3c
Evaluation for 1.3c
Materials include guidance on the effective use of lesson materials for extended practice (e.g., homework, extension, enrichment).
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide guidance for extended practice through “Take-Home” activities and “Additional Support” sections included in skills lessons. For example, skills lessons provide activities focused on spelling patterns, r-controlled syllables, reading fluency, and writing practice. The Teacher Guide directs educators to assign these activities following instruction to reinforce literacy skills taught during the lessons.
Rubric Section 2
Progress Monitoring
Materials support educators in effective implementation through frequent, strategic opportunities to monitor and respond to student progress.
Total
100% (18 out of 18 points)
Evaluation for 2.1a
The grade 3 materials provide a variety of instructional assessments at the unit and lesson levels, including diagnostic, formative, and summative measures. For example, skills 1 includes beginning-of-year and placement assessments that measure students’ knowledge of decoding, spelling patterns, fluency, and foundational literacy skills. The materials also provide formative assessments, which are embedded throughout the lessons, and student performance assessments, which educators administer at the end of instructional sequences. The “Unit and Lesson Features” section identifies assessments used across the unit.
The materials provide multiple opportunities for assessment within the lessons to measure student understanding of literacy concepts taught during instruction. For example, knowledge lessons contain text-dependent discussion questions, oral responses, observation opportunities, and independent practice activities connected to the lesson objectives. Assessment opportunities also include exit tasks and student performance assessments that require students to demonstrate mastery of taught skills and concepts.
Evaluation for 2.1b
The grade 3 materials provide the definitions of, and intended purposes for, instructional assessments through the K–5 Assessment Guide. The guide describes the assessment types used throughout the program, including placement, formative, domain, and student performance assessments. The section “How Data Are Used” explains how educators may review assessment information in order to monitor student performance and progress across the year.
The materials also clarify how to use assessment information within the assessment section of the K–5 User Guide. This resource outlines assessment formats, administration procedures, and interpretation of results. The guide provides information about reviewing assessment results, identifying student needs, and selecting instructional supports available within the materials.
Evaluation for 2.1c
The grade 3 materials explain how to administer instructional assessments. Grade-level planning documents and Teacher Guides provide specific instructions for administering skills and knowledge assessments, including preparation steps, administration procedures, required materials, and scripted directions. For example, domain assessment materials identify educator preparation requirements and include directions for administering assessment tasks.
The assessment materials also contain embedded guidance related to administering assessments and reviewing results. For example, knowledge domain assessments include administration instructions, scoring guidance, answer keys, and directions for reviewing student responses. Educators receive information related to implementing assessments and interpreting assessment results.
Evaluation for 2.1d
The grade 3 materials provide diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments aligned with the TEKS as well as the course, unit, and lesson objectives. The assessment materials identify the TEKS associated with assessment tasks, including formative, domain, and student performance assessments. For example, unit 2 domain assessments identify the TEKS aligned with sections on individual assessment.
The materials also provide lesson-level formative assessments aligned with the lesson objectives and unit goals. For example, in unit 3, “The Human Body,” lesson 1, opportunities for formative assessment appear in the “Primary Focus of the Lesson” section and align with the standards addressed during instruction. Students demonstrate understanding through discussion activities, oral responses, and lesson tasks connected to the lesson objectives.
Evaluation for 2.1e
The grade 3 materials contain TEKS-aligned assessment items at varying levels of complexity. Formative assessments include discussion questions, oral responses, and performance tasks embedded within the lessons. Complexity labels such as “literal,” “inferential,” and “evaluative” identify the type of thinking associated with assessment tasks.
The materials also provide assessments with TEKS-aligned items that increase in complexity across tasks. For example, assessments within unit 3 progress from identification and recall activities related to body systems to written responses that require students to explain concepts, describe functions, and apply content knowledge using evidence from instruction.
Evaluation for 2.2a
The materials contain instructional assessments and scoring information that provide guidance for interpreting student performance. For example, skills assessment resources include the sections “Placement Overview,” “Interpreting Assessment Scores for Placement,” and “Taking a Closer Look at Assessment Performance.” These sections offer guidance for reviewing assessment results and determining instructional placement. In addition, they include scoring information and directions for analyzing student performance.
The materials also contain scoring resources associated with instructional assessments. For example, spelling assessment resources include “Spelling Analysis Directions” and “Analysis of Student Errors.” These documents explain how to interpret student spelling errors and identify patterns in student performance. In addition, they include directions for recording and analyzing student responses.
Evaluation for 2.2b
The materials contain remediation and enrichment activities connected to assessment results. For example, in unit 2, “Animal Classification,” the remediation activities in the “Pausing Point” section include reviewing content vocabulary, revisiting lesson concepts, rereading selections, and participating in additional discussions related to animal classification. Enrichment activities include creating a bulletin board about animal groups and completing additional classification activities that extend students’ understanding of unit concepts.
The materials also explain how to review assessment results and select instructional responses. For example, skills lessons include “Additional Support” activities that allow for targeted practice aligned with the literacy skills assessed. Activities focus on spelling patterns, decoding, fluency, and vocabulary development, and provide opportunities for additional review as well as reinforcement based on student performance.
Evaluation for 2.2c
The materials contain educator-facing tools for tracking student progress and growth. Skills assessment resources include “Analysis of Student Errors” tracking tools that provide spaces for documenting student performance and identifying patterns in student errors. Educators may use these resources to record performance related to spelling, decoding, fluency, and other literacy skills taught throughout the course.
The materials also provide students with tools to monitor their own progress. The grade-level planning documents include “My Weekly Reflection,” which gives students opportunities to reflect on their learning each week. Students identify what they have learned, record areas for growth, identify skills requiring additional practice, and establish goals for future learning.
2.1 Instructional Assessments
2.1a
Materials include a variety of instructional assessments at the unit and lesson level (including diagnostic, formative, and summative) that vary in types of tasks and questions.
Materials include a variety of instructional assessments at the unit and lesson level (including diagnostic, formative, and summative) that vary in types of tasks and questions.
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 2.1a
Evaluation for 2.1a
Materials include a variety of instructional assessments at the unit and lesson level (including diagnostic, formative, and summative) that vary in types of tasks and questions.
3 out of 3 points
The materials provide multiple opportunities for assessment within the lessons to measure student understanding of literacy concepts taught during instruction. For example, knowledge lessons contain text-dependent discussion questions, oral responses, observation opportunities, and independent practice activities connected to the lesson objectives. Assessment opportunities also include exit tasks and student performance assessments that require students to demonstrate mastery of taught skills and concepts.
2.1b
Materials include the definition and intended purpose for the types of instructional assessments included.
Materials include the definition and intended purpose for the types of instructional assessments included.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 2.1b
Evaluation for 2.1b
Materials include the definition and intended purpose for the types of instructional assessments included.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also clarify how to use assessment information within the assessment section of the K–5 User Guide. This resource outlines assessment formats, administration procedures, and interpretation of results. The guide provides information about reviewing assessment results, identifying student needs, and selecting instructional supports available within the materials.
2.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.
Materials include teacher guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 2.1c
Evaluation for 2.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.
1 out of 1 points
The assessment materials also contain embedded guidance related to administering assessments and reviewing results. For example, knowledge domain assessments include administration instructions, scoring guidance, answer keys, and directions for reviewing student responses. Educators receive information related to implementing assessments and interpreting assessment results.
2.1d
Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are aligned to the TEKS and objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.
Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are aligned to the TEKS and objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.
6 out of 6 points
Evaluation for 2.1d
Evaluation for 2.1d
Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments are aligned to the TEKS and objectives of the course, unit, or lesson.
6 out of 6 points
The materials also provide lesson-level formative assessments aligned with the lesson objectives and unit goals. For example, in unit 3, “The Human Body,” lesson 1, opportunities for formative assessment appear in the “Primary Focus of the Lesson” section and align with the standards addressed during instruction. Students demonstrate understanding through discussion activities, oral responses, and lesson tasks connected to the lesson objectives.
2.1e
Instructional assessments include TEKS-aligned items at varying levels of complexity.
Instructional assessments include TEKS-aligned items at varying levels of complexity.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 2.1e
Evaluation for 2.1e
Instructional assessments include TEKS-aligned items at varying levels of complexity.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide assessments with TEKS-aligned items that increase in complexity across tasks. For example, assessments within unit 3 progress from identification and recall activities related to body systems to written responses that require students to explain concepts, describe functions, and apply content knowledge using evidence from instruction.
2.2 Data Analysis and Progress Monitoring
2.2a
Instructional assessments and scoring information provide guidance for interpreting student performance.
Instructional assessments and scoring information provide guidance for interpreting student performance.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 2.2a
Evaluation for 2.2a
Instructional assessments and scoring information provide guidance for interpreting student performance.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also contain scoring resources associated with instructional assessments. For example, spelling assessment resources include “Spelling Analysis Directions” and “Analysis of Student Errors.” These documents explain how to interpret student spelling errors and identify patterns in student performance. In addition, they include directions for recording and analyzing student responses.
2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of included tasks and activities to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.
Materials provide guidance for the use of included tasks and activities to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 2.2b
Evaluation for 2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of included tasks and activities to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also explain how to review assessment results and select instructional responses. For example, skills lessons include “Additional Support” activities that allow for targeted practice aligned with the literacy skills assessed. Activities focus on spelling patterns, decoding, fluency, and vocabulary development, and provide opportunities for additional review as well as reinforcement based on student performance.
2.2c
Materials include tools for teachers to track student progress and growth, and tools for students to track their own progress and growth.
Materials include tools for teachers to track student progress and growth, and tools for students to track their own progress and growth.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 2.2c
Evaluation for 2.2c
Materials include tools for teachers to track student progress and growth, and tools for students to track their own progress and growth.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide students with tools to monitor their own progress. The grade-level planning documents include “My Weekly Reflection,” which gives students opportunities to reflect on their learning each week. Students identify what they have learned, record areas for growth, identify skills requiring additional practice, and establish goals for future learning.
Rubric Section 3
Supports for All Learners
Materials support educators in reaching all learners through design focused on engagement, representation, and action/expression for learner variability.
Total
100% (20 out of 20 points)
Evaluation for 3.1a
The materials offer educators guidance on differentiated instruction, activities, and scaffolded lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level content and skills. For example, skills lessons include “Additional Support” activities that provide targeted instruction related to spelling patterns, decoding, fluency, and vocabulary development. In skills lessons focused on r-controlled syllables and multisyllabic words, the materials provide educators with activities that reinforce literacy skills through additional guided practice opportunities connected to the lesson objectives.
The materials also provide opportunities for reteaching and additional practice within the knowledge units. For example, in unit 2, “Animal Classification,” the “Pausing Point” section includes activities for students who need additional support with content vocabulary, animal classification concepts, and understanding informational text. The materials also contain “Support” and “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars embedded throughout knowledge and skills lessons that provide instructional scaffolds during lesson implementation.
Evaluation for 3.1b
The materials provide pre-teaching and embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary and references in the text. Lesson plans include “Core Vocabulary” and “Word Work” sections that identify words required to understand lesson texts. Educators receive guidance to introduce vocabulary, explain word meanings, provide context-based examples, and facilitate discussion related to target words.
The materials also contain embedded supports for unfamiliar references and language structures. The Teacher Guide for unit 4, “Ancient Rome” includes “Core Vocabulary” tables and associated “Word Work” activities for words introduced during read-alouds. The K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide also identifies tier-one, tier-two, and tier-three vocabulary as well as sayings and phrases such as “all roads lead to Rome” and “cross the Rubicon,” associated with the unit.
The materials also provide explicit vocabulary instruction within the lessons. For example, in unit 3, “The Human Body,” educators introduce content-specific vocabulary through explanations, context-based examples, discussion prompts, diagrams, and guided practice opportunities connected to informational texts and lesson activities.
Evaluation for 3.1c
The materials offer educators guidance on enrichment activities for students who have shown proficiency in grade-level content and skills. For example, in unit 2, “Animal Classification,” the “Pausing Point” section contains extension activities, such as creating a bulletin board about animal groups and completing additional classification tasks that allow students to apply and extend their understanding of concepts taught during the unit.
The materials also contain enrichment opportunities within other knowledge units. For example, in unit 4, “Ancient Rome,” enrichment activities provide opportunities for students to extend their understanding of Roman civilization through additional research, writing, discussion, and application activities connected to historical content.
Evaluation for 3.2a
The materials contain explicit prompts and guidance that help educators model and explain lesson concepts. For example, in unit 3, “The Human Body,” lessons include “Essential Background Information” or “Terms” sections that provide content knowledge, instructional reminders, and explanations educators can use when introducing body systems and related concepts. Educators view scripted language and receive guidance for connecting previously learned content to current instruction.
The materials also contain explicit modeling guidance within “Word Work” activities. For example, in unit 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows,” educators introduce target vocabulary by rereading sentences from the text, providing definitions, discussing context-based examples, and engaging students in guided discussions that use vocabulary words in oral responses.
Evaluation for 3.2b
The materials offer educators guidance on lesson delivery through a variety of instructional approaches. For example, in unit 7, “Astronomy,” lessons include read-alouds, whole-group discussions, visual supports, diagrams, writing activities, and opportunities for students to observe and discuss scientific concepts related to the solar system as well as space.
The materials also provide recommendations for facilitating instruction through varied grouping structures. For example, the “Lesson at a Glance” sections identify whole-group instruction, partner discussions, collaborative activities, and independent learning opportunities used throughout lesson implementation. These structures are embedded throughout the knowledge and skills lessons.
Evaluation for 3.2c
The materials contain knowledge and skills lessons with “Lesson at a Glance” tables that identify recommended teaching structures. For example, lessons identify opportunities for whole-group instruction, partner discussions, collaborative learning, and independent work across lesson activities and instructional tasks.
The materials also provide grouping recommendations within the skills lessons. Skills lessons identify teaching structures associated with lesson components and include opportunities for guided practice, collaborative learning, and independent application of literacy skills taught during instruction.
Evaluation for 3.3a
The materials offer educators guidance related to linguistic accommodations for emergent bilingual (EB) students. For example, skills lessons contain “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars that provide accommodations aligned with listening, speaking, reading, and writing expectations identified in the ELPS. The supports include sentence stems, structured discussion opportunities, visual supports, and differentiated language expectations based on student proficiency levels.
The materials also provide accommodations that support language access during instruction. Lessons include sentence frames, visual supports, opportunities for structured oral language practice, and differentiated language expectations. These supports appear across the knowledge and skills lessons and are identified through the “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars.
Evaluation for 3.3b
The materials provide implementation guidance for use within bilingual and ESL instructional settings. The K–5 User Guide contains sections related to biliteracy, bilingual education, culturally and linguistically responsive instruction, vocabulary development, family engagement, and assessment practices for multilingual learners.
The materials also provide embedded guidance for supporting bilingual learners during instruction. Knowledge and skills lessons include the “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars, which provide accommodations aligned with listening, speaking, reading, and writing expectations. These supports appear across the lessons and are differentiated according to student language proficiency level.
Evaluation for 3.3c
The materials provide embedded guidance that helps EB students build background knowledge and make cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse. For example, in unit 7, “Astronomy,” the lessons include vocabulary instruction, visual supports, diagrams, discussion opportunities, and language scaffolds that help students connect new learning to prior knowledge and experiences. Students discuss scientific concepts and use academic vocabulary during oral and written activities connected to lesson content.
The materials also provide embedded guidance that supports comprehension and the development of background knowledge. For example, in unit 3, “The Human Body,” the materials include diagrams, labeled illustrations, structured discussion prompts, vocabulary activities, and opportunities for students to examine the functions of body systems. Students discuss body systems, analyze visual representations, and engage in oral language activities connected to unit content.
Evaluation for 3.3d
This guidance does not apply because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.
3.1 Differentiation and Scaffolds
3.1a
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, activities, and paired (scaffolded) lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency on grade-level content and skills.
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, activities, and paired (scaffolded) lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency on grade-level content and skills.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 3.1a
Evaluation for 3.1a
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, activities, and paired (scaffolded) lessons for students who have not yet reached proficiency on grade-level content and skills.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide opportunities for reteaching and additional practice within the knowledge units. For example, in unit 2, “Animal Classification,” the “Pausing Point” section includes activities for students who need additional support with content vocabulary, animal classification concepts, and understanding informational text. The materials also contain “Support” and “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars embedded throughout knowledge and skills lessons that provide instructional scaffolds during lesson implementation.
3.1b
Materials include pre-teaching or embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary and references in text (e.g., figurative language, idioms, academic language). (T/S)
Materials include pre-teaching or embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary and references in text (e.g., figurative language, idioms, academic language). (T/S)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 3.1b
Evaluation for 3.1b
Materials include pre-teaching or embedded supports for unfamiliar vocabulary and references in text (e.g., figurative language, idioms, academic language). (T/S)
2 out of 2 points
The materials also contain embedded supports for unfamiliar references and language structures. The Teacher Guide for unit 4, “Ancient Rome” includes “Core Vocabulary” tables and associated “Word Work” activities for words introduced during read-alouds. The K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide also identifies tier-one, tier-two, and tier-three vocabulary as well as sayings and phrases such as “all roads lead to Rome” and “cross the Rubicon,” associated with the unit.
The materials also provide explicit vocabulary instruction within the lessons. For example, in unit 3, “The Human Body,” educators introduce content-specific vocabulary through explanations, context-based examples, discussion prompts, diagrams, and guided practice opportunities connected to informational texts and lesson activities.
3.1c
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, enrichment, and extension activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level content and skills.
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, enrichment, and extension activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level content and skills.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 3.1c
Evaluation for 3.1c
Materials include teacher guidance for differentiated instruction, enrichment, and extension activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level content and skills.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also contain enrichment opportunities within other knowledge units. For example, in unit 4, “Ancient Rome,” enrichment activities provide opportunities for students to extend their understanding of Roman civilization through additional research, writing, discussion, and application activities connected to historical content.
3.2 Instructional Methods
3.2a
Materials include explicit (direct) prompts and guidance to support the teacher in modeling and explaining the concept(s) to be learned.
Materials include explicit (direct) prompts and guidance to support the teacher in modeling and explaining the concept(s) to be learned.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 3.2a
Evaluation for 3.2a
Materials include explicit (direct) prompts and guidance to support the teacher in modeling and explaining the concept(s) to be learned.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also contain explicit modeling guidance within “Word Work” activities. For example, in unit 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows,” educators introduce target vocabulary by rereading sentences from the text, providing definitions, discussing context-based examples, and engaging students in guided discussions that use vocabulary words in oral responses.
3.2b
Materials include teacher guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.
Materials include teacher guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 3.2b
Evaluation for 3.2b
Materials include teacher guidance and recommendations for effective lesson delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide recommendations for facilitating instruction through varied grouping structures. For example, the “Lesson at a Glance” sections identify whole-group instruction, partner discussions, collaborative activities, and independent learning opportunities used throughout lesson implementation. These structures are embedded throughout the knowledge and skills lessons.
3.2c
Materials support multiple types of practice (e.g., guided, independent, collaborative) and include guidance for teachers and recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.
Materials support multiple types of practice (e.g., guided, independent, collaborative) and include guidance for teachers and recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 3.2c
Evaluation for 3.2c
Materials support multiple types of practice (e.g., guided, independent, collaborative) and include guidance for teachers and recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide grouping recommendations within the skills lessons. Skills lessons identify teaching structures associated with lesson components and include opportunities for guided practice, collaborative learning, and independent application of literacy skills taught during instruction.
3.3 Support for Emergent Bilingual Students
3.3a
Materials include teacher guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency [as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)], which are designed to engage students in using increasingly more academic language.
Materials include teacher guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency [as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)], which are designed to engage students in using increasingly more academic language.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 3.3a
Evaluation for 3.3a
Materials include teacher guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency [as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)], which are designed to engage students in using increasingly more academic language.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide accommodations that support language access during instruction. Lessons include sentence frames, visual supports, opportunities for structured oral language practice, and differentiated language expectations. These supports appear across the knowledge and skills lessons and are identified through the “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars.
3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support teachers in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.
Materials include implementation guidance to support teachers in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 3.3b
Evaluation for 3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support teachers in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual/ESL programs.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide embedded guidance for supporting bilingual learners during instruction. Knowledge and skills lessons include the “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars, which provide accommodations aligned with listening, speaking, reading, and writing expectations. These supports appear across the lessons and are differentiated according to student language proficiency level.
3.3c
Materials include embedded guidance for teachers to support emergent bilingual students in developing academic vocabulary, increasing comprehension, building background knowledge, and making cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse.
Materials include embedded guidance for teachers to support emergent bilingual students in developing academic vocabulary, increasing comprehension, building background knowledge, and making cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse.
8 out of 8 points
Evaluation for 3.3c
Evaluation for 3.3c
Materials include embedded guidance for teachers to support emergent bilingual students in developing academic vocabulary, increasing comprehension, building background knowledge, and making cross-linguistic connections through oral and written discourse.
8 out of 8 points
The materials also provide embedded guidance that supports comprehension and the development of background knowledge. For example, in unit 3, “The Human Body,” the materials include diagrams, labeled illustrations, structured discussion prompts, vocabulary activities, and opportunities for students to examine the functions of body systems. Students discuss body systems, analyze visual representations, and engage in oral language activities connected to unit content.
3.3d
If designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs, materials include resources that outline opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer from English to the partner language.
If designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs, materials include resources that outline opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer from English to the partner language.
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 3.3d
Evaluation for 3.3d
If designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs, materials include resources that outline opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer from English to the partner language.
Not applicable.
Rubric Section 4
Phonics Rule Compliance
Total
100% (31 out of 31 points)
Evaluation for 4.1a
The materials provide systematic and sequenced phonics instruction. The introduction of grade 3, skills 3 in the Teacher Guide explains the unit’s structured phonics progression, which reviews skills from the previous unit before moving on to more complex phonics patterns. For example, students review r-controlled vowels in words such as arm and curl, and soft /a/ and /ə/ spellings in words such as about and event before learning how r affects vowels and vowel teams in words such as four, chair, and clear. This guidance shows that grade 3 phonics instruction follows an intentional progression from previously taught patterns to more complex sound–spelling relationships.
The materials further demonstrate sequenced phonics instruction in the grade 3 Teacher Guide. The skills 2 introduction identifies previously taught consonant spellings scheduled for review and previews the phonics skills taught in the unit. For example, students review hard and soft /c/ and /g/ words ending in the /v/ and /j/ sounds. Next, students move on to multiple-letter spellings for vowel sounds, such as /ae/ spelled ai and ay; /ee/ spelled ee, ea, and ie; and /ue/ spelled ew and ue. This progression helps educators see how phonics instruction builds upon prior learning while extending students’ mastery of more advanced spelling patterns.
Evaluation for 4.1b
The materials provide clear, intentional, ongoing opportunities to practice phonics skills in isolation. The Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 1, “Review: Words with /ar/ > ar: Part 1” directs students to practice reading words with /ar/ in isolation from the board, including card, part, and sharp. This type of structured activity enables focused practice with the sound–spelling pattern before students apply their skills in connected reading.
The materials also provide explicit opportunities for students to apply their phonics skills in connected, decodable text. The Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 1 suggests that students apply the ar spelling pattern while reading the decodable text “Neighborhood Garden” in the Activity Book, including words in context such as smart and hardworking. The Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 7, “Review: Words with Hard and Soft g: Part 1, Phonics—Decoding” provides guidance for practicing the hard and soft /g/ sounds. Students practice these sounds before applying their skills in the connected text “How to Sketch a Giraffe.” This progression from isolated phonics practice to connected reading gives students ongoing opportunities to build automaticity and apply taught phonics skills while reading.
Evaluation for 4.2a
The materials contain daily phonics lessons with clear educator modeling of the target skill. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 3, “Read Two-Syllable VCE Words,” the educator models a think-aloud strategy for determining the correct syllable division pattern. For example, the educator uses the word decode, writes it on the board, marks the syllables with a slash, underlines the e in the first syllable, and explains that it is an open syllable pronounced /dee/. The educator then marks the VCe pattern in the second syllable and explains, “This is a VCe syllable.” This modeling helps students understand how to analyze and decode two-syllable VCe words.
The materials also provide additional modeled instruction that moves from educator demonstration to student practice. In unit 4, lesson 1, the educator explains how to decode words with -tion and divide words with the VC/CV syllable pattern. For example, the lesson clarifies that when two consonants stand between two vowels, the word is usually divided between the two consonants. Students then add the suffix -tion to the words, use them in sentences, and apply the pattern while reading the decodable text “Volcanic Eruptions,” which includes terms such as formation, evolution, eruptions, and disruption. This sequence gives students a clear process for applying modeled phonics instruction in both word-level practice and connected reading.
Evaluation for 4.2b
During guided phonics practice, the materials prompt educators to monitor student answers and respond when students need support. In the Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 1, “Divide and Read Words with the VC/CV Pattern,” the educator models how to divide words into syllables using target words such as function, section, pencil, and action. Students then complete activity page 1.1 to practice dividing words with -tion into syllables. The materials direct the educator to review student answers and provide feedback, either during the lesson or at the beginning of the next day’s lesson. This guidance helps educators use student work to address errors and reinforce the phonics skill.
The materials also provide lesson-specific support for students who need correction during word reading. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 1, “Additional Support: Tricky Words Review,” the educator guides students through blending and reading tricky words. For example, the educator says, “Now it’s your turn. When I touch the letters, you say the sounds and then read the word.” If students blend the word audition incorrectly, the educator corrects the response and prompts, “We say audition. What’s the word?” This routine gives educators specific language for correcting errors while students practice applying their phonics knowledge.
Evaluation for 4.2c
The materials give students supported practice with target phonics skills through educator-led, partner, and group routines. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 1, “Review: Words with /ar/ > ar: Part 1,” the educator models how to read words and gives students an opportunity to practice reading words. Students then work with partners to complete sentences on an activity page. Students take turns reading the completed sentences aloud and participate in a thumbs-up/thumbs-down “Check for Understanding.” This structure allows students to apply the phonics skill with peer support before demonstrating understanding.
The materials also allow for individual application after guided or shared practice. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 25, educators lead students to participate in the Word Baseball game. During this game, teams work together to decode and read aloud words with various syllable types. Within the game, each student reads words independently to advance around the baseball diamond. This sequence helps students move from supported team practice to individual application of taught phonics skills.
Evaluation for 4.3a
The materials revisit earlier phonics learning as students work with newly introduced skills. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 3, “Review: Words with /er/ > or and ar: Part 1,” educators revisit r-controlled vowel sounds with students before teaching additional spelling patterns. The educator reviews how a vowel changes when paired with r in words such as part, harp, and error. The lesson then transitions to tricky spellings of the /er/ sound using the ar spelling pattern in words such as doctor, factor, and favor. This structure helps students connect prior learning to current phonics instruction.
The materials also build review into lesson routines across the unit. In skills 1, lessons begin with phonological awareness warm-ups and then move on to review of how focus sounds are read and spelled. For example, in lesson 1, students orally review short and long vowels before completing a decoding activity with the same phonics skill. The educator writes a word such as pin on the board, and students change pin to pine by adding e to the end of the word. These routines give students repeated opportunities to strengthen earlier phonics skills as instruction becomes more complex.
Evaluation for 4.3b
The materials introduce or review the target phonics skill before students complete related practice. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 4, “Phonics—Encoding,” the educator reviews the /ue/ sound (spelled u_e) before students complete dictation practice. For example, students spell words such as perfume, volume, and excuse, which use the vowel pattern reviewed in the lesson. This sequence keeps student practice connected to the phonics skill taught or reviewed in the lesson.
The materials also provide opportunities for follow-up practice with previously taught sound–spelling patterns. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 5, “Mixed Review: Part 2,” the educator leads students through complete encoding practice with r-controlled vowels from previous lessons. For example, students write words in their “Dictation Journal,” including sharpen, sisterhood, and undershirt, which follow previously taught phonics patterns. This structure gives students opportunities to apply learned phonics skills without requiring them to use patterns that educators have not yet introduced.
Evaluation for 4.3c
The materials build review into connected reading so that students return to previously taught phonics skills while reading decodable text. The introduction to skills 1 in the Teacher Guide explains that students read three passages each week and use their learned code knowledge to segment more difficult words as they read challenging, unfamiliar words in decodable passages. This gives students practice using earlier phonics learning in connected reading.
The materials also revisit earlier sound–spelling patterns through lesson routines and decodable text practice. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 7, “Review: Words with Hard and Soft g: Part 1,” educators review hard and soft g sound–spelling patterns and then apply these patterns in connected text. The skills 2 reader includes “How to Sketch a Giraffe,” which is paired with lesson 7 and provides practice with hard as well as soft g alongside previously taught phonics patterns. These routines help students strengthen previously taught phonics skills while continuing to apply new patterns in decodable reading.
Evaluation for 4.3d
The materials return to taught phonics skills across the lessons and instructional contexts, rather than addressing them all at once. In the Teacher Guide for skills 1, lesson 5, “Phonics—Decoding,” educators revisit long and short vowels, consonant blends, and double-letter consonants. Students practice this skill through the activity page game “Shop for Spelling Words,” then apply their knowledge of blends and double-letter consonants by reading words with a partner. These repeated opportunities help students maintain and apply phonics skills after initial instruction.
The materials extend practice into reading, writing, and later review routines. In the “Reading” section of skills 1, lesson 5, students read the decodable text “Baking Cupcakes,” which includes double-letter consonant words like yummy, batter, and little. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 3, educators guide students to practice r-controlled sounds in isolation before applying the patterns in the decodable text “Exploring Different Jobs and Professions.” This recurring practice helps students build accuracy and automaticity over time.
Evaluation for 4.4a
The materials provide multiple assessment formats to help educators monitor students’ phonics and reading development. In the unit introduction, the materials describe a system that includes dictation pre-tests and post-tests, marked formative assessments, and quick “Checks for Understanding.” For example, in unit 3, lesson 1, the “Dictation Pretest” measures students’ understanding of multisyllabic words, r-controlled vowels, and words with prefixes and suffixes. Students then complete a “Dictation Post-test” with the same target words in lesson 25 to show growth across the unit. These tasks are appropriate for grade 3 because students demonstrate phonics knowledge through spelling, word analysis, and written application.
The materials also include tools that help educators record and interpret student performance. In skills 3, lesson 4, educators use the “Anecdotal Reading Record” while students read “Exploring Different Jobs and Professions” to document reading behaviors, including errors in fluency and prosody. The materials also contain a “Discussion Questions Observation Record” to assess student responses to literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension questions. These records give educators information about students’ reading accuracy, comprehension, and progress toward skill mastery.
Evaluation for 4.4b
The materials provide a phonics-specific progress monitoring tool that systematically measures students’ acquisition of grade-level phonics skills. The K–3 Phonics Progress Monitoring tool organizes sound–spelling correspondences by grade level and identifies the unit in which each skill is first introduced. The tool incorporates phonics skills aligned with the grade-level TEKS, allowing educators to monitor student performance on specific sound–spelling patterns and determine progress toward mastery throughout instruction.
The materials also provide educators with a consistent process for documenting and using progress-monitoring data. Educators may record anecdotal notes or use a coding system (such as a checkmark for “mastery,” a slash for “developing,” and a minus for “emerging”) to quickly capture student performance during lessons. The tool can be used across the year during cumulative review, pausing points, and small-group instruction to monitor growth over time. Educators can also use the collected data to identify students with similar skill-related needs and plan targeted small-group instruction. These features enable systematic and phonics-specific progress monitoring aligned with grade-level expectations.
Evaluation for 4.4c
The materials provide assessment opportunities at multiple points across the school year. The K–5 Assessment Guide and grade 3 skills materials direct educators to formally assess students at the beginning, middle, and end of the year and to use embedded assessments throughout the lessons. For example, grade 3, skills 1 includes “Checks for Understanding,” decoding or encoding formative assessments, and an end-of-unit “Dictation Post-test.” This structure gives educators recurring opportunities to review student growth over time.
The materials also include lesson-embedded tools that allow educators to collect progress information during instruction. Across grade 3 skills lessons, educators use the “Observation: Anecdotal Reading Record” to formatively assess students and document progress during instruction. The K–5 Assessment Guide states that educators can use anecdotal and observational assessments to assess student progress with grade-level reading skills and abilities (e.g., phonics, fluency, comprehension) in small-group and one-on-one settings. These tools help educators gather ongoing information that can inform instructional decisions throughout the year.
Evaluation for 4.5a
The materials provide tools that help educators organize data on individual students and use the data to plan instruction. The Teacher Guide for unit 1, lesson 6, “Dulce Domum, Part 1” provides a placement planning chart that educators can use to record student scores from comprehension questions, placement recommendations from the “Silent Reading Assessment,” placement recommendations from the “Word Reading in Isolation Assessment,” and the instructional group assigned to each student. Educators use this information to analyze individual performance, identify instructional needs, and place students in appropriate groups for targeted instruction.
The materials also contain records that help educators monitor individual progress during instruction on reading and foundational skills. In the “Teacher Resources” section, the “Anecdotal Reading Record” allows educators to document individual reading behaviors, fluency performance, decoding errors, and prosody as students read aloud. For example, the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 2, “Observation: Neighborhood Garden Anecdotal Reading Record,” instructs the educator to make notes about students’ reading, including errors in fluency or prosody. These records help educators identify patterns, monitor growth, and adjust instruction for individual students.
Evaluation for 4.5b
The materials provide tools that help educators collect classwide assessment information and identify patterns in student performance. In unit 1, lessons 6–10, the beginning-of-year assessment measures grade 3 students’ reading knowledge through a decodable text and word reading in isolation. After assessing all students, educators use the “Word Reading in Isolation Scoring” sheet to evaluate the results. The scoring sheet helps educators determine which skills (such as digraph syllables, /ar/, or vowel sounds) need remediation. This information helps educators identify classwide strengths and needs before planning instruction.
The materials also contain records that help educators organize results across students and make instructional decisions. In grade 3, unit 1, lesson 6, “Dulce Domum, Part 1,” the “Placement Planning” chart allows educators to track assessment scores from the “Silent Reading Assessment” and “Word Reading in Isolation Assessment.” Educators use the chart to determine placement, analyze patterns across the class, and plan instruction that addresses academic strengths and areas for improvement.
Evaluation for 4.5c
The materials explain how often to monitor student progress based on the level of support students need. In the K–5 Assessment Guide, the “Progress Monitoring Guidelines” chart identifies student needs, instructional grouping recommendations, suggested instructional time, and progress-monitoring frequency. For example, students performing on level are monitored at the beginning, middle, and end of the year and as needed; students requiring targeted intervention are monitored once per week in addition to benchmark assessments; and students who need intensive intervention are monitored one to two times per week in addition to beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments. This guidance helps educators adjust how often they collect progress data based on student performance.
The materials provide lesson-level routines that help educators monitor progress during instruction. In grade 3, unit 1, lesson 10, “The Further Adventures of Toad, Part 1, Assessment Analysis,” educators analyze assessment results to determine student placement and plan small-group instruction. The materials also contain “Checks for Understanding” throughout the lessons, with one or more checks included in each lesson. These routines help educators review student performance, identify strengths and needs, and adjust instruction based on progress data.
Evaluation for 4.5d
The materials explain how to use assessment information to identify students’ needs and determine next instructional steps. In grade 3, unit 1, lesson 10, “Assessment Analysis,” educators use the results from the “Silent Reading Assessment” and “Word Reading in Isolation Assessment” to group students and plan support. For example, the “Placing Students in Leveled Groups” section contains specific score ranges and instructional recommendations, such as a comprehensive review before unit 2 for students who score five or more correct on “The Bug Hunt,” zero to four correct on “The Snake,” and who meet designated criteria on the “Word Reading in Isolation Assessment.”
The materials also contain recommendations that help educators address specific skill gaps after reviewing student performance. In grade 3, unit 1, lesson 10, “The Further Adventures of Toad, Part 1, Assessment Analysis,” educators analyze assessment results to identify students’ strengths and areas for growth as well as determine placement for small-group instruction. For example, the materials suggest reviewing prerequisite skills and using grade 2 materials, when available, to address unfinished learning before students move forward.
4.1 Explicit (Direct) and Systematic Phonics Instruction
4.1a
Materials include systematic and sequenced instruction of phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills.
Materials include systematic and sequenced instruction of phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 4.1a
Evaluation for 4.1a
Materials include systematic and sequenced instruction of phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills.
2 out of 2 points
The materials further demonstrate sequenced phonics instruction in the grade 3 Teacher Guide. The skills 2 introduction identifies previously taught consonant spellings scheduled for review and previews the phonics skills taught in the unit. For example, students review hard and soft /c/ and /g/ words ending in the /v/ and /j/ sounds. Next, students move on to multiple-letter spellings for vowel sounds, such as /ae/ spelled ai and ay; /ee/ spelled ee, ea, and ie; and /ue/ spelled ew and ue. This progression helps educators see how phonics instruction builds upon prior learning while extending students’ mastery of more advanced spelling patterns.
4.1b
Materials include explicit (direct) and intentional ongoing practice opportunities for phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills, both in isolation and through decodable texts.
Materials include explicit (direct) and intentional ongoing practice opportunities for phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills, both in isolation and through decodable texts.
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 4.1b
Evaluation for 4.1b
Materials include explicit (direct) and intentional ongoing practice opportunities for phonics (sound-symbol correspondence) skills, both in isolation and through decodable texts.
4 out of 4 points
The materials also provide explicit opportunities for students to apply their phonics skills in connected, decodable text. The Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 1 suggests that students apply the ar spelling pattern while reading the decodable text “Neighborhood Garden” in the Activity Book, including words in context such as smart and hardworking. The Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 7, “Review: Words with Hard and Soft g: Part 1, Phonics—Decoding” provides guidance for practicing the hard and soft /g/ sounds. Students practice these sounds before applying their skills in the connected text “How to Sketch a Giraffe.” This progression from isolated phonics practice to connected reading gives students ongoing opportunities to build automaticity and apply taught phonics skills while reading.
4.2 Daily Instructional Sequence and Routines
4.2a
Daily lessons include explicit (direct) phonics instruction with teacher modeling.
Daily lessons include explicit (direct) phonics instruction with teacher modeling.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 4.2a
Evaluation for 4.2a
Daily lessons include explicit (direct) phonics instruction with teacher modeling.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide additional modeled instruction that moves from educator demonstration to student practice. In unit 4, lesson 1, the educator explains how to decode words with -tion and divide words with the VC/CV syllable pattern. For example, the lesson clarifies that when two consonants stand between two vowels, the word is usually divided between the two consonants. Students then add the suffix -tion to the words, use them in sentences, and apply the pattern while reading the decodable text “Volcanic Eruptions,” which includes terms such as formation, evolution, eruptions, and disruption. This sequence gives students a clear process for applying modeled phonics instruction in both word-level practice and connected reading.
4.2b
Daily lessons include opportunities for explicit (direct) guided instruction with guidance for immediate and corrective feedback.
Daily lessons include opportunities for explicit (direct) guided instruction with guidance for immediate and corrective feedback.
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 4.2b
Evaluation for 4.2b
Daily lessons include opportunities for explicit (direct) guided instruction with guidance for immediate and corrective feedback.
3 out of 3 points
The materials also provide lesson-specific support for students who need correction during word reading. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 1, “Additional Support: Tricky Words Review,” the educator guides students through blending and reading tricky words. For example, the educator says, “Now it’s your turn. When I touch the letters, you say the sounds and then read the word.” If students blend the word audition incorrectly, the educator corrects the response and prompts, “We say audition. What’s the word?” This routine gives educators specific language for correcting errors while students practice applying their phonics knowledge.
4.2c
Daily lessons include a variety of opportunities for students to practice phonics skills through collaborative learning and independent practice.
Daily lessons include a variety of opportunities for students to practice phonics skills through collaborative learning and independent practice.
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 4.2c
Evaluation for 4.2c
Daily lessons include a variety of opportunities for students to practice phonics skills through collaborative learning and independent practice.
4 out of 4 points
The materials also allow for individual application after guided or shared practice. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 25, educators lead students to participate in the Word Baseball game. During this game, teams work together to decode and read aloud words with various syllable types. Within the game, each student reads words independently to advance around the baseball diamond. This sequence helps students move from supported team practice to individual application of taught phonics skills.
4.3 Ongoing Practice Opportunities
4.3a
Materials include intentional cumulative phonics review and practice activities throughout the curriculum.
Materials include intentional cumulative phonics review and practice activities throughout the curriculum.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 4.3a
Evaluation for 4.3a
Materials include intentional cumulative phonics review and practice activities throughout the curriculum.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also build review into lesson routines across the unit. In skills 1, lessons begin with phonological awareness warm-ups and then move on to review of how focus sounds are read and spelled. For example, in lesson 1, students orally review short and long vowels before completing a decoding activity with the same phonics skill. The educator writes a word such as pin on the board, and students change pin to pine by adding e to the end of the word. These routines give students repeated opportunities to strengthen earlier phonics skills as instruction becomes more complex.
4.3b
Practice opportunities include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught.
Practice opportunities include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 4.3b
Evaluation for 4.3b
Practice opportunities include only phonics skills that have been explicitly taught.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide opportunities for follow-up practice with previously taught sound–spelling patterns. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 5, “Mixed Review: Part 2,” the educator leads students through complete encoding practice with r-controlled vowels from previous lessons. For example, students write words in their “Dictation Journal,” including sharpen, sisterhood, and undershirt, which follow previously taught phonics patterns. This structure gives students opportunities to apply learned phonics skills without requiring them to use patterns that educators have not yet introduced.
4.3c
Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills.
Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 4.3c
Evaluation for 4.3c
Decodable texts incorporate cumulative practice of taught phonics skills.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also revisit earlier sound–spelling patterns through lesson routines and decodable text practice. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 7, “Review: Words with Hard and Soft g: Part 1,” educators review hard and soft g sound–spelling patterns and then apply these patterns in connected text. The skills 2 reader includes “How to Sketch a Giraffe,” which is paired with lesson 7 and provides practice with hard as well as soft g alongside previously taught phonics patterns. These routines help students strengthen previously taught phonics skills while continuing to apply new patterns in decodable reading.
4.3d
Lessons include an instructional focus with opportunities for practice in isolation and decodable, connected text.
Lessons include an instructional focus with opportunities for practice in isolation and decodable, connected text.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 4.3d
Evaluation for 4.3d
Lessons include an instructional focus with opportunities for practice in isolation and decodable, connected text.
2 out of 2 points
The materials extend practice into reading, writing, and later review routines. In the “Reading” section of skills 1, lesson 5, students read the decodable text “Baking Cupcakes,” which includes double-letter consonant words like yummy, batter, and little. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 3, educators guide students to practice r-controlled sounds in isolation before applying the patterns in the decodable text “Exploring Different Jobs and Professions.” This recurring practice helps students build accuracy and automaticity over time.
4.4 Assessment
4.4a
Materials include a variety of assessment tools that are developmentally appropriate.
Materials include a variety of assessment tools that are developmentally appropriate.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 4.4a
Evaluation for 4.4a
Materials include a variety of assessment tools that are developmentally appropriate.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also include tools that help educators record and interpret student performance. In skills 3, lesson 4, educators use the “Anecdotal Reading Record” while students read “Exploring Different Jobs and Professions” to document reading behaviors, including errors in fluency and prosody. The materials also contain a “Discussion Questions Observation Record” to assess student responses to literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension questions. These records give educators information about students’ reading accuracy, comprehension, and progress toward skill mastery.
4.4b
Materials include progress monitoring tools that systematically and accurately measure students' acquisition of grade-level phonics skills.
Materials include progress monitoring tools that systematically and accurately measure students' acquisition of grade-level phonics skills.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 4.4b
Evaluation for 4.4b
Materials include progress monitoring tools that systematically and accurately measure students' acquisition of grade-level phonics skills.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide educators with a consistent process for documenting and using progress-monitoring data. Educators may record anecdotal notes or use a coding system (such as a checkmark for “mastery,” a slash for “developing,” and a minus for “emerging”) to quickly capture student performance during lessons. The tool can be used across the year during cumulative review, pausing points, and small-group instruction to monitor growth over time. Educators can also use the collected data to identify students with similar skill-related needs and plan targeted small-group instruction. These features enable systematic and phonics-specific progress monitoring aligned with grade-level expectations.
4.4c
Materials include assessment opportunities across the span of the school year aligned to progress monitoring tools.
Materials include assessment opportunities across the span of the school year aligned to progress monitoring tools.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 4.4c
Evaluation for 4.4c
Materials include assessment opportunities across the span of the school year aligned to progress monitoring tools.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also include lesson-embedded tools that allow educators to collect progress information during instruction. Across grade 3 skills lessons, educators use the “Observation: Anecdotal Reading Record” to formatively assess students and document progress during instruction. The K–5 Assessment Guide states that educators can use anecdotal and observational assessments to assess student progress with grade-level reading skills and abilities (e.g., phonics, fluency, comprehension) in small-group and one-on-one settings. These tools help educators gather ongoing information that can inform instructional decisions throughout the year.
4.5 Progress Monitoring and Student Support
4.5a
Materials include data-management tools for tracking individual student progress to make appropriate instructional decisions to accelerate instruction.
Materials include data-management tools for tracking individual student progress to make appropriate instructional decisions to accelerate instruction.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 4.5a
Evaluation for 4.5a
Materials include data-management tools for tracking individual student progress to make appropriate instructional decisions to accelerate instruction.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also contain records that help educators monitor individual progress during instruction on reading and foundational skills. In the “Teacher Resources” section, the “Anecdotal Reading Record” allows educators to document individual reading behaviors, fluency performance, decoding errors, and prosody as students read aloud. For example, the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 2, “Observation: Neighborhood Garden Anecdotal Reading Record,” instructs the educator to make notes about students’ reading, including errors in fluency or prosody. These records help educators identify patterns, monitor growth, and adjust instruction for individual students.
4.5b
Materials include data-management tools for tracking whole-class student progress to analyze patterns and needs of students.
Materials include data-management tools for tracking whole-class student progress to analyze patterns and needs of students.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 4.5b
Evaluation for 4.5b
Materials include data-management tools for tracking whole-class student progress to analyze patterns and needs of students.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also contain records that help educators organize results across students and make instructional decisions. In grade 3, unit 1, lesson 6, “Dulce Domum, Part 1,” the “Placement Planning” chart allows educators to track assessment scores from the “Silent Reading Assessment” and “Word Reading in Isolation Assessment.” Educators use the chart to determine placement, analyze patterns across the class, and plan instruction that addresses academic strengths and areas for improvement.
4.5c
Materials include specific guidance on determining frequency of progress monitoring based on students' strengths and needs.
Materials include specific guidance on determining frequency of progress monitoring based on students' strengths and needs.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 4.5c
Evaluation for 4.5c
Materials include specific guidance on determining frequency of progress monitoring based on students' strengths and needs.
2 out of 2 points
The materials provide lesson-level routines that help educators monitor progress during instruction. In grade 3, unit 1, lesson 10, “The Further Adventures of Toad, Part 1, Assessment Analysis,” educators analyze assessment results to determine student placement and plan small-group instruction. The materials also contain “Checks for Understanding” throughout the lessons, with one or more checks included in each lesson. These routines help educators review student performance, identify strengths and needs, and adjust instruction based on progress data.
4.5d
Materials include guidance on how to accelerate learning based on the progress monitoring data to reach mastery of specific concepts.
Materials include guidance on how to accelerate learning based on the progress monitoring data to reach mastery of specific concepts.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 4.5d
Evaluation for 4.5d
Materials include guidance on how to accelerate learning based on the progress monitoring data to reach mastery of specific concepts.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also contain recommendations that help educators address specific skill gaps after reviewing student performance. In grade 3, unit 1, lesson 10, “The Further Adventures of Toad, Part 1, Assessment Analysis,” educators analyze assessment results to identify students’ strengths and areas for growth as well as determine placement for small-group instruction. For example, the materials suggest reviewing prerequisite skills and using grade 2 materials, when available, to address unfinished learning before students move forward.
Rubric Section 5
Foundational Skills
Materials include guidance for explicit (direct) and systematic instruction in foundational skills, instructional routines, student practice, and cumulative review.
Total
100% (132 out of 132 points)
Evaluation for 5.A.1a
This guidance does not apply to grades 2 and 3 because it only applies to kindergarten and grade 1.
Evaluation for 5.A.1b
This guidance does not apply to grades 2 and 3 because it only applies to kindergarten and grade 1.
Evaluation for 5.B.1a
The materials explain how to build students’ oral language through modeled discussion routines and structured academic talk. In the Teacher Guide for skills 1, lesson 1, the educator introduces a turn-and-talk routine that students use to discuss a reading or phonics skill. The lesson provides educators with questions, statements, and sentence models to show students how to actively participate and listen during the routine. The educator first models the routine with a partner (including using a signal to demonstrate when both partners have finished sharing) before students practice with their own partners. This routine helps students practice listening, speaking, and communicating ideas clearly during academic discussions.
The materials also provide opportunities for students to practice oral language with educator support, partner interaction, and feedback. In the Teacher Guide for knowledge 2, lesson 5, “Word Work: Fins and Gills” section, educators discuss the read-aloud with students using the vocabulary word aquatic. The educator prompts students to tell them about a time they saw something aquatic and reminds them, “Be sure to use the word aquatic when you tell about it.” The educator then asks two or three students to respond and, when needed, rephrases responses into complete sentences, such as “At the creek we watched aquatic animals...” or “I like the aquatic activity of...” These routines help students use new vocabulary accurately, expand their oral responses, and communicate in academic and social settings.
Evaluation for 5.B.1b
The materials give students opportunities to communicate for academic purposes through question-and-answer as well as discussion routines. In the Teacher Guide for unit 2, lesson 14, educators encourage students to listen to the text. Students then create and ask questions to clarify information from the text. Students brainstorm questions with a partner, share and record their answers together, and respond to a question generated by their partner or a classmate. This routine helps students communicate ideas clearly for an academic purpose while engaging with content from the read-aloud.
The materials also provide opportunities for students to communicate socially and academically through sharing and peer feedback. In the Teacher Guide for unit 6, lesson 14, “Revising, Editing, and Publishing a Poem,” educators encourage students to share their poems with the class and practice giving feedback. The educator provides sentence frames, such as “What I like best about your poem is ______,” “The word ______ is a good choice because...” and “The poetry element ______ helps me picture ______.” These opportunities help students adjust their communication for different purposes, audiences, and contexts while providing feedback to their peers.
Evaluation for 5.B.1c
The materials give students regular opportunities to build their comprehension through educator-led questions and structured discussions after listening to a given text. In the Teacher Guide for unit 2, lesson 1, educators ask evaluative questions that support students’ understanding and discussion of the text. The materials include question-and-answer pauses that prompt students to brainstorm questions after listening. In lesson 14, “Presenting the Read-Aloud,” students listen to a text about vertebrates, brainstorm questions about vertebrates for the educator to write on the board, and answer a materials-provided question with a partner during a think-pair-share activity. This routine helps students listen actively, respond to ideas, and discuss textual understanding with others.
The materials also contain discussion routines that help students share their responses and build upon others’ ideas. In the Teacher Guide for unit 4, lesson 1, “Presenting the Read-Aloud,” the educator models active listening and questioning while students listen to the read-aloud and share ideas with their peers. For example, the lesson provides questions and opportunities for class discussions during the read-aloud so that students can respond to the text and participate in peer-to-peer talks. These routines give students opportunities to exchange ideas while strengthening their comprehension and oral communication.
Evaluation for 5.C.1a
This guidance does not apply to grades 1, 2, or 3 because it only applies to kindergarten.
Evaluation for 5.C.1b
This guidance does not apply to grades 1, 2, or 3 because it only applies to kindergarten.
Evaluation for 5.C.1c
This guidance does not apply to grades 1, 2, or 3 because it only applies to kindergarten.
Evaluation for 5.C.1d
This guidance does not apply to grades 1, 2, or 3 because it only applies to kindergarten.
Evaluation for 5.C.2a
The materials introduce sound–spelling relationships in a sequence that allows students to apply the skill during decoding and encoding. In the Teacher Guide for skills 1, lesson 6, “Review Words with Silent Letters,” the educator introduces silent letter combinations and explains specific sound–spelling relationships. For example, the educator explains that kn represents the /n/ sound because the k is silent. Students then apply the instruction by decoding a list of words on the board and later spelling dictated multisyllabic words in their journals. This sequence helps students connect sounds with spellings as they read and write words.
The materials also provide continued practice with sound–spelling relationships across later units. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 8, “Phonics-Decoding,” the educator introduces words that end in /v/ and /j/. For example, students use what they have learned about words ending in /v/ and /j/ to decode multisyllabic words, and then they apply the sound–spelling rules by spelling words on activity page 8.1. This practice helps students build accuracy with taught phonics patterns across decoding and encoding tasks.
Evaluation for 5.C.2b
The materials explain how to help students connect sounds with spellings during word reading and writing. The Corrective Feedback Planning Tool gives educators specific language to use when students struggle with phonics or decoding. For example, when a student blends a word incorrectly, the educator says, “When decoding words, it’s important to blend the sounds accurately. Let’s work on connecting the sounds smoothly to read the word correctly.” When students have difficulty connecting sounds to letters, the tool prompts the educator to say, “Remember, the letter ‘____’ says the sound like in the word ____. Can you say that sound for me?” This guidance helps educators address errors and reinforce accurate sound–spelling connections.
The materials also include lesson-level guidance that helps educators respond to common misconceptions. In the Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 9, the educator reviews base words as well as the prefixes semi- and anti-. The educator explains that the letter i in anti- makes the short /i/ sound before a consonant but makes the long /e/ sound before a vowel. This support helps students correct errors related to prefix pronunciation and apply sound–spelling knowledge when reading and writing words with prefixes.
Evaluation for 5.C.2c
The materials give students opportunities to practice taught sound–spelling patterns in isolation before applying them in connected text. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 7, “Foundational Skills: Additional Support,” educators instruct students to complete a “Phonics Support” activity using activity page TR 7.1 and physical letter cards. For example, students decide whether the letter they select forms a word when combined with are, air, or both and then write each new word they make. This routine helps students strengthen sound–spelling knowledge through word building and encoding practice.
The materials also give students opportunities to apply taught sound–spelling patterns through connected text and review activities. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 7, educators may provide the connected text “Jordan Scores” so that students can work together and give feedback on written text responses. In unit 4, lesson 2, the “Additional Support” section also includes a phonics support activity where students practice dividing words with the VC/CV pattern and a partner game where they test each other on the high-frequency word taught that day. These activities help students reinforce letter-sound knowledge across isolated practice, connected reading, writing, and partner review.
Evaluation for 5.D.1a
This guidance does not apply to grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten as well as grades 1 and 2.
Evaluation for 5.D.1b
This guidance does not apply to grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten as well as grades 1 and 2.
Evaluation for 5.D.1c
This guidance does not apply to grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten as well as grades 1 and 2.
Evaluation for 5.D.2a
This guidance does not apply to grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten as well as grades 1 and 2.
Evaluation for 5.D.2b
This guidance does not apply to grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten as well as grades 1 and 2.
Evaluation for 5.D.2c
This guidance does not apply to grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten as well as grades 1 and 2.
Evaluation for 5.D.2d
This guidance does not apply to grade 3 because it only applies to kindergarten as well as grades 1 and 2.
Evaluation for 5.E.1a
In grade 3, the skills units continue the sound–spelling progression by reviewing familiar vowel patterns and then introducing more advanced spellings across the year. The skills 2 Teacher Guide introduction provides a comprehensive “Vowel Spellings and Consonant Spellings” overview that outlines the unit’s progression. This overview demonstrates a clear, systematic sequence that begins by reviewing separated digraphs—vowel-consonant-e (VCe) patterns—and then moves toward more complex, multiple-letter spellings for vowel teams, tricky consonant spellings (such as hard and soft /c/ and /g/), and diphthongs. In lesson 9, the materials progress to introducing the long vowel teams ai and ay for the /ae/ sound. This lesson systematically builds upon the previously taught separated digraph a_e from lesson 1, guiding students to decode and encode words with these new patterns through board chaining exercises and independent practice in their Activity Books. This intentional sequence helps students develop grade-level decoding and encoding skills.
Additionally, each unit includes an introductory overview detailing the skills students learn, alongside a targeted list of sound–spelling patterns. For example, in skills 2, students study vowel sound–spellings that include digraphs, trigraphs, and quadgraphs. Moving forward, skills 3 introduces r-controlled vowel syllables and vowel team spellings using words such as journal, chair, and clear. The instructional year concludes in skills 6 with advanced sound–spelling patterns, including -tion, -sion, -tian, -cial, -tial, and -cian.
Evaluation for 5.E.1b
In grade 3, the skills lessons clearly explain how to teach advanced sound–spelling patterns, including vowel spellings, final stable syllables, and spelling patterns such as -tion and -sion. The Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 16 directs educators to write the vowel teams au, aw, and al on the board, point to each, and explicitly state the sound they make before having students repeat it. The guide also clarifies the positional rules for these spellings, prompting the educator to point out that au is usually found at the beginning or in the middle of a word, while aw is often located in the middle or at the end.
Similarly, in skills 3, lesson 16, the scripted lesson directs educators to review the -tion sound–spelling pattern. During the warm-up, students listen to words with the /sh/ sound, words with the schwa vowel sound, and words containing -tion. Educators explicitly teach the sound–spelling pattern and how to divide words using syllable division patterns. The lesson script states, “Explain that -tion is also a final stable syllable. Remind students that they learned that a final stable syllable is one that is unstressed and uses a predictable sound spelling.” The educator then clearly decodes and encodes words with the -tion sound–spelling pattern. Students then independently divide words by syllable pattern, mark the consonants and vowels, write the words, and read them.
Furthermore, the Teacher Guide for skills 4 explains how to teach sound–spelling patterns through modeling and guided practice. For example, “Lesson 3: Review: Words with -sion” guides the educator to provide direct instruction on the sound–spelling of -sion.The materials state, “Say, ‘Now, listen to the following words: mission, session, version. Write mission on the board. Underline -sion. Tell students that -sion can also be pronounced /shən/. Say mission and have students read it aloud after you. Repeat with session.’”
Evaluation for 5.E.1c
The introduction in the Teacher Guide for skills 4 explains that the unit reviews sound–spellings from previous lessons and grades, including r-controlled vowels, vowel teams, and schwa + /l/ spellings. For example, in skills 4, lesson 1, “Review: Words with /shən/ > -tion, Part 1,” students complete activity page 1.1 and participate in a thumbs-up/thumbs-down routine to review previously taught patterns. The lesson also reminds students to break words into smaller parts and identify the VC/CV syllable type as they decode words and receive feedback on syllable division accuracy. These routines help students connect sounds, spellings, and syllable patterns while reviewing previously taught skills.
The materials also provide opportunities for cumulative review to help students reinforce sound–spelling patterns across lessons as well as “Additional Support” activities and specialized tools. In skills 4, lesson 4, the “Additional Support” section provides targeted help with decoding words using the sound–spelling patterns -tion and -sion. For example, students read multisyllabic words, sort them by spelling pattern, read the words to a partner, and check their work. The materials also include the schwa chart and “Dictation Journal” to support ongoing review. For example, the schwa chart introduced in skills 3, lesson 11 supports “Read Words” and “Spell Words” tasks across later lessons, and lesson 25 includes cumulative review of r-controlled vowels, schwa spellings, and tricky spellings of /s/, /sh/, and /h/. These activities give students repeated opportunities to apply sound–spelling knowledge with increasing accuracy and automaticity.
Evaluation for 5.E.1d
The materials give students opportunities to apply taught sound–spelling patterns in isolated reading and writing tasks before moving on to connected text. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 3, educators guide students through a practice decoding words with the /oe/ sound, spelled o_e in isolation, Students read words such as close, clone, toe, and foe before applying the same target spelling in connected text. For encoding practice, the educator dictates words such as alone, hopeful, and unbroken, and students write the words in their dictation journals. This routine helps students connect sound–spelling knowledge to word-level reading and writing.
The materials also give students opportunities to transfer taught sound–spelling patterns to connected text, dictation, and spelling practice. In skills 2, lesson 3, students read the passage “The Role of Code” and write the dictated sentence “He rode down the slope.” In skills 4, lesson 2, weekly spelling words feature the sound–spelling pattern -tion. For example, students write spelling words within dictated sentences, including “This old book about the space station on the moon is fiction.” Students also read the decodable text “Volcanic Eruptions,” which includes several -tion words such as formation, evolution, disruption, and conditions. These activities help students use sound–spelling knowledge across isolated practice, dictation, connected reading, and connected writing.
Evaluation for 5.E.2a
Students build high-frequency word knowledge through a sequence that connects word recognition to previously taught phonics and spelling patterns. The Amplify Texas ELAR program explains this systematic approach in appendix A in the Teacher Guide for skills 1. Appendix A describes how the high-frequency word sequence aligns with phonics instruction. The materials explain that educators do not introduce high-frequency words until they have explicitly taught the words’ underlying spelling patterns. This intentional sequence helps students automatically recognize high-frequency words by connecting word learning to sound–spelling knowledge.
The materials also show how students continue developing high-frequency word knowledge through tricky spellings and cumulative review. The introduction for skills 4 in the Teacher Guide outlines the tricky spellings addressed in the unit, including review of the schwa /ə/ sound and other irregular vowel spellings. For example, students practice reading and writing different spellings of the /shən/ and /shəl/ sounds alongside tricky spellings of /ə/ and /oo/. By anchoring irregular high-frequency words and tricky spellings to systematic sound–spelling lessons, the materials provide a cumulative progression that deepens students’ word knowledge over time.
Evaluation for 5.E.2b
Students receive explicit instruction on decoding and encoding high-frequency words through educator modeling, explanations, and guided practice. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 4, the educator provides step-by-step instruction on the word build. The educator models how to decode the word by pointing to the letter combinations and identifying the irregular sound–spelling, explaining that the word is tricky because /i/ is spelled ui. Students then practice blending and reading the word aloud. Encoding is supported through a dictation routine in which students listen to the educator use high-frequency words in context, stretch out the sounds, and write the words in their journals. This guidance helps students accurately recognize, read, and spell high-frequency words.
The materials also provide grade-level lesson routines where students continue practicing irregular, high-frequency words through explicit instruction and cumulative review. In the Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 15, the educator provides step-by-step instruction for the word built. For example, before students blend and read the word aloud, the educator points to each letter or letter combination while modeling the sounds /b/ /i/ /l/ /t/ and explains that ui makes the /i/ sound. Next, students play a cumulative review game with Tricky Word cards to practice reading words rapidly and read the decodable passage “Adaptable Animals,” which includes target words from previous lessons alongside high-frequency words such as built. This sequence helps students accurately decode, recognize, and apply high-frequency words in connected text.
Evaluation for 5.E.2c
The materials provide routines and resources that help students practice previously taught regular and irregular high-frequency words through cumulative review. The introduction to skills 1 in the Teacher Guide explains that students practice tricky words in isolation, in phrases and passages, and in their “Dictation Journals.” In skills 1, lesson 18, students practice identifying, reading, and decoding the words use, answer, example, come, group, does, and idea in connected text. In the next lesson, students continue practicing these words by spelling and writing them in their “Dictation Journals” and working with a partner to decode them. These repeated opportunities support automatic recognition and mastery of high-frequency words.
The materials also give students opportunities to apply high-frequency words through cumulative review games, dictation, and partner activities. In the K–5 High-Frequency Word Routines Guide, routines such as “Say It Fast” and “Manipulatives” use word walls or index cards for rapid review of previously taught regular and irregular high-frequency words. For example, in the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 10, the educator gathers Tricky Word cards from previous lessons and mixes them with newly taught words for a fast-paced cumulative review game. To practice encoding, students work with partners as one student dictates a tricky word within a sentence, and the other writes it down before they check the spelling together. These activities reinforce decoding and encoding through repeated, cumulative practice.
Evaluation for 5.E.2d
The materials provide memory-building activities that help students read high-frequency words in isolation with increasing automaticity. In the K–5 High-Frequency Word Routines Guide, students practice routines such as “Word Hunt” to read and analyze high-frequency words. For example, the educator models reading isolated words by explaining sound–spelling correspondences and identifying tricky spellings before students transition to reading the words in connected text. These activities help students build automatic word recognition by connecting high-frequency word reading to sound–spelling knowledge and memory-building practice.
The materials also give students opportunities to apply high-frequency words in connected reading and writing. Each grade 3 skills lesson includes a “Tricky Words Review” section with additional ways to practice reading and writing high-frequency words. For example, in grade 3, skills 4, lesson 1, students review index cards, map sounds to letters to build their memory, and play a partner game to practice reading high-frequency words in isolation. In lesson 2, students write high-frequency words in their “Dictation Journals” and participate in partner activities. Students also apply the words in connected text by searching the reading passage for target words, reading the sentences in which they appear, and completing partner dictation by writing the words within original sentence contexts. These activities promote fluency, automaticity, and accurate recognition of high-frequency words in reading and writing.
Evaluation for 5.E.3a
The Amplify Texas ELAR Professional Development Library includes “Using Chunking to Decode Multisyllable Words,” which outlines how students develop syllable knowledge over time. For example, students begin with multisyllabic words containing open and closed syllables and gradually progress to more complex syllable types. The materials also explain that grade 3 instruction deepens students’ work with prefixes, suffixes, base words, and syllable chunking throughout the year. This sequence supports students as they decode and encode increasingly complex words.
The materials also provide lesson-level routines where students apply syllable division strategies during mixed review and “Word Work.” In the Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 20, “Mixed Review, Part 1,” educators review previously taught syllable types and practice chunking words to read and spell them accurately. For example, students practice patterns such as VC/CV, CV/VC, VC/CCV, VCC/CV, VC/V, and V/CV as they divide words into syllables and apply sound–spelling knowledge. These routines help students use syllable division principles to approach unfamiliar multisyllabic words with increasing independence.
Evaluation for 5.E.3b
The materials clearly explain how to help students apply syllable types and syllable division principles during decoding and encoding. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 14, students learn about vowel team syllables containing the spellings ew and eu. For example, the educator reminds students that a vowel team syllable includes two or more letters that work together to make one vowel sound, reads the word nephew aloud while emphasizing its syllables, and draws a slash to divide the word into syllables. This routine continues with words such as barbecue, rescue, fewest, continue, and review, helping students apply syllable division to decode and spell multisyllabic words.
The materials also give students opportunities to apply their syllable knowledge during review, sorting, and connected reading. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 20, the educator reviews the six syllable types by having students listen to words and count the number of syllables. For example, the educator models syllable division by writing words on the board and using slash marks to separate syllables according to their syllable types. Students then complete an activity page in which they sort words by the number of syllables, and a “Support” note reminds educators to review closed, open, VCe, vowel team, r-controlled, and final stable syllables. Students also apply their syllable knowledge while reading connected text, supporting their decoding, word recognition, and spelling of increasingly complex words.
Evaluation for 5.E.3c
Students develop and reinforce their decoding and encoding skills through cumulative review of previously taught syllable patterns and word-reading skills. In skills 4, lesson 10, “Additional Support,” students read a short passage on activity page TR 10.2 and then reread it to select and divide words into syllables. For example, students identify and divide two VCCV words and two V/CV words after decoding the passage. In lesson 12, students identify correct and incorrect syllable divisions on activity page TR 12.1. Students also practice encoding one-syllable and multisyllabic words in their “Dictation Journals” throughout skills 4, including words such as suction, portion, condition, and option in lesson 2. These activities enable cumulative review as well as the application of syllable-based decoding and encoding strategies.
Students also apply decoding and encoding skills in “Word Work,” sentence writing, and connected text. In skills 3, lesson 8, students review one-syllable and multisyllabic words containing r-controlled vowels. For example, educators guide students to flexibly decode words and identify syllable types, including open and r-controlled syllables in words such as shore, court, adore, courtyard, and anymore. Students apply these skills by creating sentences with one-syllable and multisyllabic words. They also complete an activity page connected to the decodable text “Tele-Ameer the Superhero,” and identify and highlight one-syllable and multisyllabic words throughout the text. These opportunities support mastery, accuracy, and automaticity when students read and spell complex words.
Evaluation for 5.E.3d
Students apply their syllable knowledge while decoding and encoding multisyllabic words in isolation. In skills 2, lesson 13, students decode isolated multisyllabic words by drawing slashes to divide each word into syllables and identifying the vowel team syllable within each word. For example, students divide words such as win/dow and identify how the vowel team functions within the word. Students also strengthen their encoding ability as the educator dictates isolated words and complete sentences for students to spell in their “Dictation Journals” using their knowledge of vowel teams and syllable patterns. This practice helps students apply syllable division principles during both decoding and encoding.
Students also transfer their syllable knowledge to connected reading and writing tasks. In skills 2, lesson 13, students apply their learning while reading the decodable passage “Boat Races: Fun on the Water.” Students move from decoding isolated multisyllabic words to reading connected text that includes the same phonics and syllable patterns. Additionally, the Teacher Guide for skills 4 provides practice with CV/VC patterns in word lists and decodable texts. In lesson 2, students encode words such as suction, portion, condition, and option in their “Dictation Journals.” In lesson 12, students decode CV/VC words such as create, trial, triumph, fluid, and realize in isolation before reading CV/VC words in connected text on activity page 11.3. These activities help students apply their syllable knowledge in isolated word work, dictation, connected reading, and authentic writing contexts.
Evaluation for 5.E.4a
The materials introduce morphemes in a planned sequence so that students build from previously learned affixes to more complex prefixes and suffixes across the year. The Grade 3 Curriculum Map “Skills” section outlines a progression that builds morphological awareness. For example, in skills unit 1, students review affixes taught in previous grades such as -y, -less, and -est before moving on to prefixes such as dis-, non-, pre-, im-, and in- in skills unit 2. This progression supports students’ understanding of word structure and meaning over time.
The materials continue the sequence by introducing and reviewing grade-level morphemes in connected groups. For example, knowledge unit 2 includes prefixes such as un-, re-, pre-, dis-, non-, mis-, im-, in-, and sub- along with suffixes such as -or, -ful, -ness, -ly, and -ous. In unit 3, students expand their morpheme knowledge with prefixes such as over-, under-, tele-, super-, and uni- as well as the suffix -ist. These routines help students build word knowledge across the school year and apply morphology to understand the meaning and structure of increasingly complex words.
Evaluation for 5.E.4b
The materials provide scripted instruction that helps students recognize common morphemes and understand how they change word meaning. In skills 2, lesson 7, the educator introduces the prefix dis- by connecting it to the previously learned prefix un- and explaining that both can mean “not” or “opposite of.” For example, educators model decoding dislike, identify like as the base word, and explain how adding dis- changes the meaning to “not enjoy.” Students continue this process with words such as disobey, disappear, disagree, disloyal, and disrespect as they decode and define words with the prefix. This instruction supports students as they use morphemes to decode, spell, and understand words.
The materials also give students opportunities to apply their morpheme knowledge during reading, writing, and word study. In the Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 1, the educator introduces the suffix -tion and explains that adding -tion to the end of a verb changes the word to a noun, which describes an action, state, or condition. For example, students analyze rotation, identify the base word and suffix on activity page 1.2, read “Volcanic Eruptions” to support their comprehension, and practice encoding on activity page 1.4. Students also read decodable sentences and add un- or dis- to base words in order to complete missing words. These routines help students connect morpheme meaning directly to decoding, encoding, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension.
Evaluation for 5.E.4c
Students develop and practice their morphological skills by identifying how suffixes change the meaning of base words. In skills 2, lesson 14, the educator introduces the suffix -ness by writing words such as brightness and darkness on the board and explaining how -ness changes word meaning. Students use activity page 14.2 to identify words with -ness and use those words to describe a quality in sentence contexts, such as writing laziness for the sentence, “The girl wants to nap instead of working.” These activities help students connect word parts to meaning, spelling, decoding, and vocabulary development.
Students also reinforce their morphological skills through cumulative review, collaborative practice, and connected application. In Skills 2, lesson 15, students work in groups to review five affixes: non-, mis-, im-, in-, and -ness. For example, each group defines an assigned affix, brainstorms three example words, and completes activity page 15.2. In skills 4, lesson 8, students also practice the prefixes semi- and anti- by breaking words into syllables; identifying base word meanings; determining prefix meanings; and explaining complete word meanings for words such as semifinal, semisweet, antilock, and antitheft. Students then read decodable sentences, circle words with semi- and anti-, and match prefixed words to their meanings. These opportunities help students apply morphology across word study, reading, and vocabulary tasks.
Evaluation for 5.E.4d
Students apply their morphological knowledge while decoding and encoding words in isolation. In skills 4, lesson 1, students complete a dictation pre-test that includes words with prefixes and suffixes such as transportation, persuasion, telephone, dictation, multilingual, bibliography, indescribable, descriptively, and semiyearly. Students encode morphologically complex words and sentences (including “The man’s Dalmatian loves the dog park”) as they apply their knowledge of word parts and spelling patterns. This practice helps students connect prefixes, suffixes, base words, spelling, and word meaning.
Students also apply their morphological knowledge in connected reading and writing tasks. In skills 4, lesson 2, students read words with the suffix -tion (including addition, audition, and condition) and divide them into syllables on an activity page. Students then read the decodable text “Volcanic Eruptions,” which includes words with affixes such as eruptions, evolution, collisions, released, and destruction. In skills 3, lesson 2, students also decode, spell, and use words with the suffix -ful in isolation before applying the suffix in context by reading a passage and completing a tracking chart with base words and suffixes. These activities help students transfer their morphology skills from isolated word work to connected reading, writing, and comprehension tasks.
Evaluation for 5.F.1a
Educators guide students to use text, context clues, and reference supports to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words during content-based reading. In unit 2, “Scales, Feathers, and Fur: Animal Classification,” lesson 8, students use the glossary, affixes, and surrounding sentences to determine word meanings. For example, educators display the Context Clues Anchor Chart while students listen to the read-aloud and add unfamiliar words to the chart under “Unknown Word,” “Clues from the Text,” and “Prediction.” The text also includes images with labels that help clarify new vocabulary. These routines help students use illustrations, the surrounding text, and context clues to infer word meanings.
The materials also provide explicit modeling that helps students combine word parts, context, visuals, and reference tools to confirm meaning. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, the educator models how to approach the word supervisor when recognizing the affix super- is not enough to determine the full meaning. For example, the educator explains that reading the word in a sentence can provide clues and that students can also use a dictionary to confirm meaning. In unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 1, educators display an instructional image while discussing the imaginary line called an axis. These examples show how students are guided to use multiple sources of information (including morphology, sentence context, reference tools, and visuals) to determine unfamiliar word meanings.
Evaluation for 5.F.1b
The materials explain how to introduce students to the purpose and use of print and digital reference resources. In unit 4, “Vocabulary Supplement: Print and Digital References,” educators receive explicit guidance on the purpose of print and digital reference materials as well as strategies for using them effectively. For example, the supplement includes instructional slides with educator scripts, examples that demonstrate how to locate information in print and digital dictionaries and glossaries, and opportunities for scaffolded practice that help students build proficiency with educator support. This instruction supports students as they learn to locate, interpret, and verify word meanings and pronunciations using different reference tools.
The materials also provide lesson-level guidance for using print reference resources. In unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization,” lesson 5, “The Punic Wars, Language,” educators explicitly teach the purpose of a print dictionary and how to use it. Educators explain that words are organized alphabetically, introduce guide words as the two words at the top of a dictionary page, and model how guide words help readers find words more efficiently. Educators and students explore the dictionary together with trial words, and students complete activity page 5.3 to practice using dictionary skills. These routines help students use print reference resources to determine and confirm word meanings.
Evaluation for 5.F.1c
Students use print and digital reference resources during vocabulary and reading tasks to determine word meaning, pronunciation, and syllabication. In unit 4, “Vocabulary Supplement: Print and Digital References,” students participate in lessons and guided practice to build proficiency with both print and digital resources. For example, instructional slides help students read dictionary entries, use pronunciation guides, and examine syllabication features to determine the meaning and pronunciation of unfamiliar words. Students also practice using syllable divisions in dictionary entries to support accurate pronunciation and spelling. These activities help students build independence with reference tools during vocabulary development.
The materials also give students lesson-level opportunities to apply their reference skills during word study. The Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 11 provides instruction on how to analyze the word movement by using the root mov and the suffix -ment to determine meaning. The educator explains that mov means “to move” and -ment means “the action or state of doing something,” helping students determine that movement means “the action or state of moving.” The “Support” sidebar reminds students to use a dictionary to define unfamiliar words, and students use a print dictionary to determine word meaning, pronunciation, and syllabication before applying the skill on activity page 11.2. These tasks support students as they locate, interpret, and verify word meanings and pronunciations using reference resources.
Evaluation for 5.G.1a
Educators model fluent reading through a consistent weekly passage routine that supports accuracy, rate, expression, and prosody. The introduction in the Teacher Guide for skills 1 explains that students work with three passages each week, totaling 12 to 15 passages per unit. On the first day, the educator models reading accurately with appropriate rate and expression. On the second day, students read with a partner to practice fluency and prosody. On later days, students read independently, answer comprehension questions, and participate in partner rereading. In lesson 1, the educator models reading “Pat’s Bike” aloud for accuracy, and students chorally read with the educator during a second reading. During “Check for Understanding,” the educator reads a sentence in a monotone voice, and students give a thumbs-down to show that the sentence was not read with appropriate expression.
Students also practice fluent reading through repeated reading, independent reading, and educator feedback. In skills 3, lesson 25, educators introduce “Charlotte’s Art” by modeling the first paragraph with appropriate rate, expression, and phrasing. After the educators model, students read the passage independently to practice fluent reading while the educator monitors performance and provides targeted support. These routines give students repeated opportunities to strengthen accuracy, rate, expression, and prosody while reading connected text.
Evaluation for 5.G.1b
Students practice fluent word reading through educator modeling, word lists, decodable phrases, and sentence-level routines embedded in daily phonics instruction. In skills 1, lesson 9, students decode a word list featuring open and closed syllables, including words such as go, mat, and cry. Students complete an activity page that provides additional words and phrases to practice decoding using the target skill before reading connected text. These routines help students build accuracy and automaticity with word patterns before applying them in longer reading tasks.
Students also apply fluent reading skills in decodable connected text through educator modeling, partner work, and independent reading. In skills 1, lesson 9, students read the decodable text “Lake Day,” which gives them an opportunity to apply previously learned phonics skills in connected text. In unit 3, lesson 2, students decode a word list with ur, ir, and er spelling patterns, including germ, her, girl, dirt, nurse, and curl. For example, the educator models reading clerk by underlining er and prompting the class to read the word together before continuing the routine with the rest of the chart. Students then complete a morphology activity with -hood and -ment and apply their skills while reading the decodable text “Neighborhood Garden,” which includes high-frequency words, decodable words, and words with the spelling patterns taught in the lesson. These opportunities support fluent reading at the word, sentence, and connected-text levels.
Evaluation for 5.G.1c
Students practice word reading fluency through educator-facilitated small groups and independent reading routines. In unit 2, lesson 5, the educator forms two small groups for a targeted rereading routine using the decodable text “Fish.” One group works directly with the educator to reread the text using guided reading supports, while the other group independently reads the same decodable text before answering comprehension questions on an activity page. These routines give students repeated opportunities to build fluency, accuracy, and independence while reading connected text.
The materials also provide repeated reading routines across partner, independent, and educator-monitored settings. In unit 5, lesson 2, students participate in partner reading by taking turns reading each paragraph of chapter 1 in the unit 5 reader aloud. As students read with partners, the educator circulates to monitor engagement and track progress. The routine also encourages students to ask partners for support with decoding or defining unfamiliar words as needed. These collaborative and independent reading opportunities support word reading fluency, automaticity, and accuracy across multiple instructional formats.
Evaluation for 5.G.1d
The materials provide a variety of connected texts and routines that support accuracy, fluency, prosody, and comprehension. The Fluency Packet includes short texts in multiple genres such as poetry, fiction, nonfiction selections, and Reader’s Theater scripts that are grouped by unit and aligned with the student reader. For example, educators model each selection aloud, students practice reading passages across the week, and educators circulate during classroom practice to provide corrective feedback. The materials also include a Fluency Passage Performance Rubric to evaluate accuracy, rate, and prosody. These routines help students build fluency and comprehension through repeated practice with varied texts.
The materials also connect fluent reading practice to comprehension through fluency assessments, discussion questions, and activity pages. In unit 2, lesson 15, students complete the “Optional Fluency Assessment” with the text “Piranhas.” Students read the passage aloud to the educator while the educator uses activity page 15.3 to complete a running record and then asks targeted text-dependent comprehension questions. In unit 2, lesson 1, students read the decodable passage “Fame on Stage” with the educator and respond to five text-dependent comprehension questions during structured class discussion. These routines support students as they read fluently, monitor meaning, and demonstrate comprehension of connected text.
Evaluation for 5.H.1a
Educators receive explicit guidance for modeling cursive handwriting strokes and letter formation. The Cursive Writing Implementation Guide provides educators with guidance on explicit handwriting instruction and recommends ways to incorporate handwriting practice into writing prompts, activity pages, and written responses to text across units. The guide supports educators in helping students continue building legible and efficient cursive handwriting while applying handwriting skills during authentic written work. This guidance connects handwriting instruction to the writing that students complete throughout the school year.
Students then practice and apply their handwriting skills through structured cursive lessons and ongoing written responses. The Teacher Guide for unit 1 has a “Cursive Program” section that provides 14 lessons for teaching cursive with corresponding pages in the student Cursive Activity Book. In lesson 3, “Kite String Letters, Part 1,” students learn and practice lowercase i, j, l, t, and u. The lesson explains the importance of learning cursive and connects the skill to the signatures on the Declaration of Independence. Educators also encourage students to use cursive when writing in their Activity Books and text responses throughout the year. These routines help students refine handwriting strokes and letter formation while applying cursive in meaningful writing tasks.
Evaluation for 5.H.1b
Students practice handwriting through cursive routines and ongoing writing opportunities across the year. The Cursive Writing Implementation Guide describes how to integrate cursive practice into writing prompts, activity pages, and written responses to text across the units. For example, the guide explains that grade 3 knowledge and skills units include authentic writing opportunities (such as spelling activities, writing prompts, and responses to text) that students can complete using cursive. The materials also contain master copies of the Cursive Activity Book, which educators may use during core instruction or assign for additional practice at home. These resources support students as they continue developing legible and efficient cursive handwriting.
Students also apply their handwriting skills in structured cursive lessons and authentic written responses. The Teacher Guide for the skills 1 “Cursive Program: The Kite String Letters, Part 1—Lowercase i, j, l, t, and u,” provides guided instruction for students to complete activity page C3.1. Students trace the letters, write them independently, and write complete words containing the target letters. The materials also instruct educators to have students use cursive throughout the school year in other Activity Books and written responses, helping students apply their handwriting skills authentically during daily writing tasks.
5.A.1 Print Awareness K-1
5.A.1a
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) and systematic instruction in print awareness and for regular review of print concepts, including how print has different purposes (K-1) (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) and systematic instruction in print awareness and for regular review of print concepts, including how print has different purposes (K-1) (T)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.A.1a
Evaluation for 5.A.1a
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) and systematic instruction in print awareness and for regular review of print concepts, including how print has different purposes (K-1) (T)
Not applicable.
5.A.1b
Materials include frequent opportunities for students to apply print awareness knowledge while engaging with a variety of texts in a variety of formats. (K-1) (S).
Materials include frequent opportunities for students to apply print awareness knowledge while engaging with a variety of texts in a variety of formats. (K-1) (S).
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.A.1b
Evaluation for 5.A.1b
Materials include frequent opportunities for students to apply print awareness knowledge while engaging with a variety of texts in a variety of formats. (K-1) (S).
Not applicable.
5.B.1 Oral Language Development
5.B.1a
Materials include explicit (direct) and systematic instructional guidance on developing oral language and oracy through a variety of methods (e.g., modeling, guided practice, coaching, feedback, and independent practice). (T)
Materials include explicit (direct) and systematic instructional guidance on developing oral language and oracy through a variety of methods (e.g., modeling, guided practice, coaching, feedback, and independent practice). (T)
8 out of 8 points
Evaluation for 5.B.1a
Evaluation for 5.B.1a
Materials include explicit (direct) and systematic instructional guidance on developing oral language and oracy through a variety of methods (e.g., modeling, guided practice, coaching, feedback, and independent practice). (T)
8 out of 8 points
The materials also provide opportunities for students to practice oral language with educator support, partner interaction, and feedback. In the Teacher Guide for knowledge 2, lesson 5, “Word Work: Fins and Gills” section, educators discuss the read-aloud with students using the vocabulary word aquatic. The educator prompts students to tell them about a time they saw something aquatic and reminds them, “Be sure to use the word aquatic when you tell about it.” The educator then asks two or three students to respond and, when needed, rephrases responses into complete sentences, such as “At the creek we watched aquatic animals...” or “I like the aquatic activity of...” These routines help students use new vocabulary accurately, expand their oral responses, and communicate in academic and social settings.
5.B.1b
Materials include opportunities for students to engage in social and academic communication for different purposes and audiences. (S)
Materials include opportunities for students to engage in social and academic communication for different purposes and audiences. (S)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.B.1b
Evaluation for 5.B.1b
Materials include opportunities for students to engage in social and academic communication for different purposes and audiences. (S)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also provide opportunities for students to communicate socially and academically through sharing and peer feedback. In the Teacher Guide for unit 6, lesson 14, “Revising, Editing, and Publishing a Poem,” educators encourage students to share their poems with the class and practice giving feedback. The educator provides sentence frames, such as “What I like best about your poem is ______,” “The word ______ is a good choice because...” and “The poetry element ______ helps me picture ______.” These opportunities help students adjust their communication for different purposes, audiences, and contexts while providing feedback to their peers.
5.B.1c
Materials include authentic opportunities for students to listen actively, ask questions, engage in discussion to understand information, and share information and ideas. (S)
Materials include authentic opportunities for students to listen actively, ask questions, engage in discussion to understand information, and share information and ideas. (S)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.B.1c
Evaluation for 5.B.1c
Materials include authentic opportunities for students to listen actively, ask questions, engage in discussion to understand information, and share information and ideas. (S)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also contain discussion routines that help students share their responses and build upon others’ ideas. In the Teacher Guide for unit 4, lesson 1, “Presenting the Read-Aloud,” the educator models active listening and questioning while students listen to the read-aloud and share ideas with their peers. For example, the lesson provides questions and opportunities for class discussions during the read-aloud so that students can respond to the text and participate in peer-to-peer talks. These routines give students opportunities to exchange ideas while strengthening their comprehension and oral communication.
5.C.1 Alphabet Knowledge (K only)
5.C.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing letter names and their corresponding sounds. (PR 2.A.1)
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing letter names and their corresponding sounds. (PR 2.A.1)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.C.1a
Evaluation for 5.C.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing letter names and their corresponding sounds. (PR 2.A.1)
Not applicable.
5.C.1b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for teaching and developing student automaticity in the identification of the 26 letters of the alphabet (upper and lowercase) and their corresponding sounds. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for teaching and developing student automaticity in the identification of the 26 letters of the alphabet (upper and lowercase) and their corresponding sounds. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.C.1b
Evaluation for 5.C.1b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for teaching and developing student automaticity in the identification of the 26 letters of the alphabet (upper and lowercase) and their corresponding sounds. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Not applicable.
5.C.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) and systematic instruction for letter formation for the 26 letters of the alphabet (upper and lowercase). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) and systematic instruction for letter formation for the 26 letters of the alphabet (upper and lowercase). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (T)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.C.1c
Evaluation for 5.C.1c
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) and systematic instruction for letter formation for the 26 letters of the alphabet (upper and lowercase). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (T)
Not applicable.
5.C.1d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) alphabet knowledge both in isolation and in the context of meaningful print. (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S).
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) alphabet knowledge both in isolation and in the context of meaningful print. (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S).
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.C.1d
Evaluation for 5.C.1d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) alphabet knowledge both in isolation and in the context of meaningful print. (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S).
Not applicable.
5.C.2 Letter-Sound Correspondence
5.C.2a
Materials explicitly (directly), and systematically introduce letter-sound relationships in an order that allows for application to basic decoding and encoding. (PR 2.A.1)
Materials explicitly (directly), and systematically introduce letter-sound relationships in an order that allows for application to basic decoding and encoding. (PR 2.A.1)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.C.2a
Evaluation for 5.C.2a
Materials explicitly (directly), and systematically introduce letter-sound relationships in an order that allows for application to basic decoding and encoding. (PR 2.A.1)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also provide continued practice with sound–spelling relationships across later units. In the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 8, “Phonics-Decoding,” the educator introduces words that end in /v/ and /j/. For example, students use what they have learned about words ending in /v/ and /j/ to decode multisyllabic words, and then they apply the sound–spelling rules by spelling words on activity page 8.1. This practice helps students build accuracy with taught phonics patterns across decoding and encoding tasks.
5.C.2b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction focused on connecting phonemes to letters within words with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction focused on connecting phonemes to letters within words with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 5.C.2b
Evaluation for 5.C.2b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction focused on connecting phonemes to letters within words with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)
2 out of 2 points
The materials also include lesson-level guidance that helps educators respond to common misconceptions. In the Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 9, the educator reviews base words as well as the prefixes semi- and anti-. The educator explains that the letter i in anti- makes the short /i/ sound before a consonant but makes the long /e/ sound before a vowel. This support helps students correct errors related to prefix pronunciation and apply sound–spelling knowledge when reading and writing words with prefixes.
5.C.2c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) their understanding of applying letter-sound correspondence to decode one syllable and multisyllable words in isolation and decodable connected text. (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) their understanding of applying letter-sound correspondence to decode one syllable and multisyllable words in isolation and decodable connected text. (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
12 out of 12 points
Evaluation for 5.C.2c
Evaluation for 5.C.2c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce (through cumulative review) their understanding of applying letter-sound correspondence to decode one syllable and multisyllable words in isolation and decodable connected text. (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
12 out of 12 points
The materials also give students opportunities to apply taught sound–spelling patterns through connected text and review activities. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 7, educators may provide the connected text “Jordan Scores” so that students can work together and give feedback on written text responses. In unit 4, lesson 2, the “Additional Support” section also includes a phonics support activity where students practice dividing words with the VC/CV pattern and a partner game where they test each other on the high-frequency word taught that day. These activities help students reinforce letter-sound knowledge across isolated practice, connected reading, writing, and partner review.
5.D.1 Phonological Awareness (K-2)
5.D.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonological awareness activities in accordance with grade-level TEKS that begins with simple skills and larger units of sound (e.g., identifying and producing rhyming words, recognizing spoken alliteration, identifying the individual words in spoken sentences) and gradually transitions to more complex skills and smaller units of sound (e.g., adding, deleting, and substituting syllables). (PR 2.A.1)
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonological awareness activities in accordance with grade-level TEKS that begins with simple skills and larger units of sound (e.g., identifying and producing rhyming words, recognizing spoken alliteration, identifying the individual words in spoken sentences) and gradually transitions to more complex skills and smaller units of sound (e.g., adding, deleting, and substituting syllables). (PR 2.A.1)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.D.1a
Evaluation for 5.D.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonological awareness activities in accordance with grade-level TEKS that begins with simple skills and larger units of sound (e.g., identifying and producing rhyming words, recognizing spoken alliteration, identifying the individual words in spoken sentences) and gradually transitions to more complex skills and smaller units of sound (e.g., adding, deleting, and substituting syllables). (PR 2.A.1)
Not applicable.
5.D.1b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction for teaching phonological awareness skills with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction for teaching phonological awareness skills with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.D.1b
Evaluation for 5.D.1b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction for teaching phonological awareness skills with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)
Not applicable.
5.D.1c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonological awareness skills connected to grade-level TEKS (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonological awareness skills connected to grade-level TEKS (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.D.1c
Evaluation for 5.D.1c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonological awareness skills connected to grade-level TEKS (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
Not applicable.
5.D.2 Phonemic Awareness (K-2)
5.D.2a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonemic awareness activities that begins with identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes, and gradually transitions to more complex manipulation practices such as adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes. (PR 2.A.1)
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonemic awareness activities that begins with identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes, and gradually transitions to more complex manipulation practices such as adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes. (PR 2.A.1)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.D.2a
Evaluation for 5.D.2a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing phonemic awareness activities that begins with identifying, blending, and segmenting phonemes, and gradually transitions to more complex manipulation practices such as adding, deleting, and substituting phonemes. (PR 2.A.1)
Not applicable.
5.D.2b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction for teaching phonemic awareness with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction for teaching phonemic awareness with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.D.2b
Evaluation for 5.D.2b
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction for teaching phonemic awareness with recommended explanatory feedback for students based on common errors and misconceptions. (PR 2.A & 2.A.2) (T)
Not applicable.
5.D.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle, to support students in the transition from oral language activities to basic decoding and encoding. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Materials include explicit (direct) guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle, to support students in the transition from oral language activities to basic decoding and encoding. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.D.2c
Evaluation for 5.D.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) guidance for connecting phonemic awareness skills to the alphabetic principle, to support students in the transition from oral language activities to basic decoding and encoding. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Not applicable.
5.D.2d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonemic awareness skills (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonemic awareness skills (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
Not applicable.
Evaluation for 5.D.2d
Evaluation for 5.D.2d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce phonemic awareness skills (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
Not applicable.
5.E.1 Sound-Spelling Patterns
5.E.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 5.E.1a
Evaluation for 5.E.1a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level sound-spelling patterns, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)
1 out of 1 points
Additionally, each unit includes an introductory overview detailing the skills students learn, alongside a targeted list of sound–spelling patterns. For example, in skills 2, students study vowel sound–spellings that include digraphs, trigraphs, and quadgraphs. Moving forward, skills 3 introduces r-controlled vowel syllables and vowel team spellings using words such as journal, chair, and clear. The instructional year concludes in skills 6 with advanced sound–spelling patterns, including -tion, -sion, -tian, -cial, -tial, and -cian.
5.E.1b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for grade-level sound-spelling patterns. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for grade-level sound-spelling patterns. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 5.E.1b
Evaluation for 5.E.1b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for grade-level sound-spelling patterns. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
1 out of 1 points
Similarly, in skills 3, lesson 16, the scripted lesson directs educators to review the -tion sound–spelling pattern. During the warm-up, students listen to words with the /sh/ sound, words with the schwa vowel sound, and words containing -tion. Educators explicitly teach the sound–spelling pattern and how to divide words using syllable division patterns. The lesson script states, “Explain that -tion is also a final stable syllable. Remind students that they learned that a final stable syllable is one that is unstressed and uses a predictable sound spelling.” The educator then clearly decodes and encodes words with the -tion sound–spelling pattern. Students then independently divide words by syllable pattern, mark the consonants and vowels, write the words, and read them.
Furthermore, the Teacher Guide for skills 4 explains how to teach sound–spelling patterns through modeling and guided practice. For example, “Lesson 3: Review: Words with -sion” guides the educator to provide direct instruction on the sound–spelling of -sion.The materials state, “Say, ‘Now, listen to the following words: mission, session, version. Write mission on the board. Underline -sion. Tell students that -sion can also be pronounced /shən/. Say mission and have students read it aloud after you. Repeat with session.’”
5.E.1c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level sound-spelling patterns (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level sound-spelling patterns (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1) (T)
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 5.E.1c
Evaluation for 5.E.1c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level sound-spelling patterns (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1) (T)
3 out of 3 points
The materials also provide opportunities for cumulative review to help students reinforce sound–spelling patterns across lessons as well as “Additional Support” activities and specialized tools. In skills 4, lesson 4, the “Additional Support” section provides targeted help with decoding words using the sound–spelling patterns -tion and -sion. For example, students read multisyllabic words, sort them by spelling pattern, read the words to a partner, and check their work. The materials also include the schwa chart and “Dictation Journal” to support ongoing review. For example, the schwa chart introduced in skills 3, lesson 11 supports “Read Words” and “Spell Words” tasks across later lessons, and lesson 25 includes cumulative review of r-controlled vowels, schwa spellings, and tricky spellings of /s/, /sh/, and /h/. These activities give students repeated opportunities to apply sound–spelling knowledge with increasing accuracy and automaticity.
5.E.1d
Materials provide a variety of activities and/or resources to support students in decoding and encoding words that include taught sound-spelling patterns, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
Materials provide a variety of activities and/or resources to support students in decoding and encoding words that include taught sound-spelling patterns, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.E.1d
Evaluation for 5.E.1d
Materials provide a variety of activities and/or resources to support students in decoding and encoding words that include taught sound-spelling patterns, both in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also give students opportunities to transfer taught sound–spelling patterns to connected text, dictation, and spelling practice. In skills 2, lesson 3, students read the passage “The Role of Code” and write the dictated sentence “He rode down the slope.” In skills 4, lesson 2, weekly spelling words feature the sound–spelling pattern -tion. For example, students write spelling words within dictated sentences, including “This old book about the space station on the moon is fiction.” Students also read the decodable text “Volcanic Eruptions,” which includes several -tion words such as formation, evolution, disruption, and conditions. These activities help students use sound–spelling knowledge across isolated practice, dictation, connected reading, and connected writing.
5.E.2 Regular and Irregular High-Frequency Words
5.E.2a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words. (PR 2.A.1)
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words. (PR 2.A.1)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 5.E.2a
Evaluation for 5.E.2a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing regular and irregular high-frequency words. (PR 2.A.1)
2 out of 2 points
The materials also show how students continue developing high-frequency word knowledge through tricky spellings and cumulative review. The introduction for skills 4 in the Teacher Guide outlines the tricky spellings addressed in the unit, including review of the schwa /ə/ sound and other irregular vowel spellings. For example, students practice reading and writing different spellings of the /shən/ and /shəl/ sounds alongside tricky spellings of /ə/ and /oo/. By anchoring irregular high-frequency words and tricky spellings to systematic sound–spelling lessons, the materials provide a cumulative progression that deepens students’ word knowledge over time.
5.E.2b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.E.2b
Evaluation for 5.E.2b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for decoding and encoding regular and irregular high-frequency words. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also provide grade-level lesson routines where students continue practicing irregular, high-frequency words through explicit instruction and cumulative review. In the Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 15, the educator provides step-by-step instruction for the word built. For example, before students blend and read the word aloud, the educator points to each letter or letter combination while modeling the sounds /b/ /i/ /l/ /t/ and explains that ui makes the /i/ sound. Next, students play a cumulative review game with Tricky Word cards to practice reading words rapidly and read the decodable passage “Adaptable Animals,” which includes target words from previous lessons alongside high-frequency words such as built. This sequence helps students accurately decode, recognize, and apply high-frequency words in connected text.
5.E.2c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills to decode and encode regular and irregular high-frequency words (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills to decode and encode regular and irregular high-frequency words (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
12 out of 12 points
Evaluation for 5.E.2c
Evaluation for 5.E.2c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce skills to decode and encode regular and irregular high-frequency words (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
12 out of 12 points
The materials also give students opportunities to apply high-frequency words through cumulative review games, dictation, and partner activities. In the K–5 High-Frequency Word Routines Guide, routines such as “Say It Fast” and “Manipulatives” use word walls or index cards for rapid review of previously taught regular and irregular high-frequency words. For example, in the Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 10, the educator gathers Tricky Word cards from previous lessons and mixes them with newly taught words for a fast-paced cumulative review game. To practice encoding, students work with partners as one student dictates a tricky word within a sentence, and the other writes it down before they check the spelling together. These activities reinforce decoding and encoding through repeated, cumulative practice.
5.E.2d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to read, and write high-frequency words in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in connected text (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1) (S)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to read, and write high-frequency words in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in connected text (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1) (S)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.E.2d
Evaluation for 5.E.2d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources (including the use of memory-building strategies) for students to read, and write high-frequency words in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in connected text (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1) (S)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also give students opportunities to apply high-frequency words in connected reading and writing. Each grade 3 skills lesson includes a “Tricky Words Review” section with additional ways to practice reading and writing high-frequency words. For example, in grade 3, skills 4, lesson 1, students review index cards, map sounds to letters to build their memory, and play a partner game to practice reading high-frequency words in isolation. In lesson 2, students write high-frequency words in their “Dictation Journals” and participate in partner activities. Students also apply the words in connected text by searching the reading passage for target words, reading the sentences in which they appear, and completing partner dictation by writing the words within original sentence contexts. These activities promote fluency, automaticity, and accurate recognition of high-frequency words in reading and writing.
5.E.3 Decoding and Encoding One-Syllable or Multisyllabic Words
5.E.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types and syllable division principles, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types and syllable division principles, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 5.E.3a
Evaluation for 5.E.3a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level syllable types and syllable division principles, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide lesson-level routines where students apply syllable division strategies during mixed review and “Word Work.” In the Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 20, “Mixed Review, Part 1,” educators review previously taught syllable types and practice chunking words to read and spell them accurately. For example, students practice patterns such as VC/CV, CV/VC, VC/CCV, VCC/CV, VC/V, and V/CV as they divide words into syllables and apply sound–spelling knowledge. These routines help students use syllable division principles to approach unfamiliar multisyllabic words with increasing independence.
5.E.3b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
8 out of 8 points
Evaluation for 5.E.3b
Evaluation for 5.E.3b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for applying knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
8 out of 8 points
The materials also give students opportunities to apply their syllable knowledge during review, sorting, and connected reading. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, lesson 20, the educator reviews the six syllable types by having students listen to words and count the number of syllables. For example, the educator models syllable division by writing words on the board and using slash marks to separate syllables according to their syllable types. Students then complete an activity page in which they sort words by the number of syllables, and a “Support” note reminds educators to review closed, open, VCe, vowel team, r-controlled, and final stable syllables. Students also apply their syllable knowledge while reading connected text, supporting their decoding, word recognition, and spelling of increasingly complex words.
5.E.3c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice and reinforce skills to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice and reinforce skills to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
12 out of 12 points
Evaluation for 5.E.3c
Evaluation for 5.E.3c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice and reinforce skills to decode and encode one-syllable or multisyllabic words (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
12 out of 12 points
Students also apply decoding and encoding skills in “Word Work,” sentence writing, and connected text. In skills 3, lesson 8, students review one-syllable and multisyllabic words containing r-controlled vowels. For example, educators guide students to flexibly decode words and identify syllable types, including open and r-controlled syllables in words such as shore, court, adore, courtyard, and anymore. Students apply these skills by creating sentences with one-syllable and multisyllabic words. They also complete an activity page connected to the decodable text “Tele-Ameer the Superhero,” and identify and highlight one-syllable and multisyllabic words throughout the text. These opportunities support mastery, accuracy, and automaticity when students read and spell complex words.
5.E.3d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to practice decoding and encoding one-syllable or multisyllabic words, using knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles, in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to practice decoding and encoding one-syllable or multisyllabic words, using knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles, in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
8 out of 8 points
Evaluation for 5.E.3d
Evaluation for 5.E.3d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to practice decoding and encoding one-syllable or multisyllabic words, using knowledge of syllable types and syllable division principles, in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A & 2.A.3) (S)
8 out of 8 points
Students also transfer their syllable knowledge to connected reading and writing tasks. In skills 2, lesson 13, students apply their learning while reading the decodable passage “Boat Races: Fun on the Water.” Students move from decoding isolated multisyllabic words to reading connected text that includes the same phonics and syllable patterns. Additionally, the Teacher Guide for skills 4 provides practice with CV/VC patterns in word lists and decodable texts. In lesson 2, students encode words such as suction, portion, condition, and option in their “Dictation Journals.” In lesson 12, students decode CV/VC words such as create, trial, triumph, fluid, and realize in isolation before reading CV/VC words in connected text on activity page 11.3. These activities help students apply their syllable knowledge in isolated word work, dictation, connected reading, and authentic writing contexts.
5.E.4 Morphological Awareness (1-3)
5.E.4a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 5.E.4a
Evaluation for 5.E.4a
Materials include a systematic sequence for introducing grade-level morphemes, as outlined in the TEKS. (PR 2.A.1)
1 out of 1 points
The materials continue the sequence by introducing and reviewing grade-level morphemes in connected groups. For example, knowledge unit 2 includes prefixes such as un-, re-, pre-, dis-, non-, mis-, im-, in-, and sub- along with suffixes such as -or, -ful, -ness, -ly, and -ous. In unit 3, students expand their morpheme knowledge with prefixes such as over-, under-, tele-, super-, and uni- as well as the suffix -ist. These routines help students build word knowledge across the school year and apply morphology to understand the meaning and structure of increasingly complex words.
5.E.4b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for supporting recognition of common morphemes and using their meanings (e.g., affixes, roots, and base words) to support decoding, encoding, and reading comprehension. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for supporting recognition of common morphemes and using their meanings (e.g., affixes, roots, and base words) to support decoding, encoding, and reading comprehension. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.E.4b
Evaluation for 5.E.4b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction for supporting recognition of common morphemes and using their meanings (e.g., affixes, roots, and base words) to support decoding, encoding, and reading comprehension. (PR 2.A.1) (T)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also give students opportunities to apply their morpheme knowledge during reading, writing, and word study. In the Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 1, the educator introduces the suffix -tion and explains that adding -tion to the end of a verb changes the word to a noun, which describes an action, state, or condition. For example, students analyze rotation, identify the base word and suffix on activity page 1.2, read “Volcanic Eruptions” to support their comprehension, and practice encoding on activity page 1.4. Students also read decodable sentences and add un- or dis- to base words in order to complete missing words. These routines help students connect morpheme meaning directly to decoding, encoding, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension.
5.E.4c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level morphological skills (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level morphological skills (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 5.E.4c
Evaluation for 5.E.4c
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to develop, practice, and reinforce grade-level morphological skills (through cumulative review). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
3 out of 3 points
Students also reinforce their morphological skills through cumulative review, collaborative practice, and connected application. In Skills 2, lesson 15, students work in groups to review five affixes: non-, mis-, im-, in-, and -ness. For example, each group defines an assigned affix, brainstorms three example words, and completes activity page 15.2. In skills 4, lesson 8, students also practice the prefixes semi- and anti- by breaking words into syllables; identifying base word meanings; determining prefix meanings; and explaining complete word meanings for words such as semifinal, semisweet, antilock, and antitheft. Students then read decodable sentences, circle words with semi- and anti-, and match prefixed words to their meanings. These opportunities help students apply morphology across word study, reading, and vocabulary tasks.
5.E.4d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to decode and encode words with morphemes in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to decode and encode words with morphemes in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.E.4d
Evaluation for 5.E.4d
Materials include a variety of activities and/or resources for students to decode and encode words with morphemes in isolation (e.g., word lists) and in decodable connected text that builds on previous instruction (e.g., within sentences or decodable texts). (PR 2.A.1 & 2.A.3) (S)
4 out of 4 points
Students also apply their morphological knowledge in connected reading and writing tasks. In skills 4, lesson 2, students read words with the suffix -tion (including addition, audition, and condition) and divide them into syllables on an activity page. Students then read the decodable text “Volcanic Eruptions,” which includes words with affixes such as eruptions, evolution, collisions, released, and destruction. In skills 3, lesson 2, students also decode, spell, and use words with the suffix -ful in isolation before applying the suffix in context by reading a passage and completing a tracking chart with base words and suffixes. These activities help students transfer their morphology skills from isolated word work to connected reading, writing, and comprehension tasks.
5.F.1 Vocabulary Development
5.F.1a
Materials include teacher guidance to support students in determining the meaning of unfamiliar words with illustrations, texts, and guidance in the use of context according to grade-level TEKS.
Materials include teacher guidance to support students in determining the meaning of unfamiliar words with illustrations, texts, and guidance in the use of context according to grade-level TEKS.
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 5.F.1a
Evaluation for 5.F.1a
Materials include teacher guidance to support students in determining the meaning of unfamiliar words with illustrations, texts, and guidance in the use of context according to grade-level TEKS.
3 out of 3 points
The materials also provide explicit modeling that helps students combine word parts, context, visuals, and reference tools to confirm meaning. In the Teacher Guide for skills 3, the educator models how to approach the word supervisor when recognizing the affix super- is not enough to determine the full meaning. For example, the educator explains that reading the word in a sentence can provide clues and that students can also use a dictionary to confirm meaning. In unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 1, educators display an instructional image while discussing the imaginary line called an axis. These examples show how students are guided to use multiple sources of information (including morphology, sentence context, reference tools, and visuals) to determine unfamiliar word meanings.
5.F.1b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction on the purpose and use of both print and digital resources such as picture dictionaries, primary dictionaries, glossaries, eBooks, and online dictionaries. (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction on the purpose and use of both print and digital resources such as picture dictionaries, primary dictionaries, glossaries, eBooks, and online dictionaries. (T)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.F.1b
Evaluation for 5.F.1b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction on the purpose and use of both print and digital resources such as picture dictionaries, primary dictionaries, glossaries, eBooks, and online dictionaries. (T)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also provide lesson-level guidance for using print reference resources. In unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization,” lesson 5, “The Punic Wars, Language,” educators explicitly teach the purpose of a print dictionary and how to use it. Educators explain that words are organized alphabetically, introduce guide words as the two words at the top of a dictionary page, and model how guide words help readers find words more efficiently. Educators and students explore the dictionary together with trial words, and students complete activity page 5.3 to practice using dictionary skills. These routines help students use print reference resources to determine and confirm word meanings.
5.F.1c
[2nd grade only] Materials include activities and tasks for students to use print and digital resources to determine the meaning of words and their pronunciations. (S) [3rd grade only] Materials include activities and tasks for students to use print and digital resources for determining the meaning of words and their pronunciation and syllabication. (S)
[2nd grade only] Materials include activities and tasks for students to use print and digital resources to determine the meaning of words and their pronunciations. (S) [3rd grade only] Materials include activities and tasks for students to use print and digital resources for determining the meaning of words and their pronunciation and syllabication. (S)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.F.1c
Evaluation for 5.F.1c
[2nd grade only] Materials include activities and tasks for students to use print and digital resources to determine the meaning of words and their pronunciations. (S) [3rd grade only] Materials include activities and tasks for students to use print and digital resources for determining the meaning of words and their pronunciation and syllabication. (S)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also give students lesson-level opportunities to apply their reference skills during word study. The Teacher Guide for skills 4, lesson 11 provides instruction on how to analyze the word movement by using the root mov and the suffix -ment to determine meaning. The educator explains that mov means “to move” and -ment means “the action or state of doing something,” helping students determine that movement means “the action or state of moving.” The “Support” sidebar reminds students to use a dictionary to define unfamiliar words, and students use a print dictionary to determine word meaning, pronunciation, and syllabication before applying the skill on activity page 11.2. These tasks support students as they locate, interpret, and verify word meanings and pronunciations using reference resources.
5.G.1 Reading Fluency (1-3)
5.G.1a
Materials include lessons, activities and tasks with modeling and practice of fluent reading skills in and out context with suggestions for teacher feedback. (T)
Materials include lessons, activities and tasks with modeling and practice of fluent reading skills in and out context with suggestions for teacher feedback. (T)
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 5.G.1a
Evaluation for 5.G.1a
Materials include lessons, activities and tasks with modeling and practice of fluent reading skills in and out context with suggestions for teacher feedback. (T)
3 out of 3 points
Students also practice fluent reading through repeated reading, independent reading, and educator feedback. In skills 3, lesson 25, educators introduce “Charlotte’s Art” by modeling the first paragraph with appropriate rate, expression, and phrasing. After the educators model, students read the passage independently to practice fluent reading while the educator monitors performance and provides targeted support. These routines give students repeated opportunities to strengthen accuracy, rate, expression, and prosody while reading connected text.
5.G.1b
Materials include embedded modeling and practice with word lists, decodable phrases/sentences, and decodable connected texts in the lesson. (S)
Materials include embedded modeling and practice with word lists, decodable phrases/sentences, and decodable connected texts in the lesson. (S)
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 5.G.1b
Evaluation for 5.G.1b
Materials include embedded modeling and practice with word lists, decodable phrases/sentences, and decodable connected texts in the lesson. (S)
3 out of 3 points
Students also apply fluent reading skills in decodable connected text through educator modeling, partner work, and independent reading. In skills 1, lesson 9, students read the decodable text “Lake Day,” which gives them an opportunity to apply previously learned phonics skills in connected text. In unit 3, lesson 2, students decode a word list with ur, ir, and er spelling patterns, including germ, her, girl, dirt, nurse, and curl. For example, the educator models reading clerk by underlining er and prompting the class to read the word together before continuing the routine with the rest of the chart. Students then complete a morphology activity with -hood and -ment and apply their skills while reading the decodable text “Neighborhood Garden,” which includes high-frequency words, decodable words, and words with the spelling patterns taught in the lesson. These opportunities support fluent reading at the word, sentence, and connected-text levels.
5.G.1c
Materials include practice activities and tasks to develop word reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., independently, in partners, in teacher-facilitated small groups, etc.). (S)
Materials include practice activities and tasks to develop word reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., independently, in partners, in teacher-facilitated small groups, etc.). (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 5.G.1c
Evaluation for 5.G.1c
Materials include practice activities and tasks to develop word reading fluency in a variety of settings (e.g., independently, in partners, in teacher-facilitated small groups, etc.). (S)
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide repeated reading routines across partner, independent, and educator-monitored settings. In unit 5, lesson 2, students participate in partner reading by taking turns reading each paragraph of chapter 1 in the unit 5 reader aloud. As students read with partners, the educator circulates to monitor engagement and track progress. The routine also encourages students to ask partners for support with decoding or defining unfamiliar words as needed. These collaborative and independent reading opportunities support word reading fluency, automaticity, and accuracy across multiple instructional formats.
5.G.1d
Materials include various texts for the building of accuracy, fluency, prosody, and comprehension.
Materials include various texts for the building of accuracy, fluency, prosody, and comprehension.
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 5.G.1d
Evaluation for 5.G.1d
Materials include various texts for the building of accuracy, fluency, prosody, and comprehension.
4 out of 4 points
The materials also connect fluent reading practice to comprehension through fluency assessments, discussion questions, and activity pages. In unit 2, lesson 15, students complete the “Optional Fluency Assessment” with the text “Piranhas.” Students read the passage aloud to the educator while the educator uses activity page 15.3 to complete a running record and then asks targeted text-dependent comprehension questions. In unit 2, lesson 1, students read the decodable passage “Fame on Stage” with the educator and respond to five text-dependent comprehension questions during structured class discussion. These routines support students as they read fluently, monitor meaning, and demonstrate comprehension of connected text.
5.H.1 Handwriting Development
5.H.1a
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on the teaching of handwriting skills, including handwriting strokes, as appropriate for each grade level and, when possible, connected to current student learning. (T)
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on the teaching of handwriting skills, including handwriting strokes, as appropriate for each grade level and, when possible, connected to current student learning. (T)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 5.H.1a
Evaluation for 5.H.1a
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on the teaching of handwriting skills, including handwriting strokes, as appropriate for each grade level and, when possible, connected to current student learning. (T)
2 out of 2 points
Students then practice and apply their handwriting skills through structured cursive lessons and ongoing written responses. The Teacher Guide for unit 1 has a “Cursive Program” section that provides 14 lessons for teaching cursive with corresponding pages in the student Cursive Activity Book. In lesson 3, “Kite String Letters, Part 1,” students learn and practice lowercase i, j, l, t, and u. The lesson explains the importance of learning cursive and connects the skill to the signatures on the Declaration of Independence. Educators also encourage students to use cursive when writing in their Activity Books and text responses throughout the year. These routines help students refine handwriting strokes and letter formation while applying cursive in meaningful writing tasks.
5.H.1b
Materials include frequent opportunities, resources, and activities and tasks for students to authentically practice and develop handwriting skills appropriate for each grade level. (S)
Materials include frequent opportunities, resources, and activities and tasks for students to authentically practice and develop handwriting skills appropriate for each grade level. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 5.H.1b
Evaluation for 5.H.1b
Materials include frequent opportunities, resources, and activities and tasks for students to authentically practice and develop handwriting skills appropriate for each grade level. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Students also apply their handwriting skills in structured cursive lessons and authentic written responses. The Teacher Guide for the skills 1 “Cursive Program: The Kite String Letters, Part 1—Lowercase i, j, l, t, and u,” provides guided instruction for students to complete activity page C3.1. Students trace the letters, write them independently, and write complete words containing the target letters. The materials also instruct educators to have students use cursive throughout the school year in other Activity Books and written responses, helping students apply their handwriting skills authentically during daily writing tasks.
Rubric Section 6
Knowledge Coherence
Materials support the development of connected background knowledge and key academic vocabulary within and across grade levels.
Total
100% (32 out of 32 points)
Evaluation for 6.A.1a
The materials organize instruction into knowledge-building units that help students develop content knowledge across science, history, literature, and the arts. In the ELAR K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide, the knowledge strand is described as a sequence of read-aloud activities that build content knowledge and vocabulary in literature, history, science, and the arts. Students engage with connected texts, visual aids, and read-aloud routines that support cumulative knowledge-building within each domain. This organization helps students develop academic vocabulary and conceptual understanding across multiple disciplines.
The materials also deepen knowledge through targeted domain units across the year. In grade 3, students build literary knowledge in unit 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows” by engaging with classic narratives, genre characteristics, and cultural themes. Students build scientific knowledge in unit 2, “Scales, Feathers, and Fur: Animal Classification” and unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses” as they study biological classification and body systems. Students build historical knowledge in unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization” and unit 9, “Colonial America” by studying ancient societies, exploration, settlement, geography, and colonial life. Students also build arts knowledge in unit 10, “All That Jazz,” where they examine visual aids featuring famous Latin jazz musicians and illustrate stories connected to the musical genre. These units work together to support a cohesive, multidisciplinary understanding of academic topics.
Evaluation for 6.A.1b
The materials include planning resources that show how knowledge-building is organized within and across grade levels. In the Grades K–5 Cross-Curricular Connections Guide, the introductory overview explains that the program immerses students in literary, historical, and scientific topics to strengthen their vocabulary and build content knowledge. For example, the resource shows how reading units connect to the broader Social Studies and Science TEKS, giving educators a clear planning tool for seeing how academic knowledge expands across subject areas. This guidance helps educators understand the program’s systematic approach to knowledge-building across units and grade levels.
The materials also include unit-level guidance that helps educators connect current instruction to prior learning and future knowledge-building. In unit 4, the “Prior Knowledge” section identifies previous domains that prepare students to study ancient Rome, including “Early American Civilizations” in grade 1 and “Stories from Mount Olympus” in grade 2. For example, the “Why the Ancient Civilization Is Important” knowledge section explains that the unit builds student understanding of the Roman Empire as a foundation for more advanced study in later grades. The materials apply this same structure to the science units. For example, the “Prior Knowledge” section of unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond” explains that students previously learned that Earth orbits the Sun in grade 1 and that the orbit takes one year in grade 2. These supports help educators see how knowledge builds across years and how current instruction fits into the broader K–5 progression.
Evaluation for 6.A.1c
The materials organize instruction so that students spend extended time on connected knowledge-building topics and texts. In the Grade 3 Curriculum Map, the curriculum includes 10 in-depth units, with each domain dedicating an extended block of instructional days to one connected topic. For example, the unit lengths range from 12 to 22 instructional days, which gives students about two-and-a-half to more than four weeks of instruction on each topic. This structure ensures that students spend sustained time reading, writing, and speaking about connected texts as they build a deeper understanding of each domain.
The materials also show this extended design within individual knowledge units. In unit 2, “Scales, Feathers, and Fur: Animal Classification,” the Teacher Guide includes 15 daily lessons and a two-day pausing point, which allows the unit to span 17 instructional days. Students spend more than three weeks focused on animal classification through connected texts and learning experiences. In unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” the Teacher Guide includes 19 daily lessons, three pausing points, and a “Performance Task Assessment” across 22 instructional days. This pacing gives students more than four weeks to build and reinforce scientific knowledge through repeated engagement with related texts, discussions, and tasks.
Evaluation for 6.A.1d
The materials connect lessons through anchor texts and text sets that build background knowledge across a unit. In grade 3, read-aloud texts continue to serve as anchors that introduce and develop unit content across multiple lessons. For example, in unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” the read-aloud “What’s in Our Universe?” introduces key concepts and vocabulary about the solar system before and during students’ reading of related selections in the Student Reader. The lessons repeatedly reference ideas and content from the anchor text as students engage with additional readings, helping them build background knowledge across the unit.
The materials also include connected text sets that help students build literary knowledge over time. In knowledge 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows,” students engage with a text set that covers different parts of the world, including “The Wind in the Willows,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.” Students discuss literary tools such as personification, perspective, and point of view while also examining the themes of friendship, loyalty, hospitality, responsibility, and irresponsibility. These connected texts help students deepen their background knowledge as they analyze related stories, themes, and literary elements across the unit.
Evaluation for 6.A.1e
The materials connect grammar, vocabulary, discussion, and writing to the knowledge-building topic of the lesson. In the Teacher Guide for unit 2, “Scales, Feathers, and Fur: Animal Classification,” lesson 14, the educator instructs students to apply their grammar skills and content vocabulary while revising and editing an informational paragraph. Students ensure that their paragraph includes a clear central idea about an animal and an animal group of their choosing, and they explain how that animal is classified. Throughout the lesson, students use content-specific vocabulary during discussion and apply grammar skills to improve their writing, connecting language development to the unit’s science content.
The materials also integrate grammar and vocabulary instruction with discussion and short writing tasks connected to read-aloud content. In knowledge 10, lesson 7, students use the unit read-aloud activity to identify adjectives from the text. Students share the adjectives they have identified during a structured class discussion and then complete an “Exit Ticket” activity that requires them to apply their understanding of adjectives in a short writing task. These activities connect grammar, vocabulary, discussion, and writing to the knowledge-building focus of the unit.
Evaluation for 6.A.2a
The materials activate and supply background knowledge by connecting current instruction to content introduced in previous grade levels. In unit 1, lesson 1, the “Introducing the Reading” section directs educators to review what students already know about knights and fairy tales before beginning the text. Students are reminded that they read stories in grade 2 from “Sir Gus” and that a knight was a type of soldier who lived long ago. This explicit connection helps students access previously learned content before beginning new grade 3 instruction.
The materials also contain introductory routines that connect current instruction to prior science and history learning. In the Teacher Guide for unit 7, lesson 1, “The Sun, Earth, and Our Solar System,” the educator asks students to name objects they know exist in the solar system before reading the selection. For example, the “Prior Knowledge” subsection explains that students previously learned about weather, seasons, and Earth’s connection to the Sun in earlier grades. This structured discussion occurs before reading so that students can activate prior knowledge, build background connections, and better understand new science content.
Evaluation for 6.A.2b
The materials activate background knowledge by prompting students to recall previously learned content before starting new learning. The scripted lesson in unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond” of the Teacher Guide directs educators to make an immediate cross-unit connection while displaying an image of the Sun during a read-aloud. Educators remind students that they previously discussed the Sun in unit 5, “Flash, Bang, Boom! Exploring Light and Sound” and then use guided questions and anticipated responses to help students connect prior learning about energy to the new astronomy content.
The materials also use introductory guidance to connect learning across thematic units within the same grade level. In the Teacher Guide, unit 9, “Knowledge: Why Colonial America Is Important” explains that the unit builds on what students have learned about Native Americans and reviews prior learning about English colonies in North America. The introduction explains how current grade 3 learning supports later study of Colonial America, the French and Indian War, and the Revolutionary War. These connections help students build cumulatively on knowledge from earlier units to support new learning.
Evaluation for 6.A.2c
The materials provide targeted background knowledge before students engage with grade-level texts. In the Teacher Guide for knowledge 2, “Scales, Feathers, and Fur: Animal Classification,” the educator explains what a zoologist is and how that field of study connects to the upcoming unit content before students read “Introduction: Meet Rattenborough.” Students take a virtual field trip to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park, observe animals through live webcams, and record prior knowledge and new observations on an activity page. This preparation builds visual and conceptual context before students begin the text.
The materials also provide concept-building routines that prepare students to understand more complex informational texts. In the Teacher Guide for knowledge 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” lesson 6, the educator introduces key information about muscles before students read “Joints and Muscles.” The educator explains that muscles contract to move bones and distinguishes between voluntary muscles, which people control, and involuntary muscles, which move automatically. This targeted context helps students engage with the science content and supports both literal and inferential comprehension of the text.
Evaluation for 6.A.3a
Students engage with central ideas and themes through questions and tasks connected to literary texts. In unit 1, lesson 5, after the read-aloud “Mr. Badger,” the educator asks higher-order comprehension questions that require students to evaluate predictions, analyze character relationships, and compare settings. For example, students explain whether their predictions were correct about Mr. Badger showing hospitality to Rat and Mole and compare the River Bank and the Wild Wood by identifying similarities and differences. These questions help students analyze themes such as hospitality, the environment, and relationships rather than only recalling story events.
Students also explore broader scientific and historical concepts through evaluative and analytical prompts. The Teacher Guide for unit 3, lesson 3, “The Skeletal System: All About Bones,” provides guidance to help students answer literal, inferential, and evaluative questions about the skeletal system. For example, the educator asks students to compare the body to a tree and explain which parts would represent appendicular bones and axial bones, requiring students to apply anatomical knowledge to a conceptual model. In unit 4, lesson 4, students analyze the Roman social structure by imagining how Rome would have been different or the same if patricians, plebeians, and enslaved people did not exist. These tasks help students connect lesson details to larger ideas about scientific systems, social structure, power, and historical impact.
Evaluation for 6.A.3b
Students synthesize knowledge across texts within and across lessons by comparing information from multiple sources. In the Teacher Guide for unit 2, “Scales, Feathers, and Fur: Animal Classification,” lesson 7, the educator guides students to compare information from chapter 8, “Tree Frogs,” and chapter 9, “Poison Dart Frogs.” Students use a Venn diagram to identify how the two frog species are alike and different. This task requires students to integrate details from separate informational texts in order to deepen their understanding of animal classification and species characteristics.
Students also synthesize knowledge across disciplines and units through discussion, vocabulary, and content-extension tasks. In the Teacher Guide for unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” lesson 2, the educator connects anatomy and architecture as students analyze the word structure and the concept of axial bones. Students transfer the idea of structural support from buildings to the human body as they explain why the body needs a strong framework. In unit 4, lesson 3, students compare and contrast the ancient Greek and Roman cultures during the “Discussing the Read-Aloud” section, using information gathered across multiple lessons. These tasks help students synthesize knowledge across texts, lessons, and content areas.
Evaluation for 6.A.3c
Students demonstrate understanding of the unit topic through culminating tasks that require them to apply and synthesize learning from related texts. In unit 1, students complete a culminating activity tied to the essential question, “How can literature teach us about ourselves and others?” Students imagine they are one of the characters from “Alice in Wonderland” and write a creative journal entry retelling an encounter with Alice from that character’s point of view. This task requires students to draw upon their understanding of characters, story events, themes, and academic vocabulary developed throughout the unit.
The materials also contain formal assessments that require students to synthesize information from multiple unit sources. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 18 includes the “Unit Assessment: Informative Writing” project. Students use evidence from related text selections to write a detailed report about a day in the life of an astronaut on the International Space Station. Students gather information from multiple unit sources and follow the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish their final expository piece. This performance task allows students to show understanding by organizing evidence and synthesizing information into a cohesive writing product.
Evaluation for 6.A.3d
Students apply new understanding from the unit topic to real-world contexts through observation and investigation. In unit 2, lesson 14, students gather resources such as field guides about local birds, a bird feeder, and bird food to conduct a hands-on bird study. During this pausing-point activity, students apply their understanding of animal classification by observing common local birds, identifying their physical characteristics, and recording scientific observations in a notebook. This task extends the unit’s study of animal classification by having students apply concepts and vocabulary to wildlife in their local environment.
The materials also contain experiential tasks that help students connect content learning to human experiences beyond the classroom. In unit 3, lesson 13, after studying vision and hearing, students participate in a disability simulation designed to help them consider what it may feel like to be deaf or blind. Students work in pairs using blindfolds and headphones. One partner guides the blindfolded student using clear verbal directions, and then partners attempt silent communication while one student wears headphones. This interactive activity helps students apply their understanding of the senses to real-life experiences involving communication, accessibility, and empathy.
Evaluation for 6.A.4a
The materials organize tier-two and tier-three vocabulary across the year so that vocabulary instruction supports knowledge-building within each domain. The Grade 3 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide lists vocabulary words for each unit organized by tier. For example, daily lesson plans include a vocabulary chart that shows each word as it appears in the core text, provides definitions, includes context-based example sentences, notes grammatical variations, and categorizes words as tier-two or tier-three. This organization helps students build academic and domain-specific vocabulary while developing content knowledge across the year.
The materials also provide lesson-level routines that teach and reinforce planned vocabulary in meaningful content. The introduction for unit 7, lesson 1 in the Teacher Guide contains a “ “Vocabulary: Our Planet Earth” section with lesson vocabulary words and definitions. The guide advises educators to have students keep a personal unit dictionary notebook with definitions, student-generated sentences, and writing exercises using key vocabulary words. The Teacher Guide for unit 1, lesson 6, “Dulce Domum, Part 1” provides a vocabulary chart that identifies tier-three words such as tailor, merchant, and magician as well as tier-two words like nephew, treasure, glittering, and precious. These routines help students repeatedly encounter, discuss, and apply vocabulary in the context of literature and science content.
Evaluation for 6.A.4b
Students practice using and applying academic vocabulary through content-based discussion, word analysis, and vocabulary activities. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 1 has a “Support” sidebar that guides students to break the term extraterrestrial into meaningful parts. The educator explains that extra- means “outside” or “beyond” and terrestrial means “having to do with Earth,” which helps students connect morphology to the unit’s astronomy vocabulary. In the Teacher Guide for unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization,” lesson 3, students review the word elaborate by discussing its meaning, part of speech, synonyms, antonyms, and examples and nonexamples from the classroom. These routines help students deepen their vocabulary knowledge through meaningful use connected to science and history content.
The materials also provide content and language scaffolds that help educators differentiate vocabulary development for learners with varying language needs. The Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Light and Sound,” lesson 8 provides a “Triangle Connections” activity, which includes “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars that offer different levels of support. Pre-Production/Beginning learners receive a simplified list of unit glossary terms with direct definitions, while Intermediate learners orally explain how two content-related vocabulary words are connected. In unit 7, lesson 1, the “Speaking and Listening” sidebar also provides tiered prompts: Beginning learners answer simple yes/no questions, Intermediate learners supply domain-specific words, and Advanced learners explain astronomical concepts in complete sentences using core vocabulary. These scaffolds give students multiple ways to access, practice, and apply academic vocabulary while giving educators information to adjust instruction.
Evaluation for 6.A.4c
Students use key academic vocabulary during content-based tasks, partner discussions, and written responses. In the Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 1, the educator instructs students to apply core vocabulary words such as orbit, eclipse, lunar, solar, and shadow on activity pages 1.1 and 1.2. Students organize their ideas using temporal transition words such as first, second, next, and then as they describe astronomical events. During the “Word Work: Universe” segment, students discuss what other objects may exist in the universe, share questions with a partner, and then report their partner’s question to the class using universe in a complete sentence.
Students also apply academic vocabulary in literary and humanities-based tasks. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 8 describes how students should use the biography “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone” to locate and analyze the vocabulary words arrange, mesmerize, and scene. Students read the words in context, examine the surrounding sentences, determine which dictionary definition applies, and then write original sentences using each word correctly. These context-based tasks help students use new academic vocabulary purposefully across reading, discussion, and writing.
Evaluation for 6.A.4d
The materials use images and visual representations to help students understand key academic vocabulary. In the read-aloud guidance in the Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 9 directs the educator to display an image card to introduce the technical term space shuttle. The educator shows the image and explains that space shuttles are manned, winged spacecraft that carry supplies, astronauts, and equipment into space and then return to Earth to be used again. Pairing the vocabulary term with a clear visual representation gives students nonverbal support for understanding and discussing complex science content.
The materials also use visual scaffolds to support vocabulary tied to cultural and artistic concepts. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 1 instructs the educator to introduce an image card connected to the academic term jazz before students read “What Is Jazz?” Students describe what they observe in the image, identify the musical instruments, and discuss what kind of music is being played before the educator defines jazz as an American style of music that evolved from other kinds of music. This nonverbal support helps students connect culturally rich vocabulary to visual media before the read-aloud activity.
Evaluation for 6.B.1a
Students generate questions through structured inquiry routines connected to historical research and cultural exploration. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “The U.S. Civil War,” lesson 1 instructs students to generate targeted inquiry questions in preparation for a visiting guest speaker who will discuss the American colonial period. Students use activity page 1.1, which contains a two-column chart labeled “Things I Learned from the Speaker” and “Questions for the Speaker,” to organize their thinking. During the presentation, students record questions, and after the session, the educator prompts students to create deeper follow-up questions using starters such as “How did it feel when…” or “Why did you…” These routines help students develop inquiry-based questions that support historical investigation.
Students also generate questions through KWL charts and partner discussion during research-based instruction. The introduction to the Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz” explains that students will learn to generate academic questions about complex nonfiction texts. Students use individual KWL charts to record their background knowledge, questions, and new learning. In lesson 1, students generate analytical questions based on archival images introduced during the read-aloud and discuss their questions during a partner-pair-share routine. These tasks help students understand how student-generated questions can shape classroom research and deepen engagement with the unit topic.
Evaluation for 6.B.1b
Students generate a research plan through explicit instruction and structured recording tools. In the Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Light and Sound,” lesson 13, educators introduce a four-step research process: identifying the topic, gathering information, listening or reading to take notes, and organizing notes. Students research a historical invention, choosing between the telephone or the incandescent light bulb, and follow along on a structured recording sheet as the educator models each step. This routine helps students plan and conduct organized inquiry.
Students then follow and monitor their research plans as they transition from research to writing. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 10 describes how students should organize questions for a comparative investigation that connects a legendary jazz musician to a musician from Texas. Students use activity page 5.1 to record, organize, and monitor their findings in a dual-column graphic organizer with space for inquiry questions as well as evidence from primary and secondary sources. This planning tool supports students as they gather information, compare sources, and move toward a finished written piece.
Evaluation for 6.B.1c
Students identify and classify relevant sources during the research process. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 6 shows educators how to explicitly introduce the difference between primary and secondary sources. The educator explains that secondary sources can confirm and expand upon information found in primary sources and may include details, perspectives, or points of view about direct evidence. After this instruction, students continue their independent research projects by using their personalized inquiry questions to guide their search and by classifying gathered materials as primary or secondary sources.
Students also gather, evaluate, and organize information from multiple real-world resources. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 10 describes how students use a structured research plan template and classroom research stations to conduct research about a contemporary Texas musician. Students collect, organize, and monitor information from both primary and secondary sources while the educator provides point-of-use guidance on identifying and differentiating between source types. These tasks give students repeated opportunities to evaluate source relevance, organize evidence, and use research materials to construct final biographies.
6.A.1 Connected Knowledge-Building Units and Lessons
6.A.1a
Units are designed to build knowledge based in the fields of science, history, literature, and the arts.
Units are designed to build knowledge based in the fields of science, history, literature, and the arts.
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 6.A.1a
Evaluation for 6.A.1a
Units are designed to build knowledge based in the fields of science, history, literature, and the arts.
4 out of 4 points
The materials also deepen knowledge through targeted domain units across the year. In grade 3, students build literary knowledge in unit 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows” by engaging with classic narratives, genre characteristics, and cultural themes. Students build scientific knowledge in unit 2, “Scales, Feathers, and Fur: Animal Classification” and unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses” as they study biological classification and body systems. Students build historical knowledge in unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization” and unit 9, “Colonial America” by studying ancient societies, exploration, settlement, geography, and colonial life. Students also build arts knowledge in unit 10, “All That Jazz,” where they examine visual aids featuring famous Latin jazz musicians and illustrate stories connected to the musical genre. These units work together to support a cohesive, multidisciplinary understanding of academic topics.
6.A.1b
Materials provide resources, including a scope and sequence, to demonstrate the approach to knowledge-building within and across grade levels.
Materials provide resources, including a scope and sequence, to demonstrate the approach to knowledge-building within and across grade levels.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 6.A.1b
Evaluation for 6.A.1b
Materials provide resources, including a scope and sequence, to demonstrate the approach to knowledge-building within and across grade levels.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also include unit-level guidance that helps educators connect current instruction to prior learning and future knowledge-building. In unit 4, the “Prior Knowledge” section identifies previous domains that prepare students to study ancient Rome, including “Early American Civilizations” in grade 1 and “Stories from Mount Olympus” in grade 2. For example, the “Why the Ancient Civilization Is Important” knowledge section explains that the unit builds student understanding of the Roman Empire as a foundation for more advanced study in later grades. The materials apply this same structure to the science units. For example, the “Prior Knowledge” section of unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond” explains that students previously learned that Earth orbits the Sun in grade 1 and that the orbit takes one year in grade 2. These supports help educators see how knowledge builds across years and how current instruction fits into the broader K–5 progression.
6.A.1c
Units are designed for students to spend extended time (e.g., 3 weeks or more) on connected knowledge-building topics and texts.
Units are designed for students to spend extended time (e.g., 3 weeks or more) on connected knowledge-building topics and texts.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.1c
Evaluation for 6.A.1c
Units are designed for students to spend extended time (e.g., 3 weeks or more) on connected knowledge-building topics and texts.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also show this extended design within individual knowledge units. In unit 2, “Scales, Feathers, and Fur: Animal Classification,” the Teacher Guide includes 15 daily lessons and a two-day pausing point, which allows the unit to span 17 instructional days. Students spend more than three weeks focused on animal classification through connected texts and learning experiences. In unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” the Teacher Guide includes 19 daily lessons, three pausing points, and a “Performance Task Assessment” across 22 instructional days. This pacing gives students more than four weeks to build and reinforce scientific knowledge through repeated engagement with related texts, discussions, and tasks.
6.A.1d
Lessons are connected by anchoring texts or text sets designed to intentionally build connected student background knowledge over time.
Lessons are connected by anchoring texts or text sets designed to intentionally build connected student background knowledge over time.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.1d
Evaluation for 6.A.1d
Lessons are connected by anchoring texts or text sets designed to intentionally build connected student background knowledge over time.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also include connected text sets that help students build literary knowledge over time. In knowledge 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows,” students engage with a text set that covers different parts of the world, including “The Wind in the Willows,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.” Students discuss literary tools such as personification, perspective, and point of view while also examining the themes of friendship, loyalty, hospitality, responsibility, and irresponsibility. These connected texts help students deepen their background knowledge as they analyze related stories, themes, and literary elements across the unit.
6.A.1e
Grammar, vocabulary, discussion, and writing activities are connected to the knowledge-building topic of the lesson.
Grammar, vocabulary, discussion, and writing activities are connected to the knowledge-building topic of the lesson.
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 6.A.1e
Evaluation for 6.A.1e
Grammar, vocabulary, discussion, and writing activities are connected to the knowledge-building topic of the lesson.
4 out of 4 points
The materials also integrate grammar and vocabulary instruction with discussion and short writing tasks connected to read-aloud content. In knowledge 10, lesson 7, students use the unit read-aloud activity to identify adjectives from the text. Students share the adjectives they have identified during a structured class discussion and then complete an “Exit Ticket” activity that requires them to apply their understanding of adjectives in a short writing task. These activities connect grammar, vocabulary, discussion, and writing to the knowledge-building focus of the unit.
6.A.2 Context and Student Background Knowledge
6.A.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge by making connections to previously learned content from prior grade levels.
Materials activate or supply background knowledge by making connections to previously learned content from prior grade levels.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.2a
Evaluation for 6.A.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge by making connections to previously learned content from prior grade levels.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also contain introductory routines that connect current instruction to prior science and history learning. In the Teacher Guide for unit 7, lesson 1, “The Sun, Earth, and Our Solar System,” the educator asks students to name objects they know exist in the solar system before reading the selection. For example, the “Prior Knowledge” subsection explains that students previously learned about weather, seasons, and Earth’s connection to the Sun in earlier grades. This structured discussion occurs before reading so that students can activate prior knowledge, build background connections, and better understand new science content.
6.A.2b
Materials activate or supply background knowledge by making connections across units within a grade level.
Materials activate or supply background knowledge by making connections across units within a grade level.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.2b
Evaluation for 6.A.2b
Materials activate or supply background knowledge by making connections across units within a grade level.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also use introductory guidance to connect learning across thematic units within the same grade level. In the Teacher Guide, unit 9, “Knowledge: Why Colonial America Is Important” explains that the unit builds on what students have learned about Native Americans and reviews prior learning about English colonies in North America. The introduction explains how current grade 3 learning supports later study of Colonial America, the French and Indian War, and the Revolutionary War. These connections help students build cumulatively on knowledge from earlier units to support new learning.
6.A.2c
Materials provide students with relevant and targeted context or background knowledge to enhance the student's engagement with the text. (S/T)
Materials provide students with relevant and targeted context or background knowledge to enhance the student's engagement with the text. (S/T)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.2c
Evaluation for 6.A.2c
Materials provide students with relevant and targeted context or background knowledge to enhance the student's engagement with the text. (S/T)
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide concept-building routines that prepare students to understand more complex informational texts. In the Teacher Guide for knowledge 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” lesson 6, the educator introduces key information about muscles before students read “Joints and Muscles.” The educator explains that muscles contract to move bones and distinguishes between voluntary muscles, which people control, and involuntary muscles, which move automatically. This targeted context helps students engage with the science content and supports both literal and inferential comprehension of the text.
6.A.3 Developing Student Comprehension with Connected Topics, Questions, and Tasks
6.A.3a
Questions and tasks require students to engage with big ideas, topics, and themes.
Questions and tasks require students to engage with big ideas, topics, and themes.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.3a
Evaluation for 6.A.3a
Questions and tasks require students to engage with big ideas, topics, and themes.
1 out of 1 points
Students also explore broader scientific and historical concepts through evaluative and analytical prompts. The Teacher Guide for unit 3, lesson 3, “The Skeletal System: All About Bones,” provides guidance to help students answer literal, inferential, and evaluative questions about the skeletal system. For example, the educator asks students to compare the body to a tree and explain which parts would represent appendicular bones and axial bones, requiring students to apply anatomical knowledge to a conceptual model. In unit 4, lesson 4, students analyze the Roman social structure by imagining how Rome would have been different or the same if patricians, plebeians, and enslaved people did not exist. These tasks help students connect lesson details to larger ideas about scientific systems, social structure, power, and historical impact.
6.A.3b
Questions and tasks prompt students to synthesize knowledge and concepts across texts within and across lessons and units. (S)
Questions and tasks prompt students to synthesize knowledge and concepts across texts within and across lessons and units. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 6.A.3b
Evaluation for 6.A.3b
Questions and tasks prompt students to synthesize knowledge and concepts across texts within and across lessons and units. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Students also synthesize knowledge across disciplines and units through discussion, vocabulary, and content-extension tasks. In the Teacher Guide for unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” lesson 2, the educator connects anatomy and architecture as students analyze the word structure and the concept of axial bones. Students transfer the idea of structural support from buildings to the human body as they explain why the body needs a strong framework. In unit 4, lesson 3, students compare and contrast the ancient Greek and Roman cultures during the “Discussing the Read-Aloud” section, using information gathered across multiple lessons. These tasks help students synthesize knowledge across texts, lessons, and content areas.
6.A.3c
Culminating tasks require students to demonstrate their knowledge of the unit topic by making connections across related texts. (S)
Culminating tasks require students to demonstrate their knowledge of the unit topic by making connections across related texts. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.3c
Evaluation for 6.A.3c
Culminating tasks require students to demonstrate their knowledge of the unit topic by making connections across related texts. (S)
1 out of 1 points
The materials also contain formal assessments that require students to synthesize information from multiple unit sources. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 18 includes the “Unit Assessment: Informative Writing” project. Students use evidence from related text selections to write a detailed report about a day in the life of an astronaut on the International Space Station. Students gather information from multiple unit sources and follow the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish their final expository piece. This performance task allows students to show understanding by organizing evidence and synthesizing information into a cohesive writing product.
6.A.3d
Materials provide opportunities to apply new understanding based on the topic to contexts beyond the classroom. (S)
Materials provide opportunities to apply new understanding based on the topic to contexts beyond the classroom. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.3d
Evaluation for 6.A.3d
Materials provide opportunities to apply new understanding based on the topic to contexts beyond the classroom. (S)
1 out of 1 points
The materials also contain experiential tasks that help students connect content learning to human experiences beyond the classroom. In unit 3, lesson 13, after studying vision and hearing, students participate in a disability simulation designed to help them consider what it may feel like to be deaf or blind. Students work in pairs using blindfolds and headphones. One partner guides the blindfolded student using clear verbal directions, and then partners attempt silent communication while one student wears headphones. This interactive activity helps students apply their understanding of the senses to real-life experiences involving communication, accessibility, and empathy.
6.A.4 Key Academic Vocabulary and Grade-Level Concepts
6.A.4a
Materials include a year-long scope and sequence for building tier 2 and 3 academic vocabulary in the context of knowledge-building.
Materials include a year-long scope and sequence for building tier 2 and 3 academic vocabulary in the context of knowledge-building.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 6.A.4a
Evaluation for 6.A.4a
Materials include a year-long scope and sequence for building tier 2 and 3 academic vocabulary in the context of knowledge-building.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide lesson-level routines that teach and reinforce planned vocabulary in meaningful content. The introduction for unit 7, lesson 1 in the Teacher Guide contains a “ “Vocabulary: Our Planet Earth” section with lesson vocabulary words and definitions. The guide advises educators to have students keep a personal unit dictionary notebook with definitions, student-generated sentences, and writing exercises using key vocabulary words. The Teacher Guide for unit 1, lesson 6, “Dulce Domum, Part 1” provides a vocabulary chart that identifies tier-three words such as tailor, merchant, and magician as well as tier-two words like nephew, treasure, glittering, and precious. These routines help students repeatedly encounter, discuss, and apply vocabulary in the context of literature and science content.
6.A.4b
Materials include practice and application opportunities with appropriate content and language scaffolds and supports for teachers to differentiate vocabulary development for all learners. (S)
Materials include practice and application opportunities with appropriate content and language scaffolds and supports for teachers to differentiate vocabulary development for all learners. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 6.A.4b
Evaluation for 6.A.4b
Materials include practice and application opportunities with appropriate content and language scaffolds and supports for teachers to differentiate vocabulary development for all learners. (S)
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide content and language scaffolds that help educators differentiate vocabulary development for learners with varying language needs. The Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Light and Sound,” lesson 8 provides a “Triangle Connections” activity, which includes “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars that offer different levels of support. Pre-Production/Beginning learners receive a simplified list of unit glossary terms with direct definitions, while Intermediate learners orally explain how two content-related vocabulary words are connected. In unit 7, lesson 1, the “Speaking and Listening” sidebar also provides tiered prompts: Beginning learners answer simple yes/no questions, Intermediate learners supply domain-specific words, and Advanced learners explain astronomical concepts in complete sentences using core vocabulary. These scaffolds give students multiple ways to access, practice, and apply academic vocabulary while giving educators information to adjust instruction.
6.A.4c
Materials include tasks designed to engage students in purposeful use of key academic vocabulary. (S)
Materials include tasks designed to engage students in purposeful use of key academic vocabulary. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.4c
Evaluation for 6.A.4c
Materials include tasks designed to engage students in purposeful use of key academic vocabulary. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Students also apply academic vocabulary in literary and humanities-based tasks. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 8 describes how students should use the biography “Little Melba and Her Big Trombone” to locate and analyze the vocabulary words arrange, mesmerize, and scene. Students read the words in context, examine the surrounding sentences, determine which dictionary definition applies, and then write original sentences using each word correctly. These context-based tasks help students use new academic vocabulary purposefully across reading, discussion, and writing.
6.A.4d
Materials include nonverbal teaching techniques to support students in the acquisition of key academic vocabulary, such as the use of images and visualization. (T)
Materials include nonverbal teaching techniques to support students in the acquisition of key academic vocabulary, such as the use of images and visualization. (T)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.A.4d
Evaluation for 6.A.4d
Materials include nonverbal teaching techniques to support students in the acquisition of key academic vocabulary, such as the use of images and visualization. (T)
1 out of 1 points
The materials also use visual scaffolds to support vocabulary tied to cultural and artistic concepts. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 1 instructs the educator to introduce an image card connected to the academic term jazz before students read “What Is Jazz?” Students describe what they observe in the image, identify the musical instruments, and discuss what kind of music is being played before the educator defines jazz as an American style of music that evolved from other kinds of music. This nonverbal support helps students connect culturally rich vocabulary to visual media before the read-aloud activity.
6.B.1 Recursive Inquiry Process
6.B.1a
Materials support instruction for students to ask and generate questions for inquiry. (S)
Materials support instruction for students to ask and generate questions for inquiry. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 6.B.1a
Evaluation for 6.B.1a
Materials support instruction for students to ask and generate questions for inquiry. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Students also generate questions through KWL charts and partner discussion during research-based instruction. The introduction to the Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz” explains that students will learn to generate academic questions about complex nonfiction texts. Students use individual KWL charts to record their background knowledge, questions, and new learning. In lesson 1, students generate analytical questions based on archival images introduced during the read-aloud and discuss their questions during a partner-pair-share routine. These tasks help students understand how student-generated questions can shape classroom research and deepen engagement with the unit topic.
6.B.1b
K-1: Materials support students in identification of relevant sources based on their questions. (S). K-1: Materials support student practice in understanding, organizing, and communicating ideas and information using multiple media in accordance with the purpose of the research. (S)
K-1: Materials support students in identification of relevant sources based on their questions. (S). K-1: Materials support student practice in understanding, organizing, and communicating ideas and information using multiple media in accordance with the purpose of the research. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 6.B.1b
Evaluation for 6.B.1b
K-1: Materials support students in identification of relevant sources based on their questions. (S). K-1: Materials support student practice in understanding, organizing, and communicating ideas and information using multiple media in accordance with the purpose of the research. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Students then follow and monitor their research plans as they transition from research to writing. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 10 describes how students should organize questions for a comparative investigation that connects a legendary jazz musician to a musician from Texas. Students use activity page 5.1 to record, organize, and monitor their findings in a dual-column graphic organizer with space for inquiry questions as well as evidence from primary and secondary sources. This planning tool supports students as they gather information, compare sources, and move toward a finished written piece.
6.B.1c
2-3: Materials require students to gather relevant information from a variety of sources. (S). 2-3: Materials provide guidance for students on differentiating between primary and secondary sources. (S). 2-3: Materials include activities and tasks which require students to differentiate between primary and secondary sources. (S)
2-3: Materials require students to gather relevant information from a variety of sources. (S). 2-3: Materials provide guidance for students on differentiating between primary and secondary sources. (S). 2-3: Materials include activities and tasks which require students to differentiate between primary and secondary sources. (S)
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 6.B.1c
Evaluation for 6.B.1c
2-3: Materials require students to gather relevant information from a variety of sources. (S). 2-3: Materials provide guidance for students on differentiating between primary and secondary sources. (S). 2-3: Materials include activities and tasks which require students to differentiate between primary and secondary sources. (S)
3 out of 3 points
Students also gather, evaluate, and organize information from multiple real-world resources. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 10 describes how students use a structured research plan template and classroom research stations to conduct research about a contemporary Texas musician. Students collect, organize, and monitor information from both primary and secondary sources while the educator provides point-of-use guidance on identifying and differentiating between source types. These tasks give students repeated opportunities to evaluate source relevance, organize evidence, and use research materials to construct final biographies.
Rubric Section 7
Text Quality and Complexity
Materials ensure students spend a majority of their time interacting with increasingly complex grade-level text.
Total
100% (34 out of 34 points)
Evaluation for 7.1a
In the K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide, the materials explain the quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task considerations used to determine the complexity of core instructional texts. The guide includes descriptors related to text structure, language, purpose, knowledge demands, and task expectations. This guidance helps educators understand how grade 3 texts are evaluated for complexity and how the materials support students as they engage with grade-level content.
The materials also provide grade-specific text complexity information for grade 3 units. In unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” the educator read-aloud activities have a quantitative rating of 3 and a Lexile rating of 940L. The student readers have a qualitative rating of 2 and a Lexile rating of 620L, reflecting texts with moderate sentence length, domain-specific vocabulary, and content that includes some nuance. The unit also has a reader/task rating of 2, indicating a moderate level of cognitive demand. These measures show that students engage with appropriately complex texts while building comprehension, vocabulary, and scientific knowledge.
Evaluation for 7.1b
The materials include well-crafted texts that help students develop literacy through clear organization, descriptive language, and rich, domain-specific vocabulary. The Teacher Guide for unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization,” describes how students should engage with texts, including “The Legend of Romulus and Remus” and “The Roman Gods.” The read-aloud activities and student-facing materials use vivid descriptions and content-specific vocabulary such as civilization, predecessor, persecute, and bountiful to support conceptual knowledge while modeling strong informational and narrative writing.
The materials also provide student-facing readers that reflect professional publishing standards and support independent reading development. In the grade 3, skills 7 reader, students read “What’s in Our Universe?”, which has a Lexile measure of 730L and is designed to include previously taught spelling patterns and tricky words. For example, the reader helps students apply decoding knowledge at the appropriate point in the instructional sequence and includes formal International Standard Book Number (ISBN) registration, copyright attribution, and Creative Commons licensing. These features show that students engage with professionally crafted texts that support reading, vocabulary, and content knowledge.
Evaluation for 7.1c
Students engage with a range of literary, historical, classical, and culturally diverse texts across the Grade 3 Curriculum Map. In unit 1, “Classic Tales,” students read classical literary works such as “The Wind in the Willows” and “Alice in Wonderland,” which introduce sophisticated narrative structures and imaginative storytelling. Students also build historical knowledge in unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization,” with texts that support their understanding of the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire, and ancient culture. In unit 8, “Native American Stories and Cultures” and unit 9, “The European Exploration of North America,” students engage with narrative and informational texts that examine diverse cultures, historical experiences, and early interactions in North America.
Students also engage with informational texts across science, technology, biography, and the arts. In unit 2, “Classification of Animals,” and unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” students read informational texts that build scientific knowledge and domain-specific vocabulary. In unit 5, “Light and Sound,” students read biographical texts about historical figures such as Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison while learning how biographies provide factual information for research. In unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” students explore science, history, and literature through texts about the solar system and space exploration figures, including Nicolaus Copernicus and Dr. Mae Jemison. In unit 10, “All That Jazz,” students read contemporary and traditional texts about writers and musicians who influenced the Jazz Age in the United States. These units provide students with diverse genres, historical periods, perspectives, and content-area topics.
Evaluation for 7.1d
The materials provide texts and topics that connect to students’ lives, interests, and everyday experiences. Students begin Unit 1, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” lesson 1 by reflecting on their own physical selves before listening to the informational read-aloud, “Building Blocks and Systems.” Students think about what they already know about the internal organs and systems that keep them alive, draw a specific body part, and write a preliminary list of what they know about it. This routine gives students an accessible, personally relevant entry point into scientific learning by connecting new content to their own bodies and prior knowledge.
The materials also contain texts and passages that reflect familiar social experiences, relationships, and community support. In the skills 1 reader, “Classic Tales,” students read narrative passages that connect to everyday childhood experiences. In lesson 8, students read “Lake Day,” which depicts a family preparing for an outdoor day of fishing, swimming, and collecting shells. In lesson 1, students read “Pat’s Bike,” where the main character experiences a flat tire while riding toward the lake and receives help from a peer. These stories provide relatable contexts that allow students to connect reading tasks to personal experiences involving family activities, friendship, helpfulness, and receiving support when needed.
Evaluation for 7.2a
Students listen to grade-level texts and respond to questions that require them to identify key ideas, analyze information, and support conclusions with evidence. The Teacher Guide for unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization,” lesson 1 provides instructions for an informational read-aloud paired with visual image cards about the geography of the early Roman Empire. During the reading, the educator models active comprehension strategies by identifying details that establish Rome as a beautiful, vibrant city and then prompts students to identify key ideas and supporting details in later paragraphs. After the read-aloud activity, students answer literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension questions, including a question about the architectural invention that helped create the lasting network of Roman roads.
Students also communicate their thinking through written and partner-response tasks connected to grade-level informational texts. In unit 4, lesson 1, students complete a written activity page explaining how ancient Roman civilization grew in size, drawing evidence from the oral read-aloud and their student readers. In the Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 3, students respond critically to scientific content during and after the read-aloud. Students explain how shepherd moons act like sheepherders, analyze why the dark side of Mercury remains freezing cold despite its proximity to the sun, and participate in a write-pair-share activity. Students write in their journals about which planet they would most like to explore and why, then share their evidence-based reasoning orally with a partner.
Evaluation for 7.2b
Students discuss how literary devices, the author’s craft, and vocabulary contribute to meaning in grade-level texts. In the Teacher Guide for unit 1, “Classic Tales,” lesson 1, the educator leads students in analyzing how personification is used in the read-aloud “The River Bank, Part 1.” For example, during a think-pair-share activity, students identify examples of personification from the narrative and distinguish those examples from the realistic animal characteristics displayed by Mole and Water Rat. The lesson also includes targeted vocabulary study of words such as meandered, helping students use language analysis to deepen their comprehension.
Students also discuss precise vocabulary and the author’s word choice in historical and informational texts. The Teacher Guide for unit 9, “Colonial America,” lesson 6 describes the steps students use to analyze the word inevitable during the “Word Work” section. The educator reviews the word in the context of trade and shipping. A reading passage explains that encounters with pirates were once inevitable because there was so much trade and so many ships carrying valuable cargo. The educator guides students through follow-up questions that help them connect word meaning to the larger historical context and strengthen their understanding of the text.
Evaluation for 7.2c
Students apply multiple reading skills as they listen to grade-level informational and historical texts. The Teacher Guide for unit 8, “Native American Regions and Cultures,” lesson 4 instructs the educator to read “Native Americans of the Greater Mississippi River Areas” and ask students to focus on identifying the “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” and “how” of the historical content. Students then participate in a cooperative questioning activity using a beach ball labeled with the question words and an adverb. As students pass the ball around the room, they generate and answer targeted textual questions. After the read-aloud activity, students answer literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension questions, including questions that require them to synthesize historical facts with mathematical reasoning and evaluate why early civilizations settled near rivers.
Students also apply their reading skills by making inferences, analyzing historical decisions, evaluating ideas, and generating questions. In the Teacher Guide for unit 9, “Colonial America,” lesson 4, the educator asks students to listen to “Jamestown and the Powhatan.” During the reading, the educator pauses at planned points to ask questions that require students to infer and analyze the decisions of historical figures. For example, after reading, students answer evaluative and analytical questions about which colonist took charge when Jamestown was in danger, how that person helped the colony survive, and whether John Smith or Pocahontas and her people were more important to the settlement’s survival. Students then complete a written activity page where they generate their own inquiries about the text, applying reading strategies independently to historical content.
Evaluation for 7.3a
Educators use embedded scaffolds before and during grade-level texts to support comprehension, vocabulary, and participation without reducing the rigor of the lesson. The Teacher Guide for unit 2, “Classification of Animals” provides daily read-alouds, including planned stopping points where educators ask questions, model thinking, and provide essential context. In lesson 2, during “Classifying Animals by Characteristics,” educators use illustrative diagrams, think-alouds, and questions such as “Why did the author write the passage?” to help students analyze the informational text. A “Support” sidebar also directs educators to construct a diagram of the five kingdoms on the board, giving students multiple entry points into the scientific content.
The materials also provide targeted language, visual, and conceptual supports during complex grade-level texts. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 1 encourages educators to use the developmental sidebars as they help students learn about cosmological relationships. Beginning students answer closed-ended questions, Intermediate students provide domain-specific terms in response to definition-related questions, and Advanced students use complete sentences with precise vocabulary. Educators also use a globe and flashlight to help students visualize Earth’s tilt and orbit, and provide direct instruction for abstract words such as diffuses and extraterrestrial. These supports reduce linguistic barriers while maintaining expectations for scientific reasoning and grade-level comprehension.
Evaluation for 7.3b
Students who demonstrate proficiency extend their analysis of grade-level texts through optional enrichment readings connected to the unit topic. In the unit 5 reader, “Adventures in Light and Sound,” students have access to four additional chapters that extend core learning about light, photography, and the scientific contributions of Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison. Proficient readers independently expand their historical and scientific knowledge through additional grade-level informational texts that build directly on the core lessons.
The materials also provide challenge questions that ask proficient students to apply scientific reasoning during grade-level text work. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 1 provides educators with targeted challenge questions during the scientific read-aloud “The Sun, Earth, and Our Solar System.” For example, students explain why the moon is not visible every night even when the sky is clear, analyze why some people on Earth can see a solar eclipse while others cannot, and deduce the current season in the United States if it is spring in Australia. These embedded questions extend the core lesson by requiring students to analyze, apply, and synthesize scientific ideas while remaining engaged with the grade-level text.
Evaluation for 7.4a
The materials provide educators with text complexity information that supports instructional planning for core texts. In the Grade 3 Curriculum Map, each unit includes the text type, Lexile measure, and educational rationale. For example, unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses” includes both literary and informational texts with a Lexile level of 620. The accompanying rationale explains that the texts are appropriate for grade 3 because they help students build an in-depth understanding of the human body’s sensory and biological systems.
The materials also explain how selected texts support grade-level content and literacy goals. In unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” students read about the roles of the body parts and organs connected to each system (including bones, joints, muscles, nerves, the spinal cord, and the brain) while also analyzing the functions of sight and hearing. The K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide provides systematic quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task ratings for each core unit. These resources help educators understand the complexity, educational purpose, and grade-level placement of the texts while planning instruction that builds vocabulary and content knowledge.
Evaluation for 7.4b
The text complexity information aligns with the instructional tasks students complete during the unit. In the K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide, the materials identify text complexity measures for grade 3 student readers and educators’ read-alouds. For example, unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond” includes core texts and readers with a quantitative rating of 3 and an average Lexile level of 1040. The unit receives a qualitative rating of 2, reflecting moderately complex structures, purposeful informational layouts, and occasional unconventional phrasing, while the reader and task rating of 3 indicates that the tasks contain higher levels of nuance and complexity.
The materials also connect text difficulty to the cognitive demands of student activities across informational and literary units. In unit 7, the student reader, “What’s in Our Universe?” has a Lexile level of 730, supporting lesson-level scientific tasks connected to astronomy. The Grade 3 Curriculum Map also identifies unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses” as an informational unit with a Lexile measure of 620 and connects that placement to the writing, research, and labeling tasks students complete throughout the unit. These resources help educators align text complexity with task design while supporting comprehension, vocabulary development, writing, and content-area knowledge.
Evaluation for 7.5a
Students engage with age-appropriate read-alouds that are at or above grade-level complexity and supported by visuals, questioning, vocabulary instruction, and educator scaffolds. The Teacher Guide for unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” lesson 1 provides instructions for the complex read-aloud “Building Blocks and Systems” along with educator-guided discussion and targeted vocabulary instruction. The Teacher Guide for unit 2, “Scales, Feathers, and Fur: Animal Classification,” lesson 10 instructs students to listen to a read-aloud about avian characteristics. The lesson includes designated stopping points for discussion, vocabulary pauses (such as the pause for isolation), and sidebar supports that help educators scaffold complex scientific content.
Students also participate in shared reading routines that support decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. In the Teacher Guide for skills 1, lesson 1, the educator guides students to participate in a whole-group shared reading of the decodable text “Pat’s Bike.” The Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 1 directs the educator to use a structured, shared reading routine for “Fame on Stage.” The educator reads the narrative aloud first while students help sound out unfamiliar words, and then the class rereads the selection chorally. The educator also pre-teaches idioms with relatable examples, previews story images, and prompts students to read with accuracy. These routines help students access challenging texts while building reading confidence and fluency.
Evaluation for 7.5b
Students practice independent reading with texts that increase in complexity across the year. In the K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide, each grade 3 knowledge unit includes a student reader designed to build fluency, comprehension, domain-specific vocabulary, and content knowledge. The guide explains that these student readers become increasingly complex as students’ reading and listening comprehension skills develop. The Grade 3 Fluency Packet also provides poetry, fiction, and nonfiction selections that give students additional opportunities for independent reading practice across varied text types.
Students also encounter a structured progression in Lexile levels as their reading skills mature. For example, the unit 1 reader is calibrated at 540L–640L, while the unit 9 reader reaches 860L, showing an intentional increase in text complexity across the year. The program also includes auxiliary decodable passages that educators can use throughout the units and lessons so that students can practice foundational reading skills at their instructional level. Together, the scaffolded readers, fluency selections, and decodable passages provide a range of independent reading options that support sustained literacy growth.
Evaluation for 7.5c
Students follow a structured plan for selecting high-quality texts and developing independent reading habits. In the K–5 Independent Reading Guide, educators receive guidance for establishing routines that help students plan, monitor, and reflect on their reading. For example, the guide includes steps for creating a designated time and quiet space for reading, systematically tracking individual student progress, and scaffolding student-led goal setting. These routines support reading independence, stamina, and accountability.
The materials also support student agency and reflection as part of the independent reading plan. The guide encourages students to self-select books rooted in their personal interests so they can sustain focus for extended periods. Accountability tools and regular opportunities for self-reflection help students monitor their reading, reflect on their growth, and remain engaged with rich, high-quality texts. These structures help students take ownership of their independent reading while continuing to develop fluency and comprehension.
7.1 High-Quality Grade-Level Texts
7.1a
Core texts used for instruction are written at grade level when evaluated using research-based measures of text complexity.
Core texts used for instruction are written at grade level when evaluated using research-based measures of text complexity.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 7.1a
Evaluation for 7.1a
Core texts used for instruction are written at grade level when evaluated using research-based measures of text complexity.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide grade-specific text complexity information for grade 3 units. In unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” the educator read-aloud activities have a quantitative rating of 3 and a Lexile rating of 940L. The student readers have a qualitative rating of 2 and a Lexile rating of 620L, reflecting texts with moderate sentence length, domain-specific vocabulary, and content that includes some nuance. The unit also has a reader/task rating of 2, indicating a moderate level of cognitive demand. These measures show that students engage with appropriately complex texts while building comprehension, vocabulary, and scientific knowledge.
7.1b
Texts are well-crafted and are of publishable quality.
Texts are well-crafted and are of publishable quality.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 7.1b
Evaluation for 7.1b
Texts are well-crafted and are of publishable quality.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide student-facing readers that reflect professional publishing standards and support independent reading development. In the grade 3, skills 7 reader, students read “What’s in Our Universe?”, which has a Lexile measure of 730L and is designed to include previously taught spelling patterns and tricky words. For example, the reader helps students apply decoding knowledge at the appropriate point in the instructional sequence and includes formal International Standard Book Number (ISBN) registration, copyright attribution, and Creative Commons licensing. These features show that students engage with professionally crafted texts that support reading, vocabulary, and content knowledge.
7.1c
Materials include traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts across multiple content areas.
Materials include traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts across multiple content areas.
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 7.1c
Evaluation for 7.1c
Materials include traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts across multiple content areas.
4 out of 4 points
Students also engage with informational texts across science, technology, biography, and the arts. In unit 2, “Classification of Animals,” and unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” students read informational texts that build scientific knowledge and domain-specific vocabulary. In unit 5, “Light and Sound,” students read biographical texts about historical figures such as Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison while learning how biographies provide factual information for research. In unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” students explore science, history, and literature through texts about the solar system and space exploration figures, including Nicolaus Copernicus and Dr. Mae Jemison. In unit 10, “All That Jazz,” students read contemporary and traditional texts about writers and musicians who influenced the Jazz Age in the United States. These units provide students with diverse genres, historical periods, perspectives, and content-area topics.
7.1d
Texts include content that is relevant, engaging, and authentically reflects students' diverse backgrounds and experiences. (S)
Texts include content that is relevant, engaging, and authentically reflects students' diverse backgrounds and experiences. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 7.1d
Evaluation for 7.1d
Texts include content that is relevant, engaging, and authentically reflects students' diverse backgrounds and experiences. (S)
1 out of 1 points
The materials also contain texts and passages that reflect familiar social experiences, relationships, and community support. In the skills 1 reader, “Classic Tales,” students read narrative passages that connect to everyday childhood experiences. In lesson 8, students read “Lake Day,” which depicts a family preparing for an outdoor day of fishing, swimming, and collecting shells. In lesson 1, students read “Pat’s Bike,” where the main character experiences a flat tire while riding toward the lake and receives help from a peer. These stories provide relatable contexts that allow students to connect reading tasks to personal experiences involving family activities, friendship, helpfulness, and receiving support when needed.
7.2 Interaction with Grade-Level Text
7.2a
Materials include opportunities in each lesson for students to listen to, think about, and critically respond to grade-level texts and justify their thinking orally and in writing. (S)
Materials include opportunities in each lesson for students to listen to, think about, and critically respond to grade-level texts and justify their thinking orally and in writing. (S)
5 out of 5 points
Evaluation for 7.2a
Evaluation for 7.2a
Materials include opportunities in each lesson for students to listen to, think about, and critically respond to grade-level texts and justify their thinking orally and in writing. (S)
5 out of 5 points
Students also communicate their thinking through written and partner-response tasks connected to grade-level informational texts. In unit 4, lesson 1, students complete a written activity page explaining how ancient Roman civilization grew in size, drawing evidence from the oral read-aloud and their student readers. In the Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 3, students respond critically to scientific content during and after the read-aloud. Students explain how shepherd moons act like sheepherders, analyze why the dark side of Mercury remains freezing cold despite its proximity to the sun, and participate in a write-pair-share activity. Students write in their journals about which planet they would most like to explore and why, then share their evidence-based reasoning orally with a partner.
7.2b
Materials include opportunities in each lesson to discuss specific aspects of grade-level text (e.g., authors' purpose, structure, language, vocabulary, etc.). (S)
Materials include opportunities in each lesson to discuss specific aspects of grade-level text (e.g., authors' purpose, structure, language, vocabulary, etc.). (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 7.2b
Evaluation for 7.2b
Materials include opportunities in each lesson to discuss specific aspects of grade-level text (e.g., authors' purpose, structure, language, vocabulary, etc.). (S)
1 out of 1 points
Students also discuss precise vocabulary and the author’s word choice in historical and informational texts. The Teacher Guide for unit 9, “Colonial America,” lesson 6 describes the steps students use to analyze the word inevitable during the “Word Work” section. The educator reviews the word in the context of trade and shipping. A reading passage explains that encounters with pirates were once inevitable because there was so much trade and so many ships carrying valuable cargo. The educator guides students through follow-up questions that help them connect word meaning to the larger historical context and strengthen their understanding of the text.
7.2c
Materials include opportunities in each lesson for students to engage in a variety of reading skills with grade-level text (e.g., generating questions at various levels of complexity, making, and confirming predictions, inferencing, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing). (S)
Materials include opportunities in each lesson for students to engage in a variety of reading skills with grade-level text (e.g., generating questions at various levels of complexity, making, and confirming predictions, inferencing, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing). (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 7.2c
Evaluation for 7.2c
Materials include opportunities in each lesson for students to engage in a variety of reading skills with grade-level text (e.g., generating questions at various levels of complexity, making, and confirming predictions, inferencing, analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing). (S)
1 out of 1 points
Students also apply their reading skills by making inferences, analyzing historical decisions, evaluating ideas, and generating questions. In the Teacher Guide for unit 9, “Colonial America,” lesson 4, the educator asks students to listen to “Jamestown and the Powhatan.” During the reading, the educator pauses at planned points to ask questions that require students to infer and analyze the decisions of historical figures. For example, after reading, students answer evaluative and analytical questions about which colonist took charge when Jamestown was in danger, how that person helped the colony survive, and whether John Smith or Pocahontas and her people were more important to the settlement’s survival. Students then complete a written activity page where they generate their own inquiries about the text, applying reading strategies independently to historical content.
7.3 Supporting Access to Grade-Level Text
7.3a
Materials include teacher guidance and supports to ensure all students can access grade-level text while maintaining rigor through the use of embedded scaffolds (e.g., vocabulary support, questioning, think-alouds, sentence frames.). (T/S)
Materials include teacher guidance and supports to ensure all students can access grade-level text while maintaining rigor through the use of embedded scaffolds (e.g., vocabulary support, questioning, think-alouds, sentence frames.). (T/S)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 7.3a
Evaluation for 7.3a
Materials include teacher guidance and supports to ensure all students can access grade-level text while maintaining rigor through the use of embedded scaffolds (e.g., vocabulary support, questioning, think-alouds, sentence frames.). (T/S)
2 out of 2 points
The materials also provide targeted language, visual, and conceptual supports during complex grade-level texts. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 1 encourages educators to use the developmental sidebars as they help students learn about cosmological relationships. Beginning students answer closed-ended questions, Intermediate students provide domain-specific terms in response to definition-related questions, and Advanced students use complete sentences with precise vocabulary. Educators also use a globe and flashlight to help students visualize Earth’s tilt and orbit, and provide direct instruction for abstract words such as diffuses and extraterrestrial. These supports reduce linguistic barriers while maintaining expectations for scientific reasoning and grade-level comprehension.
7.3b
Materials provide opportunities for students who demonstrate proficiency to engage in additional analysis of grade-level texts.
Materials provide opportunities for students who demonstrate proficiency to engage in additional analysis of grade-level texts.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 7.3b
Evaluation for 7.3b
Materials provide opportunities for students who demonstrate proficiency to engage in additional analysis of grade-level texts.
1 out of 1 points
The materials also provide challenge questions that ask proficient students to apply scientific reasoning during grade-level text work. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 1 provides educators with targeted challenge questions during the scientific read-aloud “The Sun, Earth, and Our Solar System.” For example, students explain why the moon is not visible every night even when the sky is clear, analyze why some people on Earth can see a solar eclipse while others cannot, and deduce the current season in the United States if it is spring in Australia. These embedded questions extend the core lesson by requiring students to analyze, apply, and synthesize scientific ideas while remaining engaged with the grade-level text.
7.4 Analysis of Text Complexity
7.4a
Materials include quantitative and qualitative analysis of each core text, including a rationale for each text's educational purpose and grade-level placement.
Materials include quantitative and qualitative analysis of each core text, including a rationale for each text's educational purpose and grade-level placement.
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 7.4a
Evaluation for 7.4a
Materials include quantitative and qualitative analysis of each core text, including a rationale for each text's educational purpose and grade-level placement.
4 out of 4 points
The materials also explain how selected texts support grade-level content and literacy goals. In unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” students read about the roles of the body parts and organs connected to each system (including bones, joints, muscles, nerves, the spinal cord, and the brain) while also analyzing the functions of sight and hearing. The K–5 Text Complexity and Vocabulary Guide provides systematic quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task ratings for each core unit. These resources help educators understand the complexity, educational purpose, and grade-level placement of the texts while planning instruction that builds vocabulary and content knowledge.
7.4b
Core texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to their quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to student tasks.
Core texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to their quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to student tasks.
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 7.4b
Evaluation for 7.4b
Core texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to their quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to student tasks.
2 out of 2 points
The materials also connect text difficulty to the cognitive demands of student activities across informational and literary units. In unit 7, the student reader, “What’s in Our Universe?” has a Lexile level of 730, supporting lesson-level scientific tasks connected to astronomy. The Grade 3 Curriculum Map also identifies unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses” as an informational unit with a Lexile measure of 620 and connects that placement to the writing, research, and labeling tasks students complete throughout the unit. These resources help educators align text complexity with task design while supporting comprehension, vocabulary development, writing, and content-area knowledge.
7.5 Read-Aloud, Shared Reading, and Independent Reading
7.5a
Texts designated for read-aloud and shared reading are at or above grade-level complexity, age-appropriate, and contain a variety of structures with appropriate scaffolds.
Texts designated for read-aloud and shared reading are at or above grade-level complexity, age-appropriate, and contain a variety of structures with appropriate scaffolds.
6 out of 6 points
Evaluation for 7.5a
Evaluation for 7.5a
Texts designated for read-aloud and shared reading are at or above grade-level complexity, age-appropriate, and contain a variety of structures with appropriate scaffolds.
6 out of 6 points
Students also participate in shared reading routines that support decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. In the Teacher Guide for skills 1, lesson 1, the educator guides students to participate in a whole-group shared reading of the decodable text “Pat’s Bike.” The Teacher Guide for skills 2, lesson 1 directs the educator to use a structured, shared reading routine for “Fame on Stage.” The educator reads the narrative aloud first while students help sound out unfamiliar words, and then the class rereads the selection chorally. The educator also pre-teaches idioms with relatable examples, previews story images, and prompts students to read with accuracy. These routines help students access challenging texts while building reading confidence and fluency.
7.5b
Texts designated for independent reading have a range of complexity levels for students to practice reading independently. (S)
Texts designated for independent reading have a range of complexity levels for students to practice reading independently. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 7.5b
Evaluation for 7.5b
Texts designated for independent reading have a range of complexity levels for students to practice reading independently. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Students also encounter a structured progression in Lexile levels as their reading skills mature. For example, the unit 1 reader is calibrated at 540L–640L, while the unit 9 reader reaches 860L, showing an intentional increase in text complexity across the year. The program also includes auxiliary decodable passages that educators can use throughout the units and lessons so that students can practice foundational reading skills at their instructional level. Together, the scaffolded readers, fluency selections, and decodable passages provide a range of independent reading options that support sustained literacy growth.
7.5c
Materials include a plan for students to self-select high-quality texts and read independently for a sustained period, including planning and accountability for achieving independent reading goals. (S)
Materials include a plan for students to self-select high-quality texts and read independently for a sustained period, including planning and accountability for achieving independent reading goals. (S)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 7.5c
Evaluation for 7.5c
Materials include a plan for students to self-select high-quality texts and read independently for a sustained period, including planning and accountability for achieving independent reading goals. (S)
4 out of 4 points
The materials also support student agency and reflection as part of the independent reading plan. The guide encourages students to self-select books rooted in their personal interests so they can sustain focus for extended periods. Accountability tools and regular opportunities for self-reflection help students monitor their reading, reflect on their growth, and remain engaged with rich, high-quality texts. These structures help students take ownership of their independent reading while continuing to develop fluency and comprehension.
Rubric Section 8
Evidence-Based Tasks and Responses
Materials require students to engage in reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence using literary and informational text.
Total
100% (55 out of 55 points)
Evaluation for 8.A.1a
Students use evidence from grade-level texts to demonstrate comprehension and justify their thinking. In the Teacher Guide for unit 1, “Classic Tales: Wind in the Willows,” lesson 8 provides “Check for Understanding” questions that require students to explain their thinking using specific evidence from the read-aloud. Students answer targeted comprehension questions that ask them to explain a character’s actions, identify important events, and support their responses with details from the text. These tasks require students to return to the read-aloud, use relevant evidence, and justify their responses during discussion.
Students also use evidence from informational texts to explain their thinking and confirm comprehension. The Teacher Guide, unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 2 provides directions for a small-group reading activity using the student reader “What’s in Our Universe?” As students read, they respond to text-dependent questions and make predictions based on information from the text. For example, the educator asks, “Why does part of the moon have a shadow on it?” and “What evidence can you find in the text to support your answer?” These tasks require students to identify relevant details, reference the text directly, and use evidence to support their understanding.
Evaluation for 8.A.1b
Students evaluate language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure using evidence from poems and informational texts. The Teacher Guide for unit 6, “Rhythm and Rhyme: Poetry,” lesson 1 directs educators to have students listen to the poem “Mary’s Lamb” and answer literal, inferential, and evaluative questions. For example, students evaluate the context-based meaning of the phrase “turned him out” using surrounding textual clues. Students also answer questions such as “What does the lamb do that is against the rule?” and “Which lines prove that the lamb loves Mary?” These tasks require students to justify character analysis and structural understanding with specific lines from the poem.
Students also evaluate the author’s craft and language choices through digital and partner-reading tasks. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, lesson 9 encourages students to complete a digital “Exit Ticket.” On the “Exit Ticket,” students describe how language and onomatopoeias contribute to the author’s voice in “Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage as the First Black and White Jazz Band in History.” Students must use evidence from the text to support their response. In lesson 7, students also engage in partner reading to identify central ideas and key supporting details, citing textual evidence to justify their analysis.
Evaluation for 8.A.1c
Students support their claims and justify their thinking by locating evidence and synthesizing ideas across texts. In unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization,” lesson 11, students evaluate true or false statements on an activity page and support their answers using specific details from the reading. Students write the exact text page location where they found supporting evidence. In unit 9, “Colonial America,” lesson 6, students answer comprehension questions after listening to “Early Days in Georgia” and record supporting page numbers as they identify key ideas and summarize main events.
Students also support their claims through comparison and text-feature analysis. In the pausing-point activity in unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” students read “Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11” and respond to comparative prompts. Students compare what people on Earth experience with what astronauts experience in space and include textual evidence to support their claims. Students also examine the book’s text features and cite examples to explain how those features support the author’s purpose. These tasks require students to synthesize information and communicate evidence-based thinking.
Evaluation for 8.A.1d
Students analyze grade-level texts through questions that require them to recall, make inferences about, evaluate, and discuss information. In the Teacher Guide for unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization,” lesson 11, educators pause at designated stopping points during the read-aloud to facilitate guiding questions and think-pair-share discussions. For example, one prompt asks, “Imagine you are a Roman citizen. What other questions might you ask yourself?” After the read-aloud, students answer questions identified as “literal,” “inferential,” and “evaluative,” moving from recalling information to making inferences and evaluating ideas.
Students also receive scaffolded prompts that allow them to engage with complex texts at different levels of cognitive demand. The Teacher Guide for unit 9, “Colonial America,” lesson 1 has “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars that provide tiered support for answering comprehension questions. Beginning support rewords “What are the three distinct regions of the colonies?” to “How many regions of colonies will we learn about today?” while Advanced support asks students, “How do you think maps and timelines will help us understand the 13 colonies?” These scaffolded tasks support increasingly sophisticated text analysis while maintaining access for all students.
Evaluation for 8.A.2a
Educators model how to identify key ideas, supporting details, and textual evidence before students compose evidence-based responses. The Teacher Guide for unit 4, “The Ancient Roman Civilization,” lesson 1 provides instructions for students to begin collecting key information about ancient Rome for a future opinion writing task. During the read-aloud “What Is Rome?”, the educator models how to identify key ideas and details by stating, “As good readers and listeners, we are always asking ourselves what the key idea is or what the paragraph is about.” The guide directs educators to continue modeling this thinking across the following paragraphs so that students learn how to gather evidence before writing.
Educators also model how to synthesize evidence across texts and organize it for written responses. The “Compare and Contrast Texts” section in unit 5, lesson 2 of the Teacher Guide shows educators how to model locating supporting evidence in informational and narrative texts and completing a shared anchor chart. Students complete both of these actions before they record evidence on their activity pages. In lesson 4, educators model how to find details across paragraphs, transfer key words into a graphic organizer, and ask, “What are these paragraphs mostly about?” These routines help students connect textual evidence to organized, evidence-based writing.
Evaluation for 8.A.2b
Educators facilitate evidence-based discussions that incorporate academic vocabulary and responses given in complete sentences. The Teacher Guide for unit 9, “Colonial America,” lesson 1 instructs educators to conduct a read-aloud about the English colonies. During the “Discussing the Read-Aloud” section, students respond to evaluative questions. The “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars provide differentiated guidance for Intermediate and Advanced students by prompting educators to encourage them to use complete sentences and domain vocabulary. These supports help students participate in collaborative discussions while using textual evidence and academic language.
Educators also reinforce vocabulary usage and academic syntax through structured oral routines. In the “Word Work” section of the Teacher Guide for unit 2, lesson 2, the educator defines the word classify using a sentence from the read-aloud. Students then connect the word to their own experiences using the sentence frame “I have had to classify…” and participate in an oral activity where they identify objects that different professionals might classify. The guide reminds educators to have students use classify in complete sentences, thus supporting the development of academic vocabulary, syntax, and evidence-based oral language.
Evaluation for 8.B.1a
Students use mentor texts to study literary craft and apply these features in original writing. The Teacher Guide for unit 6, “Rhythm and Rhyme: Poetry,” lesson 8 instructs students to listen to and read the poem “Fall” and examine how the poet uses onomatopoeias to convey sound and create imagery. After the read-aloud, shared reading, and class discussion, students compose original poems that incorporate onomatopoeias, using “Fall” as a direct mentor text.
Students also use evidence from informational texts to explain their thinking and confirm comprehension. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 2 describes a small-group reading activity using the student reader “What’s in Our Universe?” As students read, they respond to text-dependent questions and make predictions based on information from the text. For example, the educator asks, “Why does part of the moon have a shadow on it?” and “What evidence can you find in the text to support your answer?” These tasks require students to identify relevant details, reference the text directly, and use evidence to support their understanding.
Evaluation for 8.B.1b
Students compose literary texts for peer audiences while applying genre-specific narrative elements. The Teacher Guide for unit 1, “Classic Tales: Wind in the Willows,” lesson 4 provides instructions for students to write an alternate ending to “The Wild Wood.” Students use narrative elements and craft from the read-aloud to develop a new ending, then present their alternate endings to the class. This task gives students an early opportunity to compose creative writing for a peer audience.
Students also compose poetry through a full process-writing cycle. The Teacher Guide for In unit 6, “Rhythm and Rhyme: Poetry” instructs students to analyze poetic forms before choosing rhyming or free verse for their own original poems. Across lessons 11–15, students plan, draft, revise, edit, publish, and present poems about seasons, places, people, or nature. Earlier in lesson 8, students compose poems using comic strips and onomatopoeias. These tasks give students multiple opportunities to apply poetic craft, publish literary writing, and present their work to their classmates.
Evaluation for 8.B.1c
Students compose informational texts in scientific and domain-specific contexts. The unit introduction for unit 2, “Animal Classification” in the Teacher Guide outlines the tasks students perform to organize and communicate the key characteristics and classification of a specific vertebrate. Students write short and extended textual responses using evidence from the reading and maintain a field journal with reflective and observational entries, including writing from the perspective of an animal researcher or identifying a frog species for independent research.
Students also compose informational writing through a full research and publishing cycle. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond” instructs students to research, plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish an informational essay describing a day in the life of an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. In the culminating lesson, students participate in a gallery walk to share their published writing with peers. These tasks help students organize and communicate domain-specific information while they apply the structure and conventions of informational writing.
Evaluation for 8.B.1d
Students compose argumentative or opinion-based texts by stating claims and supporting them with evidence and reasoning. The Teacher Guide for unit 1, “Classic Tales” provides an opportunity for students to write an opinion-based paragraph connected to characters and themes from The Wind in the Willows. Students support their claims with textual evidence and logical reasoning. The Teacher Guide for unit 4, “Ancient Roman Civilization” provides educators with activities that help students build opinion-writing skills by responding to informational texts about historical events and societal structures.
Students also plan, draft, and share opinion paragraphs through structured lesson routines. The Teacher Guide for unit 6, “Gods, Giants, and Dwarves: Norse Mythology” instructs students to write an opinion paragraph about whether dogs or snakes make better pets. The instruction helps students develop a clear claim, write a topic sentence, organize three evidence-based reasons, and draft a concluding sentence. Students record their responses in their Activity Books and present paragraphs to their classmates for peer review, applying argumentative structure for a classroom audience.
Evaluation for 8.B.1e
Students compose correspondence for specific audiences while applying the structure of a friendly letter. In a think-pair-share activity in unit 5, “Light and Sound,” lesson 6, students write a letter to a partner explaining key concepts they have learned about light and sound. The instruction reinforces the five parts of a friendly letter: heading or date, greeting, body, closing, and signature. After writing, students exchange letters with partners and read one another’s work, giving the task an authentic peer audience.
Students also compose letters connected to historical texts and inquiry. During a pausing point in unit 9, “Colonial America,” students draft a friendly letter to a historical character from the text “Living in Colonial America.” Students introduce themselves, describe life in present-day America, and ask questions about daily life in colonial times. This activity gives students a meaningful reason to apply letter-writing conventions while communicating synthesized ideas to a specific literary or historical audience.
Evaluation for 8.B.2a
Students use the writing process through extended opinion writing connected to literary texts. The Teacher Guide for unit 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows,” lessons 10–13 guides students through planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing an opinion paragraph. Students brainstorm themes and character traits; gather supporting textual evidence on graphic organizers; draft with sections for topic sentences, supporting reasons, evidence, and conclusions; revise using a checklist and sentence strips; and edit for capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar before producing a polished final copy.
Students also apply the writing process through informational and research writing. The Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Flash, Bang, Boom! Exploring Light and Sound”, lessons 14–17 guides students through composing and presenting a newspaper article. Students research and record notes, use a rubric to frame the draft, revise with peer feedback, edit with a checklist, publish using digital tools or an activity page, and present their articles in small groups. These routines allow for a complete and authentic publishing experience.
Evaluation for 8.B.2b
Educators provide explicit modeling for planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing, conferring, and sharing. The “Writing Studio” component in unit 1 of the Teacher Guide prepares students for later writing demands. In lesson 6, the educator models narrative planning with a graphic story map. In lesson 7, the educator models drafting, publishing, and sharing narrative texts. In lesson 8, the educator models revision of a sample narrative paragraph by inserting, deleting, and refining word choices for clarity and imagery.
Educators also model the writing process during research-based writing. In the Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 8, educators receive guidance on how to lead students through crafting a rough draft of their essay about a researched jazz musician. The guide also informs educators how to instruct students on concluding paragraphs and reminds them to circulate around the room for informal conferences. In lesson 9, the educator provides explicit editing instruction focused on paraphrasing source material to avoid plagiarism and varying sentence structure for readability. Students revise, edit, and publish final copies with a title and works cited page.
Evaluation for 8.B.3a
Educators provide direct instruction in sentence-level writing through structured lessons on sentence structure, syntax, and precise vocabulary. In the Grade 3 Writing Supplement: Editing, lessons follow a consistent structure that includes a warm-up, educator modeling, guided practice, and independent application. For example, lesson 1 focuses on complete sentences; lesson 8 teaches coordinating conjunctions; and lessons 3–5 focus on nouns, adjectives, and adverbs. Educators model how writers use these elements to construct, expand, and revise sentences with more precise language.
Educators also reinforce sentence expansion, syntax, and morphology in core units. In the Teacher Guide for unit 7, lesson 5, the educator models sentence expansion beginning with the sentence “The fish swam.” Through questions about what the fish looked like, how it swam, when it swam, where it swam, and what resulted from its movement, the educator shows how adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions make sentences more detailed. In the Teacher Guide for unit 9, lesson 2, educators model comparative and superlative adjective forms using sentence frames and suffixes such as -er and -est.
Evaluation for 8.B.3b
Educators provide writing instruction that progresses from sentence-level work to extended compositions. The Teacher Guide for unit 2, lesson 6 begins with a review of simple sentence structures containing one subject and one predicate before helping students move toward building compound sentences. Educators define independent clauses, model how to form compound sentences by identifying subjects and predicates, and guide students in determining whether sample sentences are simple or compound.
Educators help students apply sentence-level skills to full compositions. In the Teacher Guide for unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” writing instruction begins with sentence construction before expanding into paragraph structure and full text creation. For example, lesson 2 introduces logical sentence sequencing within a paragraph, lesson 5 models cohesive paragraphs with topic and concluding sentences, and lesson 6 asks students to draft a complete informational essay about a human body system with an introductory topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion.
Evaluation for 8.B.3c
Students develop increasingly complex sentence-level writing through a sequenced progression of grammar and syntax lessons. Explicit grammar instruction begins in skills 2, where educators review and extend foundational sentence-level skills. By skills 5, students expand and revise sentences by incorporating modifiers such as adjectives and adverbs. In lesson 9, students independently select adjectives, adverbs, and precise synonyms to strengthen simple sentences before applying these cumulative skills to compound sentences with coordinating conjunctions.
Students also apply sentence expansion and editing techniques during writing tasks. In the Teacher Guide for unit 7, lesson 5, students review simple and compound sentences before editing introductory draft paragraphs for structural variation and grammar. The educator models sentence expansion using “The fish swam” and adds adjectives, adverbs, and details responding to “when,” “where,” and “what” prompts. Students then apply modeled strategies in their Activity Books by combining descriptive modifiers and target conjunctions to transform simple statements into elaborated sentences.
Evaluation for 8.B.4a
Students practice sentence structure and conventions through explicit grammar instruction. The Teacher Guide for unit 2, lesson 6 reviews simple sentences with one subject and one predicate before moving on to compound sentences. Educators model how to identify subjects and predicates, explain that an independent clause can stand alone, and guide students in determining whether sentences are simple or compound. Students then rewrite simple sentences into compound structures and complete parallel practice in their workbooks.
Students also apply conventions across isolated and integrated tasks. In the Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Flash, Bang, Boom! Exploring Light and Sound,” students practice using adjectives and adverbs; apply suffix rules for -y and -al; and construct original sentences using root words such as mess, magic, and cultural. During the read-aloud component, students describe an image using descriptive adjectives and adverbs, and later review, revise, and edit draft paragraphs using academic language standards.
Evaluation for 8.B.4b
Students practice their editing skills through a systematic teaching structure. In the Grade 3 Writing Supplement: Editing, lessons follow a consistent pattern of warm-up, educator modeling with explicit instruction, guided practice, and independent application. A compare-and-contrast writing task in the Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Flash, Bang, Boom! Exploring Light and Sound,” lesson 4 reminds students to use complete sentences while applying correct capitalization and punctuation.
Students also apply conventions in authentic writing and targeted grammar lessons. The Teacher Guide for unit 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows,” lesson 13 provides editing practice where students evaluate opinion paragraphs for grammar, spelling, and punctuation using an editing checklist. The Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Flash, Bang, Boom! Exploring Light and Sound,” lesson 3 focuses on modifier conventions. Students practice identifying adjectives and adverbs before applying this knowledge on an activity page. These activities systematically reinforce grammar, mechanics, and usage across the year.
8.A.1 Use of Text Evidence
8.A.1a
Materials include text-dependent questions and tasks which require students to use evidence from the text to demonstrate comprehension, justify their thinking, and support claims. (S)
Materials include text-dependent questions and tasks which require students to use evidence from the text to demonstrate comprehension, justify their thinking, and support claims. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 8.A.1a
Evaluation for 8.A.1a
Materials include text-dependent questions and tasks which require students to use evidence from the text to demonstrate comprehension, justify their thinking, and support claims. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Students also use evidence from informational texts to explain their thinking and confirm comprehension. The Teacher Guide, unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 2 provides directions for a small-group reading activity using the student reader “What’s in Our Universe?” As students read, they respond to text-dependent questions and make predictions based on information from the text. For example, the educator asks, “Why does part of the moon have a shadow on it?” and “What evidence can you find in the text to support your answer?” These tasks require students to identify relevant details, reference the text directly, and use evidence to support their understanding.
8.A.1b
Questions and tasks require students to use text evidence when evaluating the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of high-quality texts. (S)
Questions and tasks require students to use text evidence when evaluating the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of high-quality texts. (S)
5 out of 5 points
Evaluation for 8.A.1b
Evaluation for 8.A.1b
Questions and tasks require students to use text evidence when evaluating the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of high-quality texts. (S)
5 out of 5 points
Students also evaluate the author’s craft and language choices through digital and partner-reading tasks. The Teacher Guide for unit 10, lesson 9 encourages students to complete a digital “Exit Ticket.” On the “Exit Ticket,” students describe how language and onomatopoeias contribute to the author’s voice in “Benny Goodman and Teddy Wilson: Taking the Stage as the First Black and White Jazz Band in History.” Students must use evidence from the text to support their response. In lesson 7, students also engage in partner reading to identify central ideas and key supporting details, citing textual evidence to justify their analysis.
8.A.1c
Questions and tasks require students to support their claims and justify their thinking through a variety of strategies, such as comparing sources, paraphrasing, summarizing, and discussing key ideas in evidence from the text. (S)
Questions and tasks require students to support their claims and justify their thinking through a variety of strategies, such as comparing sources, paraphrasing, summarizing, and discussing key ideas in evidence from the text. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 8.A.1c
Evaluation for 8.A.1c
Questions and tasks require students to support their claims and justify their thinking through a variety of strategies, such as comparing sources, paraphrasing, summarizing, and discussing key ideas in evidence from the text. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Students also support their claims through comparison and text-feature analysis. In the pausing-point activity in unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” students read “Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11” and respond to comparative prompts. Students compare what people on Earth experience with what astronauts experience in space and include textual evidence to support their claims. Students also examine the book’s text features and cite examples to explain how those features support the author’s purpose. These tasks require students to synthesize information and communicate evidence-based thinking.
8.A.1d
Questions and tasks are designed at different levels of cognitive complexity to provide ample opportunities for students to engage in the analysis of text. (S)
Questions and tasks are designed at different levels of cognitive complexity to provide ample opportunities for students to engage in the analysis of text. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 8.A.1d
Evaluation for 8.A.1d
Questions and tasks are designed at different levels of cognitive complexity to provide ample opportunities for students to engage in the analysis of text. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Students also receive scaffolded prompts that allow them to engage with complex texts at different levels of cognitive demand. The Teacher Guide for unit 9, “Colonial America,” lesson 1 has “Emergent Bilingual” sidebars that provide tiered support for answering comprehension questions. Beginning support rewords “What are the three distinct regions of the colonies?” to “How many regions of colonies will we learn about today?” while Advanced support asks students, “How do you think maps and timelines will help us understand the 13 colonies?” These scaffolded tasks support increasingly sophisticated text analysis while maintaining access for all students.
8.A.2 Teacher Guidance for the Use of Text Evidence
8.A.2a
Materials include guidance for teachers on the effective modeling of the use of text evidence to generate evidence-based claims and construct text-based responses. (T)
Materials include guidance for teachers on the effective modeling of the use of text evidence to generate evidence-based claims and construct text-based responses. (T)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 8.A.2a
Evaluation for 8.A.2a
Materials include guidance for teachers on the effective modeling of the use of text evidence to generate evidence-based claims and construct text-based responses. (T)
2 out of 2 points
Educators also model how to synthesize evidence across texts and organize it for written responses. The “Compare and Contrast Texts” section in unit 5, lesson 2 of the Teacher Guide shows educators how to model locating supporting evidence in informational and narrative texts and completing a shared anchor chart. Students complete both of these actions before they record evidence on their activity pages. In lesson 4, educators model how to find details across paragraphs, transfer key words into a graphic organizer, and ask, “What are these paragraphs mostly about?” These routines help students connect textual evidence to organized, evidence-based writing.
8.A.2b
Materials include guidance for teachers on the use of structured opportunities to engage students in evidence-based discussions using academic vocabulary and syntax. (T)
Materials include guidance for teachers on the use of structured opportunities to engage students in evidence-based discussions using academic vocabulary and syntax. (T)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 8.A.2b
Evaluation for 8.A.2b
Materials include guidance for teachers on the use of structured opportunities to engage students in evidence-based discussions using academic vocabulary and syntax. (T)
2 out of 2 points
Educators also reinforce vocabulary usage and academic syntax through structured oral routines. In the “Word Work” section of the Teacher Guide for unit 2, lesson 2, the educator defines the word classify using a sentence from the read-aloud. Students then connect the word to their own experiences using the sentence frame “I have had to classify…” and participate in an oral activity where they identify objects that different professionals might classify. The guide reminds educators to have students use classify in complete sentences, thus supporting the development of academic vocabulary, syntax, and evidence-based oral language.
8.B.1 Genre Characteristics and Craft to Compose Multiple Texts
8.B.1a
Materials include mentor texts that serve as models for students to compose a variety of texts according to grade-level TEKS.
Materials include mentor texts that serve as models for students to compose a variety of texts according to grade-level TEKS.
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 8.B.1a
Evaluation for 8.B.1a
Materials include mentor texts that serve as models for students to compose a variety of texts according to grade-level TEKS.
1 out of 1 points
Students also use evidence from informational texts to explain their thinking and confirm comprehension. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond,” lesson 2 describes a small-group reading activity using the student reader “What’s in Our Universe?” As students read, they respond to text-dependent questions and make predictions based on information from the text. For example, the educator asks, “Why does part of the moon have a shadow on it?” and “What evidence can you find in the text to support your answer?” These tasks require students to identify relevant details, reference the text directly, and use evidence to support their understanding.
8.B.1b
Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose literary texts for multiple purposes and audiences with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose literary texts for multiple purposes and audiences with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 8.B.1b
Evaluation for 8.B.1b
Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose literary texts for multiple purposes and audiences with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Students also compose poetry through a full process-writing cycle. The Teacher Guide for In unit 6, “Rhythm and Rhyme: Poetry” instructs students to analyze poetic forms before choosing rhyming or free verse for their own original poems. Across lessons 11–15, students plan, draft, revise, edit, publish, and present poems about seasons, places, people, or nature. Earlier in lesson 8, students compose poems using comic strips and onomatopoeias. These tasks give students multiple opportunities to apply poetic craft, publish literary writing, and present their work to their classmates.
8.B.1c
Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose informational texts for multiple purposes and audiences with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose informational texts for multiple purposes and audiences with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 8.B.1c
Evaluation for 8.B.1c
Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose informational texts for multiple purposes and audiences with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Students also compose informational writing through a full research and publishing cycle. The Teacher Guide for unit 7, “Astronomy: Our Solar System and Beyond” instructs students to research, plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish an informational essay describing a day in the life of an astronaut aboard the International Space Station. In the culminating lesson, students participate in a gallery walk to share their published writing with peers. These tasks help students organize and communicate domain-specific information while they apply the structure and conventions of informational writing.
8.B.1d
[3rd grade only] Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose argumentative texts for multiple purposes and audiences with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
[3rd grade only] Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose argumentative texts for multiple purposes and audiences with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Evaluation for 8.B.1d
Evaluation for 8.B.1d
[3rd grade only] Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose argumentative texts for multiple purposes and audiences with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
2 out of 2 points
Students also plan, draft, and share opinion paragraphs through structured lesson routines. The Teacher Guide for unit 6, “Gods, Giants, and Dwarves: Norse Mythology” instructs students to write an opinion paragraph about whether dogs or snakes make better pets. The instruction helps students develop a clear claim, write a topic sentence, organize three evidence-based reasons, and draft a concluding sentence. Students record their responses in their Activity Books and present paragraphs to their classmates for peer review, applying argumentative structure for a classroom audience.
8.B.1e
Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose correspondence with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose correspondence with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Evaluation for 8.B.1e
Evaluation for 8.B.1e
Materials include opportunities throughout the year for students to compose correspondence with genre-specific characteristics and craft. (S)
1 out of 1 points
Students also compose letters connected to historical texts and inquiry. During a pausing point in unit 9, “Colonial America,” students draft a friendly letter to a historical character from the text “Living in Colonial America.” Students introduce themselves, describe life in present-day America, and ask questions about daily life in colonial times. This activity gives students a meaningful reason to apply letter-writing conventions while communicating synthesized ideas to a specific literary or historical audience.
8.B.2 Writing Process
8.B.2a
Materials support students' use of the elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, conferring, editing, and sharing/publishing) to compose text, which includes an age-appropriate progression in the conventions of writing. (S)
Materials support students' use of the elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, conferring, editing, and sharing/publishing) to compose text, which includes an age-appropriate progression in the conventions of writing. (S)
5 out of 5 points
Evaluation for 8.B.2a
Evaluation for 8.B.2a
Materials support students' use of the elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, conferring, editing, and sharing/publishing) to compose text, which includes an age-appropriate progression in the conventions of writing. (S)
5 out of 5 points
Students also apply the writing process through informational and research writing. The Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Flash, Bang, Boom! Exploring Light and Sound”, lessons 14–17 guides students through composing and presenting a newspaper article. Students research and record notes, use a rubric to frame the draft, revise with peer feedback, edit with a checklist, publish using digital tools or an activity page, and present their articles in small groups. These routines allow for a complete and authentic publishing experience.
8.B.2b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction to model each element of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing/publishing) and to support students during the writing process through conferencing and revising. (T)
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction to model each element of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing/publishing) and to support students during the writing process through conferencing and revising. (T)
6 out of 6 points
Evaluation for 8.B.2b
Evaluation for 8.B.2b
Materials include teacher guidance to provide explicit (direct) instruction to model each element of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing/publishing) and to support students during the writing process through conferencing and revising. (T)
6 out of 6 points
Educators also model the writing process during research-based writing. In the Teacher Guide for unit 10, “All That Jazz,” lesson 8, educators receive guidance on how to lead students through crafting a rough draft of their essay about a researched jazz musician. The guide also informs educators how to instruct students on concluding paragraphs and reminds them to circulate around the room for informal conferences. In lesson 9, the educator provides explicit editing instruction focused on paraphrasing source material to avoid plagiarism and varying sentence structure for readability. Students revise, edit, and publish final copies with a title and works cited page.
8.B.3 Explicit (Direct) and Systematic Writing Instruction
8.B.3a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction on sentence-level writing, focusing on structure, syntax, and vocabulary. (T)
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction on sentence-level writing, focusing on structure, syntax, and vocabulary. (T)
3 out of 3 points
Evaluation for 8.B.3a
Evaluation for 8.B.3a
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide explicit (direct) instruction on sentence-level writing, focusing on structure, syntax, and vocabulary. (T)
3 out of 3 points
Educators also reinforce sentence expansion, syntax, and morphology in core units. In the Teacher Guide for unit 7, lesson 5, the educator models sentence expansion beginning with the sentence “The fish swam.” Through questions about what the fish looked like, how it swam, when it swam, where it swam, and what resulted from its movement, the educator shows how adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions make sentences more detailed. In the Teacher Guide for unit 9, lesson 2, educators model comparative and superlative adjective forms using sentence frames and suffixes such as -er and -est.
8.B.3b
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide systematic and explicit (direct) instruction in writing starting at the sentence level and building to compositions according to grade-level TEKS. (T)
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide systematic and explicit (direct) instruction in writing starting at the sentence level and building to compositions according to grade-level TEKS. (T)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 8.B.3b
Evaluation for 8.B.3b
Materials include guidance for teachers to provide systematic and explicit (direct) instruction in writing starting at the sentence level and building to compositions according to grade-level TEKS. (T)
4 out of 4 points
Educators help students apply sentence-level skills to full compositions. In the Teacher Guide for unit 3, “The Human Body: Systems and Senses,” writing instruction begins with sentence construction before expanding into paragraph structure and full text creation. For example, lesson 2 introduces logical sentence sequencing within a paragraph, lesson 5 models cohesive paragraphs with topic and concluding sentences, and lesson 6 asks students to draft a complete informational essay about a human body system with an introductory topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion.
8.B.3c
Materials include systematic and explicit (direct) opportunities for students to engage in increasingly complex sentence-level writing, revising, and editing. (S)
Materials include systematic and explicit (direct) opportunities for students to engage in increasingly complex sentence-level writing, revising, and editing. (S)
6 out of 6 points
Evaluation for 8.B.3c
Evaluation for 8.B.3c
Materials include systematic and explicit (direct) opportunities for students to engage in increasingly complex sentence-level writing, revising, and editing. (S)
6 out of 6 points
Students also apply sentence expansion and editing techniques during writing tasks. In the Teacher Guide for unit 7, lesson 5, students review simple and compound sentences before editing introductory draft paragraphs for structural variation and grammar. The educator models sentence expansion using “The fish swam” and adds adjectives, adverbs, and details responding to “when,” “where,” and “what” prompts. Students then apply modeled strategies in their Activity Books by combining descriptive modifiers and target conjunctions to transform simple statements into elaborated sentences.
8.B.4 Grade-Level Standard English Conventions
8.B.4a
Materials include opportunities for practice and application both in and out of context of the conventions of academic language (e.g., the use of simple and compound sentences with subject-verb agreement, the appropriate use of different verb tenses, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, and coordinating conjunctions) in sentences and short paragraphs using correct capitalization and punctuation according to the grade-level TEKS. (S)
Materials include opportunities for practice and application both in and out of context of the conventions of academic language (e.g., the use of simple and compound sentences with subject-verb agreement, the appropriate use of different verb tenses, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, and coordinating conjunctions) in sentences and short paragraphs using correct capitalization and punctuation according to the grade-level TEKS. (S)
4 out of 4 points
Evaluation for 8.B.4a
Evaluation for 8.B.4a
Materials include opportunities for practice and application both in and out of context of the conventions of academic language (e.g., the use of simple and compound sentences with subject-verb agreement, the appropriate use of different verb tenses, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, and coordinating conjunctions) in sentences and short paragraphs using correct capitalization and punctuation according to the grade-level TEKS. (S)
4 out of 4 points
Students also apply conventions across isolated and integrated tasks. In the Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Flash, Bang, Boom! Exploring Light and Sound,” students practice using adjectives and adverbs; apply suffix rules for -y and -al; and construct original sentences using root words such as mess, magic, and cultural. During the read-aloud component, students describe an image using descriptive adjectives and adverbs, and later review, revise, and edit draft paragraphs using academic language standards.
8.B.4b
Materials include systematic opportunities for practice of and application of grammar, punctuation, and usage, both in and out of context. (S)
Materials include systematic opportunities for practice of and application of grammar, punctuation, and usage, both in and out of context. (S)
6 out of 6 points
Evaluation for 8.B.4b
Evaluation for 8.B.4b
Materials include systematic opportunities for practice of and application of grammar, punctuation, and usage, both in and out of context. (S)
6 out of 6 points
Students also apply conventions in authentic writing and targeted grammar lessons. The Teacher Guide for unit 1, “Classic Tales: The Wind in the Willows,” lesson 13 provides editing practice where students evaluate opinion paragraphs for grammar, spelling, and punctuation using an editing checklist. The Teacher Guide for unit 5, “Flash, Bang, Boom! Exploring Light and Sound,” lesson 3 focuses on modifier conventions. Students practice identifying adjectives and adverbs before applying this knowledge on an activity page. These activities systematically reinforce grammar, mechanics, and usage across the year.